Tom Nichols, a guy whose posts I pay attention to - and you should, too - put the following up with the header: “Read and share widely.” So here it is, shared widely. Because it’s important: Joe Biden has been a model of restraint during the most serious global crisis in nearly sixty years, and thank goodness for that. He has provided assistance to Ukraine while keeping NATO together against the possibility of a Russian attack against the Alliance. He has resisted calls to engage in high-risk escalatory moves—such as
Jeez Loueeze. Biden makes a comment almost every sentient caring person agrees with in their heart, and oh my god. What he said! Give me a break. No, give honest Joe a break. Sure, these are treacherous times and we need the most delicate diplomacy from our leaders. Still, chill.
Well, I still believe foreign affairs is President Biden’s wheelhouse. If he spoke inappropriately, it’s regrettable; and I believe he will walk it back. Or, the MSM will move on to the next sparkly sound bite. However, I wonder if speaking his mind wasn’t what he had in mind or, perhaps, inadvertently a good thing. Known for his gaffes, it expresses to those suffering that he has a heart. He’s not an automaton. And, he’s not TFG thank god. Just saying. ❤️🤍💙
Agree that the bell can't be unrung. Though I do think this gaff speaks for many of us even though we expect that there are many equally malevolent replacements behind Putin, much like tfg is not the only neo-republican wannabee. The Sheriff twirled his six-shooters for those god-fearing folks who think taking out the badguy Could solve everything. Tits up for the billegerent ones with wrinkles and gray hair.
True and important comment, but why are so many convinced that Putins war is not going as planned? We assume he is always lying, and we are right most of the time. We don't believe a leader can be so callous about loosing his people and a lot of arms, while destroying cities and taking so many innocent lives, as distractions to reaching the primary goal of securing land and water for Crimea and the Black Sea fleet. Putin does not have to respond to Biden, but just wait for the primaries to make him lame after the election this year, and have him replaced by Trump in the White House in 2024. The wedges are set for splitting the US, and Putin might have lost his black belt in judo, but he sure knows how to use the energy of the enemy to destroy himself. The two legged US demockracy will be limping on, while Trump is stabbing Europe in the back, and Putin takes back what "belongs to him". - Sorry, it is not to give up. I believe we can gather strength from considering more perspectives.
Yeah, after all we have been through with a fucking traitor sucking Russia's dick for four plus years, Joe gets a Mullgan for this. Fuck the msm and their drooling over a sound bite. It will be forgotten, except for Murrica's Pravda, FOX the next time Putin slaughters another children's hospital
I heard it as an anguished cry to the heavens! It has been my cry every day for a month. With no end in sight of the bloodshed, the destruction, the reports that several thousands from Mariopoul have been taken away by Russian soldiers to Russia (I pray to God this report is NOT true, but I fear it is since terror is now the name of Putin's game), as surprised as I was, I was also not surprised. I imagine he has cried out in the privacy of his own home, standing before the mirror in the morning and wondering, what the hell is going on here. Of course words matter. Of course these words have over shadowed to some degree the content of the speech which was good - I think he went off message a couple of other times just because reading from a teleprompter is not easy. You have probably seen the video of residents of Kharkiv, Mariopoul. areas of Kyiv, and Lviv among other towns and cities cursing Putin. At least he didn't curse him outright. Putin intends to redraw the boundary of Ukraine if he can get away with it. I wonder given Putin whether anything that President Biden said would make any damn difference to his calculations. I read today that there are Russians who oppose the war who are staying in Russia to protest and resist from inside the borders. In a way they're sunk - Finland is sending no more trains to Russia and getting a flight anywhere has become virtually impossible. Whatever is going on now, the people suffering the most are Ukrainians. After them, Russians opposing the war. Soon it will be the rest of the world needing wheat and corn from Ukraine and Russia. No matter how you look at it, Putin made the decision. He threw the dice thinking they were loaded like his sycophants had told him. He took his country to war thinking the west would roll over and pant for more oil and gas, like we did with our lackluster response to Georgia (2008) and the farce of Crimea and the Donbas region in 2014. Putin has wanted a Belarus in Ukraine. He has not gotten that. The truth is he has wrecked his nation in so many ways it takes more than 10 fingers to count. But he's now wrecking Ukraine who asked for none of it but has been resisting and fighting against Russian aggression in its many forms really for the last 10+ years. So, the President said what millions are thinking and are hesitant to say aloud - unless you are a woman in Ukraine mourning the loss of her family, her way of life, and her hope for a peaceful spring that leads to summer and full gardens. I think everyone should chill and work hard to get people elected in 2022 who are NOT from the gop. And we should keep supporting every effort we can to bring assistance to Ukrainians and the places which shall be hungering for bread in coming months.
