All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[williamtheday]

Who knows...Putin may get so paranoid, he'll order his own execution!

[shooshoomanjoe]

Someone on here mentioned Venezuela earlier. I'll be damned.

US officials fly to Venezuela for talks in apparent bid to further isolate Russia
Experts believe rare meeting with Moscow ally could signal significant shift in US policy towards Caracas
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...isolate-russia



Surely there must be other nations we could get oil from to replace Russian oil. Making deals with Venezuela does not at all sound like a good idea, especially with Maduro at the helm.



Yeah, I believe you're correct.

We've been getting oil from Venezuela.

[Catlady in training]

The letter "Z" has become a new swastika:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...war-for-russia

Scary.

edit: more details from someone who studies Russian culture: https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/stat...06408101593094

Putin took a decision to start this war. But he got a wide support of the Russian people. Nobody's forcing them to participate in these shows of support, they could totally skip it. But they cheer. They cheer, because they feel good, they feel proud. Russia became great again

What does that last part remind me of?

[thwhtGuardian]

Someone needs to tell Russia that demanding all refugees from Ukraine have to travel to Russia isn't providing humanitarian aid, it's taking hostages.

[Kevinroc]

Sen. Ron Johnson says Obamacare should be repealed if GOP wins power back

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...midterms-2024/

Sen. Ron Johnson said he wants to see the GOP repeal the Affordable Care Act if his party wins the White House and the House and Senate majorities in 2024, a move that would resurrect a fight that Republicans had waged for nearly a decade, then largely abandoned in 2018.

In an interview that aired Monday morning on Breitbart News Radio, Johnson (R-Wis.) said the GOP’s main goal was to obstruct President Biden and Democrats’ agenda until, he hoped, Republicans could win the majorities in the House and Senate in the midterm elections this year. If Republicans also won the White House in 2024, he added, that would be when they could “actually make good on what we established as our priorities.”

“For example, if we’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare — I still think we need to fix our health-care system — we need to have the plan ahead of time so that once we get in office, we can implement it immediately, not knock around like we did last time and fail,” Johnson said, referring to the signature legislation passed under President Barack Obama.

The last time Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, under President Donald Trump, the GOP’s long-promised efforts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act failed, with three moderate Republicans refusing to support their party’s plan.

Since Biden took office, Obamacare has only grown more popular. The White House announced last year that about 31 million Americans now have health-care coverage through the ACA, a record high since the law was enacted in 2010. About 2.8 million people signed up for Affordable Care Act health plans during an unprecedented, six-month special enrollment period that Biden authorized to help Americans find insurance coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Biden ordered an extended three-month enrollment period last year for people to buy health insurance through the ACA’s federal marketplaces at HealthCare.gov. During that special enrollment period, more than 1.2 million additional Americans enrolled in health-care plans through Obamacare, the White House said.

[JB]

We've been getting oil from Venezuela.

Our imports of Venezuelan oil dropped greatly after we hit them with sanctions, which knocked their export volume down some 30% in 2019. And now we're considering going back to them and smoothing things over? Sorry about the sanctions that crippled your economy, but can you help us out? Venezuela would have major leverage and advantage in negotiations, a position I don't think we should consider before exhausting all options. I believe we are importing more Russian oil than we ever have before so it's a big ask.

There's talk about a possible trip to Saudi Arabia to convince them to increase output. But some politicians are not thrilled with the idea.

Biden criticized over report of planned Saudi trip to discuss global oil supply
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...pply-criticism

Axios reported on Sunday that Biden’s senior advisers were considering a spring trip to Saudi Arabia in an effort to improve relations and to propose a potential increase in oil exports.

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, would not confirm those plans on Monday, although she noted that senior administration officials traveled to Saudi Arabia last month to “discuss a range of issues including the war in Yemen, including security in the region and certainly including energy security”.

“They had the discussion … it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce the impact on the global oil marketplace,” Psaki said.

