(#4836) Spending time getting things done around the house

      It has been weird for me the last several days as I have been focused on getting some projects done around the house. This old house, 71 years old, is in need of many repairs and upgrades. So over the last 10 years I have been slowly but surely, with money availability, cleaning up and restoring basic needs here. The yard is pretty much done except for some chain link fencing I need to put up to replace some old style metal wire fencing around my hedges. It would be nice to get some more dirt to slope the hill on the side of my property a little bit more so as the riding lawn mower can access it without me falling off the mower.
     But other than some beautification measures the yard is mostly complete. The garage I rebuilt about 5 years ago and is still looking marvelous. So the patio out back needs a lot of care and the carport out front is about to be finished. I have put in 5 6x6 posts and am going to put the final 6x6 post in today. Then I can prep for primer and paint out front to complete the paint job I started last year. I have been waiting for the weather to warm up and to have some funds to buy the now very expensive 6x6 posts. So in the next couple of days the front carport will be primed and painted. The timing on this is perfect as I have a roofer coming in at the end of next week to tear off the old material on my flat roof and recover it with some modern material.
     I had hoped to have enough money to put a pitched roof on my house but the cost right now is too exorbitant. The inside of the house will likely get needed flooring as I am running out of funds for awhile so no remodel on my bathroom to make it more old timer friendly. Oh well, I guess I will just have to stay young and not do anything stupid for awhile. Good luck to me with that. lol. Anyway, lots of action around here to keep my mind occupied but the situation in Ukraine will not leave my thoughts so I will try to keep up with current events there and hopefully witness soon the end of putin and his criminal murderous invasion.

(#4835) So close to rescuing the steel mill fighters in Mariupol

      I had hoped as of this writing that I could talk about the rescue of the steel mill fighters in Mariupol being rescued. But not yet as there is a delay for now. I hope the delay is insignificant and these brave fighters and innocent citizens can be removed from this last stand. Much like the Alamo, but without the same outcome, the odds were high they were not going to survive but as each day goes by and they continued to hold out, the odds are getting better for them. Because the Ukrainian rescuers were refitted with better armaments a rescue is possible and at this point the rescue is still imminent, yet, not yet.
     The effect that these last holdouts in Mariupol are having for the morale of the Ukrainian nation is palpably inspirational. It isn't that the Ukrainian forces aren't inspired to begin with it is just that every bit of good news does help to bolster the will to defeat putin and destroy his army. The fact that these fighters and innocent civilians are still clinging to their lives is also just another heroic chapter in the magnificent story of the extraordinary Ukrainian effort to defend their right to exist. What we on the outside are getting glimpses of are beyond what we expected and instead we are all being schooled on what it takes to not only stand up to long odds but to likely prevail against them.
     Within the next few days I surely expect the rescue of the steel mill fighters to happen and then the slow slog to recapture Mariupol itself. The crushing defeat of not being able to take Mariupol or keep it under Russian control will likely do putin in. He is already feeling the heat from his inner circle to win his criminal invasion of Ukraine and their patience is sorely being tried as putin is now in his 3rd month of what is looking like his Waterloo. I cannot express more profoundly the necessity of making this rescue happen and getting to know how the Ukrainian forces operate once they do go for the rescue, it will happen. This invasion will not be able to sustain itself if Russia cannot hold Mariupol.

(#4834) The parallel between trump and putin should be a blaring warning!

      What trump tried to do here in the states is eerily similar to what putin is doing in Russia. They both are tied to the hip with disinformation. Both seem to be of the nazi persuasion given their rhetoric and lies. Disinformation at the extreme with putin in Russia which allows him to throw young Russians into a criminal war and get away with it. Despite those young Russian boys being killed at an alarming rate. The Russian populace is being led to believe that putin is waging some honorable war and that the deaths, which are now above 25,000 Russian soldiers, is necessary and with noble intent. Well we who are not within the sphere of putins grip can only shake our heads and be glad that trump did not remain in his appointed presidency otherwise we would be facing similar lies to our own deaths.
     It has been pointed out many times that if we don't fight to keep our democracy it will be taken from us by those who have no regard for individual rights and the freedom of all living souls to determine their own destiny. We are currently at that precipice where the risk to our democracy here in the states is real and imminent. The only way we are going to stop the ego maniacs who have little conscience and empathy for the social contract of human rights is to stand up to them and fight with all we have. There is no other way than to put ourselves out there so that the arrogant condescending ones have no illusion about trying to take from us what we will not give them.
     An example is Ukraine, although extreme it is still how all humans of good will need to base our lives upon. In no circumstance are we to be bullied or threatened into giving up our rights as free individuals to determine our own destiny nor our choice of democracy that favors all of us instead of autocracy and tyranny which favors few of us. The founders of our nation, The United States of America, were faced with the same dilemma and stood tall and proud in defeating the monarchy that pressed its boot hard down upon their necks. Fighting for what is correct and good in the world should be our mantra and witnessing what Ukraine is doing, with help from like minded souls, gives us the real life template to follow. Standing up to the craven and brutish is our job and there is no other job more important!

(#4833) No peace with putin!

      There is no scenario where a peace deal can be made with putin without putin being held to account for the murders and war crimes in Ukraine. The civilized world cannot accept a madman back into the social graces of society without punishing him for his evil deeds. To let putin keep existing after he is held to account for his crimes would also be a travesty. The only eventual outcome for him is equal to being spaced into the Sun. This is what we must do to all who would defy the civilized nature of evolved human behavior. So in essence there will not be a peace with putin.
     Now if Russia takes the lead on a peace without the presence of putin then that can be adjudicated with some success. However, not with putin as part of the equation. He had crossed the line of being allowed to continue to be a force in our world on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine. Same with his close allies who allowed and abetted him in these ongoing unforgiveable atrocities in Ukraine. To smash and crush the idea of invasion based upon conquering is one that should have no foothold in our modern societies. So there can be no negotiating with a madman regardless of his intentions. There can only be a final solution for putin and it has to be definitive.
     The moment putin stepped across the border into Ukraine for an invasion is the moment that putins world changed forever. He no longer is a figure on the world stage held in some regard. He has shown that he never should have been held in any positive regard. His disregard for civilized behavior is now fully exposed and his true nature to destroy and murder at a whim is fully exposed. There is no more room on our planet for him and the sooner he is not allowed to draw breath the sooner our world can find its way forward into a new paradigm with one less powerful autocrat who cares nothing for anyone other than himself.

