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Post by jdredd on Jun 6, 2023 14:40:55 GMT -5
Paul Krugman gave his two cents worth on our role in stoking the flames of war in Ukraine, and he lands easily on the Making The World Safe For Democracy side of the fence. He even compares the long hyped Ukrainian offensive to D-Day, which should scare anyone. It took the maximum effort of both America and the British Commonwealth to pull off defeating Germany in the West. Russia could be as hard to defeat, if not harder. Is Ukraine up to the task? Or will NATO have to “rescue” them? Things could get a lot more dangerous. Children playing with fire…
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Post by jdredd on Jun 7, 2023 8:21:23 GMT -5
It se elms like the columnistsAt the NYT daily taking turns spouting the Neocon line on the Ukraine. Today it’s Bret’s turn. He lists all the reasons we have to “humiliate” Russia. Wouldn’t that be nice? Unfortunately, I’m not sure Ukraine is a strong enough tool, and a tool it is. But if the Big Push by Ukraine has started, it’s started with a whimper. Heck, Britain lost 40,000 casualties on the first day of the Somme offensive, which went on for months. Europe does know how to have fun. And here is how Bret ends it: “ And would it humiliate Putin? In the best way possible, by showing him and other despots, within and beyond Russia, that aggression against democracies never pays.” Yes, making the world Safe for Democracy. By the way, it’s only the right wing NYT columnists who seem to take a shot at solving the Ukraine debacle, the “liberal” ones spend their time whining about the latest Supreme Court outrage or the opioid crisis.
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Post by jdredd on Jun 17, 2023 12:59:50 GMT -5
I keep watch on the NYT’s Neocon crew of columnists. One of two today is Nicolas Kristof’s titled “ It’s Easy to Feel Righteous in the Trump Era. Liberals, Beware.” What caught my attention is his claim the he is on the left but came up with this narrative: “ Many on the left had erred on what was perhaps the most important issue of the 20th century, global totalitarianism: Too many had been soft on Soviet Communism or Chinese Maoism”. Really? “Soft”? Because some of us thought the invented Cold War was not sufficient justification to put the world under the threat of nuclear incineration? (Just like some of us don’t think supporting Ukrainian nationalism is worth bringing us the risk of nuclear annihilation either). I’m supposed to ferl ashamed for that? Never.
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Post by jdredd on Jun 17, 2023 12:59:50 GMT -5
I keep watch on the NYT’s Neocon crew of columnists. One of two today is Nicolas Kristof’s titled “ It’s Easy to Feel Righteous in the Trump Era. Liberals, Beware.” What caught my attention is his claim the he is on the left but came up with this narrative: “ Many on the left had erred on what was perhaps the most important issue of the 20th century, global totalitarianism: Too many had been soft on Soviet Communism or Chinese Maoism”. Really? “Soft”? Because some of us thought the invented Cold War was not sufficient justification to put the world under the threat of nuclear incineration? (Just like some of us don’t think supporting Ukrainian nationalism is worth bringing us the risk of nuclear annihilation either). I’m supposed to feel ashamed for that? Never.
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Post by jdredd on Jun 22, 2023 22:38:56 GMT -5
Today’s entrys for the columnists I follow in the NYT are from David French and David Brooks. Religious fanatic French comments on the future of the “pro-life” movement. Professional fence-sitter Brooks complains about spectacle, in this case the drag nuns at a Dodger pre-game show. Both columns are pretty bland. French claims getting knocked up means you have “hope”. (How about the millions of who hope they don’t get knocked up? Let’s deny them the freedom of changing their minds about being pregnant). Personally, I had my kids in the 70’s and I’m glad I did, but I’m not sure I’d want to in the 2020’s.
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Post by jdredd on Jun 27, 2023 9:56:02 GMT -5
Today’s column by one of the guys (can’t help it if what the women columnists talk about doesn’t interest me. I’m old) I follow is by Mr.French: “ The Legal Foundation of Women’s Sports Is Under Fire.” This doesn’t interest me either. I don’t give a rats ass about sports.
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Post by jdredd on Jun 28, 2023 15:19:45 GMT -5
Todays rant by Bret is just about how much Putin sucks. Here’s its conclusion:
“His most vocal (and credible) internal critic may now go silent — or be silenced. Russians may conclude that they would rather live in the world of pleasing lies, in which they’ve long been complicit, than know the stark truth. And Putin will likely continue to rule inside his bubble because so many of the potential alternatives, from defeat to anarchy, look worse. Only a decisive Ukrainian victory can puncture it.”
