Ukraine has a problem no one is talking about – young women are leaving in droves - "As well as being a brain drain – some of Ukraine’s brightest and best are among those leaving the country – the emigration wave is also a demographic time bomb. Locked in a costly war of attrition against Russia, there are real concerns over who will rebuild the country once the war is over, if the nation’s youth does not return... Ukraine’s birth rate is falling, and MoES statistics show that the number of pupils starting school has fallen by almost a third nationally since 2021... Tito Boeri, professor of economics at Bocconi University and the co-author of a 2022 study on Ukraine’s labour market says Ukraine’s emigration issue is “very serious”. “You can reconstruct physical capital – it takes time, but still can be done,” he told The Telegraph. “Reconstructing human capital is way more challenging and may actually not succeed.”"
It's okay. Ukraine will fight Russia to the last man, so the country is not going to survive anyway
China's foreign minister tells EU that Beijing cannot afford Russia to lose in Ukraine, media reports - "China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on July 3 that the country cannot afford for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine amid fears the U.S. would shift focus towards Beijing, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported... Russia's war in Ukraine may serve China's strategic needs as focus is deviated away from Beijing's mounting preparation to launch its own possible invasion into Taiwan."
The warmongers would rather Taiwan be successfully invaded than the endless war in Ukraine end
Revealed: how an elite Ukrainian unit blew up the Nord Stream pipelines
So much for blaming the US
Matt Van Swol on X - "Lindsey Graham lives an hour and half away from me. He has YET to visit us in Western North Carolina a single time after Hurricane Helene. He has flown to Ukraine 9 times."
Jeremy Corbyn urges west to stop arming Ukraine - "Starmer said of Stop the War: “At best they are naive, at worst they actively give succour to authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies. There is nothing progressive in showing solidarity with the aggressor when our allies need our solidarity and – crucially – our practical assistance now more than ever.”"
From 2022. Only the West can ever be capable of aggression or evil
Meme - Aristophanes @Aristos...: ""Sorry guys the rules say its illegal for me to lose so I donno what to tell ya""
"NOW - Zelensky says Ukraine's constitution makes giving up land "impossible," and should only be discussed at a trilateral meeting; if Russia "refuses," more sanctions "must" be imposed."
'British mothers have to accept that their sons will have to die for Nato' - "Mothers in Britain will soon have to make an inconceivable choice – send their sons to fight against Russian soldiers in Europe, or suffer the end of Nato, Ukraine’s former foreign minister has said. Dmytro Kuleba issued the warning only a few hours after Kyiv faced what he described as ‘the worst drone assault’ since the start of the invasion."
The warmongers won't hesitate to sacrifice other people's children rather than negotiate for peace
Ukrainians and Russians Are Not One People—But Perhaps Not for the Reasons You Think - "Combining their findings from all questions in all surveyed countries, the WVS team produced an aggregated value map in which Russia and Ukraine appear right next to each other—as the two countries with the most similar value profiles. See the red section labeled “Orthodox Europe” in Figure 1 below."
Of course, the warmongers claim that Russia is not Western at all and that Ukraine is part of Western civilisation
Ukrainian Support for War Effort Collapses - "Most Ukrainians now favor ending the war with Russia through negotiations, as support for fighting until victory has dropped sharply since the early days of the conflict.. More than three years into the war, Ukrainians’ support for continuing to fight until victory has hit a new low. In Gallup’s most recent poll of Ukraine — conducted in early July — 69% say they favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, compared with 24% who support continuing to fight until victory."
The warmongers continue to support a nation of Chamberlains while denouncing others who want peace
If the Russians are really as violent and irrational as the warmongers claim (since they are "Huns" and "barbarians"), what are the odds that they will meet demands to withdraw with no concessions?