(#4832) Russia going all in on it's invasion

      There is no turning back now for Russia. They are going to keep invading everywhere they think they can conquer. So the question is what do we in the west do about the naked aggression putin is demonstrating? Do we continue to sit back and play our hand close to the vest like in a poker game? Or do we forego the poker game and confront putin now everywhere he launches an invasion? I have been adamant about what we must do from day one. Stop putin now while he is still in Russia and defend all borders that he tries to invade. NATO or no NATO, defend counties that are under threat with boots on the ground if necessary and nothin short of that!
     Which means air support and offensive counter attacks that take the fight to Moscow. I don't give a gnats ass about the threats putin has made concerning nuclear options. We have nukes also and our nukes are clearly potent enough to end the Russian experiment. Russia cannot harm all of us simultaneously like we can harm him simultaneously. So putin is on the short end of the stick when it comes to threatening nuclear attacks. So the only thing now stopping us from ending the putin equation is to put our backs up and challenge putin to stop invading or else!
     If putin continues to invade then we in the west have to already have decided what we are going to do. Anything short of flipping putin off and telling him to go fuck himself will be shameful on our part. I know the powers that be know this so don't let a bully bully us! Put me in charge and I will shove the worlds boot down putins throat until he cries uncle! But I don't have to be in charge for that to happen. There are already those in place who are itching to give putin a pounding. Because the next chapter in the history of our world has to be one where honor and democracy are the victors and the losers are those who would subject the world to subjugation and dishonor!

(#4831) The next big news out of Ukraine will be the liberation of Mariupol

      It won't be long, a matter of less than a week or so, that Mariupol will be liberated and putin will be force fed another defeat at the hands of a superior fighting force. Once the anti missile systems are active in the eastern part of Ukraine the ground forces of Ukraine will be able to assault the Russian occupiers and chase them back to their own borders. Relieving Mariupol of the missile attacks is the last obstacle to allowing the reuniting of the majestic defenders of Ukraine's beleaguered city with their brethren. The inability of Russia to take and hold Mariupol is a strategic defeat for putin and not one he is likely to survive. He may keep control but his command of Russia will be sorely weakened.
     The tide has already turned against the Russia horde and now what will be left is to stop the missile attacks and then feed the ground with the blood of Russian bodies. The Russians know this as well because they are abandoning their positions to run back to safety. In the coming days the surge of Ukrainians to oust the Russian horde will the the main stories on the news not the continued ass kissing of putin. He is done for and is only a dead man walking at this point. I know the media is being careful in how they portray the reality in Ukraine but I don't care what their excuses are, the Ukrainians are winning the day and no amount of hesitant cowardice by the media it will change that truth.
     Eventually the media will have to report the multiple advances, against the Russian invasion, from the fighting will of Ukrainian soldiers armed with advanced weapons supplied by the west, especially Joe Biden, who along with Zelenskyy, are proving to be a mighty foe. When the media here in The US does catch up and show the reality on the ground the world will know then that the Russian bear is toothless and clawless and a weak actor on the world stage. My hope is that Elexei Navalny will be released from putin's prison and be allowed to run for the leadership in Russia post putin. The oligarchs and military in Russia will have been branded with the astounding loss to Ukraine and should not be allowed to keep power as it is now.

(#4830) No republican voted for voting rights protections

      When you hear republicans asking why democrats don't legislate, this is why! They do not vote for policies to make life easier for the America electorate. But they sure blame democrats for not making life easier for the American citizenry. Kind of like blaming the guys who are actually trying to do something while not doing anything about it themselves to help. Sure seems like a petty and irresponsible tactic when they could just vote to protect voting rights and then stop blaming democrats for not getting it done, while sharing in the credit for getting it done. This isn't rocket science here folks. If a political party is just going to stop needed legislation while blaming the other party well then you should say hey republicans, if you don't vote with democrats to protect voting rights then you are going to be voted out in the next election.
     That is how our system is supposed to work. If you are not going to give the electorate what they want then you are not worthy of being the representative, senator, or president. The republican party is well tuned to denying policies to the American electorate and then blaming someone else for the policy failures. It seems to work for them because they keep getting elected. Which begs the question, how can the American electorate not see the truth of things? Well there is no truth in news law. So like with the fox not news channel they can propagandize their narrative that doesn't have to line up with facts or truths. But even worse than that is the gullibility of our electorate to believe a lot of the fox not news nonsensical illogic.
     So when the republican party doesn't vote to expand the dismal federal minimum wage or the right of women to earn equal pay for equal work, it doesn't take a high intelligence quotient to figure out that they don't want those things for the American electorate. When republicans fail to vote for policies that would lift people up out of poverty it is because they don't want people to be lifted out of poverty. When the republican party doesn't vote to improve our immigration policies or enact sensible gun control it is because they are fine with the immigration mess we have now and like the current gun situation where there are guns everywhere to most everyone, sane or not. This is real simple to understand and hopefully our American electorate will start to figure out that the republican party is not a governing one toward an evolution to a more perfect union party!

(#4829) Ukraine is fighting for the American experiment of democracy!