It depends, I think, to whom he was speaking. We all know who he was speaking for - us. He said what we all believe to be a heartfelt truth. That last sentence wasn't for the US or Euro MSM, but it was guaranteed to make those chooks loose enough feathers that the Russian public will hear about it.
Granting all of this, I would argue that this comment ultimately is likely to mean nothing to the average Russian. They already are totally committed to Putin, or totally opposed to Putin. Also, let's take into account that American intelligence has been very good--it may be worth asking if Biden says this if he really thinks Putin is going to cave in any way.
Almost everyone in the west has thought that. It's not likely to change the ponies and rainbows between Biden and Putin. The Pres has been extraordinary in managing NATO's response. Maybe he's dumb like a fox.
Heather Cox Richardson picked up on that too (in slightly more polite language lol):
“It’s not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,” he said. “All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.” His message “for all freedom-loving nations,” he said, is that “we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.” In the end, though, “the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.” “We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.”
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
That last line seemed a logical conclusion to the argument Biden has been making about the struggle between democracy and autocracy, rallying democratic countries to stay unified against Putin as his troops smash Ukraine. But it prompted a flurry of media stories saying Biden had made a gaffe, changing his long-standing insistence that the U.S. is not engaging in regime change but rather is trying to defend Ukraine’s right to exist independently of Russia. A White House official clarified that “[t]he president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region…. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.” Michael D. Shear and David E. Sanger of the New York Times noted that, however Biden meant the line, it underscored the difficulty of holding allies together against Putin while also avoiding an escalation of the war. not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,” he said. “All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.” His message “for all freedom-loving nations,” he said, is that “we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.” In the end, though, “the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.” “We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.”
Jeez Loueeze. Biden makes a comment almost every sentient caring person agrees with in their heart, and oh my god. What he said! Give me a break. No, give honest Joe a break. Sure, these are treacherous times and we need the most delicate diplomacy from our leaders. Still, chill.
Well, I still believe foreign affairs is President Biden’s wheelhouse. If he spoke inappropriately, it’s regrettable; and I believe he will walk it back. Or, the MSM will move on to the next sparkly sound bite. However, I wonder if speaking his mind wasn’t what he had in mind or, perhaps, inadvertently a good thing. Known for his gaffes, it expresses to those suffering that he has a heart. He’s not an automaton. And, he’s not TFG thank god. Just saying. ❤️🤍💙
I really appreciate the comparison to a Greek course.
Now if we could just get the chorus to stop their lament....
Agree that the bell can't be unrung. Though I do think this gaff speaks for many of us even though we expect that there are many equally malevolent replacements behind Putin, much like tfg is not the only neo-republican wannabee. The Sheriff twirled his six-shooters for those god-fearing folks who think taking out the badguy Could solve everything. Tits up for the billegerent ones with wrinkles and gray hair.
“Biden, by comparison, is living with a Greek chorus of millions offering their commentary and advice—some of it breathtakingly reckless.”
Such an accurate and descriptive observation., TC. This will stay with me.
True and important comment, but why are so many convinced that Putins war is not going as planned? We assume he is always lying, and we are right most of the time. We don't believe a leader can be so callous about loosing his people and a lot of arms, while destroying cities and taking so many innocent lives, as distractions to reaching the primary goal of securing land and water for Crimea and the Black Sea fleet. Putin does not have to respond to Biden, but just wait for the primaries to make him lame after the election this year, and have him replaced by Trump in the White House in 2024. The wedges are set for splitting the US, and Putin might have lost his black belt in judo, but he sure knows how to use the energy of the enemy to destroy himself. The two legged US demockracy will be limping on, while Trump is stabbing Europe in the back, and Putin takes back what "belongs to him". - Sorry, it is not to give up. I believe we can gather strength from considering more perspectives.