But such attempts to find other oil suppliers have sparked outrage among some lawmakers. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the “Squad” of progressives in the US House, accused Biden of turning a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s alleged war crimes in Yemen.

“Our response to Putin’s immoral war shouldn’t be to strengthen our relationship with the Saudis who are currently causing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet in Yemen,” Omar said in a tweet.

“Yemenis might not matter to some geopolitically but their humanity should. This is [a] wildly immoral act.”

Melanie D’Arrigo, a progressive congressional candidate in New York, argued the White House should take the opportunity to transition away from fossil fuels, reducing reliance on oil-producing countries.

“Transitioning away from fossil fuels means our reliance on oil wouldn’t dictate our foreign policy and force us to align with murderous human rights abusers. We can save millions of lives and our planet with a Green New Deal,” D’Arrigo said on Twitter, referring to the progressive platform to substantially reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions.

[Tami]

Sen. Ron Johnson says Obamacare should be repealed if GOP wins power back

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...midterms-2024/

Umm...didn't they try that over and over again and it never worked? He's like a broken record, can't get past the outdated talking points.

[JB]

It was only a matter of time before they started with such threats.

Novak indicates Kremlin could cut German gas supplies, embargo oil
https://seekingalpha.com/news/381037...es-embargo-oil

According to German Press agency DPA news, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said "Russia could cut gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, but it has not made such a decision yet."

Novak went on to say that Russia could embargo oil exports, and that import restrictions from the US and Europe could raise oil prices to $300/b (NYSEARCA:USO) (NYSEARCA:XLE).

Until November of 2020, Novak was Russia's Minister of Energy, and representative to OPEC+.

The Statements comes as self sanctioning has reduced Russian exports by ~2.5mb/d, and gas prices in Europe eclipse record highs

I'm not yet worried about Putin using nukes or trying to invade other countries. Cutting energy supply to other nations is my biggest concern.

[AnakinFlair]

MTG is intensely pro-Putin. This tweet even has twinges of Putinism in it. She blames Biden for not being tough, then in anger puts out a tweet that makes Putin smile. (Never say what you’ll never do). MTG enabled Vladimir. MTG would never fight for anything that’s not self

Loks like the tweet has been pulled down. Maybe Twitter banned her. Dare to dream, and all...

I'm sure that news will make its way to the US and other countries if it hasn't already. Problem is, what will Putin do about it? Will he destroy Russia for the sake of destroying Ukraine for the sake of his own ego?

Yes.

Someone needs to tell Russia that demanding all refugees from Ukraine have to travel to Russia isn't providing humanitarian aid, it's taking hostages.

You think they don't know that?

[Kevinroc]

Umm...didn't they try that over and over again and it never worked? He's like a broken record, can't get past the outdated talking points.

Yes, they tried over and over again. They're going to keep trying because the GOP don't actually have any ideas for improving this country. They just want to "own the libs" and lower taxes on the ultra wealthy.

[Mister Mets]

The question is, what is even his "best case" scenario?

Let's say he gains full control of Ukraine.
Russia will be isolated from all countries except China, Belarus and maybe Serbia and some very minor players. The standard of living will plummet. Airline industry bankrupted. There will be a MASSIVE brain drain of young people moving abroad, meaning mostly retired folks staying behind and the social security system collapsing, tax revenue diminished. Finland, Sweden and others joining NATO.

He was likely hoping for a more successful invasion.

His best case scenario was to install some kind of puppet government in Ukraine, and get some clear concessions (a promise to never join NATO, formal acknowledgement of seized land in Crimea.) One argument is that the long term strategy is for Russia to be self-sustaining and able to control surrounding territory.

Seems like a waste of resources. Isn’t her district 70% Republican or whatever? The only way to get rid of her would be in the primaries with a slightly less offensive Republican.

Fair point.

Redistricting might make some things a little bit tougher for her.

https://newrepublic.com/article/1649...n-small-chance

To be honest I am shocked that China has not used what Russia is doing and the focus on Russia to do something more aggressive in regards to Taiwan.