      How proud I feel for the Ukrainian people. They are the epitome of patriots for equality and liberty. Not since the second world war has a nation put itself in harms way to defend a US American born ideal this great. To me it shows that our democracy or the continuing evolution of it is a worthy ideal that has a real life sacrificing component to it. The Ukrainians have even upstaged we US Americans in their commitment to democracy. I see what is happening around me here in the states and am mortified that so many are wiping their feet on our founders vision. It truly is an embarrassment that during a time of shared values with Ukraine we US Americans are less than as honorable.
     I will say this though that there are more US Americans who are in line with the Ukrainians in wanting to defend liberty, equality, and justice than there are those who would not. Yet most every Ukrainian is fighting like hell to defend against the authoritarian putin, while there are still too many here in the US who are clinging to the trump republican mantra of diseased theology and hatred for the melting pot concept from ironically whence they came! Despite our US disorder and chaos we the majority are still on board with the spirit that Ukraine is exemplifying against the murderous dictator putin.
     When Ukraine wins this battle for the soul of out planet the dregs of failure will envelope the cruel and brutish psychopath/sociopaths with the stench of its defeat. This murderous invasion in Ukraine is much more than a land grab by a maniac. It is pure and simply a turning point in the direction of our planets evolvement. What becomes of us when Ukraine defeats the Russian horde will then begin a new chapter in how our planet is managed. The autocrats like putin and his oligarchs will know the sting of defeat either metaphorically or literally. The Ukrainian fighting spirit will be written about in the annals of our time and all shall know of their legendary stance to protect and defend democracy!

(#4828) Mariupol will be liberated

      It is just a matter of hours or days that the Russians will be completely removed from the city of Mariupol. The Russians know that they cannot withstand the counterattacks of the Ukrainian military forces. Now that the Ukrainians are supplied with offensive capabilities the Russian forces know that they are going to be killed if they stay in Mariupol. I expect in the next day or so the claim of victory in Mariupol will be a Ukrainian one, not a Russian one. What putin has done is incredibly evil in that he has devastated many cities and murdered thousands of civilians. The expectation in Mariupol will be the same as was discovered in Bucha, horrendous treatment of Ukrainian civilians.
     Yet the Ukrainian people are not to be deterred as their military will not be deterred. They know that despite all the atrocities they cannot take their eyes off of the bigger picture. Saving Ukraine from the clutches of the madman in Moscow. Whatever price they must pay for the defeat of putin and the end of the murderous aggression they are experiencing. We in the west are doing some things to help the Ukrainians defend themselves but for me it is nowhere near enough to stop the daily murder putin is applying on the Ukrainian population. Calling putin's bluff has been my strategy from the start and as we linger in calling his bluff thousands of lives keep being lost.
     Yet given less odds to survive the Ukrainian people have shown that odds are nothing when pride and survival are at stake. There is a meme going around that is very simply put, If Russia were to stop fighting Russia will still exist, if Ukraine stops fighting then Ukraine would cease to exist, paraphrased. So there is no other option for Ukraine. Either fight to the death or victory or become a vassal state under Russian rule. Pride and survival are driving the Ukrainian will and that is exactly what is turning this apparent early on Russian cakewalk through Ukraine into a killing field full of Russian blood and treasure. Same is going to happen in Mariupol as the fighting Ukrainian army disposes of the ill equipped and out motivated Russian horde!

(#4827) putin is a bad bluffer!

      How many deadlines has putin given the fighters in the Mariupol steel plant to surrender? Several that I know of. Each time the Ukrainian steel mill defenders have dismissed the deadlines. I see it this way, putin doesn't have the will or the power to force these defenders to out. If he does he massively risks the steel mill being obliterated than given to him in a surrender he wants. The steel mill is the prize and the Ukrainians know it. So they have wired the mill for demolition should they be overwhelmed by the invading Russian force. Which is not what putin wants. So instead he is now telling his troops to surround the steel mill with an air tight grip and not attack.
     What this does is give putin time to form a strategy to take the mill without it being blown up. What it also does however is give Ukraine time to form a strategy to defeat the surrounding Russian troops and liberate the steel mill and all those sheltering and protecting it. We will see how this plays out but know this, putin is weak and when he bluffs with threats and ultimatums it is because that is all he has left, bluffs. So ignore putin and focus on the strategy being formed to push putin back into Russia and beyond. I don't listen to the words putin speaks because he is as dishonest as anyone ever born. Much like trump, tune him out and do what you need to do despite any noise trump or putin may make.
     That the powers around him keep him alive and well in power speaks to their loyalty to him. So just as guilty are they for the war crimes and genocide putin is allowed to commit in their name. The end of this criminal invasion by Russia is coming and so are the charges for those who allowed and planned it. There will be no mercy for those who think they are above the rule of law. Their condescension to the people of Ukraine through brute force and cruel acts will be weighed and measured and found guilty! The price they will pay could well be their ending. If not then lengthy prison terms that end with their deaths. Either way those who keep following putin and his murderous strategy will find that the shoe will soon be on the other foot!

(#4826) The Ukrainian Mariupol steel factory defenders must survive!

      There had better be a covert plan to save the Ukrainians fighting to the last bullet in the steel mill in Mariupol. The valiant stand these fighters for Ukrainian survival are making is stuff of legends and history books. There cannot be another outcome other than them surviving and being heralded for their determined will to never give up to the murderous Russian invaders. I expect a covert plan to swoop in somehow with a strategy that repels the Russian invaders from doing any more murder at the steel mill. It sickens me to think of those brave Ukrainians fighting with bayonets as their last resort to survive against the exponentially larger putin horde!
     The west must make a choice now to either let those brave souls die and give putin a victory he does not deserve or to do something that releases the pressure on those brave Ukrainian souls. We are days if not hours from watching from afar the death of these magnificent fighters. So something must fall into place to let them survive the current Russian bombardment. Either take out the missile launch capability and/or open up a pathway for reinforcements to come like a cavalry. I am no military expert but I do know that there are ways to make the putin led murderous massacre from happening.
     All it will take is the courage to stand up to the bully coward putin and tell him the terms of the his illegal invasion. The narrative must change to one of back off or we will come and make you back off. The bully should not be dictating any terms instead he should be knocked on his ass with a boot to his neck. He gets no mercy as he has shown none to the citizens of Ukraine. He started this but we in the west must end it. For the sake of Ukraine and for all future bullies who think they can bluff their way around us. We should never cower at the thought of annihilation because that is our reality, at least it has been mine for all the 66 plus years I have been alive on this planet.

(#4825) The putin/trump republican party is an cancer!

