April 20, 2022

Trump echoes Noam Chomsky says Glenn Greenwald.

Greenwald tweets:
Trump echoes Noam Chomsky in correctly pointing out that the only viable, rational, humane policy toward the war in Ukraine is for the two sides to sit down with international help to find a diplomatic solution to end of this carnage and destruction.
Here's Trump's statement:
It doesn’t make sense that Russia and Ukraine aren’t sitting down and working out some kind of an agreement. If they don’t do it soon, there will be nothing left but death, destruction, and carnage. This is a war that never should have happened, but it did. The solution can never be as good as it would have been before the shooting started, but there is a solution, and it should be figured out now—not later—when everyone will be DEAD!

55 comments:

Chuck said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Howard said...

Now that Trump's side is losing the war he's recommending that Vlad sit down and talk it out. Funny he didn't mention diplomatic solutions when he called Putin a brilliant genius for The invasion.

Chuck said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Temujin said...

One of the many signs of the end days.
Another is that Glenn Greenwald himself is more highly regarded on the right than the left for his truthiness. And Russell Brand is being called a 'right-wing fascist'.

Many things have turned upside down. I'll know it's the end for sure when Jen Psaki, on her last day at the podium, pulls back her head mask to reveal a large scaly crest atop a green lizard-like head, as she drools like a Gorn and says, "Peter Doocy, I will be merciful."

Humperdink said...

It's been pretty clear from the outset the Dems, the Biden puppets, the media, et al have no interest in a peace in Ukraine. The lefties have tanked so low in the polls their only hope is a continued war. It distracts from their miserable failures domestically. It enriches the defense dept suppliers. All this at the expense of the commoners in Ukraine.

Sebastian said...

"If they don’t do it soon, there will be nothing left but death, destruction, and carnage."

Exactly. And not just in Ukraine: in Lebanon, Egypt, you name it.

Mike Sylwester said...

When Justin Trudeau was dealing with Canada's Nazis, he did not "sit down with them and work out some kind of an agreement." Instead, Trudeau demanded an unconditional surrender from the Nazis, and he achieved that goal.

Vladimir Putin is imposing a similar "unconditional surrender" demand on Ukraine's Nazis, and he well might achieve that goal.

Owen said...

I applaud DJT's sentiment and his characteristically direct statement of it. I just hope it's not too late. Putin has dug himself a very deep hole, and he continues to dig; probably because, the moment he stops, his rivals will take him out. So it's about as personal a fight as it can be.

gilbar said...

the secret secret secret secret, that the Left does NOT want you to learn;
is that Trump is a pretty smart guy.. Unlike MOST democrats

tim in vermont said...

Biden wants this war, and so it will continue.

rcocean said...

Trump's a negotiator, not a warmonger. He also has qualms about killing people, which is more than you can say for Biden, McCain, Miss Lindsey, Mitten,s and the other Killer-clowns in DC.

There is no Ukrainian path to victory. THere is no way Ukraine to recover their lost territory. Time to negotiate and stop the killing.

Yancey Ward said...

Brave, brave Sir Robin of Howard- willing to fight to the last Ukrainian is standing. I applaud you, Sir Robin of Howard- it takes real courage to give war a chance.

Enigma said...

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. I'd put this down to the random alignment of the planets than anything deep or meaningful. Peace is indeed preferable to war for most people.

Chomsky: A utopian incoherent rambler and "anarcho-syndicalist" who was able to witness his dreamy ideology in action in 2020. Seattle. San Francisco. Los Angeles. Minneapolis. Chicago. NYC. He's a hypocrite in calling for peace, as everything he's ever said fomented unworkable nonsense. Enjoy!

https://libcom.org/article/problem-chomskys-anarcho-syndicalism
https://ourpolitics.net/noam-chomsky-philosophy-anarco-syndicalism-and-truth-to-power/

Trump: A never close to right-wing, never-conservative deal maker with the ability to scramble the brains of everyone in power for more than a few years. He's merely a mirror for the psychological projections of others, and thereby makes others hate what they see in themselves when they look in the mirror. So they lash out and defend the status quo.

Critter said...

Trump is free to make this statement because, unlike Biden and the EU, he is not using this war to attempt to expand the EU and NATO. Ukraine is only a pawn in their game.

Owen said...

Sebastian @ 8:36: "...And not just in Ukraine..." Yes. Russia and Ukraine are major breadbaskets and now their exports have stopped; I think the spring planting has been aborted. Famine on a global scale seems entirely possible. Certainly the economic damage, as food prices destroy family budgets, will be profound and lasting.

