Tag: Ukraine

OPINION: My Fear for Ukraine

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My Fear for Ukraine

OPINION: My Fear for Ukraine

By David L. Shadrick

 

A Long Time

My fear for Ukraine is apathy. It’s been a long time since Putin decided to slam into Ukraine on 24 February 2022 . That’s 6 months! We’ve all watched this go on and cheered for the successes of the Ukrainian army. There is no doubt that they’ve had remarkable success. Blowing Russian tanks into little pieces, bombing oil facilities well behind enemy lines, and kicking the Russians off Snake Island over and over again. But let’s not forget that the Russians continue to grind forward destroying city after city and reducing them to piles of rubble.

Limitless Resources

Russia has the advantage of being able to continually replenish their supplies while Ukraine has to rely on the kindness of its’ neighbors to get the weapons it needs to fight off the Russian advances. What my fear for Ukraine is that we will forget this in another 6 months. As time rolls on in, and the war grumbles forward, without a clear victor, we can become bored with the struggle.

Story of the Moment

Just weeks ago Ukraine was the story of the moment and was in the headlines constantly. Now they’ve been relegated to page three of the news. I’m not saying that we should pound this war into everybody’s head over and over again. But we need to keep up the enthusiasm. We need the help with refugees, we need to keep supplying them with weapons, and maintaining their infrastructure despite the war. Don’t let my fear for Ukraine become a reality. Don’t be apathetic!

The Coming Plague

The Russian army waits. It waits for reinforcements. For more troops and for more equipment. Once the cities are destroyed the Russians will move in to rebuild and use this as a propaganda victory. They will brag about how they helped Ukrainian cities rebuild the buildings they had destroyed. The Free World needs to recognize that my fear for Ukraine could come true.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I’m once again asking you not to make my fear for Ukraine come true. Please continue to talk about the conflict, send your money to the appropriate agencies, and keep up to date on war information. Just remember that keeping up means watching footage of exploding tanks, burning oil refineries, sinking warships, and downed aircraft. Mwahaha!

Trump Impeachment: Agony & Ecstasy

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The Senate of the United States is about to acquit president Trump of charges brought against him by the House of Representatives

The Republican Senate is about to acquit Trump of 1) abuse of power and 2) obstruction of Congress.

Trump Impeachment:

Agony & Ecstasy

The Agony

It seems the Trump impeachment has been going on forever.  The never ending developments, obstruction, ignored reality, AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!! That’s me screaming. And we unfortunately know, that no matter the evidence the Senate will ignore it. Some days I can’t stand reading all this garbage and have to stop scanning the internet.  Apparently, if you’re Republican no matter Trump’s guilt, the offense isn’t bad enough.  Voter tampering isn’t serious enough.  AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!! That’s me screaming, again.

Phone Call Perfection

The absurdity of the Trump defense that his July 25th, 2019 call to Ukrainian President Zelensky was “perfect,” makes me want to kick a stump but I don’t want to break my foot.  Trump’s plot to withhold needed financial aid from a desperate Ukraine had two goals. First, he wanted the Ukrainians to announce an investigation into his political rival, Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Secondly, Trump wanted to implicate the Ukraine in the 2016 election tampering instead of the Russians. Both goals are outrageous and corrupt. Nothing serious enough to have an impeach hearing over.  WTF?  Sorry, I can’t think of anything more serious than election fraud.  Back in a minute, I have to hurl.

Overturn Valid Election

Seriously!  Back to AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!  I’m on the back porch, screaming. The Republican idea that the entire Trump impeachment process is to overturn an election is a fairy tale.  Why on earth would anyone with a brain think Pence is a prize?  We all want to get rid of Trump so we can have someone even worse?  I hear this stupid argument day in and day out. I guess I’m wondering why America would want to overturn an election.  The Dems could have just ignored all the crimes and waited until the election if that was the goal.  Let’s get it straight, Trump was impeached because he’s a cheat, a criminal, and a dumb ass clown.

Loyalty to Trump Not U.S.

What the F!  One of the criticisms I have of the House Manager’s prosecution is that no one mentioned that the witnesses against Trump are Republicans.  Most of them Trump appointees.  Trump is so ‘effn dumb.  All of the audio, video and eyewitness testimony has been filed by Republicans.  Trump is the kind of boss that would make me spend all my time devoted to malicious compliance.  All while looking for a better job.  The idea that even being a lifelong Republican isn’t important because your loyalty now has to be to Trump.  Trump only.  If you haven’t kissed the royal ring, and the royal ass you aren’t Trumpian enough. Seriously, we are looking at cult behavior.

