Whatever else Trotsky’s ideas were they were, like Rosa Luxemburg’s, totally opposed to imperialism.
Not to recognise this is to wallow in the sectarianism that has long been capitalism’s major ally on the left. A sectarianism that has proved to be a ticket to rich rewards in bourgeois society.
Posted by: bevin | May 22 2022 19:13 utc | 124
***
^^^This. Thank you.

Posted by: Vintage Red | May 23 2022 0:17 utc | 204

The dominant narratives that structured the world, especially after WW2, are over
Posted by: Patroklos | May 22 2022 22:20 utc | 184
No they are not. The salient message of one story (and its epic verse) is securing supply chains at frontier of central European civilization for and its descendants to enjoy. All day, every day, by any means–mostly violence.
consider the sphere of “globalism” from Greco-Roman antiquity … something something labor something … IPOs …
cotton …
Egyptian and Italian Merchants in the Black Sea Slave Trade, 1260-1500
to something cotton something oil something rare earths … COVAX Trade War something …
What consequences will joining Biden’s IPEF have for S. Korea?

The IPEF’s main goal is to exclude China from supply chains in cutting-edge and future-oriented industries and to reorganize those supply chains around the US. The US has made clear that it intends to counter China’s unfair trade practices and market distortions.
In the case of semiconductors, which the US has designated as a strategic product, the US could design a system of supply chain cooperation that links the US (front end), South Korea and Taiwan (design and production), Japan (equipment) and Malaysia (back end).

Posted by: sln2002 | May 23 2022 0:20 utc | 206

@ malenkov | May 23 2022 0:15 utc | 212
Indeed. Though once the RF campaign is concluded I doubt they will give a flying fuck who occupies Lvov.

Posted by: MarkU | May 23 2022 0:24 utc | 208

I want to see you cheerleading the next American invasion of Panama and Cuba.
Posted by: Trotzki | May 22 2022 14:28 utc | 35
The yanks already invaded Panama. And Grenada.

Posted by: Dadda | May 23 2022 0:29 utc | 210

I want to see you cheerleading the next American invasion of Panama and Cuba.
Posted by: Trotzki | May 22 2022 14:28 utc | 35
The yanks already invaded Panama. And Grenada.
Posted by: Dadda | May 23 2022 0:29 utc | 218

But re Cuba: We tried, Lord knows we tried!

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 0:33 utc | 212

@ malenkov | May 23 2022 0:30 utc | 219
As I remember it, the Banderites and the Poles have bad blood dating back to WW2, they deserve each other.

Posted by: MarkU | May 23 2022 0:37 utc | 214

@ William Gruff | May 23 2022 0:36 utc | 221
The only flaw in your otherwise indisputable argument is that Zelensky is not in Russian hands and probably never will be.

Posted by: MarkU | May 23 2022 0:42 utc | 216

MarkU @224
True, it doesn’t seem likely right now. We’ll have to see how thing develop.

Posted by: William Gruff | May 23 2022 0:53 utc | 218

@ malenkov | May 23 2022 0:30 utc | 219
As I remember it, the Banderites and the Poles have bad blood dating back to WW2, they deserve each other.
Posted by: MarkU | May 23 2022 0:37 utc | 222
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Jews and the Banderites had bad blood dating back to WW2 as well, but look at them now.
Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 0:41 utc | 223

. . . my point being that when it comes to political advantage, there are few groups of people who will not extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to those who raped and killed their mothers and sisters (and baby brothers) in order to do the same to a new enemy.
One of the things I respect about the Russians and the Chinese is that they have actual historical memories and therefore don’t shit on their allies, and don’t gang up with recent enemies to abuse new ones.

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 1:03 utc | 220

@ Bad Deal Motors On | May 23 2022 0:54 utc | 227
Well said. Could I offer an addendum?
Our fake Trotskyite is outraged that Russia should attack poor defenseless 404 without any provocation whatsoever (heh). Perhaps we could turn this around and ask why we shouldn’t be outraged that the West isn’t participating in eliminating a Nazi-infested and -glorifying regime.