Of course, if you want a pointless bloody stalemate to end with a realistic peace settlement this means you have "Putin's cum on [your] face"
Russia — A Schrödingerean Civilization? - "Russia’s Schrödingerean status is deeply rooted in its cultural and historical identity, which oscillates between being part of the West and developing as a civilization of its own. Unlike cultures clearly belonging to the Western civilization, or civilizations that are clearly non-Western, Russia bears attributes of both, creating an ambiguous identity that has fuelled debates for centuries. On the one hand, Russia shares several core attributes of Western civilization: as an Orthodox Christian nation, it is part of the broader Christian world, not unlike the Catholic and Protestant nations of Europe. It also produced world-renowned artistic and scientific achievements that are deeply rooted in European traditions: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Malevich, and Nabokov are all integral to Western cultural discourse. Since Peter the Great, it has also undergone successive waves of Westernization, adopting further Western cultural attributes as well as institutional approaches... How the organic debates around this duality can be combined with using it as a geopolitical tool could be seen during the Soviet era, and can again be observed during the Putin era, the two showing surprisingly close analogies. As Huntington points out, as the Soviet Union represented a certain version of Marxism, a fashionable ideology in the West at the day, this twist enabled Russia to turn the tables regarding the discourse. Instead of the debate in Russia between Westernizers and Slavophiles, whether the West is the future of Russia, a debate among Western Marxists emerged regarding whether Russia epitomized the future of the West. After the relatively brief intermezzo of the Yeltsin era, mirroring within Russia the 19th-century debate between Westernizers and Slavophiles, Putin again turned the tables in a very similar way as the Soviets did: while during the Soviet era, Marxism was the fashionable ideological current of the day, Putin embraced the discourse of Western conservatives and nationalists, posing Russia as the model nation for these emerging Western ideologies of our era. By doing so, Putin triggered a debate among today’s Western conservatives, arguably very much akin to that among Western Marxists during the Cold War, again raising the question of whether Russia epitomizes the future of the West. While on the one hand, during the Soviet era, this debate took place among the ranks of the Western Left, now it is taking place within the Western Right. While during the Cold War, it resulted in a split between pro-Soviets, and Soviet-sceptics within the Western Left, we can see signs of a similar split occurring between the pro-Russia and Russia-sceptic wings of the Western Right. While taking an ideological position that would enable it to position itself as epitomizing the future of the West, both the Soviet leadership and Putin pushed the Schrödingerian paradox to the maximum by simultaneously posing as the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist champion of the Third World or the Global South... This duality creates an internal rift within both the Western Right and Left"
Is Russia part of Western Civilization? - "There are historically two schools of thought on the subject. The first, headed by the Marquis de Custine, views Russia as indelibly Asiatic and implacably alien to Europe, shaped in particular by its long rule under the Mongol hordes. In Custine’s telling, the Russian people had “just enough of the gloss of European civilisation to be ‘spoiled as savages’, but not enough to become cultivated men. They were like ‘trained bears who made you long for the wild ones.’” Though modern liberals, progressives (and some conservatives) who buy into anti-Russian rhetoric would never be so gauche and unguarded as to give voice to such racially-tinged sentiments, Custine’s travelogues in fact provide the historical basis and thrust of their thinking... The second school of thought sees Russia as fundamentally European, a source of principles which have been preserved from the upheavals of modernity and can be applied to European life. This was the view of Baron von Haxthausen, whose scholarly sociological work, Studies on the Interior of Russia, is something of a long-form rebuttal to Custine. Though he acknowledged the influence of the Mongols on Russian life, he emphasised in particular the commonality of the grassroots culture of the peasant class with that which could be found in Prussia and what is now eastern Germany. These pictures are further complicated by mediæval school of thought inside Russia which, after the fall of Constantinople to Islam, posited Moscow as the ‘third Rome’ and the new moral centre of European Christendom. Later, two additional rival schools of thinking emerged from Russia: the Westernisers (or zapadniki) and the Slavophils. Ironically, the Westernisers were the ones who most keenly felt Russia to be an alien to Europe – this was something they felt needed to be rectified by adopting liberal social policies, a parliamentary system of government, market reforms... Recent studies of cultural attitudes, like those in the World Values Survey, emphasise that Orthodox countries like Russia tend to share, at least in a moderate form, the sæcular-rationalistic outlook common to the West – but then, so also do non-Western countries like China, Japan and South Korea. The real differences between Russia and the West lie in the fact that survival, social cohesion, economic equality and physical security take precedence over the values of individual self-expression, sexual liberation and tolerance of foreigners that have become normative in the West (particularly Western and Northern Europe). And so we’re led to the view articulated by Saint Ilya Fondaminsky during the middle of the last century. Saint Ilya’s hope was that Russia would indeed disclose a unique synthesis between those two worlds, though his hopes were dimmed by the rise of the Bolsheviks and his subsequent exile from his homeland. But his analysis that Russia contains elements of both Western and Eastern civilisations appears to be correct; any attempt to understand Russia will be distorted by accounting for only one of the two halves."