      If it isn't clear to you by now that the putin/trump republican party is a cancer then there really is no hope of you being an objective observer. I am one thing with all my soul and that is an objective observer. You may not know it by my stances on democratic principles that align significantly with liberal/progressive policies but that is the conclusion after considering logic, facts and common sense. To be an objective observer is to use the scientific method. So when I conclude that a policy is correct it is because I have aligned the factual data in a logical sequence to establish the best way forward. Critical thinking is a process within being an objective observer.
     What we have with the putin/trump republican party is not to be confused with being an objective observer. Instead we have those like putin/trump who make a conclusion and then fit the logic, facts, and common sense to it. In other words forcing illogic as a proof to bellow a self serving conclusion. It is obvious to me and most of the other learned around the world yet there are enough of the unlearned around that accept what they want to hear instead of what is real and logical. I get it. It is easier to be a follower of someone who acts like they know what they are talking about then to do the detailed work to find out if they are correct or not.
     Which is where the terms sheep and blind followers got their definitions. To allow someone else to think for you is to abdicate your existence to the whims of the manipulative. We all must think for ourselves but to do that and be honest we must learn to be an objective observer. Taking no side until the truth of the facts are established, applying logical premises in order to make sense of the truth of the facts and then analyzing all of it together to form a conclusion. When we reason through logic and common sense, apply analysis to that reasoning is then when we can conclude what is real and what isn't. The difference between logic and illogic is the difference between truth and false. Life is much more interesting to live when we use the correct formula for defining our existence.

(#4824) Do not give up on the Ukrainian people

      What we in the wes havet done multiple times is to look at the numbers on paper and decide how things will go without looking at other factors. Sure the Russians have a greater number of soldiers, armaments, and strategies. Yes, the Ukrainian people have less soldiers, armaments, and strategies but they have one thing the Russian soldiers don't, the will to win. The Russian invaders are just props in an action perpetrated by putin for no other reason than to acquire land, wealth, and more power. The price for putin's folly are the lives of those Russian soldiers who are made to suffer in cold and hunger at his bidding. The Russian soldiers are ill equipped to fight given the shoddiness of their training and equipment.
     Instead of putin putting the Russian national treasure toward updating and improving his army he squirreled that treasure away into his own coffers for luxury and control. So the Russian army is paying for putin's personal extravagance and will likely lose the coming battle in the Donbass region because putin is a selfish, greedy fool. Each day the city of Mariupol holds out, especially after the Russian ultimatum for them to surrender is another day that putin eats shit at home. Soon putin will have eaten enough shit that even he cannot put another spoonful of Ukrainian shit in his mouth. Then it will be time for the powers that be around him to dump him where a container for shit should go.
     As for the Ukrainian people do not bet against them. They have over the last several months showed the world many times over that they are one of the finest, strongest civilizations to ever walk this Earth. If the time comes in Mariupol that they are faced with their own end then expect them to fix bayonets and fight to the last breath for the sake of their society. It should not come to that but if so, that will be the way they finally lose Mariupol. We in the west are being given a real life example of what courage and honor are and if we don't stop the Russian horde that putin is determined to infect on more nations in the coming future then we will be shamed into our futures with little respect or dignity ourselves.

(#4823) Mariupol is the heart of Ukraine right now

      The media is all set to give Mariupol to putin but I think they are underestimating the wherewithal that is behind the scenes. The complete fall of Mariupol is unacceptable so the strategy behind saving it from the clutches of the Russian invaders is surely in the works. I don't accept the media and their shallow assessments that discount the fighting will of the protectors of Mariupol. There will be no capitulation on the part of Ukraine so fighting is the end game of this tragedy. How help can get to the Mariupol defenders is yet not known to me but I have no doubt every avenue of possibility is being evaluated. The fall of Mariupol must not happen so the defense of her is absolute.
     I know I may be being overly optimistic here but allowing Russia to have a victory in Mariupol in order to complete its land bridge to Odessa must be stopped in whatever form is necessary. I am also getting tired of the gamesmanship of the west to appear to stay out of this when we are in it up to our necks. Because our necks will become vulnerable if Russia continues to overtake Ukraine. There has to come a point where we stare putin down and force his invasion back into Russia. Whether putin's threats come what may. The disaster that would follow if putin is allowed to take Ukraine is not to be allowed even at the cost of a nuclear war. Humanity cannot be ruled by cowards who are bullies! Ever!
     I fully doubt putin is more than his threats and no nuclear war is imminent, Yet we must be prepared for any eventuality. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. In the meantime beat the shit out of the putin led Russian forces and make them beg for peace. A peace we will dictate as the western alliance that forced Russia into a corner it cannot remove itself from. Then rebuild Ukraine and forge new alliances with the old Soviet block holdouts. The putin ill led decision to invade Ukraine must be made to reimagine the old Soviet sphere into a new emerging democratic foothold that will bring peace to Asia and Europe while improving the lives of many millions of lives.

(#4822) The battle for Donbass will determine our future

      The coming battle for Donbass in the southeastern region of Ukraine will be the linchpin as to what our future looks like. When I say our, I mean all of us human beings. This isn't a battle being waged by Russia against Ukraine sovereignty in a vacuum. It is the whole of the democratic western world against the autocrats. Yes, even China will be affected by the outcome of this battle. I want to say here right now that despite the great advantage in manpower and armaments by Russia, they don't have what Ukrainians have, the will to protect what is theirs. It has been obvious over these last many weeks since this Russian invasion began that the Ukrainian forces are far superior to their Russian counterparts.
     The will to fight in Ukraine by the Russian invaders is tepid at best which is why Russia has brought in so many mercenaries to fight alongside their inexperienced regular army. Despite that the Ukrainians are killing off the Russians soldiers at a clip of about 10 Russians for every Ukrainian soldier. Of course what isn't factored into this 10 to 1 ratio are the civilian casualties on the Ukrainian side. Although the Russians are torturing, raping, and murdering civilians at will the Ukrainian forces are even more determined to wipe the Russian army, and putin in particular off the face of the Earth. So the strategic gathering of Ukrainian defense in the Donbass region is to end the Russian invasion and destroy all things Russian while pushing the Russians back into Russia.
     The Russians want the Donbass region as well as Crimea but that is non negotiable with the Ukrainian people. They will not relent in fighting the Russian aggressors until all Russians are off the soil of Ukraine. Even then don't be surprised if the Ukrainians continue on into Russia to clear out offensive bases that would further jeopardize their safety. What happens in the Donbass will dictate who gets to manage the peace after the murderous Russian invasion. That is when the autocrats will find out that democracy doesn't suffer fools lightly and a price will be paid for the inhumane acts perpetrated by putin and his Russian patsies. The death or rebirth of democracy will be determined in the Donbass region!

