Turley: "The outrage of the Europeans was only surpassed by our own anti-free speech voices in government, the media and academia. Commentator and CNN regular Bill Kristol called the speech 'a humiliation for the US and a confirmation that this administration isn’t on the side of the democracies.' It appears that free speech is no longer viewed as pro-democracy. Indeed, it could be outright fascism...."
१९ फेब्रुवारी, २०२५
"If you are running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you. Nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people that elected me and elected President Trump."
Said JD Vance, quoted by Jonathan Turley, in "Vance rightly excoriates Europe: What values are we defending?" (NY Post).
पोस्ट्स
११८ टिप्पण्या:
Bill Kristol is assho, to borrow a phrase. But you already knew that.
Europe to Vance: "What the f*ck business is this of yours? You worry about your own elections."
If governments arrest people for saying something the government doesn't like, that isn't free speech. If governments block political parties they don't like, that isn't democracy. If governments cancel an election because they don't like the results, that is anti-democracy.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO has been an alliance in search of a mission and largely paid for by the US. It's completely reasonable to question what values we're supposedly protecting. That video of German police raiding a house early in the morning to arrest someone who posted something on the Internet that the government didn't like would be indistinguishable from the old East German Staci secret police. I don't want my tax money defending that, and I sure as hell don't like the notion that my grandsons might have to risk their lives to protect governments who behave in tyrannical manners.
Vance has it exactly right. Europe is lost. They are an anchor around our neck. It’s time for us to begin our withdrawal.
There is no specific Constitutional prohibition against allowing a Russian dictator to massacre Ukrainian civilians. So it’s hard to see why liberals are so upset about what Trump is doing right now ~ Jonathan Turley
I've said the same thing when we've had Canadians come onto these pages to comment on U.S. elections.
These people are ontologically evil. Our most vicious and dangerous enemies are in London, Paris, and Berlin.
We've already overthrown the left-wing fascists in D.C., and are taking steps to make sure they never return. Now it is time to foment "color revolutions" to destroy the leftist governments of Western Europe. Air-dropping pallet loads of assault rifles and ammunition to the oppressed indigenous people of Europe should not be off the table. It's time to excise 80 years of growing cancer from that continent.
"You worry about your own elections".
But make sure that you keep the checks coming...
it’s astounding how supposedly bright people lose sight of the real issue here. The real issue isn’t: what speech is beneficial or detrimental to society. The real issue is: who gets to decide. To me, the fact that supposedly intelligent people don’t seem to know this suggests hubris. It’s almost as if they’re saying “well of course we know who should be able to decide. It should be good and reasonable people like me.”
#WorstRulingClassEvahhh!
'Europe to Vance: "What the f*ck business is this of yours? You worry about your own elections."'
Why should we remain in alliance with them and guarantee their defense if they don't share basic values, like freedom?
"What the f*ck business is this of yours? You worry about your own elections."
Then why are we funding their defense, Mark? Or to ask you in another way, what would the Europeans have to do to their own voters before you would refuse to come to their territorial defense?
@Quayle. Agreed. Vance's speech is unmasking the whole "Democracy" agenda of the college educated caste in Western Europe and the US, in which the electoral process is relegated to affirming the power of an elite. Media's role is to "manufacture" the consent of the people, in a coordinated effort to censor some issues and viewpoints and confirm others as acceptable. This, and only this, is the Democracy that Woodrow Wilson and Progressives are making the world safe for. The tears of the German foreign minister at the end of the Munich Conference tells the tale on the end of that project.
cf said...
“#WorstRulingClassEvahhh!”
The Europeans used to be ruled by kings/queens and other royalty who ruled over the people as their lord and master (or mistress).
I get the impression that modern European leaders seem to think that “democracy” seems to mean that the people gets to choose from a curated list who gets to rule over them as lord and master.
The reaction to Vance's very common-sense words about Free Speech were the more interesting part of this. The reflexive anti-administration views of the News Media in the USA could easily be mistaken for anti-free speech advocacy. This is all part of the Democrat Party problem with Trump. They simply cannot find their footing, and the result is words that sound ridiculous.
Kristol on Bulwark is astounding to watch. Jumping the snark.
"There is no specific Constitutional prohibition against allowing a Russian dictator to massacre Ukrainian civilians."
It's a good idea for a small country to get along with its powerful neighbors, rather than use an alliance based on the word of an unelected cabal and an utterly corrupt president like Joe Biden to poke and prod and provoke this powerful neighbor.
Russia had don't nothing to Ukraine but equip it with Europe's second largest army at its inception, gift it with a lot of former Russian territory inhabited by people who had lived as Russians for centuries, and ask that it remain neutral.