The Ecstasy

Whatever the outcome of the Trump impeachment hearing, this has been an extremely damaging scenario for the president. Day after day new information is leaked to the media pointing to Trump’s guilt and I presume this will continue ad nauseam until he is out of office. I call it the scandal a day presidency. So there is definitely some good with the bad in this whole drama.  Sometimes I just think if we just sit back and wait Trump will accidentally confess to something even Republicans believe is impeachable.  “Hey, Donald!  I found some more rope, you want some?”

Twitter

The Trump impeachment has sent the president’s Twitter account into overdrive.  He has been spouting idiocies on his Twitter feed for years but the recent ones are a joy to behold.  I enjoy watching him embarrass himself day after day with poor grammar, lousy spelling and idiotic ramblings,  When I’m tired and can’t sleep, I read Trump tweets instead of counting sheep.  Then when I do fall asleep it’s with a smile on my face.  What a moron!  By the way, he has tweeted Schiff, Pelosi and Bolton are all “going to pay for their part in the Trump impeachment”.  His Twitter feed is full of threats, hate and lies.

Obstruction Shenanigans

His recent admission that “we have all the material.  They don’t have the material,” is scary. He is talking here, about evidence. This is an admission of obstruction of Congress. Trump has made obstructing the impeachment process into an art form.  It really scares me that the Republicans are willing to aid the president in suppressing the voices of fact witnesses.  Especially since they have to throw so many loyal Republicans (Vindman, Sondland, Bolton, Mattis, Kelly) under the bus to protect the President.

Comedy Gold

The Trump impeachment is comedy gold for the late night comedians  As you can see, I’m trying to keep a good sense of humor until the next election.  Trump isn’t going to be removed from office until then.  Hopefully, this is Trump and his Republican followers last hurrah. We will have to wait for the last laugh until Trump is out of office and the Congress has been cleansed of the Trump cultists, but I believe it is coming.  I know most Americans can’t keep focused on anything for more than a week, but I am hopeful that, on this issue, the issue of Trump’s character will be the major topic in the 2020 election.  There is a price for ignoring the 63% of Americans who wanted witnesses called and documents presented.  The majority of Americans wanted to see an actual trial. Vote and make sure we, the People, have the last laugh.

The Trump Impeachment Trial

Now we come to the impeachment trial phase and Republican obfuscation.  Republicans say they have no need for documents or witnesses.  They heard the House testimony and it’s not enough.  They’re going to acquit Trump.  With that in mind, new evidence, such as the phone records by Lev and Igor and Bolton’s book revelations are being blatantly ignored.  So annoying.  Join me in my prayer that Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham develop anal warts.

The Fallout

Republicans are playing with impeachment fire.  The arrogance of the Republican lawmakers is alarming.  They are literally willing to ignore, and in some cases bury the evidence, but the public is not.  Since 51-56% of Americans believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office the Republicans risk losing their Senate majority in the upcoming election.  All in all this could be a very good year for Democrats and November may give them the House, Senate and the Presidency.  If we don’t F it up!

David L. Shadrick is a regular contributor to Calamity Politics. 

 

“No Whitewash At The White House”

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By D. S. Mitchell

In 1973, Richard Nixon declared, “there can be no whitewash at the White House.” That was all theory, not reality.

Then And Now

After, protests and investigations, Nixon finally resigned, before impeachment.  I wonder if President Trump will resign?  It’s possible he will order military defense of his position.  Don’t laugh.  Just because it hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it can’t, or won’t.  Thank you Founding Fathers, for the Second Amendment.

In My Defense

In defense of myself, the information is coming so fast it is hard to make sense of it

In defense of myself, the information is coming in so fast it is hard to keep track of it all.

I started Calamity Politics because I wanted to express my  frustrations as to the direction I saw the country going.  It was necessary to keep from losing my frigging liberal mind. I try to focus on news and facts. I try to support my statements with at least two sources. With this post, there are so many sources I can’t count them all.  I’ve thrown all previous behaviors to the wind, and this post is from the gut, as the guys say.

