You don’t want Germany accusing you of conflict crimes.
This Deutsche Welle article from March represents the exceptional sea change in Germany:
Germans approve of presidency U-turn on Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to an about-face in German overseas and safety coverage. A latest opinion ballot reveals most Germans assume that is the fitting factor to do.
‘This Is True Barbarity’: Life and Demise Below Russian Occupation
The city of Trostyanets was occupied by Russian forces for a month earlier than the Ukrainian navy liberated it. Residents described weeks of starvation and horror.
There are additionally tales, unimaginable to confirm, highlighting the type of hate left in an occupations wake and sharing a standard thread of brutality: youngsters held at knife level; an previous girl pressured to drink alcohol as her occupiers watched and laughed; whispers of rape and compelled disappearances; and an previous man discovered toothless, crushed in a ditch and defecated on.
“Oh, God, how I wished to spit on them or hit them,” stated Yevdokiya Koneva, 57, her voice steely as she pushed her getting older bicycle towards the middle of city on Friday.
You get the flavour. Documented atrocities + ruble blackmail (pay for oil and gasoline in rubles) is a good way to piss off Europe and rub their nostril in financing Russia’s invasion. I do not assume it’ll assist Russia.
Aaron Blake/WaPo:
Individuals strongly disapprove of GOP pushback on Ketanji Brown Jackson
Republicans pledged to deal with Jackson higher than Democrats handled Kavanaugh. Individuals didn’t see it that means.
Additionally related, although, is how we acquired to that time.
It’s true that, whilst Individuals opposed Kavanaugh’s affirmation, they often disliked how Democrats dealt with his affirmation hearings — particularly, it appears, their dealing with of decades-old sexual misconduct allegations. The CNN ballot confirmed 56 p.c gave them destructive evaluations, whereas simply 36 p.c gave them constructive ones.
However the evaluations of how Republicans approached Jackson’s hearings — and seemingly her file on baby pornography instances, the primary line of assault — are fairly poor. Simply 27 p.c of Individuals approve of their method, in comparison with 52 p.c who disapprove. That’s a 25-point hole, in contrast with the 20-point hole within the CNN ballot for Democrats and Kavanaugh. (There are additionally extra undecideds this time, maybe reflecting that Jackson’s hearings obtained much less consideration.)…
If there’s a distinction between the 2 confirmations — past the general public’s help for the nominee — it’s that neither facet got here out of the Kavanaugh hearings with good evaluations. In reality, Republicans’ dealing with of it was seen in a equally destructive mild as Democrats’. However in terms of Jackson, Democrats earned extra constructive evaluations (42 p.c) than destructive ones (34 p.c). So this isn’t only a matter of individuals merely disliking all politicians.
Cue the ”Democrats by no means do something proper” brigade. They dealt with the hearings simply effective, and thanks Corey Booker.
Wisconsin Democrats constructed a successful machine. Now comes its best check.
State celebration chair Ben Wikler has constructed a formidable fundraising and organizing operation forward of a probably powerful midterm election.
Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee’s Democratic appearing mayor, is predicted to glide to a full time period on Tuesday. However he was nonetheless energetically rallying volunteers at a banquet corridor this week — not only for his personal race, however “for the large ones arising in November.”
“That is the trial run for the races that resolve management of the USA Senate. That may assist the president get his agenda applied,” Johnson instructed a crowd of fifty who gathered for an organizing coaching forward of Wisconsin’s spring elections for native places of work. “And that may be sure we defend democracy right here in Wisconsin with Gov. Tony Evers.”
Cue the ”Democrats by no means do something proper” brigade, half II.
Margaret Sullivan/WaPo:
The galling cynicism of CBS Information hiring Mick Mulvaney
‘Entry journalism’ takes the media to harmful locations when one facet of the aisle is popping in opposition to democracy
When phrase got here the opposite day {that a} former prime Trump aide, Mick Mulvaney, was becoming a member of CBS Information as a paid pundit, the transfer was met with a good quantity of disgust — each inside and outdoors the community.
Why rent this partisan, the White Home appearing chief of workers for a time, who had such an execrable file of enabling his boss’s corruption and reinforcing his lies? What journalistic function might this probably serve?
“For those who have a look at among the people who we’ve been hiring on a contributor foundation, with the ability to ensure that we’re gaining access to each side of the aisle is a precedence, as a result of we all know the Republicans are going to take over, probably, within the midterms,” Neeraj Khemlani, the information division’s co-president, instructed the workers of the community’s morning present.
“Plenty of the people who we’re bringing in are serving to us when it comes to entry to that facet of the equation.”
And there it was: entry.
Be aware that Khan is pro-Putin, the Meeting leans pro-West (and/or anti-India).
Persuasion issues, not less than for those who can de-link from the loopy.
On Saturday, I posted a hyperlink to a podcast about gender identity being politicized, however I subsequently was alerted to this piece spelling it out that I had missed, this from Dan Cassino/WaPo:
Why are Republicans so targeted on limiting trans lives?
Occupied with gender identification pushes American males to determine as Republican, analysis finds
Why are Republicans specializing in laws limiting trans folks? Whereas many extra folks determine as trans now than previously, their numbers are relatively small, about 1 in each 250 folks, concentrated amongst youthful cohorts. The emphasis appears disproportionate, given, as an illustration, the vanishingly small variety of trans girls competing in athletics.
My analysis finds that when cisgender males contemplate variations in gender identification, they develop into extra more likely to determine as Republican. Republicans could also be emphasizing legal guidelines and rhetoric concentrating on trans folks to strengthen wavering Republicans and even usher in some males who in any other case won’t help Republican candidates.
Ukraine.
As we in America wake to photos and studies of horrifying conflict crimes dedicated by Vladimir Putin’s forces, innocents — palms tied behind their backs — lined up and executed, the our bodies of youngsters, girls, males, thrown into ditches or left within the streets, I’d remind you of this:
“Why do I care what’s going on within the battle between Ukraine and Russia? I am critical. Why should not I root for Russia? Which by the way in which I’m.”
— Tucker Carlson, Fox Information“That is genius. Putin declares a giant portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as unbiased. Oh, that is fantastic.”
— Donald J. Trump, forty fifth President of the USA“I might say that is fairly good. He is [Putin] taking on a rustic — actually an unlimited, huge location, an amazing piece of land with lots of people, and simply strolling proper in.”
— Donald. J. Trump“I do not want a trip, give me ammunition. The struggle is correct right here. However we even have neighbors to the north who want freedom and have to be liberated, and we’d like that proper right here at house as nicely.”
— Lauren Boebert, Congresswoman,I might go on all day, quoting varied Individuals who help the thought of genocide.
However, I am going to depart that as an train for the reader.