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 1:06 utc | 222

Posted by: William Gruff | May 23 2022 0:36 utc | 221
“Well, yes, no question at all that is so. Zelensky will do whatever is necessary to keep Zelensky’s head attached to Zelensky’s body, and hopefully in relatively functional condition””’
so that he can make it to his mansion in Miami and enjoy his one billion dollar blood money.

Posted by: Scorpion | May 23 2022 1:28 utc | 224

Scorpion @232
Yes, and his lifetime supply of Colombian cocaine.
I wonder if he will survive until “retirement”.

Posted by: William Gruff | May 23 2022 1:37 utc | 226

Posted by: Trotzki | May 22 2022 14:28 utc | 35
Retard.

Posted by: Bearish Panda | May 23 2022 1:43 utc | 228

“The general sighed, and the lines on the map, moved from side to side.” Pink Floyd, “Us and Them”

Posted by: Immaculate deception | May 23 2022 1:48 utc | 230

sln2002 @ 201
“Modern times” is unclear and subjective. I personally look at it as post WWII but that is not a real definition just a personal one. I probably should have used the term post colonial times but even that is in question because the Empire maintains its colonies with global institutions like the IMF and the world Bank among others.
Democracy was supervised in the cases you mention but US citizens did not serve in ministerial positions in the countries it conquered. It was the Yankee dollar calling the shots behind the scenes. Certainly MacArthur and Patton placed placed loyal subjects in power.
Even in cases of conquest such as the indigenous people control was maintained by military means and Yankee dollars and goods. The tribes for the most part followed their leaders. If given a choice, hunt with a bow or a rifle? Cook with a cooper pot or on a hot rock?
Give me some names post WWII, I know of not one. Controlling in the background is obvious, placing your citizen in a ministerial positions does not happen often if at all post WWII.

Posted by: circumspect | May 23 2022 1:49 utc | 232

Posted by: Vintage Red | May 23 2022 1:05 utc | 229
Wouldn’t waste my time with that one. The “peace movement” is irrelevant to anything. The fact that Ritter is showing up for that is interesting. Now he’s becoming a “peacenik”?
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 1:48 utc | 239

Gandhi : Western civilization :: me : peace movement

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 1:55 utc | 234

Comment from https://t.me/polkovnik_hodarenok Telegram channel on the German “Marder” armored fighting vehicle being sent to Ukraine… Anyone riding in these things will become a “martyr” for Ukraine…

“Marder” is a good car, developed in the mid-60s, but there are a number of nuances that are not highlighted anywhere.
The training course for a driver for this equipment is at least six months, the repair department is a year, the management department is about one and a half. How much did the APU have? A month at best. During this time, you can not even learn to ride.
Dynamic protection packages for Marders are not provided in the Ukrainian delivery, which hints at the imminent destruction of equipment even with relatively light weapons.
The 20mm Mk20 DM5 gun is not bad, but loses to the same 2A42 and 2A72 in terms of firing range and armor penetration. And taking into account the fact that there are BMPTs “on the front end”, the meaning in the 20-mm caliber is zero.
In modern battles, versions of the Marder 1A5 and A5A1 with multispectral armor would be useful, but the Germans rejected these vehicles at home because of “unpredictable efficiency.”
Conclusion: to carry troops back and forth, “Marders” are suitable, but such equipment is no longer suitable for battles.
#Germany #Lendlease #BMP #Mard

