Thursday, February 24, 2022

Ukraine

Personally, I'd prefer Phil Martelli as coach.  Even with a depleted lineup, Michigan looked relaxed and they won rather easily against Rutgers.  It was strange, anyone attending or watching after what happened and the cover-up was insincere as hell.

I was about to write this about the Wisconsin game until I found out what happened.  I feel for the players who have to go out there every game try.  Someone has to.  It just isn't a good situation.  BLM and the Howard family on the team too.

It is a lot of self-made news about Juwan Howard we can all do without.

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The much more important and relevant news is Ukraine.  Who am I to predict?  I think, in the long run, Russia and dictator Putin will fail.

I have been to Ukraine.  I did business--cellular and marketing--in several cities and spent time in Kyiv.  I believe the people there are way too far along to ever go back.  "Bohemian" is the word for it.  And the country is too big; the Russians are going to get sabotaged up the ying-yang and they will not be able to put down demonstrations like they can in Moscow.

Ukrainians threw out their president Viktor Yanukovych as a Russian-leaning dictator in 2014.

The outpouring of freedom protests is amazing--blue and yellow lights in Berlin, Melbourne, Paris, Tbilisi, and London.  Forget the stupid truckers, this is worth it.  


Finland, Turkey, Romania, North Macedonia...  The list goes on of NATO members.  Ukraine couldn't really join the way things were, i.e., 20-percent Russian occupation.  Something had to give.

Who, there is only one person, will give?  Russia has $1 Trillion frozen and their GDP is $1.5 Trilllion.  The oligarchs begged Putin to reconsider.

The world needs to survive on less gas and oil anyway.

At home, Andrew Bates said it best.  Trump and Putin are both "nauseating, fearful pigs."  He added something about "rubbing snouts."

Come on.  The tanks and troops were already at the border.  Belarus already capitulated.  As Biden so wisely said, "He has to do something."  Let's hope they have a plan inside the borders.

Of course I am wrong at the moment.  How can Russia occupy Ukraine?  How can Putin beat the entire free world, including wannabes in his own country?  Every single death is blood on his hands.

There are so many cracks, fractures and factions in the world today, but not with regard to democracy.  It is different than 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.  Putin is clinging to a delusional past.  Information will boomerang around the world.  Every child, each senior citizen, and every casualty will be on him.  It will backfire.

Every free leader has said the same.  Britain, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Japan, etc.  Plus the Western Ukrainians themselves.  Long term, I just don't see it.

Phil Martelli is a lot like President Biden:  he is an older, experienced, calming influence.  And he gets along well with others.

It really helps to subscribe to the Washington Post or New York Times.

What am I doing on a Friday night?  I am still looking at maps and Googling "(Fill in Country) Nato," as in "Georgia Nato."  You wind up with something like this, which isn't very good.  These pictures are gorgeous.

Then there are the Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.  They are all staunchly NATO.

Finland was a founding member--it seems those adjoining or close to Russia have learned.  There is some talk Sweden and Norway are finally seeing the light.  It is not about inciting or even engaging in war, it is just doing your share.

Turkey is in NATO too.  Even Erdogan is denouncing.

The real block, all in NATO, is Poland, Czech Republic (Czechia), Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, all large former Soviet Union countries forming a middle ground between Russia and Europe.  I know, UK, France, Germany...  I wouldn't want to mess with these countries given their recent--this generation--history. 

Not my favorite site but I'll include it here:

International cities where protests have taken place:

Amsterdam; Athens; Austin; Barcelona; Beirut; Berlin; Bern; Budapest; Chicago; Copenhagen; Denver; Dublin; Edinburgh; Frankfurt; Geneva; Houston; Istanbul; Krakow; London; Madrid; Melbourne; Milan; Naples; New York City; Nice; Oslo; Ottawa; Paris; Prague; Rome; San Francisco; Stockholm; Sydney; Tallinn; Tbilisi; Tel Aviv; The Hague; Tokyo; Turin; Vienna; Vilnius; Warsaw; Washington, DC; Wellington.

Protests have taken place in at least 50 Russian cities including: Chelyabinsk; Moscow; Nizhny Novgorod; Novosibirsk; Perm; Saint Petersburg; Yekaterinburg.

I am really impressed with the leadership shown by the U.K., France, and Germany. Australia too; ANZUS is the defense treaty between the U.S. and Australia.

It is really fun to watch the world from a distance.  The unanimity is stunning.


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