Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

New showdown brewing between Europe and Russia. They are demanding Europe pay them in rubles for natural gas in an effort to prop up their currency. Europe, to this point, is telling them to fuck off.

Germany: G7 rejects Russia's demand to pay for gas in rubles - ABC News (go.com)

[iam416]

Just a quick reminder that we're in the excellent hands of The Chairman. As he has said:

Putin knows, if I am president of the United States, his days of tyranny and trying to intimidate the United States and those in Eastern Europe are over.

I'll also have everyone note...the virus is SHUT DOWN, as predicted by The Chairman. So, you know, Putin is living on borrowed time.

[Jeff Buchanan]

You're right about the sarcasm in describing the chairman. Not the guy I want to have speaking for America right now given the gaffs in an otherwise stronger hammering of Putin than EU leaders are willing to articulate. I find that as off-putting as Biden's gaffs.

What we have is a dangerous rogue actor in charge of Russia and it's enormous nuclear arsenal who I believe is committed to fucking with if not overturning the current world order. How far is he prepared to go? Moreover he has a willing accomplice in China's Xi - if not a much more subtle actor than Putin. At this point, I'm saying, fuck the strictures of reasonable diplomacy. Putin doesn't care about that or think like any rational western leaders do. I'll acknowledge he may not be a "mad man," he may have every intention of winning concessions from Zelenski, leaving Ukraine, advocating (with the west having a gun pointed at it's head) for removal of all sanctions and then try to re-enter the world of rational world leaders. That's going to be hard sell going forward.

I guess I don't find the current circumstance amenable to sarcasm. Thousands of civilians and soldiers, including a shit-ton of his own, are dead in Ukraine at Putin's direction and there's no indication he gives a shit about that or will stop the killing. There's no indication that he intends to back off, only that he's probably pausing to renew his efforts to force Zelenski into submission by killing Ukrainians, leveling schools, hospitals, apartment buildings and destroying Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

Not withstanding my rejection of the characterization of Putin as a "madman" with his nuclear saber rattling, he's extremely dangerous given what we know about him and his beliefs. What I haven't heard from any source, is a reasonable way to contain him without backing him into a corner the result being the flame that sets off the fuse of WWWIII.

[iam416]

What I haven't heard from any source, is a reasonable way to contain him without backing him into a corner the result being the flame that sets off the fuse of WWWIII.

Sounds to me like you think it's "don't contain Putin" or face WWIII. I'm of the mind that he's not moving past Ukraine. That's the end of this line. He will self-contain.

But, whatever. I don't think we're all that close on what we would each deem the global risk level. It seems pretty clear you're at a 10. Or at least 9.5. I'm way down around 2 or 3.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Federal Judge: Trump, Eastman, and others "more likely than not" illegally obstructed Congress. Orders Eastman to turn over all his remaining emails to the Select Committee. The Judge is the only person besides Eastman who has seen these emails that he wouldn't turn over, citing "attorney-client privilege". Judge must not have been impressed.

Decision and story below

Eastman ruling - DocumentCloud

Trump likely committed felony obstruction, federal judge rules - POLITICO

[Mike]

Oh, man. They’re gonna get him this time.

[Dr. Strangelove]

This report says that the Ukrainian and Russian peace talks teams were suspected poison victims earlier this month. Roman Abramovich reportedly lost vision for several hours and got treated in Turkey. "Russian hardliners" are being blamed

Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian Peace Negotiators Suffer Suspected Poisoning - WSJ

[Dr. Strangelove]

Oh, man. They’re gonna get him this time.

Heh. If I don't keep you updated with the latest, who will? AA has astutely pointed out, conservatives outnumber liberals here roughly 3 to 1.

Here's an update on the investigation into Hunter Biden as a peace offering

Prosecutors gathering evidence about Hunter Biden's foreign income: report | TheHill

[Jeff Buchanan]

It seems pretty clear you're at a 10. Or at least 9.5. I'm way down around 2 or 3.

My problem with assessing the global risk of an expanded war in Europe that will involve the US as a NATO ally is that we really don't know what that risk is at this point in time. So, I can't put myself on a risk scale.

Given that the west's intelligence apparatus was pretty good at accurately predicting the Russian invasion plans in Ukraine, my bet is that this same apparatus has assessed the likelihood of a number of potential options Putin could pursue both inside and outside of Ukraine. The US administration's purpose in disclosing Putin's plans to invade Ukraine was to pro-actively prevent Russia's ability to script a narrative favorable to them. It worked.

While the west probably knows what Putin's options are inside and outside Ukraine and which one is most likely, there doesn't appear to be any interest or need to disclose that to the public like they did before Putin's invasion. One could argue that there are signals from Russia that your view of the global risk level is correct ........ or that what you ascribe to my view on that subject is correct.

We just don't know. I'm somewhat uncomfortable with that.

[Da Geezer]

From today's WSJ

The Biden Administration is deep in the tank for the teachers unions, and it is proving it again by imposing new rules to sabotage a modest $440 million grant program for charter schools.

The 28-year-old federal Charter Schools Program helps pay for charter start-up expenses such as technology and staff. The funds go chiefly to state agencies, which award the money to charters, and to nonprofit charter management organizations. The federal Department of Education recently proposed new rules that would discourage charters from even applying for grants—which may be the goal.