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 2:06 utc | 236

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | May 23 2022 0:54 utc | 227
“Question, how would you remove the current trash that infests this very corrupt government of country 404?
Choices??????????????”
As well as picking off low-hanging puppet fruit have to work on cutting puppets’ strings as well as blinding or otherwise disabling puppeteers.
Without puppeteers, puppets immediately cease their zombie movements.
I suspect the asymmetric geo-political and geo-economic tactics and strategies are the result of a 10+ year symbiotic alliance between Russia, China and a by now well-established ‘globalist’ network in place and able to bring down the puppeteer nations from within. That is why certain aspects of the kinetic operation in Ukraine feel a little phoney-war-ish. I don’t think that is a good term, btw, but it’s used. Maybe more like simply one part of a much larger whole with many moving parts.
This war is not between Russia (and her allies) and the West. It is about how international relations can be conducted so that a different way of doing things can emerge after the current way has had its strings cut.
I am waiting for a Wizard of Oz reveal dynamic gradually penetrating into media-bewildered Western middle classes and mid-level apparatchiks such that they begin to see they have been living a lie.
So part of the answer to your question is also going to include:’how to you bring people out of mass formation psychosis?’ (Another dodgy term but okay for now.)
If the western economies and socio-political order doesn’t go into a serious melt-down then it’s almost impossible for the Ukraine kinetic operation alone to succeed much beyond securing Eastern Ukraine for those people who vote to be part of the Russian sphere either as new oblasts within the RF or as allied independent republics in a federation. The people will vote, as the Russian President has promised.
And even if the kinetic operation stops fairly soon in Ukraine, the sanctions war level can continue indefinitely where the main battles in this asymmetric war will be fought (though maybe fight isn’t quite the right word either but…)

Posted by: Scorpion | May 23 2022 2:09 utc | 238

Correction, Maximilian was Austrian.

Posted by: Immaculate deception | May 23 2022 2:14 utc | 240

Nonetheless, I can’t help of thinking of Zelensky as the Mandarin character from the Avengers [snip]
Posted by: Objective Observer | May 23 2022 1:59 utc | 243

Well, speaking of mandarins, I myself can’t help thinking of elensky as a sort of latter-day Pu Yi, except that the latter actually seemed occasionally disturbed by the destruction of his people. Well, at least in the Bertolucci film.

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 2:23 utc | 242

re Duda: “Ukraine is the face of Europe! The defender of the big European family!”
How ironic. Ukraine is now Zelensky, who is a daily product of the roomful of US advisors who produce the scripts for the comedian to recite, including all those fancy catch phrases that make Duda swoon as the big European family sinks lower and lower in the abyss. Perhaps one of those advisors will write book on the whole sordid affair, some day, if they dare.

Posted by: Don Bacon | May 23 2022 2:35 utc | 244

Posted by: Immaculate deception | May 23 2022 2:10 utc | 247
Yes, Zod was in the second Superman movie IIRC. Portrayed by Terence Stamp., an excellent British actor.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 2:43 utc | 246

From southfront:

According to unconfirmed reports, 2 battalions of Polish infantry moved out of Kiev the day before and have reached Pavlograd to support the AFU. The Polish infantry is reportedly preparing for transfer to the Avdiivka area. Each battalion is reportedly equipped with 4 Rapier anti-tank guns, armored personnel carriers and US-made armored vehicles.

What? Polish have enterred the fighting?

Posted by: jared | May 23 2022 2:47 utc | 248

Posted by: leandro | May 22 2022 16:53 utc | 97
OK, you win. (I don’t have time to stoop to your level.)

Posted by: Seer | May 23 2022 2:55 utc | 250

I suspect this is rehab for Scott Ritter, but aside from that possibility, it’s a conversation that needs to be had since the peace movement right now is stuck on the premise that the Russian “invasion” is illegal and evil.
Posted by: K | May 23 2022 3:08 utc | 259

In all fairness, I think it should be noted that while Ajamu Baraka isn’t exactly thrilled about the Russian operation in 404, he sees it as a last-ditch reaction to American imperialism, which he bitterly opposes. Oh, and he condemns in no uncertain terms 404 racism and the West’s cover-up of same.

Posted by: malenkov | May 23 2022 3:18 utc | 252

Richard Medhurst
Scott Ritter
Yarning about naz! surrender at Azovstal. 2hr 40m
or here:
Rokfin: https://rokfin.com/richardmedhurst
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@richardmedhurst
Rumble: https://rumble.com/richardmedhurst
Substack: https://richardmedhurst.substack.com/

Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 23 2022 3:25 utc | 254

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | May 23 2022 0:54 utc | 227
How to clean up the oligarchs in Ukraine? Talk to Putin to find out how it’s done!