Achilles said...

Howard said...

Now that Trump's side is losing the war he's recommending that Vlad sit down and talk it out. Funny he didn't mention diplomatic solutions when he called Putin a brilliant genius for The invasion.


Howard doesn't give two shits about Ukraine or the freedom of the people there. If he did he would call for the US to become energy independent again.

Remember when Howard was warmongering in Afghanistan claiming everyone who wanted to pull out of Afghanistan didn't care about the women and children there? Oh that's right Howard didn't give a shit about freedom or liberty then. It is because Ukrainians are white and Afghani's are brown and Howard only cares about the freedom of white people right?

But at this point Howard knows that the Biden administration needs this war as much as he does. The Biden Regime made this war happen and continues to fund Putin with high oil prices and secret deals with Iran.

Howard is just a piece of shit. So are the rest of the warmongering Regime toadies.

PB said...

The massive NATO expansion after the fall of the Soviet Union is the trigger according to Putin.

rcocean said...

Biden set up machine gun nests (and no doubt has some claymore mines somewhere) to kill any American who disrupted his Jan 2017 inaugural. If he has that sort of willingness to kill American protesters, do you really think he gives a damn how many ukrainians die in a lost war?

Nope, Biden wants to string this war along with the goal of "weakening Russia". What exactly the American or Ukrainian people will get out of this "endless war" is unclear. But you can be sure that Biden and all the other DC clowns will keep on eating well and enjoying life.

rcocean said...

Trump had a chance to "Retaliate" against Iran and launch an airstike, but called it off when he saw that the estimated KIA were over 50, and included civilians. He was also angry at this Generals for not ending the war in Afghanistan. He did NOT like going to Dover AFB and talking to the families of dead Americans.

Biden doesn't have that problem. He just doesn't care, and doesn't talk to families. To him Putin is Cornpop and toughguy biden is facing him down. Rusty Razor has now turned in a nuclear weapon, but Joe biden doesn't scare easy.

Michael K said...



Blogger Howard said...

Now that Trump's side is losing the war he's recommending that Vlad sit down and talk it out. Funny he didn't mention diplomatic solutions when he called Putin a brilliant genius for The invasion.


Howard, get back on your meds. This craziness is getting worse.

Rusty said...

" This is a war that never should have happened, but it did. "
Great minds.......
Howard. Everything that has transpired since 2020 you are the cause of. You and everybody else that voted for that colostomy bag in the White House. It has been proven over and over that Trump has never been Putin's friend yet you insist on believing that it is so. That makes your intelligence suspect.

Misinforminimalism said...

It's not surprising Trump takes a phlegmatic view. It's a bit like a having been sued unjustly. You didn't do anything wrong, it's an outrage that you have to spend money or make concessions, but doing what it takes to win may leave you in a worse position than settling.

readering said...

Greenwald knows how to draw attention to himself.

iowan2 said...

Dems are so blind to tribalism, they refuse to acknowledge that President Trump is not a right winger, or conservative. He is almost apolitical, and will govern toward a goal, and not an ideology.
The best example is the supply chain issues. Just like famines are cause by incompetent/corrupt government, not lack of food, supply chains are exactly the same.

A full % of all semi trucks on the road cannot meet California emission standard, so cant go into the state. 18 year olds can drive the entire length of California night and day, but cannot go out of state.
Just suspending these two arbitrary rules would have fixed the California dock problems. Trump would have gotten it done. He would have governed to the solution, regardless of politics.
All the dems and half the Republicans hate Trump because he can solve problems, politics can only talk about. He shows them what can be done, that they have claimed is impossible.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Trump = Chomsky. That explains a lot, including Greenwald.

tim in vermont said...

Trump's 2016 victory will be avenged even if it costs every Ukrainian his life!

"Let's you and him fight" - Joe Biden.

Biden could not really stop this war, since the "interagency consensus" is in charge of foreign policy, it's right in the constitution, and they want the war. Putin is a trillionaire, and only offered Hillary a few scores of millions for control over North American uranium, "this shall not stand!" said she, imagine the graft in dividing up Russia's assets among favored insiders.

Funny thing is that Trump has been a real life Nostradamus in predicting the circumstances of this war and pointing out in real time the mistakes Europeans were making in leaving themselves at Putin's mercy, but one unfortunate comment is all it took to erase all of Biden and Europe's strategic mistakes and make the simple minded believe that this war is Trump's fault.

The US goal seems to be to turn Ukraine into Afghanistan, weakening Russia, with the Nazis playing the Taliban, and most of America is cheering it on. The delicious irony is that Biden thought that starting this war would improve his poll numbers, but now he is being pilloried for not starting WWIII.

