Friends, just days ago Russian forces were firmly entrenched in Kiev's suburbs. Now those forces are gone, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is taking their place. He's paid a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital, promising even more military aid. The good news, from a Western perspective: Ukraine is achieving unexpected success against Putin's armies. The bad news: Ukraine's finances are underwritten by the West, and Ukraine's military has been armed by the West. Ergo, Russians (among others) will see the Ukrainians as proxies for the West, and, if their string of battlefield successes ever comes to a halt, the West will suffer a black eye, at the very least. Of course, the Ukrainians will suffer a lot more than that.
What is the $64,000 question in American domestic politics? Simple! It's whether Joe Biden's involvement in the corruption of his son Hunter can be proven, either in the public eye or in the eye of the law. Hunter's laptop contains clues, but it doesn't, as far as we know, contain irrefutable evidence. And where might that evidence be, and is anyone in authority looking for it, or are they striving desperately NOT to find it? Ah, those are good questions too...
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/hunter-biden-joe-biden-laptop/2022/04/09/id/1065047/
Can a college professor be suspended and pilloried for refusing to discriminate on the basis of race? Oh, you bet he can, especially in the People's Republic of California! I feel safe in predicting that similar pressures will be brought to bear on most educators, and they probably won't have long to wait.
Dr.Waddy from Jack: I love Boris; he's a Brit hombre. Its certainly in the Brit tradition.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: The article on Boris's (I say affectionately) visit to the war zone, cited an article by one Dima.It cited a world wide confrontation between the West and cultures such as those of China and Russia (and I would add if I could, very many others) perhaps exemplified by Russia-Ukraine. That many cultures have understandable fear of and determination to resist the influence of modern communication enabled, shameless, corrosive,Western culturally celebrated low lifes and their essential degradation is very plausible. Gads, look at any American city! The West has made a decision to accept the consequences of "tolerance". Okay. . .: but it is irresponsible to ignore the guaranteed perception among the depraved of license. Conservative cultures have determined NOT to tolerate this and the proven benefits (eg. the safety of children and the elderly, the groups any healthy society protects) are enforced. Our record, especially in the US, is shameful beyond measure. Oh sure, I'd rather live in the West I grew up in but: a perhaps a worldwide clash between two perhaps inimical cultures, exemplified now in Ukraine vs Russia, may be best seen in this light.
ReplyDeleteAn intriguing perspective, Jack! I'm not sure, though, whether Ukraine is any more "Western", culturally speaking, than Russia... Sure, its political/military orientation is currently towards the West, but its history, language, religion, economic standing, etc. all point eastwards more than westwards. One wonders, for example, what our pal Zelensky would make of transgenderism? Is he "Western" enough to believe that, every time a sex change operation is performed, an angel gets its wings? I doubt it. And, for that matter, I would guess Western popular culture is VERY popular in both Ukraine and Russia, even if some of our more bizarre/libertine tendences leave them bemused.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack:I expect amoral libertines have been present in most societies. But most cultures have confined them to ridiculed confines and have warned them not to hazard general society.And there they have enjoyed much circumspect patronage.But But some later 20th century countries have chosen, by popular will, yes, to admit low lifes into mass entertainment and even perceived edification. And for many other countries this is a manifestation of spineless surrender to leering and sneering perverts!Ukraine displays determination to join the West and that that might appear to a still conservative, dominantly and gladly Eastern Orthodox Russia,(despite undoubted clandestine patronage of vices) might support a view of the present war as as an ironic clash of inimical lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteIt may be so, Jack! I would love to watch a day's worth of Russian television as a frame of reference (assuming I spoke Russian, of course).
ReplyDelete