Posted by: Seer | May 23 2022 3:40 utc | 256

Forgive if this is old thought but reading Southfront ‘s daily summary which features news of Polish forces moving from Kiev into Donbass theater:
Maybe the deal is that if they help prevent Russia advance westward then they will get a bite out of the Galician apple?

Posted by: Scorpion | May 23 2022 3:48 utc | 258

Thank you all, for not using the useless “I mean”, before making your points.
The pause, “I mean”, is fine when using actual oral argument.
It serves a purpose. It is a time buyer.
It’s not optimal; as it declares that the person speaking isn’t completely sure of their thought.
“I mean” gives the speaker an extra second or two, to formulate their sentence or idea.
In oral argument, it’s ok.
We all do it.
However, literally using “I mean,” signifies you are not being serious.
If you are LITERALLY writing your thoughts in a post,
and I am using the term “literally” correctly,
this means you have not thought out a complete idea.
There is no need to use, “I mean”, in a post.
We all know what you mean.
Spare us the gross, vulgar, use of text space.
That is all.

Posted by: Cadence calls | May 23 2022 3:56 utc | 260

Scorpion #266

Maybe the deal is that if they help prevent Russia advance westward then they will get a bite out of the Galician apple?

The galician apples this year are infested with nazi grub and it is heading into Poland as we write. The apple trees are soon to be managed by Putin’s buddies and they will be looking after whatever fruit remains. Plus ensuring the complete eradication of the pest.
Poland is definitely governed by a foolish bunch of wannabe’s.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | May 23 2022 3:59 utc | 262

Hey,
I mean, I’m just trying to stir it up.
What with the war not making headlines.
I mean, what’s wrong with trying to up the grammar game?

Posted by: Cadence Calls | May 23 2022 4:05 utc | 264

Richard Steven Hack | May 22 2022 23:53 utc | 206
____
Nicely put

Posted by: Doug Hillman | May 23 2022 4:09 utc | 266

May 23 2022 3:59 utc | 270
Although the only buses in Ukraine are headed to Siberia, I wouldn’t put it past Putin to hand Poland a wormy apple tree if they want it.
Apparently Azovstal factory is to become a park in the Mariupol tourist resort. A good name for that park is I think the Siberian bus stop. The road to physical fitness, the joys of manual labour, and crisp clean air.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 23 2022 4:15 utc | 268

Cadence Calls | May 23 2022 4:26 utc | 277
The rules based order .. English is the only language I know and I’m hopeless at it. I guess I have done a lot more reading than talking and writing through my life.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 23 2022 4:33 utc | 270

G..g..general Zod. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhO9XCETjgg

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | May 23 2022 4:45 utc | 272

i am cool with non conformity…. i got a laugh out of cadence calls ‘i mean’ concept… here is a monk tune for you cadence calls…
Thelonious Monk – I Mean You
i guess sunday the paid trolls get a day off, lol..
Slavyangrad – Gleb Bazov
One of the biggest problems is not the kind of weapons that Kraine is receiving, it is the fact that those who could have used them effectively are being killed in combat. Leaving aside the fact that only about 70% of the lighter arms (ATGMs and such) ever make it to the troops in the field of battle, the loss of professional and trained cadre is the Krainian army’s biggest downfall. Think of how much money had been poured into Azov, the 24th Brigade, the 36th Brigade, the various Air Assault brigades… all those that have suffered losses of 60%+ or been completely demolished. You cannot replace this kind of expertise—particularly when training with westerns weapons. Not because western weapons are any more difficult than the Soviet ones (though they are!) but because being able to adjust to a new system and knowing instinctively when to squeeze the trigger is something that is learned over years of real-time military training. Having a few veterans in the corps is not enough to teach the cannon fodder. Ukraine will have to have years of this war to rebuild the army that they have already lost—and western armament spree is not forever—Ukraine will need its own industry and a about twice as much population to even out this war over the course of the next year—and that, if Russia keeps only a limited contingent fighting. The only question is not who loses and when the Kraine loses—it is simply how many men Russia is prepared to lose while bringing the Kraine to a rendezvous with defeat.