(#4821) If republicans were in control the weapon help would be going to putin not Zelinskyy

      The alternate universe is now easily seen from this one. In a world where republicans are in control the slaughter of Ukraine would have American fingerprints on it along with trumps buddy putin. Just think how close we came to having that alternate universe as our real one. And think about how close we still are at the end of this year when the elections take place. In my mind there is no way the treasonous republican party gets elected to lead Congress in our democracy. Yet the polling, which I find incredulous, makes it seem almost probable.
     That alternate universe is just around the corner still so we who have fought our whole lives had better keep fighting or otherwise our hope of keeping our democracy will vanish. What must happen now in our real universe is for Ukraine to keep fighting like all get out and the west to keep supplying the Ukrainians with the wherewithal to fight with. If our current universe is to maintain its realiity we need for Ukraine to win back its sovereign territory and for putin to pay the ultimate price for his murderous onslaught. There can be no other outcome in order for us to finally destroy that alternate universe the republican party so desperately desires.
     When democracy prevails, then the autocracies diminish. That is the logic and it holds true to form. When we democrats show up in numbers too large to be contested then the republican party becomes irrelevant. With a few more senators added to our 50 total now we can get past the blocking of filibuster protections. We can then consider adding DC and Puerto Rico as new states to our union. We can pass legislation to give women equal rights. We can pass honorable laws that correct our dishonest election laws. We can get police reform, minimum wage reform, tax reform and many other reforms that republicans and 2 democrats have blocked. We can do this in our reality, we just need to fight for it.

(#4820) putin is on borrowed time now

      Nothing about putin's calculation that he could just take Ukraine with little cost is happening. He miscalculated badly and for his miscalculation and end to him is awaiting. The powers that be in Russia who allowed him his Ukrainian gambit will not longer let him destroy what is left of the Russian civilization. Not only is putin going to be defeated again in the eastern section of Ukraine but he will lose the regions he had previously stolen from Ukraine in 2014. This along with massive casualties, restricting sanctions, and most all Russians being a pariah throughout the world is plenty enough to end the putin experiment.
     The sooner the better as I keep saying as the world is being hard pressed to keep up with the devastation putin is creating. The havoc, chaos, and death needs to stop quickly to allow for repair and replacement of what can be salvaged. Yes, that even includes the Russian society. Yet there is yet no movement to usurp the putin regime and although it is coming it is not here yet. So the daily wages of an immoral invasion continue to cause more wretchedness to our souls. Honestly I cannot fathom the depth of the Russian tolerance for such a cruel and brutal leader who is only more interested in acquiring power than improving the lives of his charges.
     But that tolerance for putin is waning and instead a more reasoned understanding of just how fucked the Russian people have been under putin is dawning. Not only is putin cruel and brutish but he is not empathetic to those whom he tortures and kills. As well putin has been stealing the treasure of the Russian people and hoarding the wealth for himself. All the things putin has done over the years has finally come to a head and it will be putin's head that is in jeopardy. The wealthy Russian oligarchs will not take this destruction of their wealth much longer for no foreseeable benefit. The putin strategy to overwhelm the world with his threats and murder are not enough for him to win nor for him to survive.

(#4819) The insurrectionist republican party

      The republicans think that their insurrection is no big deal when it comes to the next general election. Well they may have some awakening coming. I won't say will because you just never know but unless logic disappears entirely, a campaign against them for their support and defense of the trump inspired overthrow of our government will be played long and loud in the final weeks to the runup to the election. I can't think of anything worse to have hanging around their necks, except a noose for their betrayal, as we wind down to voting again. Yet the only real justice we honorable American defenders of democracy may ever see is a walloping of the republican party come November 8th.
     Of course the national media is still trying to keep this coming election close so that they can sell their advertising but in essence this coming election will further degrade the treasonous republican brand. To be a republican in today's world is like to be a pariah. Pariah's can hang out together and be okay but once they venture out into the real world they will find that a gangrene soul eating cabal is not attractive to normal people who are just trying to have a happiness to their life that outweighs the fear that republicans offer. We democrats understand a simple principle that is common to decent folks, that all should be able to have equal opportunity to envision and apply their dreams. We promote that concept and instead of denying people rights we want to enhance them.
     So the choices come this November will be stark. There is little middle ground anymore between the two major parties. Either you want hate and fear that republicans have in abundance or you want a fierce defense of democratic principles that honor and respect all citizens. I am not so much worried about the outcome of the coming election because I know in my heart that there are more decent people in the US who want and demand the protection of our democracy than there are of those who would destroy it. Such again is the choice. The democratic party is now on the verge of becoming a dominating party that will get our democracy back onto a firm footing and it begins on November 8th, 2022.

(#4818) The republican party is insane, period!

      When I think of patriots to our constitution I don't think of republicans. Well maybe two in Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, but that is it. The rest of the republican party are so far removed from democracy and it's principles of one person one vote that I can confidently keep to my opinion. We still hear from their propaganda fake news outlet, fox not news, that they are more inclined to follow the trumps and putins of the world then the duly elected officials of The United States of America. Giving safe harbor to allegations that are insane by nature over logical conclusions based upon facts and truths.
     We saw it with the Covid outbreak and then on through to the election in 2020. Where the fallacy of fiction is shaped as real while the facts and truths of reality are presented as fiction. An alternative world where up is down and inside is outside. Kind of like an Alice in Wonderland scenario. All because the republican party cannot accept that the majority of voting American citizens do not like their stance on so many public policies. Instead of changing their public policies to entice new voters the republican party is busy denying reality and making it harder for democrats and independents to vote. Like I said, insane!
     So as I cruise through life in the intellectual sphere and encounter a republican I am always now being shown the ridiculousness of the their thoughts in written form. It is excruciating for me to see and I do quickly extricate myself from their presence. I don't waste time on debating illogic and for that decision I have saved myself countless headaches and dumbfounded episodes. I understand that this is the world I live in and I cannot fix the stupid at every turn. But what I can do is make my point then leave without being caught in their web of stupidity. Because they do not accept logic and facts as real so any further conversations with them only makes my mind numb and I deserve better than that.

