With respect to Gaza, yes is we stopped shipping weapons, the war would end.
Ukraine is a lot more complicated. While we may have been involved somewhat, that war is MUCH more the result of Putin/ Russian influence. He may be using the US to sell the idea, however Putin would want Ukraine regardless. Much of Europe is in NATA including Turkey and Sweden I believe (or will be). The Ukraine war is more more the result of Russia then the US. And that war will continue for as long as Ukraine resists and Russia fights.
Ukraine is a country, especially since it has been so destroyed ND BANkrupted by ten years of war. It cannot sustain a continued war if the US stops supplying funds and weapons. And the European nations are souring on continuing to provide money and weapons. They have their own rising right-wing populist movements -- in France, in Germany, in Italy, in Holland and in Austria that all want to stop support for Ukraine. I think it's clear that that wasr is going to be ended, and that it won't be on terms that Ukraine will like (neutrality, no return of Crimea, and the loss of Eastern Ukraine.
The US claims and for virtually all of its history has claimed the right to control the nations to its south: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and all of South America.. If Russia or China were to try to sign a mutual assistance pact with Mexico or Venezuela and put a major military base and nuclear planes and/or missiiles in one of those countries Washington would do what it did in the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.
We already have bases and missiles all over Europe. ( and I do agree, we should remove most of them)
A few more in Ukraine is not going to change the balance. The point is, Russia has designed in Ukraine independent of US meddling. Are we snow white in this. No. But to act like Russia would not be making this move regardless of what the US is doing is naive.
Well Jim why are so many Americans so ready to risk nuclear war by arming Ukraine with state of the art weapons for attacking Russia while ignoring how the US has dedtroyed much of Syria, comtinues the six decade strangulation of Cuba, subverts the elected governments of Central America,etc. And honestly America’s greatest crime is underwriting and arming Israel’s grnocide in Gaza.
This article really defines and explains the nuances of policy and the necessity to make changes in our military . I am no fan of the rapist traitor but still want him to be successful in policies that help America. This is also a chance for the Dems to take a long hard look of what is working and what caused them to lose the election. Corp Dems have for long not served what is best for the American people. Time to step back and make the reforms that will benefit all Americans and move our country forward.
Thanks for writing. My only concern is that so much of what Trump. has called for has been mean-spirited and based upon racist, xenophobic and misogynist aspersions cast against groups that are often the targets of Trump's primary MAGA base of white Americans. For example, the people sneaking their way across the border, or overstaying their time in the US as temporary refugees are not, as Trump claims, "murderers, rapists and cxriminals.' In reality crimes statistics show immigrants to be among the least criminal of all segments of the population in the US. His lies about LGBTQ people being dangerous are ridiculous and are rediculous to those groups. His call to send US troops, whether active duty or National Guard units, and to use draconian tactics including live ammunition against protester are real threats to freedom and must be forcefully and courageously opposed. And when it comes to climate change, nothing the president-elect is proposing is acceptable, as he is a complete luddite when it comes to scientific knowledge or intent. In fact, probably the biggest catastrophe of his election triumph is that four extremely critical years for taking significant action to at least slow the accelerating pace off climate change is likely to be lost in the country that is one of the greatest contrributors to that crisis. There are in fact few ideas Trump has in his clearly shrinking and never very developed brain are worth doing. One I'm suggesting here is his desire to have the US pull away from multilateral "defence" treaties and wars of choice. I hope he ends up doing that. I worry though about what will happen now to Gaza's Palestinians.
I totally agree with everything you say and have been speaking out since day one of Trump’s ugly appearance. In no way do I support isolation; we have to stand again crimes of humanity. I have no faith that Trump will do that. The GOP has shown us they have no respect for human life and intentionally cause sadist cruel policies to harm and cause death Every one I know is sick to their stomachs and trying to deal with the reality of where we are. I never thought this cold happen in America People think it’s 4 yrs until any other election. Trump has made it clear there will be no more elections This is truly a test for us to organize rise up and fight for democracy. I like to believe our country is up to the challenge. Trump counts on the fact that fear will paralyze us; fear or no fear we have no choice but to fight back
I don't at all believe that Trump's victory means there will be no federal election in 2026 or no presidential election in 2028 (by which time the burger-and-fries and diet Coke-swilling and corpulent Trump will likely have passed his sell-by date and be either in the ground of drooling and incoherent in a care home. But I do think that the Democrats are doomed to continue losing. Harris ran a terriblecampaign that spent all it's time trying to attract conservativer Republican women when she should have been focusing on truly progressive issues of concern to the white working class and union families who have mostly moved away to the Trump GOP -- not because they are al racist xenophobes but bercause they are sick of being ignored by the Democrats and are in a nihilistic frame of mind. I see little likelihood that the Demodratic Party will change; It's neoliberal nillionaire leaders and their billionaire backers are not going to quit the party and turn it over to a bunchj of progressive union leaders, which is what should happen. Instead theuy'll keep to their doomed appproach and will lose again and again.
