U.S. Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

[TopHatter]

1. Yeah DoR we are all thinking it, but Biden who has the troops and the nukes said it. Putin doesn't care what anyone thinks except for other nuclear leaders. Sadly Biden is one of those. This is a time for statesmanship not braggadocio. Noticed I referenced JFK and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK a Democrat who was a good and able statesman who along with Krushev saved the world. Biden also a Democrat, a brain dead moron who may accidentally end the world trying to get in a snappy applause line.

2. So what is US policy if presidential pronouncements can't be trusted? Like I said, the French President basically facepalmed and said Biden made things worse.

3. If you think he can speak in full sentences you haven't been paying attention.

Oh fucking irony...

No words...I have no words.

[TopHatter]

The ‘Tear Down This Wall’ Moment Matters—The Walkback Doesn’t
By Patti Davis

When I heard President Joe Biden say that Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power, I cheered. Then I wondered how long it would take for either the White House or the State Department to walk back his comment. I didn’t put a stopwatch on it, but it wasn’t long. I wasn’t surprised—I know that politics and truth are not comfortable bedfellows.

On June 12, 1987, my father Ronald Reagan stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate and said his now-famous line: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” His voice dripped with anger. He later told Lou Cannon that his anger was actually not at Gorbachev but at the East Berlin police who, he had found out, herded people away from the loudspeakers so they wouldn’t hear what the president of the United States had to say. Only the West Berliners, on the side where he was speaking, could hear.

Prior to that day, the speech my father gave bounced back and forth between Peter Robinson, who drafted it, my father, the State Department, and the National Security Council. The“tear down this wall” line kept getting cut; the reasons given were that it would be a direct challenge and would damage relations with the new Soviet leader. My father kept putting it back. I don’t know for certain, but I’m guessing his opposition finally just gave up, knowing that he was hellbent on saying exactly that.

Following the speech, Henry Kissinger dismissed the idea of the wall coming down as fantasy. The State Department, while not walking back the line, put out relatively anodyne statements about working to unite East and West Germany, but pointedly did not mention the idea of tearing down the wall. Much of the media wrote off my father’s words as foolish idealism. And the Soviet news agency Tass called it “openly provocative” and “war-mongering.”

On November 9, 1989, it was announced that people in East Berlin could cross freely into West Berlin. Thousands of Germans headed to the wall with hammers and chisels. Over the next few weeks, the wall was destroyed. After its fall, there was a reevaluation of my father’s words. Time magazine said they were “the four most famous words of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.” Douglas Brinkley said it “bolstered the morale of the pro-democracy movement in East Germany.”

Biden was speaking to the world, but it seems pretty clear that he was speaking quite directly to the people of Russia–people who may or may not be able to hear his speech.

History is often defined by single moments in time–an action, a line spoken with the courage of conviction and an iron grip on the truth. We have all watched in horror as Vladimir Putin has committed war crimes and slaughtered civilians. Of course he shouldn’t remain in power. It’s up to Russia to make that happen, but the sentiment is an important one to give voice to.

History is also defined by people who step into the moment that’s given them and act not out of political caution, but out of moral certainty and righteous indignation at the inhumanity they are witnessing.

President Biden’s words will endure. The walk-back will fade
________

[TopHatter]

Boxer Vladimir Klitschko Condemns Tucker Carlson and Others Opposing Ukraine Aid: ‘Blood Is on Your Hands’

Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko made a strong statement against conservative pundits who don’t believe America should lend support to Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
He spoke out during a Monday appearance on Newsmax TV’s “The Balance.” When host Eric Bolling asked Klitschko about American conservatives – such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens – who believe the U.S. should take an isolationist stance on the war, he replied that there’s blood on the hands of anyone who doesn’t stand with Ukraine.

“If you passively observe what is going on, and we do share the same principles of freedom and democratic principles, like the United States, like the Western world, so to speak,” Klitschko said. “If you are passively observing, you are part of this invasion. Blood is on your hands, too.”

He continued, “If you still have business and trade with Russia, and you don’t isolate Russia economically, you’re bringing bullets and rockets into the Russian army’s hands that kills, today, the innocent.”

Earlier in the segment, Klitschko – who is the younger brother of Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko – insisted that Ukraine would remain strong and persevere through the attack.

“We’re going to win this war, we’re going to defend our country, our homes our families, and our children,” he told Bolling. “Ukraine is a free nation and we will stand with it.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Carlson and Owens have echoed Vladimir Putin’s justification of its military action as “self-defense.” Carlson has repeatedly aired a conspiracy theory stating that the U.S. has secret bioweapons labs in Ukraine on his television show. Owens pins the blame for the war on the United States, supporting Putin’s claim that Russia was defending itself against the eastward expansion of NATO.

Currently, the Russian army continues its attack on Ukraine’s forces in the east. Peace talks are scheduled to take place this week in Turkey between Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
_________

Sure would love to know why conservatives still have this fetish for sucking Putin's dick...

[Bigfella]

Left out Greg Norman and Yahoo Serious.

Yahoo Serious is a legend. Greg Norman stopped being Australian when he skipped a golf tournament here so he could be with his kids for Thanksgiving.

[zraver]

The ‘Tear Down This Wall’ Moment Matters—The Walkback Doesn’t
By Patti Davis

....