The US used USAID to overthrow their democratically elected pro-Russian government and place anti-Russia ultranationalist, whom we had been cultivating since the end of WWII, BTW, you should google Operation Gladio, in power.
Kaki came on here this morning and said that Europe has every right to be concerned about what is gong on on its borders and near abroad, but for some reason, Russia can't
Fine then, Europe. Stand alone. See how that works.
Best of luck.
IMO, the following statement is the lynchpin of a free society...
Wikipedia: "In The Friends of Voltaire, Hall wrote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"[4] as an illustration of Voltaire's beliefs.[5] This quotation – which is sometimes misattributed to Voltaire himself – is often cited to describe the principle of freedom of speech.[6][7]"
I am reminded of the scene in Ghostbusters, in the Mayor's office, where the guys have to convince the Mayor to do what's right. The most outraged person is completely wrong, and the ones called insane are trying to save the world. As for those screaming in rage, yes, it's true. They have no dick.
Mark said...
“I've said the same thing when we've had Canadians come onto these pages to comment on U.S. elections.”
The proper term in American English for “Canadians” (ie, people from America’s Hat) is “America’s Hattians”.
Vance staged an intervention. We'll see if the addict is capable of listening.
I find it amazing that we still do not know exactly what the offensive meme was which triggered the police raid that CBS News gleefully celebrated. On the other hand, we do know that the German police and courts prosecuted a man for calling a government minister from the Green Party an "idiot" (I think the German word was Schwachkopf. Apparently it is illegal to insult politicians in Germany.
If this law were imposed in the United States, most of my friends and family members would truly be in danger of being rounded up for insulting Trump instead of simply being under the laughable delusion that Elon's minions will be knocking on their door any minute to drag them away. Fortunately, we actually have free speech in the United States and Trump is tearing down the mechanisms that the Biden regime had been erecting to discourage the exercise of free speech.
I cannot tell you how many of them believe there is or should be a hate-speech exception to the First Amendment and most of them want the government and schools to be able to determine real news from "fake news" and then teach school children to recognize the supposed difference.
" free speech is no longer viewed as pro-democracy. Indeed, it could be outright fascism...."
well, duh!
let's Review the DNC positions
WAR IS PEACE
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
Europeans have a different view of speech than many Americans - the 1st Amendment would not get a majority vote in most countries (it wouldn't get a majority vote in today's Democratic party either). Europe's leaders reflect the views of their constituents on this. Same with the leaders of our Democratic party: speech is a privilege, not a right.
I keep thinking there’s a tipping point where, like cable news, tools like Kristol go away because they have lost all effectiveness. If there is a point we definitely aren’t there yet. Maybe a couple of losing election cycles and/or the GOP House cutting them off from federal funds will do it…
Steven said...
I think the German word was Schwachkopf.
The word is "scheisskopf ", it means "shithead".
Serious Question:
What Ever happened, to Dr We Evil?
i haven't seen a post, since USAID was cancelled..
Have i been missing them? Or did Dr We Evil actually lose funding?
The Germans have never been for free speech. Ever.
rhhardin said...
Kristol on Bulwark is astounding to watch. Jumping the snark.
Kristol is no doubt angry that the USAID money is no longer flowing to him. Grifters don't like it when the mark gets wise to their game and no longer chooses to play.
Vance to Europe: friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
"I keep thinking there’s a tipping point where, like cable news......"
There has to be more change in the way that strips the insularity from our talking heads. It's slowly changing now, as conservative figures are starting to become more confrontational on camera, and more assertive with their positions. For the past couple of decades, talking heads have enjoyed control of the debate arena, ensuring that nobody presses them with embarrassing questions or challenges that deflate their case. Absurd positions, like those of the European politicians, cannot be made from a position of protected refuge.
Bill Kristol - hasn't he been defenestrated as a tool of US A.I.D.? This should be broadcast frequently, and it would be delicious to see him pressed about it on screen.
one could reasonably say under Adenauer and his successors, like Helmut Kohl, some authors like Helmut Boll, and Gunter Grass, were a little too focused on the fascist resurgence, although he had a little self awareness in that colloquoy with Jean Jacques Revel, that Tom Wolfe witnessed,
InsurrectionBarbie posted on X:
"every other company in the world can layoff employees because they are downsizing or because they don’t need this many employees but apparently federal employees are entitled to their jobs even if they are not essential and even if we are $36 trillion in debt.
I’m wondering if these people think this message resonates with the American people?"
As Larry J mentions, Kristol was in on the USAID scam. The barnacle hates the sailor scraping him off of the hull.