The tiny left parties, including Jill Stein's Green Party did not, even combined, attract enough voters to impact a single state's presidential race, though Stein's numbers in Arizona, which is still technically in play, could prove to be enough to deny a win to Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, who is only fractionally ahead of Trumpist Kari Lake with some quarter of the outstanding ballots yet to be counted.
Leftists, many of whom (myself inclded) along with their movement organizations, "tactically 'urged support for Harris, hoping to help elect someone who, despite their lack of enthusiasm for her centrist campaign and her fulsome support for Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, hoped to at least protect the freedom to protest in thre US, didn't get anything for our efforts.
We now need to look at the reality. The huge white working class shift to the Republicans is a disaster and needs to be reversed, if Tirumpist populism is to be stopped. That eill require careful planning and theorizing. The labor movement is not racist. Workers and unions are a large diversified cohort of the US population, and they are people who pretty much share the same concerns, whether they are male or female, black brown yellow or white, gay or straight. They urgently need to be brought together politically if Trumpism is to be successfully resisted. This is our challenge.
You expressed much better than I could. I agree completely I have been dissatisfied with the Dems for several years going back to Obama’s handling or lack of with TARP, pushing Hillary on us in 2016. The Dems elite are running the party like it’s the 1950s. Chuck Todd had an excellent article out today which identifies what needs changing. I’m left and progressive so always an uphill battle. I love your articles and have followed for years. Thank you for taking the time to give me hope and direction on moving forward. Your articles are necessary and valued
With respect to Gaza, yes is we stopped shipping weapons, the war would end.
Ukraine is a lot more complicated. While we may have been involved somewhat, that war is MUCH more the result of Putin/ Russian influence. He may be using the US to sell the idea, however Putin would want Ukraine regardless. Much of Europe is in NATA including Turkey and Sweden I believe (or will be). The Ukraine war is more more the result of Russia then the US. And that war will continue for as long as Ukraine resists and Russia fights.
Ukraine is a country, especially since it has been so destroyed ND BANkrupted by ten years of war. It cannot sustain a continued war if the US stops supplying funds and weapons. And the European nations are souring on continuing to provide money and weapons. They have their own rising right-wing populist movements -- in France, in Germany, in Italy, in Holland and in Austria that all want to stop support for Ukraine. I think it's clear that that wasr is going to be ended, and that it won't be on terms that Ukraine will like (neutrality, no return of Crimea, and the loss of Eastern Ukraine.
And that is 100 percent wrong. Russia has no right to destroy a nation just lke we have no right to destroy a nation.
The US claims and for virtually all of its history has claimed the right to control the nations to its south: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and all of South America.. If Russia or China were to try to sign a mutual assistance pact with Mexico or Venezuela and put a major military base and nuclear planes and/or missiiles in one of those countries Washington would do what it did in the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.
We already have bases and missiles all over Europe. ( and I do agree, we should remove most of them)
A few more in Ukraine is not going to change the balance. The point is, Russia has designed in Ukraine independent of US meddling. Are we snow white in this. No. But to act like Russia would not be making this move regardless of what the US is doing is naive.
Well Jim why are so many Americans so ready to risk nuclear war by arming Ukraine with state of the art weapons for attacking Russia while ignoring how the US has dedtroyed much of Syria, comtinues the six decade strangulation of Cuba, subverts the elected governments of Central America,etc. And honestly America’s greatest crime is underwriting and arming Israel’s grnocide in Gaza.
This article really defines and explains the nuances of policy and the necessity to make changes in our military . I am no fan of the rapist traitor but still want him to be successful in policies that help America. This is also a chance for the Dems to take a long hard look of what is working and what caused them to lose the election. Corp Dems have for long not served what is best for the American people. Time to step back and make the reforms that will benefit all Americans and move our country forward.