Posted by: james | May 23 2022 4:50 utc | 274

@ 263 Scorpion – I remember you mentioning that your handle came from the critters in Mexico, but there was a certain band from Germany… I’ll just be a bit of a cheerleader on the ol’ MoA (like James from Canada.) I try not to clutter threads with music or other stuff that derails the conversations, but I couldn’t help myself, especially that this is at the end of the conversation.
winds of change
I am a metalhead. I think it is quite intersting to see the convergence of popular culture (metal and other musical outputs) with political culture. And very interesting in particular with Finland. There is a Finish band called Satanic Warmaster. A one man weirdo thing. Satanic Warmaster is a part of what is know as NSBM. National Socialist Black Metal. Black metal is fringe in terms of the wide spread reach of the genre, but I have seen so much of its influence in the Ukraine stuff. There is a band called Drudkh from Ukriane. Atmospheric black metal – whatever that means – metalheads are worse than the commenters here regarding purity tests of metal as a music genre for whatever that’s worth. But Satanic Warmaster and the NSBM ilk use Hitler speeches etc. as parts of their deal. Here is a sample. (sans the Hitler speech)
Satanic Warmaster
But whatever. I find it interesting. The intersection of popular / fringe culture and mainstream culture is intersting. Popular culture arriving at a rather nihilistic position.
I know you are in Mexico. How about the narco corridos?
This is at the end of a thread. Maybe you or some other folks will read this and find it interesting. I don’t know if this make much sense, but I wanted to share.
Anyways, thank you.
And everyone else.

Posted by: lex taliionis | May 23 2022 4:56 utc | 276

@ lex taliionis | May 23 2022 4:56 utc | 284
there is a real serious metal scene in finland according to friends who tell me this… also – germany has a lot of interest in this style of music too… that sure is a mellow tune – winds of change – for a band i usually think of as heavy metal type band..
are you familiar with the band no means no?? canuck band from victoria b.c.. they are very popular in germany… i guess they are more punk, maybe punk metal.. here is a great album from them…. i have done some shows with them in the 90’s… they are a great group of guys and very exciting live.. played nelson and victoria on a double and triple bill with them..
NoMeansNo – Wrong

Posted by: james | May 23 2022 5:03 utc | 278

Cheers, James.
Just having a bit of fun.
I appreciate the link.

Posted by: Cadence calls | May 23 2022 5:18 utc | 280

From the above interview with Lafontaine:
“Entscheidend ist der Eintritt der Grünen in die Regierung. Seit dem Jugoslawien-Krieg und der Rolle des damaligen Außenministers Joschka Fischer war erkennbar, dass die Grünen der verlängerte Arm der USA im Bundestag sind. Sie unterstützen jede US-Entscheidung, wenn es um Kriege geht. Sie nennen sich Menschenrechtspartei, kennen aber nur die Verletzung von Menschenrechten durch Russland oder China. Dass die USA infolge ihrer Kriege für die meisten Menschenrechtsverletzungen verantwortlich sind, sehen die einäugigen Grünen nicht. Eine üble Rolle spielt dabei übrigens auch die Presse, die ebenso blind gegenüber den Kriegsverbrechen der USA ist und sich für die Kriegshetze einspannen lässt.”