Applicants will now have to describe “unmet demand for the charter school.” Having hundreds or thousands of children on charter waiting lists won’t suffice. The Administration wants evidence of “over-enrollment of existing public schools,” as well as proof that the new charter “does not exceed the number of public schools needed to accommodate the demand in the community.”

This means that charter applicants in school districts with shrinking enrollment, which includes many big cities, would almost certainly be rejected. “Demand for charter schools isn’t just about demand for the availability of any seat but the demand for a high-quality seat,” says Karega Rausch, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. That’s why charters have waiting lists in cities with empty public-school buildings.

---

The Administration also plans to require applicants to “collaborate” with a traditional public school or school district on an “activity” such as transportation or curriculum. In other words, charter operators will be obliged to give the teachers unions that dominate traditional school systems a say in how their charters are run.

Charters would also have to show “plans to establish and maintain racially and socio-economically diverse student and staff populations.” Many charter schools serve chiefly black and Hispanic students in cities. Charter advocates worry this needless diversity rule could discourage schools that don’t prioritize racial diversity in their enrollment models. The rule could also deter schools from opening in suburban areas, or from hiring white teachers even if they are willing, able and qualified.

States and local school districts are the main regulators and funders of charters, which are public schools. But the Administration is trying to leverage federal dollars to limit school choice and prop up failing union-run schools that received an incredible $200 billion in Covid relief since 2020.

After unions spent two pandemic years keeping public schools closed, while many charters and most private schools stayed open, this is an educational and moral disgrace.

[THE_WIZARD_]

....I was in the right place....but it musta been the wrong time...

[THE_WIZARD_]

...

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is the kind of shit people trying to deal with the human suffering in Ukraine have to face. Poisoning by organophosphates and retaliatory theft by Russian agents. I have no doubt the orders for these acts are coming straight from Putin's mouth.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/roman-abramovich-ukraine-officials-may-have-been-poisoned-report/

https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/russia-seizes-millions-in-swiss-luxury-watches-in-retaliation-to-sanctions-report/

[Jeff Buchanan]

I posted two days ago that multiple sources I follow on troop positions, movements and fronts demonstrated that the Russian Army had become static and defensive throughout Ukraine with artillery pieces, MLRS and tanks digging into revetments with hull defilade around the major cities it was trying, unsuccessfully to invade and control.. The use of small, company size harassment and recon forays have predominated on the 26th, 27th and 28th and were easily repelled by Ukrainian forces. Two major cities in the S of Ukraine, Mariupol and Kherson are anybody's guess who is actually in control - both sides claim they are and as I mentioned this morning, war reporters have become Russian Army targets for obvious reasons. So, these guys are keeping their heads down making it hard to verify facts on the ground.

We've heard that the Russian Defense ministry has made statements that Russia's initial objectives have been met implying they never wanted to invade and occupy Kiev or topple Zelenski and occupy the entirety of Ukraine. That's non-sense. This is putting lip-stick on a pig. They failed, spectacularly. Now, the Russians are declaring we attacked in the NE of Ukraine to occupy Ukrainian forces so they could focus on occupying and controlling the entire Donbas region. I doubt that. However, it is in Ukraine's southern territories that the Russian Army has had the most success. Here's a map that demonstrates what this looks like:

Ukraine.JPG
This is a really good map for a couple of reasons. First look at the NE most portions of Ukraine and connect Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv with a line from NW to SE. Aside from blasting the shit out of those 3 cities and creating massive destruction and civilian casualties with aerial and artillery bombardment, zip is going on there that is advancing any of what was Putin's initial objective. Get troops and tanks marching in a parade through the main street of Kiev - no shit, that seems to have been part of the plan. A fucking parade. Captured Russian tanks were carrying parade uniforms. Hah! Foiled.

So, yeah, no shit, he's giving up there. Actually a smart tactical move because, ostensibly anyway, he can move combat power to the SE and concentrate his forces where he is having success. That's in the eastern most and SE portions of Ukraine along the coast of the Sea of Azov then SW to Odessa. Connect the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk, then move SW through Mariupol, Melitopol and Kherson. Gaining control of that territory and the ports of Mariupol and Kherson would be a strategic win for Putin. It cuts off Ukraine from accessing two major ports where ag crops and fertilizers are shipped from. Key to Ukraine's economy. Odessa would be a nice prize but analysts don't think Russia has the combat power to capture that city even though there's credible evidence that a Naval landing was planned by Russian Naval Marines that got "delayed" by the Ukrainians blowing up a couple of landing ships planned to be used for that. Hah, foiled again.

It seems however that movement of Russian troops, tanks and APCs from N to SE, minus the dug in tank and artillery forces up N, isn't happening. That gives rise to suspicion that this is just another in along list of lies coming from the Kremlin. A feint of sorts and Putin still has every intention of trying to take Kiev. I'll be watching this. Putin's problem though is that his combat pwoer in Ukraine has been seriously eroded. Some analysts don't think Russia can beat out the effect of sanctions and resupply, re-equip and fill ranks with fresh soldiers to even win control of the Donbas region and the territory it would like to control to the SW. Will be watching this.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I wish someone would beat the sanctions out of you.