At last - some truth telling on this terrible war, created and perpetuated by USA. NATO expansion should not have happened and the devastating results for Ukraine were always inevitable. Biden and the neocons have a lot to answer for, as do some previous administrations too. It’s remarkable that it has taken so long for realities to be acknowledged … and a worry that US regime change was needed for that to happen.
The future is uncertain, and I find myself unsure whether to laugh, cry, or simply be concerned about the unknown. Thanks everyone for your important analysis!
As noted, lots of cognitive dissonance, almost embarrassingly evident in European reactions to the US position laid out by Hegseth this week.
If America is to hold to that position, it would seem a willingness to walk away from Europe and NATO is implicit. Should Europe persist in its determination to extend the conflict, that's the only way the US can escape deeper entanglement.
It's intriguing that Kellogg was allowed to press on with his more "conventional" approach to resolving the conflict while Witkoff was in Moscow laying the groundwork for this radical policy shift. That suggests deliberate misdirection to keep Trump's opposition mollified while the real diplomatic work was going on, and while the nominations of Gabbard and Kennedy were still undecided.
If that's so, perceptions of the capabilities of Trump and his team may need to be revised.
Both these "ifs" are doing a lot of work. Much of what Hegseth laid out is breathtakingly radical and considerable scepticism is probably wise. Still, given it dissolves at one stroke many of the otherwise near insoluble difficulties of reaching an agreement with the Russians, how likely is it that it was arrived at in the casual, impetuous fashion we've come to expect of Trump?
Thanks to the three of your for your time freely given, and your wise analyses.
It is strange that the Europeans whining about the "Unfairness" of the likely future deal had NOTHING to say about "Fairness" when Chubby Nuland couped the sovereign country of Ukraine and installed a brutal Nazi-controlled dictatorship that immediately started a genocidal civil war against the east and south.
Thank the Goddesses that Trump has returned and finally kyboshed this insane, suicidal stupidity.
As for the "Pivot to China", it is even less likely the US could triumph in any conflict against China than it could against Russia on Russia's borders.
A FAAAR better outcome would be the proposed cut of 50% in the US military budget, and to drop all these warmongering fantasies.
This century, due to American neocon psychopathic imbecility, is now China's and Russia's, together.
A very realistisch assesment! The woke Europeans haven‘t caught up with Reality on the ground. The war is lost, and Ukraine will lose more and more Territory!
I do not think that the Russian speakers in Russian occupied Ukraine territories are happy to be part of Russia. The Minsk agreement was a form of appeasement which only encouraged Russia. Beyond Ukraine, the Trumpuan USA is selling out the EU.
Those same Russian speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine were NOT happy to be bombed for eight years by US/NATO/UK/EU backed Ukrainian forces prior to Russia intervening.
You are forgetting to mention anything about the presence of Russian military at the time or the fact that they were responsible for shooting down a passenger plane.
It's not "Ukrainian territory", it's Russian territory. Most of the people there are Russian speakers, who were trapped on the other side of the border when the USSR moved their internal borders long before it fell.
Once the US couped Kiev, and started genocidal wars against this 50% of the population, that was irreversible. Doubly so after the Western powers refused to implement the Minsk diplomatic agreements.
Ukraine will cease to exist, except perhaps a few hundred square miles with the poorest people of Europe in it. Poland will take a slice, Hungary will take a slice, Romania will take a slice - all their historic lands.
And the Russian part will have the highest standard of living, and be rebuilt to the nicest standard.
I'm 100% with you on that. While a part of me would be horrified at the glee another part would feel, once I've eaten the cookie, and left the kitchen Neo...
Those future time-travellers who are to go back and "Kill baby Hitler", will actually have a VERY long shopping list to take with them.
He was a truly terrible author, for one. And if that means Brian Herbert is also murdered by time-travellers, well, I'll crack a bottle of wine with that one.
An amusing and thought-provoking line I heard from an Indian comic last month wondered if perhaps Hitler was a time-traveller come back to kill Nuttyahoo's line, to save not only the poor Palestinians, but also prevent the all-too-likely nuclear war the Israelis will kick off.
Time travel is a huge can of worms in itself, and no doubt at all, any such time-travellers would also include Churchill, possibly even higher on the list. And indeed many of the big-wigs of the British, French, Belgium. Spanish, Portuguese etc empires.
Nonetheless, Hitler's regime committed vast atrocities, and despite the Holocaust Industry, not just against Jewish people by any means.
One would have to be soulless to imagine that all union leaders, human rights activists, liberals, leftists, homosexuals, the disabled, Roma, and all the other millions killed even within Germany itself, never mind the victims of the wars he started, deserved such a fate.
At last - some truth telling on this terrible war, created and perpetuated by USA. NATO expansion should not have happened and the devastating results for Ukraine were always inevitable. Biden and the neocons have a lot to answer for, as do some previous administrations too. It’s remarkable that it has taken so long for realities to be acknowledged … and a worry that US regime change was needed for that to happen.
The future is uncertain, and I find myself unsure whether to laugh, cry, or simply be concerned about the unknown. Thanks everyone for your important analysis!
I agree with John M
Integrity and basic facts and logic
Excellent discussion.
As noted, lots of cognitive dissonance, almost embarrassingly evident in European reactions to the US position laid out by Hegseth this week.