Presidents have been riding the decline of America for decades, and the world is worse for it. Trump and his powerful team are calling bullshit on all of it. I'm proud of JD Vance for having a, "Dude, get your shit together." talk with European leaders.
"Ich bin kein Berliner."
Mark writes, "Europe to Vance: 'What the f*ck business is this of yours? You worry about your own elections.' "
LOL. How remarkably feeble. Mark exhibits a very child-like mentality whenever he comments, but rarely so starkly than here.
gilbar writes, "What Ever happened, to Dr We Evil?"
He's busy shopping for another doctorate.
We must have common principles, values and needs to have a common defense.
Bill Kristol’s group, Hamilton68, was responsible for fabricating the Russian bot hoax, you know, the notion that Russia massively interfered in the 2020 election by posting voluminously on social media. The posters Hamilton68 cited were, in fact, U.S. accounts of Trump supporters. See the Twitter Files.
Kate said it best:
Vance staged an intervention. We'll see if the addict is capable of listening.
Those saying that Vance's speech is just one more sign of the -take your pick: incompetency, fascism, no-nothingism, isolationism, chaos - of the Trump administration are missing the point completely. Vance spoke as he did in an effort to preserve our relationships with our allies. Sometimes the addict is ready to and does listen and act in her own interest, going to rehab and getting sober. But sometimes the addict retreats into "You're all just out to get me! You just can't stand that I'm not like you!" And sometimes the addict starts from Position #2 and evolves to Position #1 as she sees what a bleepshow her life has become, facilitated by the view from the outside offered by the interveners (is that a word?).
Which addict will Europe be, right now?
@Iman ... It definitely works better that way but in the absence of commonality you wind up with purely transactional obligations. As Peter Zeihan often says, we bribed up an alliance to fight Stalin (and it worked, as far as that goes). I sometimes wish that guy would carry his conclusions to their logic ends, however.
Europe is jihadist, fascist toast! Meanwhile the leftmediaswine and the other usual hate America suspects bleat about Vance. Self awareness is lost to these people.
So sad to see the Trump administration falling for the Putin playbook. It’s one thing to (rightly) tell Europe to increase more on the defense side of things -- quite another to peddle the Russian lines and blame the illegally invaded country for the invasion. And start giving multiple concessions. Is there anyone left in the US who can speak truth unto power?
Steven said…
“I think the German word was Schwachkopf.”
“Schwach” means dim, feeble, or weak, and “Kopf” means head. Dimwit or weak-brained would be a more literal translation, but “idiot” captures the feel of the usage.
Europe MUST not be lost, for one stark and simple reason -- America is protected by *oceans*, Atlantic, Pacific, and (increasingly pertinent) Arctic. Lose western Europe, and they are currently near-useless pussies, then the Atlantic is in danger. This is why we could not let England fall in WWII: the Royal Navy could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. The Canadians understood this, and built a 450-ship Navy as part of the effort. The USN is currently under 300 ships.
This is why we must now keep China contained. Oceanic threats from two, or even three, sides is an existential issue for the US. Thus the Greenland issue.
NATO is incredibly relevant, and as Vance correctly pointed out, the threat is internal, both from globalist-elitists and from tens of millions of muslim immigrants who are there not to assimilate, but to dominate.
VA Lawyer Mark: "Europe to Vance: "What the f*ck business is this of yours? You worry about your own elections."
Starmer's UK Labour Party sent operatives to the US to assist the kamala-la-la-la campaign against Trump.
Zelensky's government worked directly with the dems in creating false documentation in support of the russian collusion hoax against Trump.
Members of MI5 worked directly with the corrupt CIA/FBI joint working group to advance the russian collusion hoax, leading to hih level MI5 esignations when Trump took office.
Alexander Downer, Australian Ambassador and Hillary pal working with UK's Steele to set up George Papoadopolous in London with MI5 help.
I dont think we need any lectures from our resident lefties regarding the US under Trump involving ourselves rhetorically in other nations where we are already involved due to New Sovet Democratical incompetence and corruption.
What has Europe really done for the US since France help us gain out independence? Drag the USA into two world wars maybe? WWI is one of the dumbest most destructive wars to ever happen. They gave temporary lip service of support after 9/11. They don't pay their "fair share" and the look down their smarmy noses at us. Cut them loose. They have infected themselves and don't seem to have any interest in correcting course as American voters just did.
@Kaki. The government of Ukraine is a puppet of the CIA, created by the CIA. There is no legitimate government of Ukraine. The CIA, under the aegis of Hunter Biden, built numerous bioweapons labs along the Russian border in the style of the Wuhan lab. There is no great moral issue. You’re just making it up.