(#4817) Ukraine is ready for the battle for the east of Ukraine

      Having seen how the Russians were aligning to take the Donbass region after being routed in the Kyiv region the Ukrainians quickly surmounted their own defense. There is nothing like protecting your own land when invaders come and so is the case here. The Russian soldiers are no match for the Ukrainian defenders in that the Russian soldiers were lied to to get them to come to Ukraine and once they found out the purpose they are not anywhere near battle hardened veterans like the Ukrainians. So sad to say the Russian troops who were duped into this fight will not last long in this life. It would have been better if one of their military leaders subdued putin instead of letting putin send these Russian troops to their looming deaths.
     Which is exactly what is going to happen. The western world is making sure that Ukraine has the basics of what it needs to defend itself. I had hoped that a no fly zone would have been instituted over Ukraine but regardless the anti aircraft missiles have been effective. The Ukrainians are far better suited to destroying Russian armaments given the intel the Ukrainian forces are getting from the west. It is still amazing to me that the putin led Russian imminent attack is still going to happen. It will be a slaughter of Russian troops and that is all because of the ego of putin. The insanity of putin's ploy is devastating and will go down in history as an attack on the level of arrogance with George Custer.
     As Custer was duped into an attack that was doomed to fail so is putin and his, to him, expendable Russian army. After this coming catastrophic defeat I would hope that someone within putin's circle will grow a pair and end the putin madness. It seems that as soldiers become generals in Russia the courage they may have had in the beginning disappears. All it would take is one well placed determined Russian patriot and all this madness would be over. At least one that is. The future of Russia is at stake here and when the slaughter of young Russian men is complete the shame that Russia will carry will not soon leave them. Nor will the destruction that putin has leveled on all around him.

(#4816) Stop normalizing the murderous far right and their accomplices!

      I am sick and tired of "news" reports around the far right talking points as if they are acceptable and worthy of consideration. Stop dammit! The far right is a democracy destroying entity that would just as soon return to slavery and debtors prisons! Fuck them and fuck those who treat them as if they are on par with freedom and justice! They are a scourge and if anything, all mentions of far right talking points should be forwarded with how degrading and unacceptable they are. This isn't an all sides are good scenario. There is one side that is good and those are the ones who are protecting and enhancing democracy. Not those who would attack and diminish democracy!
     I am sick and tired of seeing it in communications of a public nature. Just because the far right nazi types have wealthy backing does not mean they are popular. Money does not buy votes unless the media treats them as if they are worthy. So stop it and be loyal to our democracy or shut the fuck up! I see enemies in the media who have been bought by the far right and the wealthy who support them. Just by their failure to call out the despicable democracy busting individuals and instead parrot their talking points as if they are what we as patriots to democracy would accept. No, we don't accept it and despise you for trying to make it look like we do.
     If we can survive this onslaught of democracy busting then the first thing we need to do is make our laws much more amenable to charging and convicting collaborators from the far right including their wealthy donors. If we don't protect and defend our democracy in ways that evolve with the times then we will face other attempts in the future to destroy the one person one vote concept. There are too many who want to be dictators out there, especially here in America, that would love nothing more than to become themselves the king of America. We all must stop them and their mouthpieces from ever entering into the public sphere with subtle or overt calls for treason and sedition!

(#4815) Why the west should not wait any longer to tell putin to stop and pull out of Ukraine

      Enough! The murder of civilians before our very eyes makes us an accomplice if we don't confront putin and demand that he stop. Enough! I for one cannot take our stance of a kid's gloves approach. The Russian madman putin knows only one thing, and that is power. We must confront him with our threats to nuke him if he doesn't stop what he is doing in all the territory of Ukraine. The time for high noon is now not later after more atrocities in Ukraine. I also am not one who lives his life under the threats of others. If you threaten me you damn sure had better follow through because I am coming for you threat or not!
     That is how I live and it is apparent that the Ukrainian people live under the same honor. What is strength at the moment in giving Ukraine help to defend themselves in a terrible situation is commendable but not enough. It is past time to turn up the heat to full blast force and make putin answer for his crimes. The Russian inner circle of putin will also be on notice for their complicity. If they think that firing nukes at us is their solution they will find out that we have defense capabilities they know nothing about. Alternatively they will be on the receiving end of a nuclear onslaught that will pummel them into oblivion! We must not hedge one iota on our threat for them to completely pull out of Ukraine.
     As a civilized person who has lived in a nuclear age his entire life I know what it is like to consider the aftermath of a world wide nuclear strike. Yet in this instance all the west's nuclear weapons will be aimed at Russia if they choose to strike us. Many people will die immediately and many more will suffer and then die. Yet to give into a madman and let him dictate our deaths in other ways is as bad. If we don't fight for our right to exist in a peaceful world then what is the point of existence anyway? The madman putin needs to be stopped and now is the time to do it. Not tomorrow, not the next day but right now! If we don't draw that line immediately we will be in the same place where another atrocity will be committed by the coward putin for us to anguish over again and again!