Yeah, after all we have been through with a fucking traitor sucking Russia's dick for four plus years, Joe gets a Mullgan for this. Fuck the msm and their drooling over a sound bite. It will be forgotten, except for Murrica's Pravda, FOX the next time Putin slaughters another children's hospital
I heard it as an anguished cry to the heavens! It has been my cry every day for a month. With no end in sight of the bloodshed, the destruction, the reports that several thousands from Mariopoul have been taken away by Russian soldiers to Russia (I pray to God this report is NOT true, but I fear it is since terror is now the name of Putin's game), as surprised as I was, I was also not surprised. I imagine he has cried out in the privacy of his own home, standing before the mirror in the morning and wondering, what the hell is going on here. Of course words matter. Of course these words have over shadowed to some degree the content of the speech which was good - I think he went off message a couple of other times just because reading from a teleprompter is not easy. You have probably seen the video of residents of Kharkiv, Mariopoul. areas of Kyiv, and Lviv among other towns and cities cursing Putin. At least he didn't curse him outright. Putin intends to redraw the boundary of Ukraine if he can get away with it. I wonder given Putin whether anything that President Biden said would make any damn difference to his calculations. I read today that there are Russians who oppose the war who are staying in Russia to protest and resist from inside the borders. In a way they're sunk - Finland is sending no more trains to Russia and getting a flight anywhere has become virtually impossible. Whatever is going on now, the people suffering the most are Ukrainians. After them, Russians opposing the war. Soon it will be the rest of the world needing wheat and corn from Ukraine and Russia. No matter how you look at it, Putin made the decision. He threw the dice thinking they were loaded like his sycophants had told him. He took his country to war thinking the west would roll over and pant for more oil and gas, like we did with our lackluster response to Georgia (2008) and the farce of Crimea and the Donbas region in 2014. Putin has wanted a Belarus in Ukraine. He has not gotten that. The truth is he has wrecked his nation in so many ways it takes more than 10 fingers to count. But he's now wrecking Ukraine who asked for none of it but has been resisting and fighting against Russian aggression in its many forms really for the last 10+ years. So, the President said what millions are thinking and are hesitant to say aloud - unless you are a woman in Ukraine mourning the loss of her family, her way of life, and her hope for a peaceful spring that leads to summer and full gardens. I think everyone should chill and work hard to get people elected in 2022 who are NOT from the gop. And we should keep supporting every effort we can to bring assistance to Ukrainians and the places which shall be hungering for bread in coming months.
It depends, I think, to whom he was speaking. We all know who he was speaking for - us. He said what we all believe to be a heartfelt truth. That last sentence wasn't for the US or Euro MSM, but it was guaranteed to make those chooks loose enough feathers that the Russian public will hear about it.
Granting all of this, I would argue that this comment ultimately is likely to mean nothing to the average Russian. They already are totally committed to Putin, or totally opposed to Putin. Also, let's take into account that American intelligence has been very good--it may be worth asking if Biden says this if he really thinks Putin is going to cave in any way.
Almost everyone in the west has thought that. It's not likely to change the ponies and rainbows between Biden and Putin. The Pres has been extraordinary in managing NATO's response. Maybe he's dumb like a fox.
Heather Cox Richardson picked up on that too (in slightly more polite language lol):
“It’s not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,” he said. “All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.” His message “for all freedom-loving nations,” he said, is that “we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.” In the end, though, “the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.” “We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.”
“For God’s sake,” he said, “this man cannot remain in power.”
That last line seemed a logical conclusion to the argument Biden has been making about the struggle between democracy and autocracy, rallying democratic countries to stay unified against Putin as his troops smash Ukraine. But it prompted a flurry of media stories saying Biden had made a gaffe, changing his long-standing insistence that the U.S. is not engaging in regime change but rather is trying to defend Ukraine’s right to exist independently of Russia. A White House official clarified that “[t]he president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region…. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.” Michael D. Shear and David E. Sanger of the New York Times noted that, however Biden meant the line, it underscored the difficulty of holding allies together against Putin while also avoiding an escalation of the war. not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty,” he said. “All of us…must do the hard work of democracy each and every day. My country as well.” His message “for all freedom-loving nations,” he said, is that “we must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.” In the end, though, “the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.” “We will have a different future—a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.”
This, too, shall pass? One can only hope so.