I bet Kristol had a walk on scene in the gay orgy scene in JFK.
And, yes, Kaki, Putin just sent me a check for a million bucks. Are you USAID?
Here's the thing about bill Kristol - he just says crap. He doesn't like someone or some position and just attacks with whatever words he can think of. It doesn't make sense, he;s not making a reasoned argument, he's not arguing in good faith.
That's because Kristol is a liar who for years hid his true motivations. He pretended to be a "conservative" so he push the neo-con foreign agenda. He pretended to be a Republican, interested in beating in those Goddamn Democrats, so he could push his foreign policy agenda.
He hates Trump because Trump doesn't support his warmongering Neo-con agenda, all the blather about "Character" and whatever is just bullshit for the gullible rubes.
Bart Hall: "This is why we must now keep China contained. Oceanic threats from two, or even three, sides is an existential issue for the US. Thus the Greenland issue."
The reality is the entire New Soviet Democratical Party in the US, along with a significant chunk of elected and corrupted republicans, do not want China constrained in any way.
Europe is a weak welfare queen that is finally being called out and what are they doing? Crying poor, refusing to commit to achieve the outcomes they claim to want, and demanding, once again, as always, as was inevitable, that Uncle Sugar do everything for them.
The Europeans wont commit to putting troops in Ukraine without US troops there, and if the US were ever stupid enough to put the New Soviet Democraticals back in charge, that would happen, the euro-weenies would then immediately pull their paltry 4 or 5 or 6 total combat brigades out leaving the US the only ones in the field while the money laundering arced off the charts.
For over 25 years I kept wondering why Kristol had a weekly conservative magazine and was always on Fox News giving his "Conservative" opinion, and why he even got a NYT's column.
And the answer is: He was never a conservative. Like Jen Rubin, he was just playing one on TV. That's why he got along so well with the liberal/left Billionaires who were always giving him jobs. And why Fox News loved him so much. After Trump in 2016, he's dropped the mask, and moved so far to the Left he's a Kam Harris supporter!
To answer Jamie’s question, right now the addicts do not seem to be ready to accept change. They have not yet hit rock bottom because they have too many enablers.
.LLR-democratical Rich: "It’s one thing to (rightly) tell Europe to increase more on the defense side of things --.."
LOL
That's something your New Soviet Democraticals NEVER demanded of the corrupted, hollowed out, weak and feckless euro-weenies.
And why would your Team Dem demand things like that when payoffs to dem leaders from Putin and his pals were flowing into New Soviet Democratical coffers?
All of which Li'l Abacus Boy Rich heartily approved of...
The administration are blatant hypocrites. OK, German free speech policies are not the same as ours. They have reasons for that, rooted in the catastrophe of national socialism. Many of our allies differ from us in free speech policies.
So we dump them, and embrace Putin, whose free speech policies are non existent and enforced with death or imprisonment? Where is Althouse's neutrality when we need it?
The Euros and Brits were working with Biden to clamp down on free speech on the internet. Biden is gone, but the Euros/Brits are still at work.
The real danger to American citizens is the Democrats. They don't believe - or pretend to believe - in free speech. Under the guise of battling so-called "hate speech" or disinfomation they are trying to censor anyone they dislike.
RIght now, you have 3 Democrat Judges that would rubberstamp any attack on the 1st admendment if it was part of the Leftwing/Democrat agenda. And the same is true at the District court and applellete level. We seem to winning the free speech battle, but in fact we're hanging on by a thread.
People are so dumb, there's no real threat to USA if we pulled out of NATO. We have 3000 miles of Ocean and 12000 nuclear warheads, not to mention the world's biggest navy.
But why drop out? It would just cause problems. Minor problems but still problems. Stay in, but stop sending so much money or caring so much. Above all, make it clear we're not sending boots on the ground. If the Euros want to fight Putin over Ukraine, they can send their own men.
Final comment. Neo-cons are big on "You cant do that, our allies would be upset!" - Our allies need us x10 more then we need them. I'm not scared if Dennmark or Bulgaria are upset at us. LOL!
Ok, time for VA Mark, Bich, and Lefty Stephen to state it explicitly:
Should the US and NATO put troops in Ukraine to fight the Russians? What say you three- yes or no?
I ask because that is what is going to be required to prevent Putin from achieving his stated goals in Ukraine. So far, all three of you have refused to answer the question above.
"If governments arrest people for saying something the government doesn't like, that isn't free speech. If governments block political parties they don't like, that isn't democracy. If governments cancel an election because they don't like the results, that is anti-democracy." - Larry J at 10:01AM
Well said. Deserves repeating.