Just look at a map of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, with Moscow shown, and you can see why Russia will consider this an existential war, Putin would likely have been deposed had he stood by and let Ukraine join NATO. We as Americans are not allowed to consider Russia's motives, however, that would make us traitors. Just ask Howard, who hasn't yet seen enough Ukrainians die to sate his blood lust.

Rollo said...

Chomsky isn't always wrong, but I do sort of wish he raised his kids to be more skeptical about Cuba, Nicaragua, and the rest of his bullshit. It seems like child abuse.

gahrie said...

I'm wondering how the media will blame the re-emergence of starvation in parts of the world on Trump.

Amadeus 48 said...

I confess that I learned a few things from watching us for twenty years in Iraq and Afghanistan. In short, I see the wisdom of the Powell Doctrine. Before we go to war, the following questions should be answered affirmatively (per Wikipedia):

1.Is a vital national security interest threatened?
2.Do we have a clear attainable objective?
3.Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
4.Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
5.Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
6.Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
7.Is the action supported by the [public]?
8.Do we have genuine broad international support?

Trump, who is a transactional thinker, not a strategic thinker, is riffing on the ideas behind points 3, 4, and 6 of the Powell Doctrine from the viewpoint of point 5.

Leland said...

Wow, first comment is a person that wants the war to continue because they still believe the Trump Russian collusion hoax.

Drago said...

Howard spends the vast majority of each day throwing up as much chaff as he can to try and cover up the undeniable fact that Biden is Putin's, and the ChiComs and the Iranian's, little "biatch".

tim maguire said...

Temujin said...One of the many signs of the end days.
Another is that Glenn Greenwald himself is more highly regarded on the right than the left for his truthiness.


To be a liberal in today's world, one must first reject all liberal values. People like Greenwald and and Brand are regarded as rightwing because they are principled leftists and there is no room on the left for principle.

GRW3 said...

Oh, Howard... Unlike you, I actually heard the discussion on the Clay and Buck show you quoted (from Media Matters, dem talking points, I assume). The said "Genius" in the same fashion a wife might say "Fine" after a particularly stupid statement. It's neither genius or fine.

Chomsky is a brilliant, if self absorbed, scientist on the origin of language. I assume he comes to his point from his understanding of the use of language to work things our. Trump is a practitioner of the use of language to work things out. That's what people don't understand about Trump/Putin, that Trump spent his entire career dealing with chip on the shoulder petty bureaucrats and union officials and knew how to schmooze them - kind, respectful words and hard ball negotiating. That's how he treated Putin because the Russians have giant respect issues.

Obama, and now Biden, thought the way to deal with the Russians was to give them what they wanted but continued to treat them like punks without respect. The results speak for themselves.


Interested Bystander said...

Just plain common sense from the guy who wrote "The Art of the Deal." To Trump every human interaction is a deal to be made. You'd think people would have figure that out about him by now.

Drago said...

JPMorgan: "Russians are selling more oil now than before the war."

And at a much elevated price, along with increased russian sales of wheat, natural gas, barley, increased nuke tech sales to Howard's beloved Iranian mullahs, etc etc etc.

Looks like Putin's payouts to the Biden family has paid off to the tune of tens of billions.

Heckuva job Howard.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Trump: A never close to right-wing, never-conservative deal maker with the ability to scramble the brains of everyone in power for more than a few years.

Boy is that an accurate summary. None of his policy prescriptions were outside of the mainstream of American experience. He could have run as Democrat with the same policies -- 40 years ago. He ran as an R because his issues more closely aligned with some Republican positions, but he had obvious disgust for GOPe. This could have been exploited by a more honest and clear thinking opposition, but their playbook of Republican=Nazi=Racist was stuck in place. rending them apoplectic at his success. A clever Pelosi could have exploited Trump for all kinds of easy "wins" but being 100% opposed was more important to their feelings, and destroying the country (if necessary) was no obstacle to ridding DC of that Pesky semi-Billionaire.

Contrast Enigma's analysis with Howard's mindless babble. Howee still can't get past Trump=Nazi. He has no idea why a Nazi would finance Chuck Shumer's campaign or contribute to the Clintons, but that's his take and he's sticking to it. LOL.

Narayanan said...

🎙 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gives an extensive interview to the “India Today” TV

I hope Tucker Carlson will be allowed to do zoom remote interview with him

Enigma said...

@GWR3: "Chomsky is a brilliant, if self absorbed, scientist on the origin of language. I assume he comes to his point from his understanding of the use of language to work things our."