I Had A Husband Once

I had a husband once.  He believed, “if you repeat a lie,  enough times, most people believe it.”  Or, at least believe, there must be something behind all the smoke. On the other hand, I am more of the, “You can fool all the people some of the time.  You can fool some of the people, part of the time,  but you can never fool all the people, all the time.”  I believe we are about to find out which theory holds water.  I’ve got my fingers crossed.  There’s a lot at stake here; 240 years of our constitutional democracy.

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What Flag is Flying Over the White House?

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By D. S. Mitchell

A Long Relished Impeachment

I went to bed, watching MSNBC’s The 11th Hour w/Brian Williams. I don’t know when I fell asleep. The station played while I slept fitfully, visions of impeachment dancing in my head.  The thoughts of the long relished impeachment of Donald J. Trump seemed to be sharing stage with another vision. Red, white, and blue, spun polyester twisted weirdly on a brisk breeze. Even in my confused sleep, I knew something was wrong.  Something was very wrong.

What Flag Flies?

I couldn’t make sense of it.  What the fuck?  Confused, I twisted my head back and forth trying to clear the distorted image. Why does the flag look so strange?  The stars; where are the stars?  OMG.  The stripes aren’t the stripes of My flag, and My country.  The flag flying over this nightmare White House is strange to me. Suddenly, in my restless dream I identified the tri-stripe red, white, and blue of Russia.

Ukrainian Special Envoy Resigns

My eyes flew open.  Joe and Mika were talking with the usual crowd at the “Morning Joe” conference table. The topic centered around Ukrainian Special Envoy, Kurt Volker’s sudden and unexpected resignation.  I shook my head. The rest of the commentary centered on Trump officials and outliers like Rudy Colludy making a sweating fool of himself on numerous cable channels over the week-end.

Rudy Colludy

“Since when does the personal attorney for a president become an arm of the U.S. State Department?” I found myself asking. It seems Rudy has mixed several roles in his Ukrainian campaign. Official, unofficial, who the hell cares, he says. I think a whole bunch of us care, Rudy. Since when does the personal attorney to a sitting president change hats from hour to hour. Rudy’s conflict of interest is blinding. The intent to interfere in an American election is screaming for attention. Rudy has gone from an admired former mayor of New York City to a social pariah. He has cemented his legacy as a treacherous colluder.  I am curious; just who is paying him?  I doubt it is Donald Trump.

Nightmares

I know there is a lot of political wrangling going on in the Congress. The Trump coalition is claiming another “witch-hunt”. The Dems are claiming treachery, obstruction of justice, bribery, and election tampering, for starters. Impeachment is becoming a reality. Personally, from what I can see, Trump went on national television and admitted that in his “perfect” conversations with the Ukrainian president Zelensky he tried to blackmail and coerce a foreign official to dig up dirt on a political opponent. What are the Republicans claiming? That Trump didn’t say it? Please. After a criminal admits his guilt his attorney cannot deny culpability; as long as the criminal is deemed to be sane.

Putin The Beneficiary

The conversation seems focused on Trump’s conversations with Ukrainian officials. Yes, the Ukraine is a major player, but certainly not the single most important participant in this scandal. Behind the curtain is the true manipulator of our foreign policy, Vladimir Putin. Trump has spoken to him via telephone no less than 12 times. He has met personally with the Russian president at least twice. I want to see those conversations. When we do, I’m sure we will find Putin behind Trump’s activities. Impeachment is unavoidable. Trump won’t permit anything else. He cannot be constrained by the Constitution, so it is up to the Congress to bridle this out of control dictator, while we can still claim a government.

RESIST, CONFRONT and VOTE.

D. S. Mitchell

FBI Raids Paul Manafort Home

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FBI Raids Paul Manafort Home

D. S. Mitchell

Nearly two weeks after the event, news was finally leaked by the Washington Post, that in the early morning hours of July 25, 2017, former Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort’s home in Alexandria, Virginia was raided by FBI investigators. Reports indicate boxes of documents were removed from the home.

The raid came within hours of Manafort speaking to investigators for the Senate Intelligence Committee, at which time he answered questions and provided notes from several meetings, including the controversial June 9, 2016 meeting between Russian “government attorney” and several other people with known Russian connections and members of the Trump 2016 Presidential election team, including the Trump campaigns big names, Kushner, Manafort and Don, Jr.

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