Stupid G.I.L.B.A.R. apparently didn't read my reply to his moronic insult on a previous thread, so I'll repost it here for his edification:
"As I've mentioned more than once before, I always address people by their chosen handles as long as they do the same for me. Since 'gilbar' is too arrogant or hypocritical or stupid to follow such an obviously fair policy, even when reminded, and insists on dragging me into threads where I have not have anything to say, I will point out that GILBAR looks like the initials of the latest frontier in human sexuality. Have you come to terms with LGBTQ+? Now you have to accept G.I.L.B.A.R.: granny porn, incest, llama-loving, bestiality, anilingus, and rape. G.I.L.B.A.R.! If you don't, you're a reactionary bigot. Say it again: G.I.L.B.A.R.!"
As for the substance (such as it was) of the comment of G.I.L.B.A.R. (the L is for 'llama-loving'!), no I have never received a penny from any NGO for any purpose, as any moderately-intelligent reader would already know from reading a few of the tens of thousands of comments I've left here over the last twenty years. My temporary absence from this site was entirely because Ann's new comment system forced me to open a whole new Gmail account, since the previous one somehow stopped working, and the process was annoying and surprisingly time-consuming.
The post-Western parasites running Germany, Britain and France are the same post-Western parasites that control the Democrats, and are trying to eliminate the American people. They are evil here, and they are evil there. Of course the Trump-Vance team would like to see them replaced by nationalists. From the US point of view, it would be better for Putin to take over Europe than for the current collection of White Replacement governments to be allowed to continue their disastrous policies. The struggle over free speech is just a symptom of the fact that the European governments are trying to genocide their own people, and would prefer that they go quietly. How can you rape and murder someone if she keeps screaming for help? What if someone hears her? Shut up, Bitch!
So, where did the hundred billion that Zelensky claimed never got to Ukraine end up?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?
At some point, if you're a Democrat, you have to ask yourself why? Winning elections at any cost. Suppression of speech and debate. Systemic abuse of the law. Systemic abuse of the court system.
Remember, any support we provide to the western europeans will, in not too short of a time, be in the possession of islamic governments.
"...So we dump them, and embrace Putin..."
Who's embracing Putin? You mean, opening a diplomatic discussion toward ending a war is the same thing as embracing ? Hmm. Who do you think should be running the peace talks. Or, are peace talks inappropriate under any circumstances?
And by the way, Putin was re-elected to the Presidency in March of 2024. They were supposed to have an election in Ukraine around the same time, but the defense of Democracy was too important to allow any elections to take place. Still is. Oh, the sacrifices we must make for Democracy!
Here is why the Left Fascists who control Germany want to suppress free speech. They hate this woman, and want her dead.
Jupiter (12:40pm) doesn't mention that Russia has a strict two-term limit for presidents and Putin was just re-elected to his sixth term. Hahahaha! Nor does anyone believe that elections there are free and fair. In the last one, a town in Siberia reported results that were 20% lower for Putin than elsewhere, and the mayor was fired the next day.
Nor does Jupiter mention that it is unconstitutional to have an election in wartime in Ukraine, or that if they tried to have an election the Russians would undoubtedly attack the polling places with bombs, drones, and missiles, as they attack every other place civilians gather, or that Zelenskyy would almost certainly win if they could have an election. (Trump claims his approval rating is 4%, but it's actually 57% and rising - a bit higher than Trump's. The only other candidate who might beat him, Zaluzhnyi, former head of the army and current ambassador to the UK, is every bit as anti-Russian and opposed to territorial concessions as Zelenskyy.)
Drago (12:35pm):
Zelenskyy was quite explicit in stating that the missing aid never left the U.S. Biden kept promising aid in large amounts, Congress appropriated money to pay for it, but Biden (or Jake Sullivan, or whoever was making the decisions) didn't send it. Any implication that Zelenskyy was saying or admitting that money or equipment was sent and then stolen is simply false, and people who say or imply that are either liars or fools.
Weevil: "Any implication that Zelenskyy was saying or admitting that money or equipment was sent and then stolen is simply false, and people who say or imply that are either liars or fools."
"Any implication that Zelenskyy was saying or admitting that money or equipment was sent and then stolen is simply false..."
Recall what I actually wrote: "Drago said...
So, where did the hundred billion that Zelensky claimed never got to Ukraine end up?"
Question: why did Weevil feel the need to reframe what was written?
Not that I truly care of course. Though I do want to know what happened to the hundred billion Zelensky claims disappeared somewhere. A point Weevil seems to be studiously avoiding.
Is Zelensky lying?
Is Zelensky telling the truth?
Either way, it ain't pretty.