Decisive Ukrainian victory? What are the odds of that? Meanwhile, the West is throwing its military resources down the Ukrainian rathole. But I do like that Bret has accused the Russians of jingoism, a term I have not heard for a long time. What are the chances that all this Russia hating will harden the Russian people against the Europeans, not motivating them to bring down Putin?
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Post by jdredd on Jul 3, 2023 19:16:06 GMT -5
Maybe there. Is hope for the NYT after all. They actually published a guest editorial that was anti-Neocon titled “America’s Foes Are Joining Forces”, pointing out specifically how American belligerence is driving Cuba and Iran together, both countries which reached out to Obama for friendlier ties. I thought Biden would try a more friendly approach than Trump but Bloodthirsty Joe didn’t.
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Post by jdredd on Jul 8, 2023 17:36:01 GMT -5
Zelensky’s Big Push may have had a failure to launch but Uber Neocon Nikolas Kristoff has an inspiring story about Ukrainian vets who have had amputations but are planning to return to the front with artificial limbs. Hey, as long as they keep fighting and keeping the world safe for Western Democracies.
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Post by jdredd on Jul 10, 2023 8:29:49 GMT -5
There may be some cracks in the NYT’s cheerleading of Bloodthirsty Joe’s War. Editorial from the paper: “ The Flawed Moral Logic of Sending Cluster Munitions to Ukraine .” By the way, I know the Neocons believe they are on the moral high ground supporting Zelensky, but what are the unintended consequences for America?
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Post by jdredd on Jul 11, 2023 8:54:10 GMT -5
Byline from the NYT: “ NATO Isn’t What It Says It Is”. Here’s a quote: “ But NATO, from its origins, was never primarily concerned with aggregating military power. Fielding 100 divisions at its Cold War height, a small fraction of Warsaw Pact manpower, the organization could not be counted on to repel a Soviet invasion and even the continent’s nuclear weapons were under Washington’s control. Rather, it set out to bind Western Europe to a far vaster project of a U.S.-led world order, in which American protection served as a lever to obtain concessions on other issues, like trade and monetary policy. In that mission, it has proved remarkably successful.” And now it’s Springtime for NATO.
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Post by jdredd on Jul 13, 2023 8:46:05 GMT -5
Another rah-rah video piece in the NYT, about Westerners training more cannon fodder. Sad to see those young Ukrainians who probably will not come back.
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Post by jdredd on Jul 23, 2023 8:21:52 GMT -5
Wow, the Neo York Times has unusually negative story on the war titled “ Weary Soldiers, Unreliable Munitions: Ukraine’s Many Challenges”. My favorite quote:
“ But other Ukrainian formations elsewhere on the front have had trouble filling their ranks with the caliber of soldiers capable of carrying out successful trench attacks, given that months of fighting have exhausted their ranks. New replacements are sometimes older recruits who were mobilized.
“How can you expect a 40-year-old to be a good infantry soldier or machine-gunner?” asked the Ukrainian commander whose platoon had taken dozens of casualties. Youth not only means better physical prowess, but younger soldiers are less likely to question orders”
Perhaps people might start questioning the wisdom of Ukrainians deciding to fight. OK, probably not.
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Post by jdredd on Aug 4, 2023 11:25:31 GMT -5
In a rare break from cheerleading the plucky Ukrainian heroes, the NYT ran a negative column titled “ Ukrainian Troops Trained by the West Stumble in Battle.” Must be frustrating for NATO generals that Ukrainian cannon fodder is not performing as expected. Sure, they are going to die, but they have to kill more Russians before they do.
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Post by jdredd on Aug 30, 2023 14:29:30 GMT -5
Haven’t commented that much on all my favorite columnists in the NYT lately. I guess it’s been a while now since Stephens, Douthat, and French were added to Kristoff and Brooks and they are getting to be old news. And then I am wondering why there is no woman on the list. If only Peggy Noonan would come over from the WSJ. But Bret does come closest to having an interesting column this morning by advocating that it might be in our best interest to back off from our anti-China belligerence.
Duh.
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