If America is to hold to that position, it would seem a willingness to walk away from Europe and NATO is implicit. Should Europe persist in its determination to extend the conflict, that's the only way the US can escape deeper entanglement.
It's intriguing that Kellogg was allowed to press on with his more "conventional" approach to resolving the conflict while Witkoff was in Moscow laying the groundwork for this radical policy shift. That suggests deliberate misdirection to keep Trump's opposition mollified while the real diplomatic work was going on, and while the nominations of Gabbard and Kennedy were still undecided.
If that's so, perceptions of the capabilities of Trump and his team may need to be revised.
Both these "ifs" are doing a lot of work. Much of what Hegseth laid out is breathtakingly radical and considerable scepticism is probably wise. Still, given it dissolves at one stroke many of the otherwise near insoluble difficulties of reaching an agreement with the Russians, how likely is it that it was arrived at in the casual, impetuous fashion we've come to expect of Trump?
More evidence required . . .
Thanks to the three of your for your time freely given, and your wise analyses.
It is strange that the Europeans whining about the "Unfairness" of the likely future deal had NOTHING to say about "Fairness" when Chubby Nuland couped the sovereign country of Ukraine and installed a brutal Nazi-controlled dictatorship that immediately started a genocidal civil war against the east and south.
Thank the Goddesses that Trump has returned and finally kyboshed this insane, suicidal stupidity.
As for the "Pivot to China", it is even less likely the US could triumph in any conflict against China than it could against Russia on Russia's borders.
A FAAAR better outcome would be the proposed cut of 50% in the US military budget, and to drop all these warmongering fantasies.
This century, due to American neocon psychopathic imbecility, is now China's and Russia's, together.
Baba Vanga was right.
Duran Duran??
A very realistisch assesment! The woke Europeans haven‘t caught up with Reality on the ground. The war is lost, and Ukraine will lose more and more Territory!
I do not think that the Russian speakers in Russian occupied Ukraine territories are happy to be part of Russia. The Minsk agreement was a form of appeasement which only encouraged Russia. Beyond Ukraine, the Trumpuan USA is selling out the EU.
Those same Russian speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine were NOT happy to be bombed for eight years by US/NATO/UK/EU backed Ukrainian forces prior to Russia intervening.
You are forgetting to mention anything about the presence of Russian military at the time or the fact that they were responsible for shooting down a passenger plane.
Excellent discussion.
Nah, foreign Jews still rule and White Cowards still suck their penises!
Trump is definitely significantly smarter than most, majority of the commenters are willing to admit.
An interesting problem each of the writers and commenters on Substack is experiencing, meeting head on, every single day:
How come Trumps intelligence, very high, Trump's abilities, extremely high, are not seen after so many years of being in front of the global audience?
Have we, the audience, both political and general, in US but also globally ever experienced a misjudgement of such magnitude?
It's "nice" to talk with you, who care. But it is always painful because of the things I know, and may not say.
I as a none professional knew Trump had something up his sleaves
This crasy world (sorry PC f****) laugh or crie it's the world deep state that is worryiñg hidra wheñ
beeñ killed are deeply dañgerous.
Allowing Russia to retain Ukraine territory is not the solution.
It's not "Ukrainian territory", it's Russian territory. Most of the people there are Russian speakers, who were trapped on the other side of the border when the USSR moved their internal borders long before it fell.
Once the US couped Kiev, and started genocidal wars against this 50% of the population, that was irreversible. Doubly so after the Western powers refused to implement the Minsk diplomatic agreements.
Ukraine will cease to exist, except perhaps a few hundred square miles with the poorest people of Europe in it. Poland will take a slice, Hungary will take a slice, Romania will take a slice - all their historic lands.
And the Russian part will have the highest standard of living, and be rebuilt to the nicest standard.
This is just reality.
Denying it is living in fantasyland.
My fantasy involves putting Nuland, Kagan, Blinken et al on minesweeper duty.
You know, for the cluster munitions they filled that country with.
Weren't there laws about that? Oh what, they're outside the law? That's interesting, too.
I'm 100% with you on that. While a part of me would be horrified at the glee another part would feel, once I've eaten the cookie, and left the kitchen Neo...
Those future time-travellers who are to go back and "Kill baby Hitler", will actually have a VERY long shopping list to take with them.
what was wrong with Hitler?
He was a truly terrible author, for one. And if that means Brian Herbert is also murdered by time-travellers, well, I'll crack a bottle of wine with that one.
An amusing and thought-provoking line I heard from an Indian comic last month wondered if perhaps Hitler was a time-traveller come back to kill Nuttyahoo's line, to save not only the poor Palestinians, but also prevent the all-too-likely nuclear war the Israelis will kick off.
Time travel is a huge can of worms in itself, and no doubt at all, any such time-travellers would also include Churchill, possibly even higher on the list. And indeed many of the big-wigs of the British, French, Belgium. Spanish, Portuguese etc empires.
Nonetheless, Hitler's regime committed vast atrocities, and despite the Holocaust Industry, not just against Jewish people by any means.
One would have to be soulless to imagine that all union leaders, human rights activists, liberals, leftists, homosexuals, the disabled, Roma, and all the other millions killed even within Germany itself, never mind the victims of the wars he started, deserved such a fate.