Chomsky was a profoundly influential linguist from his early days at MIT with Generative Grammar -- this was the foundation of formal linguistics and the 20th century discipline. His later Government and Binding theory (of language) was hyper-abstract complex goop that no one cared about. Not even other linguists.

Influential doesn't mean "good", as Generative Grammar was way way way overinterpreted. Furthermore, his notion of a Language Acquisition Device ignored the entire disciplines of biology and psychology. It is too simplistic and abstract, for Chomsky came at language as a logic-driven type of mathematics. This was misguided at best, for language is created and used by sloppy humans with sloppy animal ways.

Without his early success with Generative Grammar, Chomsky would be an obscure and forgotten academic. He rode his reputation to "garner" attention for an incoherent political philosophy. He "garnered" followers because anarchy and revolution often attract naïve young college students. Anyone peaceful who has actually seen anarchy (USA cities 2020) wants nothing to do with it.

If working on the right wing, Chomsky would be deplatformed with the ferocity applied to Alex Jones of Infowars. He's that bad or worse.

Chris Lopes said...

I'm not a fan of either Trump or Chomsky, but in this case they aren't exactly wrong. The facts on the ground are what they are, and they aren't likely to change just because they don't fit our favorite narrative. They also won't change just because they are being pointed out by people we don't like.

The Russians have clearly hit the wall on this one. Modern Russian military doctrine can not compete with 21st century weapons in the hands of people determined to fight. The Bear will not be able to swallow the Ukraine whole.

The Ukrainians on the other hand, aren't likely to dislodge the Russians completely from their country. Putin's cult of personality depends on a projection of strength. He can't stop the fighting without getting something out of the deal, as that would be a sign of weakness. So he'll pour whatever resources he needs into the war until he can walk away with something.

That leaves us with the only realistic way out. Both sides will have to come to terms and accept that they won't get everything they want. It may take a bit more killing and dying before they are ready for that, but eventually they'll come to that conclusion.

Jupiter said...

I can think of lots of situations where the optimal outcome involves large numbers of dead people.

Howard said...

GRW3 No idea what you are talking about. Never heard of those guys or that organization. The anti-Trump talking points are authored by Sir Donald his self. If not him, then repeating what you lot spew here.

I really don't spend much time on politics. I save my reading time for the Warriors of the Golden State and my Neanderthal cousins.

Howard said...

Trump is Stalinist, which is non-ideological power motivation. Nazis had a basic credo beyond just power. Non-ideological totalitarians are harder to defeat, so it's the smart move for Donnie

Drago said...

Leland: "Wow, first comment is a person that wants the war to continue because they still believe the Trump Russian collusion hoax."

The only thing Howard wants to see more than the hoax pee tape (Howard still believes that is real) is the naked Family Sex Show that shows adults having sex in front of 5 year olds.

Such a groomer enabler.

holdfast said...

Trump is, above all else, a real estate guy and he probably hates to see the wastage of buildings and infrastructure.

He’s also a practical guy who understands that it’s bad for the world when two of the largest food exporters in the world are locked into a protracted war.

The reality is they will have to negotiate at some point. Hopefully Ukraine can use the next few weeks to create positive “facts on the ground” to help their negotiating position. Obviously Ukraine cannot capture Moscow, and it looks like Russia can’t capture Kyiv, at least without the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Which means that some sort of settlement will have to be achieved.

rhhardin said...

Nina Khrushcheva agrees. Stupid to toss out diplomats. Isolating Russia tells Russians that their future lies in Russia not the West. Deutsche Welle

Narr said...

The Ukes win by not losing, and they seem to be not losing.

Robert Cook said...

I've got to hand it to Trump, his comment is concise and correct.

Candide said...

Evergreen,

Biden's account tweeted in February, 2020: "Vladimir Putin doesn't want me to be President. He doesn't want me to be our nominee."

"If you're wondering why—it's because I'm the only person in this field who's ever gone toe-to-toe with him," the then Democratic presidential candidate said.

Robert Cook said...

"I confess that I learned a few things from watching us for twenty years in Iraq and Afghanistan. In short, I see the wisdom of the Powell Doctrine. Before we go to war, the following questions should be answered affirmatively (per Wikipedia):

'1.Is a vital national security interest threatened?
2.Do we have a clear attainable objective?
3.Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
4.Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
5.Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
6.Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
7.Is the action supported by the [public]?
8.Do we have genuine broad international support?'
"


He left out the most crucial question and only really legitmate condition: Is it necessary for self-defense against an aggressor who has launched or is about to launch a military attack on the US? (One might say the vague "national security interest" might cover this, but it really means, is the US's dominance in a particular area of the globe at risk to be overthrown?)