(#4814) Hundreds of innocent Ukrainians die every day putin is alive

      Watching this all unfold over the last month has been a grind on my soul. I am not naive about how this murderous putin invasion is playing out but knowing what is going on doesn't decrease the punch to the gut of my soul. So many of us good souls around the planet are sickened by what is going on and we have a hard time understanding how good nations in the west are handcuffed in helping in a more direct way. We get that there is a fear of nuclear war but that fear cannot be the ruling factor when what I will call genocide is taking place on innocents. There has to be a line that cannot be crossed and I would have said that line was crossed several weeks ago when civilian targets became the new normal.
     NATO is poised at the borders abutted up against Ukraine so it isn't that we are not there to do something that resembles courage. I know we are trying to give the Ukrainians mostly what they need to defend themselves but not all is coming to them to keep casualties to a minimum. We the west need to rethink how we are staying out of this murderous invasion so that we don't violate any laws or make putin angry. Enough of this hands in the pockets response. If the world is going to be afraid to move because putin threatens nuclear war then we have already lost. The only thing left is to force putin to put up or shut the fuck up. The nuclear war he threatens will be answered with a devastation laid upon his head that his country will never recover from.
     So the simple answer is for putin to become no more. His time on our planet must end and for me the best way to remove him off our planet is to space him directly into the sun. Some need to become an infamous symbol of what happens when psychopaths attempt to destroy our world. I had hoped that the inner circle of putin would have taken him out but that hasn't happened, yet anyway. If Ukraine is successful in beating back putin and his army in the east then putin will be extremely lucky to survive beyond the next day. It is my opinion that Ukraine will be successful in the east and within 2 weeks putin will not be the leader of Russia. Saving him for a spacing would be my first choice if given the opportunity.

(#4813) The upcoming defeat for putin and his forces in the east of Ukraine

      This illegal invasion by Russia is about to put putin on the hot seat within his own circles. As putin is consolidating his orch force in eastern Ukraine, while Russian troops are being used in a pincer like move to cut off Ukrainian forces from each other the west has been supplying the courageous Ukrainian defenders with munitions and vehicles to defeat this Russian strategy. All of it will come to a head within the next week and then putin will be left with a shredded army with little back up munitions. Then the time for putin to negotiate will be his only move. Otherwise his tattered orchs will be pushed back into Russia and into the Black Sea.
     As we have seen to date, the Ukrainian army has no qualms about killing the invaders without a second thought. When invaders come onto your territory to destroy, rape and torture the response must be swift and merciless! Which is what is happening so the rout of the Russian orchs is about to happen and putin will be left with the defeat to explain to his inner circle. It is amazing to me that Ukraine has been such a stalwart foe against putin. That putin never saw this coming is a prime example of the arrogance of putin to think that honor and bravery were dead. He thought he could just take Ukraine with the threat of war but that didn't work and now he is finding out that his actual illegal war isn't working either.
     What will Russia look like after this failed putin attempt is surely an unknown, but if I were the next leader of Russia without a living putin, I would make my nation into one that resembles the rest of the civilized world. There can be forgiveness for Russia if they lose putin and then apologize for the illegal war with reparations and a tribunal for war crimes. Afterward Russia can then be guided to represent it's population through a fair and just political process where Russian citizens are not used as pawns for a dictator. Our world is about to get better thanks in large part to the Ukrainian force of will and the leadership of western nations to allow Ukraine to defend itself.

(#4812) putin was undone by Zelensky

      Russia thought they could bluff their way into and out of Ukraine without a fight. Well Zelensky and his Ukrainian countrymen/women had a different idea. They stood up to putin and his invading threat with a fuck you middle finger. So putin was forced to go into Ukraine despite his bluff and he is now being exposed for it. His army was more feared on paper than in reality. His troops have suffered mightily as well as his ancient military armaments. The Ukrainian forces on the other hand are ferocious and their ability to get weapons from the west has been impressive.
     As putin has been living high off the treasure of the Russian economy their military preparedness is being shown to be outdated and under motivated. Fear has always been a weapon of the dictators around the world and this time fear did not dissuade the Ukrainian people. Many people have died on both sides of this putin fiasco but he doesn't care. He is an ego maniac who could care less about the price his country pays in order for him to achieve his maniacal goals. Well putin is finding out that a paper tiger against the real Ukrainian will of force is nothing to be admired. As Ukraine continues to thwart and beat back the Russia invasion, the further putin gets into his demented ambition to double down on a grave losing hand.
     Zelensky has been the man for the ages in this murderous invasion by putin and putin must know now that he is being boxed in by a better man than he is. How much longer the Russian elite and military leaders will allow putin to keep playing his losing hand is getting dicey for putin. He won't last long if they decide enough is enough. I know that putin will not go quietly if he is roundly defeated in the next phase of the illegal Russian invasion. So before that happens he will be dealt with by his own inner circle to keep putin from the nuclear trigger as a revenge for his battlefield losses. There is no exit strategy for putin now unless somehow he can placate not only Zelensky and his demands but the Russian inner circle putin is dependent upon. I don't see that happening and instead putin will be eliminated.

(#4811) The battle for Ukraine is critical in the next week

      As Russia continues to reorganize its forces to attack with greater ferocity the eastern part of Ukraine, the Ukrainians are mounting their own assault on pushing back a Russian attempt to cut them off from their own troops in the east. The battlefield is coming to a head and whether the Ukrainian forces can repel the Russian horde of invaders is still questionable. I will never give up on the ferocity of the Ukrainian army to defend their homeland from the despicable putin led murderers. But the battlefield is being determined from a Russian advantage and although it is in Ukraine the Ukrainians have some steep odds too overcome.
     However, with the west supplying Ukraine with the armaments needed to succeed the Russian advantage is being dwindled. The will is on the side of the Ukrainian army and that cannot be overstated. When a people are cornered in an unjust way they have a tendency to fight with a wild eyed abandon that cannot be matched just through calculation. The Russian troops are green and not used to fighting to begin with. To me although the Ukrainian forces are tired and beat up from constant war over the last 8 years there is nothing like the adrenaline rush of possible final defeat to push tired fighters into a frenzied actionable state.
     This week or so will give us the answer to the question of whether putin can take Ukraine and stop the Ukrainian attempt to defend itself. Some say this quagmire in Ukraine will last for months but this coming battle will tell a different story depending upon who wins the force of will. Either putin's Russia will gain territory and destroy much of the Ukrainian force or Ukraine will stave off the Russian attempt and push the Russians back toward their own border. For me it is simple. the Ukrainian people are too fierce for the Russians and the Ukrainians will prevail making putin all that much more vulnerable from within with another humiliating defeat.