Posted by: Antonym | May 23 2022 5:24 utc | 282

“Wouldn’t waste my time with that one. The ‘peace movement’ is irrelevant to anything. The fact that Ritter is showing up for that is interesting. Now he’s becoming a ‘peacenik’?
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 1:48 utc | 239
and @malenkov | May 23 2022 1:55 utc | 242, May 23 2022 3:18 utc | 260
“it’s a conversation that needs to be had since the peace movement right now is stuck on the premise that the Russian ‘invasion’ is illegal and evil.”
Posted by: K | May 23 2022 3:08 utc | 259
***
For context, @both RSH and malenkov—I read both your posts with appreciation for the information and insights you contribute here. So while I’m still getting to know you both through them, I read you both with respect.
Not long ago I posted a comment about what it will take to build up a mass movement to oppose the US empire. It seemed to be well received, though I remember a reflexive negative reaction to “antiwar”. Now a broad brush dismissal because the event mentioned “peace movement”. In the Empire of Lies itself, living as a number of us have noted under the most intense propaganda carpet bombing in human memory, there is no lack of delusion, confusion and uneven consciousness. We’re starting from scratch.
How is an anti-imperialist mass movement going to be organized without beginning outreach and engagement with those who are at least on some basis opposed to militarism and war (never mind any risk of it going nuclear), at least in some way supporting rights, justice, whatever one wants to call this, including opposing fascism? There’s zero chance of this movement starting from the right (the Republicans would just shift hostilities to China). There’s zero chance of our just snapping our fingers and *poof* magically mobilizing hundreds of thousands with impeccable anti-imperialist politics against the empire from within. Important as person-to-person communication is, it’s not gonna happen, at least not fast enough, by each of us just talking to that one neighbor or relative who will hear us.
As @K commented (thank you!) it has to start somewhere.
We’ve had a lot of discussion about Scott Ritter and his “turn”—I get that, but regardless, he’s not apologizing for the US empire here (if and when he ever does, I’ll be first and foremost in condemning that). Nor is he “turning peacenik”—the real context of what’s going on here doesn’t support that dismissiveness toward this entire effort.
Maybe Ajamu Baraka isn’t sufficiently pro-Z for some. There’s a whole lot of disagreement, emphases, gut feelings here at the bar on this or that aspect, it’s not like we’re all of the same perspective—should we just dismiss MoA? The trolls would all love that. The important thing is that Baraka *is* against the US empire, and is working to break the Black community here away from the stranglehold of the Democratic Party.
Over the years in UNAC I’ve worked alongside the International Action Center in protests against US aggression against Syria, Iran, the Donbass, Venezuela, Korea, other countries we all know. Whatever one might feel about their politics they are absolutely anti-US imperialism. They are fully supporting China and Russia against the US, including in Operation Z.
I’ve only just encountered the International Manifesto Group and so know the least of them. But from their Anti-Imperialism and the Western Left I am very positive so far—they feel to me akin to those socialists at the beginning of WW1 who did *not* cave in to siding with their ruling classes, beginning from scratch the slow building of the movement that in a few years toppled three empires. They are international, but this is *exactly* what the US movement needs: a breath of fresh air, air from the 7/8ths of humanity outside the Empire of Lies.
Even at the height of the movement against the Indochina War consciousness was all over the place, from hippies, yippies and students to the Panthers, the Weatherfolk and the GI resistance within the military. But the movement played a role in exposing US crimes and helping defeat the empire, if not overthrowing it.
Yes, we’re all sick of “socialists” who never seem to support actually existing socialism. I’m feeling a bit of a tendency here to not support actually existing anti-imperialist movement building. Perfect isn’t just the enemy of good, it’s also the enemy of actually beginning needed work.

Posted by: Vintage Red | May 23 2022 5:44 utc | 284

Posted by: lex taliionis | May 23 2022 4:56 utc | 284
Use Alacrán instead of Scorpion, true, a lot of people including your humble servant thought that the fall of the Wall and “the wind of change” would bring the peace dividend, what a rip off it was, over thirty years of war and destruction without an end in sight. Gorbachev was a disgrace, Germany was allowed to reunite just like that while the west can’t accept Crimea voting to go back home, the list is long, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Karabakh, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and it is not over yet, that is what those Scorpions and their winds of change brought, the biggest geopolitical catastrophe of our times, and counting. I would not be surprised to find out that that Scorpion one hit band was financed by you know who.