So "the hundred billion that Zelensky claimed never got to Ukraine" is not implying possible theft? Why "claimed" unless you're hinting we should doubt his word? Why "never got to" when he said it was never sent? Why do you ask "Is Zelensky lying"? And why can't you bother to spell his name right? The fact is that you were implying theft, and you continue to do so in your reply, which makes you a liar - also a fool, since your lies are so transparent.
Weevil expends many words to avoid answering the question: where is the hundred billion?
Please share links which detail, with precision, where the hundred billion ended up.
Drago: "Is Zelensky lying?"
Weevil: "And why can't you bother to spell his name right?"
Looks okay to me...and others...
"Trump and Zelensky Escalate War of Words Amid Debate Over Peace Talks"--Wall Street Journal
The democrats/ hive left now equate free speech and nazism.
Insane.
Is it Zelensky or Zelenskyy? Pick one.
Do I really have to explain that money that is appropriated but not spent doesn't actually go anywhere? Unless you want to argue that the lack of spending slightly reduces the deficit, or rather what the deficit would be if it had been spent. Asking "where the hundred billion ended up" is a stooopid question.
Dr We Evil claimed:..
". My temporary absence from this site was entirely because Ann's new comment system forced me to open a whole new Gmail account, since the previous one somehow stopped working"
Glad to hear that you're back Dr!
I always like hearing your truly bizarre statements..
Also, it's nice that your funding has been restored.
I was actually worried where you went.
Pick one? That's easy. Wikipedia lists him under Zelenskyy. which doesn't prove anything, but also gives the Ukrainian spelling of his Ukrainian name as Володимир Зеленський: note the double vowel at the end. QED.
"So we dump them, and embrace Putin, whose free speech policies are non existent and enforced with death or imprisonment?"
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GTn1He86oJk
Serious Question:
how many people out there claim that:
"Ann's new comment system forced me to open a whole new Gmail account, since the previous one somehow stopped working"
???
Plenty of people have had problems with their browser (firefox, etc) not working.. But having to open a 'whole new Gmail account'??
Anyone? Any one at all? i'll be curious to hear.
Apparently G.I.L.B.A.R. (the B is for 'bestiality') is too stupid to figure out that if I were paid to be here, I would have made sure to get my comment ability back a lot sooner. But unlike some commenters, I have a life, and other things to do in it. Having Althouse be 'read-only' for a few days was far from the worst thing that's ever happened to me. And since he's so inquisitive, I do in fact use Firefox.
Kakistocracy is the Margaret Brennan of this blog.
Weevil: "Asking "where the hundred billion ended up" is a stooopid question."
Zelensky: "When I hear, I have heard before, and today we hear from the United States that America has given Ukraine hundreds of billions, 177 billion to be more precise. This was the exact figure that Congress supported or voted for, and so on, various organizations. Look, I, as the president of a belligerent country, am telling you that we have received more than 75 billion. That is, 100 billion of these 177 (billion), or 200 (billion), even some people say, we have never received. When they say that Ukraine received 200 billion during the war to support the army and so on, this is not true. I do not know where all this money is," --Strana newspaper.
Подробнее: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/02/02/never-received-zelensky-does-not-know-where-the-100-billion-allocated-by-the-united-states-to-kiev-is
stoopid Zelensky--according to Weevil
As for spelling, I'll continue to go with the WSJ version: Zelensky.
HistoryDoc: "Kakistocracy (LLR-democratical Rich) is the Margaret Brennan of this blog."
That's unfair to the now documented moron Margaret Brennan. LLR-democratical Rich ("kakistocracy") has long established himself to be the Harry Sisson of Althouse blog.
“ Russia has a strict two-term limit for presidents and Putin was just re-elected to his sixth term.”
Biden was elected President in 2020 and probably thinks he still is.
So Zelenskyy doesn't claim to know how appropriations work in the US, and falls into the same error of thinking that maybe when Congress appropriates $100 million, a big pile of bills (1 million 100-dollar bills?) is taken out of the Treasury and put somewhere else to be spent. Maybe that's how it works in the Ukrainian parliament. An American should know better, that unspent appropriations don't actually exist, except as a number on a spreadsheet. Is 'ago' (he gets his 'Dr' back when I get mine) American? The fact is that his post seemed to imply that money or equipment was being intercepted - stolen - on the way to Ukraine, and that is not what Zelenskyy said.
Weevil: "The fact is that his post seemed to imply that money or equipment was being intercepted - stolen - on the way to Ukraine, and that is not what Zelenskyy said."
LOL
"...seemed to imply...."
Funny.
I wrote just the opposite in conveying Zelensky's confusion. But Weevil is spinning like a whirling dervish. Odd, no?