Thanks for writing. My only concern is that so much of what Trump. has called for has been mean-spirited and based upon racist, xenophobic and misogynist aspersions cast against groups that are often the targets of Trump's primary MAGA base of white Americans. For example, the people sneaking their way across the border, or overstaying their time in the US as temporary refugees are not, as Trump claims, "murderers, rapists and cxriminals.' In reality crimes statistics show immigrants to be among the least criminal of all segments of the population in the US. His lies about LGBTQ people being dangerous are ridiculous and are rediculous to those groups. His call to send US troops, whether active duty or National Guard units, and to use draconian tactics including live ammunition against protester are real threats to freedom and must be forcefully and courageously opposed. And when it comes to climate change, nothing the president-elect is proposing is acceptable, as he is a complete luddite when it comes to scientific knowledge or intent. In fact, probably the biggest catastrophe of his election triumph is that four extremely critical years for taking significant action to at least slow the accelerating pace off climate change is likely to be lost in the country that is one of the greatest contrributors to that crisis. There are in fact few ideas Trump has in his clearly shrinking and never very developed brain are worth doing. One I'm suggesting here is his desire to have the US pull away from multilateral "defence" treaties and wars of choice. I hope he ends up doing that. I worry though about what will happen now to Gaza's Palestinians.
I totally agree with everything you say and have been speaking out since day one of Trump’s ugly appearance. In no way do I support isolation; we have to stand again crimes of humanity. I have no faith that Trump will do that. The GOP has shown us they have no respect for human life and intentionally cause sadist cruel policies to harm and cause death Every one I know is sick to their stomachs and trying to deal with the reality of where we are. I never thought this cold happen in America People think it’s 4 yrs until any other election. Trump has made it clear there will be no more elections This is truly a test for us to organize rise up and fight for democracy. I like to believe our country is up to the challenge. Trump counts on the fact that fear will paralyze us; fear or no fear we have no choice but to fight back
I don't at all believe that Trump's victory means there will be no federal election in 2026 or no presidential election in 2028 (by which time the burger-and-fries and diet Coke-swilling and corpulent Trump will likely have passed his sell-by date and be either in the ground of drooling and incoherent in a care home. But I do think that the Democrats are doomed to continue losing. Harris ran a terriblecampaign that spent all it's time trying to attract conservativer Republican women when she should have been focusing on truly progressive issues of concern to the white working class and union families who have mostly moved away to the Trump GOP -- not because they are al racist xenophobes but bercause they are sick of being ignored by the Democrats and are in a nihilistic frame of mind. I see little likelihood that the Demodratic Party will change; It's neoliberal nillionaire leaders and their billionaire backers are not going to quit the party and turn it over to a bunchj of progressive union leaders, which is what should happen. Instead theuy'll keep to their doomed appproach and will lose again and again.
The tiny left parties, including Jill Stein's Green Party did not, even combined, attract enough voters to impact a single state's presidential race, though Stein's numbers in Arizona, which is still technically in play, could prove to be enough to deny a win to Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, who is only fractionally ahead of Trumpist Kari Lake with some quarter of the outstanding ballots yet to be counted.
Leftists, many of whom (myself inclded) along with their movement organizations, "tactically 'urged support for Harris, hoping to help elect someone who, despite their lack of enthusiasm for her centrist campaign and her fulsome support for Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, hoped to at least protect the freedom to protest in thre US, didn't get anything for our efforts.
We now need to look at the reality. The huge white working class shift to the Republicans is a disaster and needs to be reversed, if Tirumpist populism is to be stopped. That eill require careful planning and theorizing. The labor movement is not racist. Workers and unions are a large diversified cohort of the US population, and they are people who pretty much share the same concerns, whether they are male or female, black brown yellow or white, gay or straight. They urgently need to be brought together politically if Trumpism is to be successfully resisted. This is our challenge.
You expressed much better than I could. I agree completely I have been dissatisfied with the Dems for several years going back to Obama’s handling or lack of with TARP, pushing Hillary on us in 2016. The Dems elite are running the party like it’s the 1950s. Chuck Todd had an excellent article out today which identifies what needs changing. I’m left and progressive so always an uphill battle. I love your articles and have followed for years. Thank you for taking the time to give me hope and direction on moving forward. Your articles are necessary and valued
Thanks!