From 2017. After the invasion, it became acceptable to call them savages again
How Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit unfolded - "Vladimir Putin winced as he realised, at least momentarily, that he was not in control. No number of Russian agents armed with bulletproof suitcases could shield him from being pelted by the sorts of questions he had managed to avoid since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Sitting next to Donald Trump in front of a blue wall emblazoned with “pursuing peace” ahead of their high-level talks in Alaska, the Russian despot was in unfamiliar territory. As one reporter shouted, “Mr Putin, will you break your ceasefire?” it was clear he was not in a cocoon of Kremlin mouthpiece Russian media, but surrounded by US journalists determined to hold him to account. His wry smile evaporated into one of alarm. He looked pleadingly to the left and furrowed his brow. “Will you commit to not killing any more civilians?” another reporter yelled. Putin put his hands to his mouth and appeared to say something, before the press were swiftly removed... As the two men turned and walked towards a podium that read “Alaska 2025”, a five-ship formation flypast of a B-2 bomber flanked by F-22 Raptor fighters flew above their heads. The spectacle appeared to take the Russian president by surprise, as he stopped momentarily to get a proper view of the planes overhead... Putin said he wanted the war to end but that he was worried about Kyiv and European capitals “throwing a spanner in the works”. No details of a ceasefire were provided, but Putin did offer Mr Trump something that he wanted: recognition that the war would not have started if he were president in 2022... In one notable gear change, Mr Trump said the US would be ready to participate in “Article 5-style” security guarantees for Kyiv, referring to Nato’s mutual defence clause. It is the first time that the president has indicated he would join the Coalition of the Willing of European countries, led by the UK, France and Germany, planning to police any ceasefire agreement. Putin also tabled a demand for “protections” for the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which Mr Zelensky banned last year after accusing it of being complicit in Putin’s war. The move provided the Russian president with an excuse for his invasion, claiming that military action was taken to protect Russian speakers and culture in Ukraine."
