Everyone agrees: Russian aggression against Syrian civilians previewed the horrors now being inflicted on Ukraine. Hospitals bombed. Children slaughtered. Electricity and water shut off. War-torn Syria is getting more public attention than it has in years, especially with the news that President Vladimir Putin made his former Syria commander top dog in Ukraine. To many, Russia’s bombardment of Mariupol feels like a repeat of the 2016 bombing of Aleppo. Once again, Russia is disregarding humanitarian corridors, spreading propaganda and committing war crimes.
Your posts, augmented by a few others ( usually drier) give me a perspective and understanding of the intricacies of war I never wanted to have, but am thankful for. I also got a lot out of Tom Friedman's column today: Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’
John Arquilla explains how Ukrainians have adopted the three new rules of war.
While the horrifying effects on the ground are similar, Russia's aggression against Syria and its war on Ukraine are very different. TC depicted the incompetence of Russian army and country's institutional shortcomings against Ukraine's well trained military and the deeply united county behind it.
America kept popping into my mind as I read about Russia, Ukraine and Syria.- How does our country compare to them. Trump's rule, the Republican Party and the Supreme Court -- legislation passed in the Red States, along with the policies of governors, Abbott, DeSantis and Ducey; SOCTUS decisions along with the political control acquired by the superrich, power-brokers, such as Charles Koch were on my mind almost as much as Russia's war against Ukraine.
If you reread UKRAINE IS NOT SYRIA, you may ask yourself if U.S. is becoming more like Russia than it used to be and less like Ukraine in spirit. One particular point struck home; disinformation in Russia is the people's reality; in the US disinformation has become reality for many millions of Americans.
I fear that the Russian campaign of terror will lead the Ukrainians to reciprocate, which would be a moral shame, and change the dynamic of the conflict. I would hope that the Butcher of Aleppo ends his military career on the steppes of eastern Ukraine, in the worst way possible..... At any rate, the Russians will not win Ukraine in the long run - they are completely outmatched in real military operations; they excel only in committing war crimes..... The loss of their Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, has to hurt, and severely limits what the Russian navy can do. The Ukrainians actually could win, certainly in the long run, but the Russians seem not to realize this yet.....
I hope they painted "For the Children" on the side of the rocket that sent Russia's flagship to the bottom of the sea, they should be painting that on everything they shoot at the Russians.
Thank you, TC for all factual clarification and all opinions emanating from fact and history. That is what helps me keep my emotional response to the chaos in the world centered and tempered with Light. Truth can be fleeting when forces of darkness not seen in this country at such a level for decades abound. My optimism for democracy does not waver.
TC - something I've wondered about: what was happening in Ukraine in the latter half of 1945, after the conference at Yalta? There was a lot of angst about Poland, but I don't know much about Ukraine. Other than Ukraine has been war-torn for many many decades. nr
Your posts, augmented by a few others ( usually drier) give me a perspective and understanding of the intricacies of war I never wanted to have, but am thankful for. I also got a lot out of Tom Friedman's column today: Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’
John Arquilla explains how Ukrainians have adopted the three new rules of war.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/opinion/putin-ukraine-war-strategy.html?smid=em-share
While the horrifying effects on the ground are similar, Russia's aggression against Syria and its war on Ukraine are very different. TC depicted the incompetence of Russian army and country's institutional shortcomings against Ukraine's well trained military and the deeply united county behind it.
America kept popping into my mind as I read about Russia, Ukraine and Syria.- How does our country compare to them. Trump's rule, the Republican Party and the Supreme Court -- legislation passed in the Red States, along with the policies of governors, Abbott, DeSantis and Ducey; SOCTUS decisions along with the political control acquired by the superrich, power-brokers, such as Charles Koch were on my mind almost as much as Russia's war against Ukraine.
If you reread UKRAINE IS NOT SYRIA, you may ask yourself if U.S. is becoming more like Russia than it used to be and less like Ukraine in spirit. One particular point struck home; disinformation in Russia is the people's reality; in the US disinformation has become reality for many millions of Americans.
I fear that the Russian campaign of terror will lead the Ukrainians to reciprocate, which would be a moral shame, and change the dynamic of the conflict. I would hope that the Butcher of Aleppo ends his military career on the steppes of eastern Ukraine, in the worst way possible..... At any rate, the Russians will not win Ukraine in the long run - they are completely outmatched in real military operations; they excel only in committing war crimes..... The loss of their Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, has to hurt, and severely limits what the Russian navy can do. The Ukrainians actually could win, certainly in the long run, but the Russians seem not to realize this yet.....
I hope they painted "For the Children" on the side of the rocket that sent Russia's flagship to the bottom of the sea, they should be painting that on everything they shoot at the Russians.
Thank you, TC for all factual clarification and all opinions emanating from fact and history. That is what helps me keep my emotional response to the chaos in the world centered and tempered with Light. Truth can be fleeting when forces of darkness not seen in this country at such a level for decades abound. My optimism for democracy does not waver.
Salud TC. 💜💫
TC - something I've wondered about: what was happening in Ukraine in the latter half of 1945, after the conference at Yalta? There was a lot of angst about Poland, but I don't know much about Ukraine. Other than Ukraine has been war-torn for many many decades. nr
Thank You, TC.