There’s no such thing as bad publicity
Changing back from the art world, this is stupid shit, IMHO:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/24/biden-ukraine-liberals/
In a letter led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the 30 Democrats call on Biden to pair the unprecedented economic and military support the United States is providing Ukraine with a “proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.”
And the White House has the appropriate response:
White House spokesman John Kirby, responding to the lawmakers’ letter, said the administration “appreciates their very thoughtful concerns” but reiterated that the Ukrainians must be central to any diplomatic overtures.
“We’re not going to have conversations with the Russian leadership without the Ukrainians being represented,” Kirby said during a briefing with reporters. “Mr. Zelensky gets to determine – because it’s his country – what success looks like and when to negotiate.”
The letter explicitly calls for security guarantees backed by international community. It says the end-state must be a free and independent Ukraine, who gets the final say in what is acceptable. The “stupid shit” part is failing to provide even a suggestion as to how to make the thing everyone agrees needa to happen, happen - so why even write the letter?
We already did a “Security Guarantee” from the international community when Ukraine gave up their Nukes in the 90’s.
That didn’t work out so well in 2014, or 2022…
Exactly. The lesson everyone learned is that nukes are required and that big players who talk you into giving them up will NOT have your back. It’s a sad lesson, but a real one.
I’m not so sure that Ukraine with Nukes under Putin’s Corrupt Puppet Yanukovic prior to 2014 would have been desirable either tho…
Reading between the lines I think that the letter says the US should pressure Ukraine into a land for peace deal with proper US security guarantees.
But it’s so incoherent that you do kind of have to guess.
Ukraine had nukes before though, under totally corrupt governments.
Regarding that pie in the face of the king of England what are those? Super realistic mannequins? They look super real.
Yeah, people talk a lot about how Ukraine should have kept their nukes, but they had a corrupt government at the time along with little means to properly secure said nukes. If they had kept them there would have been a good chance that some of them would have been ‘misplaced’.
Yes, the letter is somewhat incoherent, but the literal words on the page are “you should do the thing everyone (that isn’t gargling authoritarian cock) wants done harder” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Also, it was security assurances not guarantees in Minsk. Rules lawyering may now commence.
And it’s sad that these stunts are what is getting the attention at a prime moment for Europe to move forward with some pretty drastic clean energy measures. Sure, the circumstances that have led to that moment aren’t great, but such a crisis provides such opportunity. I also think focusing your message on stopping fossil fuel production is exactly backwards when people are worried about being able to afford to heat their homes or power their industries. Focus instead on how renewables would mean never being in this situation again, no more Russian blackmail, European energy independence, yadda yadda. Same result but better messaging.
The letter says not one word about the need for Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory as part of any ceasefire. That silence speaks volumes about what they think a ‘realistic’ negotiated ceasefire and settlement looks like.
It’s a bad letter.
It’s also silent on funding rebuilding, repatriating kidnapped Ukrainian nationals and a lot more. I assume that also speaks volumes.
It seems to be a Rorschach letter. I don’t pretend to know the rep of all the signatories, so maybe they’re all tankies.
I don’t think any of them are tankies. I don’t even think their hearts are necessarily in the wrong place. I just think they haven’t thought through what they’re doing.
A ‘free and independent Ukraine’ could be anything, including one without the territories currently occupied by Russia’s invading army. It’s a bad letter.
A Rorschach letter would say: “Not even in the face of armageddon. Never compromise” :)
It’s written so the fruitcake elements of their base (and for the CPC that’s a very substanial percentage) can see what they want to see. You need to understand that it’s aimed at them in order to decode the inkblot and extract the message.
It’s not aimed at Biden or dem policymakers generally, and I don’t think it indicates any serious intention to try and steer policy.
“Our letter was so clear and good that we will now explain what it meant.”
Exactly, remember that foreign policy is just domestic policy, but on another stage.
Madam Tussauds? The waxworks in there can be pretty damn impressive.
As I recall that’s where it was.
Lol.
Walk it all the way back.