Now, after all these years, why wouldn't all the Americans at the highest levels of the US government, interacting with Zelensky every single day, simply explain to him where the hundred billion dollars happens to be given Zelensky's public wailing and gnashing of teeth over it?
Is it because Zelensky is too "stoopid" to have something like that explained to him and be expected to understand it?
Strange. Here Zelensky is, at the center of the universe of this conflict, rubbing shoulders with US politicians, complaining that he does not know where the money is......and clearly wants to know. Asks to know. But no one will tell him!
It's a big secret!
Yet apparently somehow, the dollars are not there, according to others in the government.
So where, precisely, is the hundred billion?
Why don't you ask the people who claim we sent $200, $300, or $500 million to Ukraine, 'ago'? There are lots of them around.
How much money did we send via USAID to support the coup? How much did we pay to keep that mob on the street during the Maidan regime change operation? I admit that it's pretty rich to ask Ukraine to repay is for leading them down the path to war with Russia, but there's money right there.
We also undoubtedly supported the "Orange Revolution," you know a color revolution of exactly the sort that USAID is designed to enable. But like I said, it's immoral to blame Ukraine for that money we spent there, it screwed them over, but Ukraine was always viewed as collateral damage, expendable in the hunt for the big fish.
I keep forgetting that we constantly talk about overthrowing Putin, but we would never ever ever overthrow the democratically elected government in Ukraine for that purpose.. cough cough.. twice.
We have also been arming Ukraine for a long time, way before this war started. Trump even sent them lethal aid, but we paid for the fortifications that have slowed down the Russians.
So you can date US aid to Russia from the moment that Russia intervened in the civil war that we started on its border if you like, but it's kind of a dishonest accounting.
Yesterday Zelensky apparently approved the drone attack on a 40% US owned oil pumping station in Russia. If that boy keeps this kind of thing up, when the shit hits the fan, he might find himself without a helicopter ride out.
If you are going to pick on Dr Weevil, I would pick on him for the claims he makes of substance. There is plenty there to pick on. While I am certain that he gets his talking points from USAID funded and CIA funded sources, I am not on X, so this might not be true, but I understand that NAFO has quieted down a lot, but I think he is sincere in believing the propaganda he relays here.
For instance, I accept that he believes that the Russians are out of armor and are using donkeys and golf carts to take the towns and villages that they continue to take.
"Free speech is fascism." Holy hell I didn't think Trump's opposition could sink much lower but there you go.
Vance's speech was relevant, Mark, because most of it dealt with suppression of speech, criminalization of speech, through which Europe has been trying to regulate our American corporations. Vance is using nice words of caution to warn them off this dangerous path and Trump is defunding their cash cow of censorship at USAID. Perhaps you missed the news that USAID was also meddling in European elections as well as domestic ones. Meddling in each other's or ANY election is wrong.
That again is something both major parties used to agree upon.
Dr Weevil: "Why don't you ask the people who claim we sent $200, $300, or $500 million to Ukraine, 'ago'? There are lots of them around."
Why didn't Zelensky ask the people directly involved since he speaks to the everyday?
Why won't you answer the question? Apparently its such a "stoopid" question whose answer is already supposed to be well understood by everyone who is American or is close to our system or is directly involved.
Yet somehow, Trump doesn't know, Elon doesn't know, congress critters don't know, Senators don't know, DOD folks don't know, apparently OMB folks don't know, Zelensky sure the hell doesn't know.
And Weevil doesn't know.
But somehow, its all so obvious and easily known....but nobody knows.
It's almost as if, and give me just a little rope here, Weevil is lying about this missing hundred billion that everyone who is American should know all about yet so few do........
I wonder if Weevil will push another thousand word essay out on Althouse blog dredging up everything under the sun EXCEPT the answer to that question.
Do I really have to explain that money that is appropriated but not spent doesn't actually go anywhere?
Do I really have to remind you that many were arguing that the President has to, he just has to, spend it in this very comment section a week ago? Several progressive lawyers with more billable hours than brains tried to force the issue. How'd that turn out?
Is there anyone left in the US who can speak truth unto power?
I don't know, it seems to me that Vance WAS speaking truth - to "power"? To those who consider themselves to have power, at least.
I really don't want to wade into the Israel conflict, but I think it has this much relevance here: those who - let's say "support the Palestinians" rather than "are anti-Zionists or anti-Israel" - those folks, when asked what they consider to be the viable alternative to Israel's current policy of wiping out Hamas, sometimes come up with "two-state solution" and sometimes come up with "That's not the point! The point is, what's happening now is genocide!" The first is not a VIABLE alternative. The second isn't an alternative at all.