(#4810) Ukraine is the make or break moment for the civilized world

      What will we in the west do while we combat our fear of a nuclear war? Are we willing to stop the genocide in Ukraine despite the threats of a nuclear war from putin? Or will we continue to sit by doing what is barely minimal to keep the genocide from happening? Let me explain this one point before I go further; putin will never stop threatening to start a nuclear war. So the question is will we disregard his threats now or later? Now would be my choice because if not now then many more will suffer from his genocide. A choice will have to be made, live on our knees in putin and trumps world or stand up to the bully and force him to choose the world war he threatens.
     I would submit that putin is blowing hot air up our asses because he knows a nuclear war with the west will leave the west at least partially alive while the Russian state will no longer exist. Even if putin hides out in his bunker for a few years he will have to eventually surface. Then what is left of the west will hunt him down like the world destroyer he is. We will all die eventually so our loss of life is to be expected eventually or in this case offered up in order to constrain and depose putin. To let putin frighten us from doing the correct moral and ethical thing is not to be allowed at any cost!
     We have to have the courage of people like one of our founders, Nathan Hale, who said "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Such is the honor and dignity that we are seeing displayed in the Ukrainian people. It is up to the western democracies now to decide the future of our planet and to live under a despot like putin because he thinks we are weak kneed is not a choice I would ever make. Let the mighty be mighty and that is what the Ukrainian people are exemplifying. We in the west are of the same ilk so it is time to for us to display the same courage of the Ukrainian people now!

(#4809) The putin genocide of Ukrainians

      The civilized world cannot continue to stand by and watch as putin extinguishes life in Ukraine through war crimes. The inhumanity and psychotic actions are abominable and cannot go on without a response now. To fail to respond due to fear is a shameful blight upon us who are in position to stop the madness from continuing. I know we have treaties and agreements that stipulate our behavior under rules of process. Yet we are a moral and ethical species. We, at times of extraordinary circumstances, must act out of our honorable humanity and not be constrained by rules that for the most part work to protect us. What is happening in Ukraine is an example where the rules are not enough!
     What we are witnessing today with video of dead civilians on the streets of Bucha, and elsewhere in Ukraine are examples of why we must now do the deed of stopping putin beyond what our treaties and agreements stipulate. The threat of putin using nuclear weapons is always upon us so not acting is letting putin have his way as long as he threatens. Eventually we will have to answer his threat with a threat of our own backed by action. Either now, when the damage can be limited, or later after the damage has been exponentially harmful. It is upon us now in the west to decide to be the best of humanity and stop the inhumanity of putin!
     I would rather live and die in courage than live in shame and eventually die anyway. That is the choice we as a species must make. The end of the bully putin must be our number one priority as there is no other option for letting putin continue to exist. He will be victorious if we give into anything he has waged genocide on Ukrainians to accomplish. Nothing should be ceded to putin and as so many Ukrainians have already died protecting, the relenting of our resistance disregards and disrespects those who have already sacrificed to keep Ukraine free. If we don't back putin and his oligarchs down from their brinksmanship then we are the patsies in this scenario while Ukrainians continue to show us what courage looks like.

(#4808) Tick tock putin...

     As each day follows another, the time for putin is running out. Not only is he isolating away to protect himself from all possible death scenarios he is continuing to mismanage the illegal murderous Ukrainian invasion. So much so is he mismanaging that his once formidable army is now in tatters, being backfilled with renegade troops from war ravaged countries. The idea that Zelensky has over matched him never came into putin's mind. Because of that the quick victory putin imagined is now a stalemate at best and more likely a looming defeat for putin and his oligarchs. The international sanctions are humiliating the Russian economy and disrupting the wealthy oligarchs who are behind putin's actions.
     Not being able to readily resupply his weakened army and facing tremendous losses in both armaments and troops the writing is on the wall for the putin regime, and by extension, Russian ambitions. They are both metaphorically dead, and about to be in reality. There is no existence left for putin on this planet so his demise is the only conclusion he can expect. There is no holding onto power for him after his war criminal activities. The Russian people will finally catch on to his dupes and when they do he will suffer the fate of other failed dictators from Russian history. The sooner the better for the world and hopefully with a few more devastating days to the Russian psyche the end for putin will be nigh.
     There will be two great leaders who come out of this with the highest of accolades and they will be Presidents Zelensky and President Biden. The European countries will be lifted up as well for their allegiance to democracy and principles of standing up to the renegade murdering putin. What I also hope will happen is a thawing of autocracy in Russia and a turn to democracy with people like Alexei Novalny as possible leaders going forward. NATO has proven its worth and hopefully the necessity of further NATO growth will be moot. The end of putin will bring about a brighter day for many in the world and help to heal the wounds that the Russian people, wittingly and/or unwittingly, allowed themselves to be a part of.

(#4807) We democrats need to promote brave new policies that change our society

      The price of oil will not go down in the near future and that should make us change how we power our vehicles and other machinery. This coming election will need us democrats to pick up more seats in the Senate and hold an increased majority in the House. As it stands now we are not in position to do either of those things. We need to change the dynamic by proposing new paradigms for energy and equality. We have to promote the policies of green energy and then back them up with exchanges of petroleum powered vehicles for electrified vehicles. A one time exchange that doesn't cost our citizenry to choose.
     The longer we keep using oil products at the rate we are using them the harder it will be for us to afford the shrinking oil supply. We have American oil companies that hold oil leases but they will not drill if they cannot expect a long term profit. It is the shareholders who are keeping the oil companies from drilling as a patriotic duty so don't expect any new oil wells here in America any time soon. So plan B is to move away from petroleum power toward electrical power. Which brings me back to President Biden proposing a vehicle exchange program to alleviate the bottleneck with oil prices. The few democrats in the Senate who will not go along with this idea will staunch any effort now but if it is put to a policy at the next election it could sway many voters to get on board with it.
     The republican party and greedy shareholders will not do the patriotic thing and make America independent of foreign oil so we have to choose to do something bold and progressive. An exchange of petroleum powered vehicles for electrified ones is that solution. The gain also in reducing the burning of fossil fuels would help to preserve our planet while also relieving oil consumption here that is paid to foreign entities that are not democratic societies. A win/win with the cost being a worthy price to pay. We need bold ideas and now is the time to act. If the oil company shareholders cannot be convinced by incentives to help in the short term to produce more oil then let's go green!