The warmongers refuse to acknowledge the Article 5-style offer, of course, since to them anything short of Russia withdrawing to pre-2022 borders is unacceptable
Recognising Palestine is why Starmer and Macron will be ignored on Ukraine - "There is a very good reason why there will be no European representation at the summit due to take place in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict. It is simply that, when it comes to the big geopolitical decisions affecting the future security of the continent, today’s generation of European leaders cannot be trusted to make the right call... The notion that Sir Keir Starmer, or any other European leader, might have any useful contribution to make at the Alaska summit is almost risible given their recent conduct on the other pressing security issue of the day: ending the appalling conflict in Gaza. Since returning to office in January, Trump has made it clear that his two main foreign policy objectives are to end the conflicts in both Ukraine and Gaza. While his efforts regarding Ukraine have so far been stymied by Putin’s lack of interest in a ceasefire, the Trump administration has worked hard to formulate a workable ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Indeed, by early July, Washington was indicating that Israel had broadly accepted the terms of the 60-day ceasefire deal, with the final decision on whether it would go ahead or not left in the hands of Hamas. It was torpedoed after the organisation’s terrorist leadership announced that it would not accept the ceasefire until a Palestinian state had been created and recognised. A key factor in Hamas’s rejection of the ceasefire deal appears to have been the decision by Starmer, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, to announce their intention to recognise a Palestinian state at next month’s annual UN General Assembly in New York. This is despite the fact that no such Palestinian state actually exists. To add insult to injury, Hamas officials publicly praised the British and French leaders for declaring their intention to recognise a Palestinian state, with the terrorist organisation hailing the decision as “one of the fruits of October 7”. Not surprisingly, the grandstanding exploits of Starmer and Macron, which were taken more to embarrass Israel than make any positive contribution to the plight of ordinary Palestinians, have not gone down well in Washington. Even Trump remarked that Starmer’s plan to grant recognition meant “rewarding Hamas”. The Trump administration has blamed the collapse of July’s ceasefire talks, and Hamas’s decision to reject the ceasefire terms, directly on Macron’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Talks with Hamas “fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognise the Palestinian state,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Starmer’s subsequent decision to follow Macron’s lead in planning to recognise Palestine only made matters worse for Washington in terms of arranging a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. In such circumstances it is hardly surprising that the Trump administration has little appetite for including the likes of Starmer and Macron in key discussions relating to the future of Europe’s security when he meets with Putin in Alaska... To date, Starmer’s most notable contribution to the Ukraine debate has been to float the notion of establishing some form of European security force to protect Ukraine’s borders once a ceasefire takes hold. Starmer has even talked of deploying “boots on the ground”, although this proposition has been quietly dropped after it was pointed out to the Prime Minister that the parlous state of our Armed Forces meant the UK’s contribution would be minimal. The other big disconnect between Starmer and Trump is that the US leader is playing for far higher stakes than simply ending hostilities in Ukraine. Trump’s primary goal is to forge closer ties with Moscow in a bid to weaken Russia’s strategic partnership with China, a country that Washington regards as posing a far greater threat to America’s long-term security than Russia."
Nato has just surrendered Ukraine to Putin - "After more than three years of attritional war with Russia, Ukraine finds itself lacking the manpower and weaponry to triumph. During their inflammatory Oval Office meeting with Zelensky, Trump warned that Ukraine was “running low on soldiers” and JD Vance, his vice-president, railed against forced conscription on the Ukrainian streets. The Ukrainian president responded to these taunts by reversing his long-standing opposition to mobilising Ukrainians aged 18-24. The up-tick in voluntary new recruits has not solved the problem. Russia’s incremental military triumphs around Pokrovsk were enabled by a shortage of Ukrainian defenders and morale in the Ukrainian army’s ranks is dipping due to frictions between the rank-and-file and senior command over tactics. Combat injuries are afflicting Ukraine’s most experienced servicemen and leaving their rookie replacements vulnerable to Russian human wave attacks... Ukraine’s domestic arms industry cannot develop fast enough to neutralise North Korea’s military assistance to Russia and Europe’s depleted militaries need to supply Ukraine by ordering new weapons from the US. As Russia launches a multi-pronged offensive against Donetsk, Kharkiv and Sumy, Ukraine is unable to meet its urgent war materiel needs."
The author is clearly pro-Ukraine, so maybe those who cheer war with Russia won't dismiss him as a Kremlin stooge. They still are claiming, as they have been for over 3 years, that Russia is losing. The eventual cope will be that the US didn't give Ukraine a blank cheque for military aid
Meme - Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz (Feb 17,2022): "Calling it "Russian" doesn't change the fact that it's Ukrainians who happen to be ethnic Russians firing on other Ukrainians."
Am l a cat? You decide. @CatGrahi7554541: "Just thought I'd leave this here for no reason."
Darth Putin @DarthPutinKGB: "Throughout history, Russia's neighbors have provoked themselves just as our army is massed on their border & at maximum combat readiness."
Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz: "I want you to promise me you'll completely revise your worldview and drastically change your media consumption habits when March gets here and the invasion still hasn't happened."
Tankies strike again!
Meme - Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz (Mar 7, 2022): "You seem to be under the impression that Ukraine has any chance of stopping Putin from taking Kyiv. You can only believe that if you're living in a self-reinforcing echo chamber."
Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz (Jul 19, 2022): "Putin has made no real attempt to take Kyiv. He is however taking larger and larger swaths of the eastern part of the country."
These gamers are now fighting for real in Ukraine’s war against Russia - "Many found their way here via a single Reddit post. “I reached out to the 25th Airborne Brigade and got a phone interview, a background check – then I was told I could come,” says Scott, 19, call sign “Buffalo”, a firefighter from Washington State. If they make it through, many hope to specialise as drone pilots – a critical and rapidly evolving role on Ukraine’s battlefield. In a war increasingly dominated by drones, gaming skills have become a surprisingly valuable asset. “Foreigners tend to have a lot of gaming experience – and we need that,” says Oleg Grabovyy the course co-ordinator, call sign “Hazard”. “The dexterity you get with an Xbox controller is directly transferable to flying drones. The best FPV [first-person view] pilot I ever met was a relentless gamer.”... What is most striking about these recruits is their youth – most are barely out of their teens, with little or no military experience. Yet, they share an idealism and urgency, much of it sparked by a perceived collapse in American support for Ukraine."
Raymond J. de Souza: Those pushing Ukraine to surrender may now be in retreat - "It was last March that Francis called for Ukraine to have “ the courage of the white flag ” and “negotiate before things get worse.” It provoked an incandescent response in Ukraine, including from Ukrainian Catholics. In essence, Pope Francis had the Trump position — things are bad on the battlefield, they may well get worse, so better to surrender now... What Trump has never understood is that Ukraine does not need the “art of the deal” to surrender to Russia. If Zelenskyy wanted to surrender, he could fly to Moscow in one day and not ruin his visit to the Bernini-adorned St. Peter’s by having to look into the eyes of Donald Trump."
Weird. How come all the Ukraine cheerleaders didn't pile on Pope Francis?
Clearly, to the warmongers, as long as Ukraine gives up even an inch of territory, this is as good as total surrender
Meme - George Takei: "Crazy thought, but those 20 million AR-15s now in this country could sure arm a lot of Ukrainians."
Adam Lee Marcus: "You just made the case for every civilian in every country owning an AR-15."
Ben Swann on X - "Total power move. Zelenskyy attempts to meet with Trump at Saint Peter‘s Basilica, but wanted President Macron there as well. Three chairs were set up when Trump arrived. Then he tells Macron to leave and that he’ll meet with Zelenskyy one on one. This is how you end the war,,.cut out those who want to keep it prolonged and deal with Zelenskyy and Putin directly."
Meme - *American flag and MAGA hat* "I love my country and want to protect it"
Crying Soyjak Democrat: "Racist!"
Ukrainian soldier: "I love my country and want to protect it"
Soyjak Democrat: "Yes! We must defend Ukraine's sovereignty and democracy!"
We're still told that left wingers don't hate their countries
Meme - Bad Hombre @joma_gc: "The guy on the left was elected to a second term in a race with six candidates and holds the highest approval rating of any world leader. The guy on the right canceled elections, banned opposition parties, imprisons and exiles critics, enriched himself by embezzling foreign aid, and killed an American journalist. Now guess who Democrats call a dictator—and who they praise as a defender of democracy."
*Bukele vs Zelensky*
US Vice President answers Zelenskyy after criticism of his Putin defense - "Commenting on the Ukrainian President's words, Vance said that he has been condemning Russia since 2022, but has also been trying to understand the strategic goals of both sides since then. "That doesn't mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines, in the same way that you have to try to understand what the Ukrainians are trying to get out of the conflict," the US Vice President added."
Clearly, to understand and explain means to justify