It seems to me that the truth about the Ukraine-Russia conflict is, as only one commenter above said, to my surprise, that the only way Ukraine gets what we're told it wants is if the US puts troops into harm's way, to say nothing of pouring lots and lots more money into Ukraine support. Ukraine wasn't invited to this round of talks because frankly they don't matter at this moment - unless RUSSIA agrees to TALK, what Ukraine wants is pretty irrelevant.
As to Vance's speaking truth to "power," isn't it obvious that when a country, say Romania or, oh, Canada, cancels its own democratic processes in order to prevent a result those currently in power don't want, they're not acting like a liberal democratic nation? Is there a problem with pointing that out? If so, why? Politeness?
"Plenty of people have had problems with their browser (firefox, etc) not working.. But having to open a 'whole new Gmail account'??
Anyone? Any one at all? i'll be curious to hear."
I had to allow cookies.
There's only one dictator in the Russia/Ukraine war, and according to the Trump administration — it’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
Who can blame Trump —!what President hasn't mixed up a Vladimir and a Vlodymyr now and again?
LLR-democratical Rich is not responding well to the loss of the money laundering options for the New Soviet Democraticals.
Almost, almost, as upset as he is over the reduction of the number of children being sex trafficked into the US.
Not to worry Rich! Lots of dems are still claiming they are pushing explicit pornography and groomer materials in schools with young children.
I've got to believe that is salve for your wounded political ego.
Watching LLR-democratical Rich tossing buckets of pathetic dem narratives against the incoming tide of solid American voter support, across the board demographically, for the focus, effort and activities of the Trump admin is quite gratifying to watch.
🥃🥃🥃 It’s always 5:00 at Drago’s
It's always Nov 4, 2024, the night before the certain, without a doubt, can't miss, kamala-la-la-la and Spirit Jazzy Fingers Stolen Valor Tim Walz election victory over Donald Trump at Abacus Boy LLR-democratical Rich's!
This was a "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall" moment.
and embrace Putin
You mean like with a bright, new, shiny Reset button?
Zelensky has indefinitely canceled elections, remained in office long after the expiration of his term, banned nearly a dozen opposition political parties, revoked the citizenship of and sanctioned multiple opposition party members, sanctioned and frozen the assets of his predecessor as president, outlawed the country’s largest church, instituted comprehensive government censorship of the press, consolidated all TV networks into a single state-run organ, and threatened independent journalists with state surveillance and even conscription.
Remind me again, how many 10's of $millions did Putin route into the Clinton Global Slush Fund after obama/biden/hillary/Mueller sold off US uranium to Putin's oligarch pals?
It was quite a bit and I can't quite remember if that was before or after Putin's Moscow Mayor pal had his wife send $3.5 Million directly into the biden crime family coffers.
Openly. Without any fear of scrutiny. Nay, brazenly!
It seems like only yesterday Zelensky showed up in Pennsylvania to campaign for/with the New Soviet Democraticals against Trump in Sept 2024.
Drago -- you might want to consider boosting you lithium dosage -- it may help prevent future manic episodes like these...
LLR-democratical Rich, its not necessary for you to prove with every posting that you quite helpless on your own. Your weakness needs no further buttressing.
I do recognize you are more properly situated on a facebook or democratic underground blog so its an uphill slog here and that transition has been difficult for you.
In retrospect, Zelensky going all in with kamala is something he no doubt regrets.
So, Bich, what was your answer to my question- do you support putting NATO troops in Ukraine to help Ukraine to fight the Russians? Or are you only willing to pay the Ukrainians to fight until they finally capitulate?
Kristol woke up one day and realized that he wasn't an outsider. He was already inside the tent and the outsiders were a threat to his position.
I'm not happy about Trump's Zelensky rhetoric. To end this war, the US is going to have to be patient and diplomatic and not go out of its way to antagonize either side. Diplomacy shouldn't reflect the polarization that's come to characterize our domestic politics. Recognizing that Zelensky isn't an angel or Winston Churchill shouldn't mean thinking of him as the devil or Saddam Hussein. We've had to work with characters who are a lot worse than Zelensky in the past.
The second "y" in Zelensky's name is a semi-vowel or glide. If you're transcribing his name letter for letter (transliterating), you'd have to find some way to put it in (as i or y or j), but since it's not that noticeable when people actually speak, it's okay to leave it out in journalistic references.
टिप्पणी पोस्ट करा
Comments older than 2 days are always moderated. Newer comments may be unmoderated, but are still subject to a spam filter and may take a few hours to get released. Thanks for your contributions and your patience.