It's possible but unlikely (granted, a small chance still sucks.)

Right now with the rest of the world busy, it makes sense for China to go for an aggressive move. But they have a lot to lose, and it may not be good for their long-term strategy.

[Mister Mets]

As much as people want The Us to get involved and do more to Help The Ukraine it is just not going to happen unless something very drastic unfolds. And it is not because Biden and Nato are worried about stating World War 3. It is because they have nothing to gain. Ukraine does not have anything valuable to offer the US in return for the risk of the US entering the war. No huge amounts of oil for us to exploit, no vast deposits of natural resources, they dont make the chips we need for our computers and smartphones, We dont have a huge amount of trade with them that the war is hurting.

Defending a free and proud people is a great sound bite but in the real world it only works when those free and proud people have some thing to offer the world.

Why are people acting so shocked that other then sanctions America has not gotten involved. How many instances of War, geocide, war crimes etc.. has America and the rest of the world just turned a blind eye to? And everyone expects America and the rest of the world to change course when the invader has a huge stockpile of Nukes?

It is not shocking America and the rest of the world have not gotten more involved. it is par for the course. it would be very shocking if they did get more involved.

And they things America, Nato have done seems to be a lot more then they have done in other cases in the past. I dont know what else Biden and Nato can do to help with out setting off World War 3. And I dont know what people expect them to do.

The main problem isn't the prospect of World War 3. Russia doesn't have many allies, so the conflict would likely be brief, especially since American forces would be welcomed by the Ukrainians.

The main concern is what Russia may do with its nuclear weapons. Americans have the understanding of mutually assured destruction. Russians may not be so rational.

If ever there was an opportunity to be the world's policeman it's this one, given the clear distinction between the good guys and the bad guys, but there would likely be a backlash to American involvement. It'll piss off different groups around the world, even if we don't consider the prospects of an unhinged dictator with nukes.

The best-case scenario is a Ukrainian victory.

[JB]

Italian media is reporting that a ceasefire has been announced starting at 9AM tomorrow to allow civilians to evacuate.
Let's see if this hits media elsewhere.
(Using Google to translate)

Moscow, respite for humanitarian corridors from tomorrow morning
To evacuate civilians from Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol
https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/top...29b0676fa.html

Russia has announced a ceasefire to allow humanitarian corridors in Ukraine from 9am tomorrow morning (8am in Italy) for the evacuation of civilians from Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.

This was stated by the Moscow Ministry of Defense, quoted by TASS.

The humanitarian corridors had already been announced this morning, but then they were not put in place with mutual accusations of sabotage.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Yes, they tried over and over again. They're going to keep trying because the GOP don't actually have any ideas for improving this country. They just want to "own the libs" and lower taxes on the ultra wealthy.

Not to mention the GQP’s longstanding obsession with killing the signature legislation of the country’s first black president. That reason, above all, is why the party will NEVER stop until the Affordable Care Act is dead and buried, and to hell with the damage it would cause to the millions of Americans who signed up for the plan.

[Johnathan]

The question is, what is even his "best case" scenario?

Let's say he gains full control of Ukraine.
Russia will be isolated from all countries except China, Belarus and maybe Serbia and some very minor players. The standard of living will plummet. Airline industry bankrupted. There will be a MASSIVE brain drain of young people moving abroad, meaning mostly retired folks staying behind and the social security system collapsing, tax revenue diminished. Finland, Sweden and others joining NATO.

Even without a wrecked economy - a perfectly healthy Russia would have a tough time controlling the Ukraine even if they managed to put a pro-Russian puppet government in place. It would be even more difficult than the US (and allies) maintaining control over Afghanistan and we all know how that ended.

In the end, it may just be that Russia's leaders were not afraid that the Ukraine would have allowed the West to threaten Russia, but that a Western backed Ukraine would have made any relations with Russia unnecessary. The Ukraine potentially could offer everything Russia does but without the obvious problems that Russia is a terrible country to deal with.