Posted by: Paco | May 23 2022 6:03 utc | 286

Hola Paco,
Claro, güey. Gorbachev fue un pinche pendejo. And to have the drunk Yeltsin humiliate him. He majorly messed up with the ethnic violence possibilities issue within the crumbling USSR. Gorbachev should have finished his vacation in Crimea that August in 1991 and moved onto the greener pastures of the West.
What do I know? Nada. I’m just trying to figure it all out. I have vague memories of the time. I’m sure they would be much sharper had I lived in the former Soviet Union.
Regarding Los Alcaranes, I’m not a huge fan. I prefer Void Meditation Cult. – from Cleveland Ohio.
Void Meditation Cult – Sulfurous Prayers Of Blight And Darkness

Posted by: lex talionis | May 23 2022 6:20 utc | 288

Posted by: lex taliionis | May 23 2022 4:56 utc | 284
Barfly indeed!

Posted by: Scorpion | May 23 2022 6:36 utc | 290

Posted by: Mikkado | May 23 2022 6:05 utc | 295
Won’t bother to listen to it. It’s nothing we don’t already know. The problem with Ritter is that he thinks this means Russia has already lost, both in Ukraine (if not in Donbass, which is the only place he thinks Russia will win) and in the wider conflict against NATO.
None of that is necessarily true.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 7:03 utc | 292

From Sputnik News Telegram channel…

The United States is considering the possibility of sending special forces to Kiev.
According to the WSJ, special forces units will have to guard the newly opened American embassy.
“President Biden has not yet been presented with this proposal. But if he approves it, the troops will be deployed only to protect and secure the embassy, which is within range of Russian missiles.”
At the same time, the publication recognizes that the presence of US special forces on the territory of Ukraine will mean escalation.
“Biden’s initial promise was that American troops would not be sent to Ukraine,” the WSJ clarifies.

Pentagon Weighs Deploying Special Forces to Guard Kyiv Embassy
Administration weighs desire to avoid escalating military presence against security of U.S. diplomats in a conflict zone
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-weighs-deploying-special-forces-to-guard-kyiv-embassy-11653237183?mod=politics_lead_pos1

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | May 23 2022 7:08 utc | 294

It seems the Polish will have these new rights when they get into law in Ukr
1) may hold elective positions
2) be appointed to state authorities, to senior positions of defense enterprises
3) get access to secret data
4) be judges
5) the Polish police will have the right to monitor law and order in Ukraine

Posted by: rk | May 23 2022 7:11 utc | 296

It’s weird because it’s not clear what will be the end of the operation. If they stop at Dnieper, I’m sure military bases from nato or, at least Poland, will appear in Kiev-Lviv region.
As you can see, US and other natoids move their diplomats back to Kiev but Kiev no longer controls more than half of the country so who are they representing? They’re only borrowing money 24/7 then stealing them. So a tiny Ukr will be good to remain, nazis and haters working to pay that debt back for 100 years :)). But bombs still have to fall towards Poland border because until now it’s 100% safe to live and have troops there compared to Belgorod inside Russia. They’ve even moved 20k troops at Belarus border and according to Belarus they often cross the border, plant mines etc.

Posted by: rk | May 23 2022 7:31 utc | 298

Posted by: rk | May 23 2022 7:11 utc | 304
Polish will have these new rights
I think the perception is far from reality.
Ukraine still has significant Polish minority. The catch is Poles are not recognized as minority. Only three ethnicities are. link
Quite recently Ukrainians attempted to reduce or remove Polish schools in Ukraine. link in Polish language
These regulations at best mean cessation or reduction of discrimination that happened before.
Looking at details Ukraine tended to behave in hostile way towards Poland even earlier this year, blocking railway transport, incidentally at the time Hungary opened a new rail terminal. link
However the police part resembles similar recent regulation that gave US and NATO forces police rights in Poland.

Posted by: pppp | May 23 2022 7:42 utc | 300