President Biden’s words will endure. The walk-back will fade
________

Endure like they have an atomic half-life is the fear. Gorby wanted to liberalize, Putin is going hard the other way. A better analogy would have been the bombing starts in 5 minutes. Except of course that comment was broadcast in real time to an enemy whose army was being taken apart at the seems just 300 miles away with an American/NATO forced pushed up against the border just 300 miles away.

Putin is an evil shit who does need to go. I know it, you know it, we all know it. But Putin doesn't care what we know or say. We can do jack all about it. Putin does care what Biden says, either he is POTUS and his words have meaning or if his words mean diddly, they who is running the show? Nuclear showdown by committee vs strong man..... wooo boy. Biden's Polish trip was a disaster that made tensions worse. We(the world) are manifestly less safe today than we were last week. There were very clear rules about how the US/NATO confronted USSR/Russia. Either could supply weapons and advisors to kill the other sides troops but neither would directly challenge the other. Calling for regime change and saying you are sending US troops into the combat zone...

[Red Team]

Any particular brands tickle his fancy?

He came into his first real Whiskey tasting with only Jack Daniels no. 7 as a reference point. After giving him a tasting from six of my bottles, he is now a fan of the Four Roses lineup (Small Batch + Single Barrel).

As an aside, he was also absolutely taken aback at the quality of vodka coming out of upstate NY, which as a NYer was a point of pride.

[DOR]

We can all see the divide in American politics: On one side, appeasement and apologists for dictators, and on the other side … not.
We can also see who among us is on which side.

[Red Team]

Can someone please shut Biden up before he talks his way into WWIII. I know many here are part of Biden's bootlick army but jfc, calling for Putin to be removed, telling the 82nd they are going to Ukraine.... Ya I get he misspoke, that's the problem.

Hope ya'll have bug out plans. We are closer to midnight after Biden's Polish extravaganza than at any other time. Wish we had a JFK and Russia had a Krushev.

Pretty sure Putin made his "I'm putting my nuclear forces on high alert" threat and declared the West was in "total war" with Russia in response to the massive sanctions package, not Biden hurting his feelings.

And if he really is willing to end the world over his fee-fees, then someone should put a round in his head.

[zraver]

Pretty sure Putin made his "I'm putting my nuclear forces on high alert" threat and declared the West was in "total war" with Russia in response to the massive sanctions package, not Biden hurting his feelings.

And if he really is willing to end the world over his fee-fees, then someone should put a round in his head.

Yup, but the POTUS should not be saying it out loud. We went from from one nuclear power chest thumping, to two of them doing it. Look I hope my fears are misplaced and I am wrong about the results of Biden's idiocy. If my kids and grandkids get too grow old thinking Biden presaged a nuclear exchange with Russia will be the greatest and most welcomed mistake of my life. But until the war is over and tensions settle, I think escalation is a mistake.

[zraver]

Biden's own staff, privy to the best intell we can generate spent all weekend trying to undo his triple gaff. If he did not make the world less safe, why?

[TopHatter]

We can all see the divide in American politics: On one side, appeasement and apologists for dictators, and on the other side … not.
We can also see who among us is on which side.

They've made such a habit out of it, they can't break the cycle of abuse/willing victim

[Albany Rifles]

Yahoo Serious is a legend. Greg Norman stopped being Australian when he skipped a golf tournament here so he could be with his kids for Thanksgiving.

First I heard of him was in Young Einstein. Most folks hates it...I loved it.

And Norman playing is how American's knew there was a place called Oz!!!

And I stopped cheering for him when he cratered at the Masters in 1996.

[Albany Rifles]

He came into his first real Whiskey tasting with only Jack Daniels no. 7 as a reference point. After giving him a tasting from six of my bottles, he is now a fan of the Four Roses lineup (Small Batch + Single Barrel).

As an aside, he was also absolutely taken aback at the quality of vodka coming out of upstate NY, which as a NYer was a point of pride.

I am a fan of Bulleit. My buddy gave me a handle of Maker's Mark last Christmas so that also pleases the palate. Got to share a bottle of Whistle Pig with a buddy in February and it was a special night!

[Red Team]

I am a fan of Bulleit. My buddy gave me a handle of Maker's Mark last Christmas so that also pleases the palate. Got to share a bottle of Whistle Pig with a buddy in February and it was a special night!

Bulleit's new single barrel selection is top notch, definitely look out for that. Makers is great, though I have not had the pleasure of trying Whistlepig yet.

Fun fact: until very recently, Bulleit actually contracted Four Roses to distill their stuff (albeit using Bulleit's proprietary mashbill recipes), so you might want to give Four Roses a try on your next tasting.

All this whiskey talk is making me consider sharing my recent foray into the stuff on the old "What are you drinking" thread, or maybe even start a new thread altogether?

[Albany Rifles]

Bulleit's new single barrel selection is top notch, definitely look out for that. Makers is great, though I have not had the pleasure of trying Whistlepig yet.

Fun fact: until very recently, Bulleit actually contracted Four Roses to distill their stuff (albeit using Bulleit's proprietary mashbill recipes), so you might want to give Four Roses a try on your next tasting.

All this whiskey talk is making me consider sharing my recent foray into the stuff on the old "What are you drinking" thread, or maybe even start a new thread altogether?

I'm your huckleberry!