And despite Powell's articulated conditions, we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq even though none of the conditions applied, other than that we deemed these acts of US aggression necessary for us to obtain goals valuable to our global dominance and/or access to resources, and that many Americans supported our aggression. That support by the public was won only through concerted propaganda that convinced many shocked, scared, and angry Americans that Afghanistan had attacked us and Saddam Hussein was actively complicit, and that he was about to directly attack us himself (with nukes, imminently!) if not checked.

In effect, Powell allowed himself to be a pimp for the warmongers in the White House.

Robert Cook said...

"Trump had a chance to 'Retaliate' against Iran and launch an airstike, but called it off when he saw that the estimated KIA were over 50, and included civilians. He was also angry at this Generals for not ending the war in Afghanistan."

Retaliate against Iran for what? Heck, Trump committed a war crime by ordering the assassination of an Iranian general. (And why the quote marks around the word "Retaliate," unless you're being ironic.)

Also, Trump was the President. His authority trumped (ahem) that of the Generals, who served him. He could have stopped the war and brought our troops home at any time. The generals could not have refused. He pretended to want to end the war, but he didn't really care enough, or was too chicken-shit to issue the command and compel the generals (his subordinates) to make it happen. (Most presidents are too chicken-shit to end our wars, and people in other lands are maimed and murdered as the cost of Presidential reelection hopes or fear of being called losers.)

Chris Lopes said...

"
I really don't spend much time on politics."

Or any other intellectual pursuits apparently.

"Trump is Stalinist, which is non-ideological power motivation."

Stick to sports.

Robert Cook said...

"Trump = Chomsky."

Hahaha! As if.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Howard said...
Now that Trump's side is losing the war

Poor Howard, always having to rewrite reality.

Obama never sent weapons to Ukraine, despite the fact that Putin invaded Ukraine during the Obama Admin

Trump sent weapons to Ukraine. And so kept Putin in check that he didn't invade anyone during the Trump Admin

Biden INVITED Putin to engage in a "small incursion". When Putin attacked, Biden offered Zelensky a ride out, which would have caused the Ukrainian resistance to collapse, and Putin / Russia to win.

To claim that the Democrats have EVER wanted Ukraine to beat Russia is to engage in utter delusion

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Critter said...
Trump is free to make this statement because, unlike Biden and the EU, he is not using this war to attempt to expand the EU and NATO. Ukraine is only a pawn in their game.

Bullshit

1: The EU does not want Ukraine in, otherwise it would already BE in. They got screwed hard by letting Greece in, and Ukraine is even more corrupt than Greece is (though still much less corrupt than Putin's Russia)
2: Every sane person wants NATO completely hugging Russia's western border. Because that's the only way to keep Russia from invading to the West.

Putin is an expansionist dictator of an industrial country, and he hates America. Only someone utterly fucked in the head wants him to get more power

3: Biden and the EU (western) governments ALL wanted Ukraine to fall to Russia. That's why Zelensky had to say "I don't want a ride out, I want ammo".

4: The Biden Admin removed the Trump Admin's sanctions on the NordStream 2 pipeline, before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The sole purpose of the NS2 pipeline was to give Russia a way to send gas to Western Europe while bypassing Ukraine.

5: The people of Ukraine are sane. As such, they don't want to be Putin's slaves. That is why they are fighting, not because of anything Biden or the WEF want.

To not understand that is to mark yourself as an utterly fucked up loser and ignoramus.

Finally:
There's no real possibility of a negotiated settlement, other than one where Russia agrees that Ukraine gets to join NATO, and NATO gets to put bases with American troops near the Ukraine - Russia border, so that there's no way Russia can ever again invade without going to war with the US

Since Putin's not going to agree to that, there's no possibility of a negotiated settlement until Putin is dead
Any agreement that leaves Ukraine "neutral" means that Ukraine is left without allies, so the next time Russia invades they can destroy the rest of the country.

It is not possible to have an agreement with Russia where Russia promises to "respect" Ukraine's new borders, after Russia's taken the Crimea / Donblas / whatever.
Russia signed the Budapest Accords agreeing to respect Ukraine's 1994 borders. Since that "respect" didn't even last 20 years, there's no person with a functioning brain who's going to trust any later agreement

Candide said...

We don’t need Presidents who can go ‘toe to toe’ with anybody.

We need Presidents who can run circles around anybody (like Trump).