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Thursday, April 21, 2022

A Cautionary Tale

 


Friends, you may think that free speech is under threat here in the U.S., as censorship and the deplatforming of conservatives rise inexorably, but the truth is that our rights to free expression are better protected than such rights are in many other Western countries.  Check out these shocking stories.  In Brazil, the country's (left-leaning) top court is persecuting conservatives, and not by excluding them from social media or preventing them from giving lectures on colleges campuses -- conservatives are being fined and jailed!  That's because the court is operating under a judicial philosophy which says that speech which is "false", or even just socially irresponsible, is not protected.  Let's face it: leftists in America increasingly feel the same way.  So far, they're not able to use the tools of law enforcement and the justice system to enforce their preferences (most of the time), but, if leftists ever came to dominate our courts, how long do you think it would take before the categories of prohibited speech would multiply?  Food for thought.  The second article deals with a similar topic: the growing trend in Europe of banning references to the letters "Z" and "V", because of their significance to Russian nationalists.  Are you kidding me?  The way things are going, flashing the "V for Victory" sign at someone on the streets of Paris or Berlin would get you hauled off to prison...


https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2022/04/21/brazil-sentences-conservative-congressman-to-8-years-in-prison-for-youtube-video/

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/04/21/cancelling-the-alphabet-lithuania-bans-display-of-letters-z-and-v-over-russia-links/ 


In other news, while the U.S. cultivates a new Cold War with Russia, China continues to spread its economic tentacles all over the world.  By many measures, China has already surpassed us -- which is precisely why, of course, China can get away with almost anything, and Russia can't.


https://www.barrons.com/articles/chinas-economic-weight-lets-it-rival-u-s-geopolitical-power-graham-allison-writes-51650006901

 

It looks like Tulsi Gabbard is getting ready to sue Mitt Romney because of his claim that her questioning of U.S. policy in Ukraine is "treasonous".  Romney is, as usual, following the establishment's party line: anyone who dares to criticize its hawkish policies in Eastern Europe is a "Russian asset".  I say: good for you, Tulsi!  The Left has questioned U.S. policies in the midst of countless wars -- wars in which the U.S. was a participant rather than an onlooker, I hasten to add -- and now it, and its RINO fellow travelers, have the gall to accuse a patriot and a veteran like Gabbard of treason?  I think not!!!


https://thehill.com/news/senate/3275566-tulsi-gabbard-demands-retraction-of-romney-treason-accusation/

 

Finally, never underestimate the saliency of history to Europeans, who immerse themselves in nationalist mythologies much more readily than we do here in the States.  Russians fighting in Ukraine are apparently raising the same "victory flag" there that flew over Berlin in May 1945.  What's more, the Russians seem to be gearing up their Donbas offensive so as to notch some victories before their version of "V-E" Day, which is on May 9th.  We scoff when the Russians say they are fighting "Nazis" and "fascists" in Ukraine, but, whatever we may think about it, quite a few Russians believe it!  So, then, what are the chances that they will back down?

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russia-ukraine-red-flags-victory-day/2022/04/21/id/1066670/ 

15 comments:

  1. Speaking of Brazil in particular, and South America in general, there was a time when Brazil was run by the right. Likewise, other South American countries have had right wing regimes run by the military, with Chile and Argentina as the best examples. And because of the way Spain set things up in South America, the military has had unusual authority in that area.

    Take Chile for example. Back in 1973 when Chile's President Salvador Allende decided to take that country down the road to a Castro type Socialism, the military had enough and took over under General Pinochet, for about twenty years in fact. It was a coup of September 11, 1973, or Chile's version of 9/11.

    Similar coups took place in Argentina. Much later is was learned, that doing those years in those two countries, leftists were arrested, drugged up, and taken out over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans on planes, and dropped out over those waters at night. So now leftists in places like Brazil are getting their revenge, without the night drops sans parachute we hope.

    If you doubt this happened, there is ample information on such incidents from the trials held later in countries such as Argentina. Check it out. Leftists back then, simply disappeared.

    Fortunately, these things will never happen in The United States of America.

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    1. Hmmm Ray...I am not sure about it not happening here or are you being "tongue in cheek"? smiles

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    2. Linda,

      I seriously doubt it could happen here. I was being "tongue in cheek" to some extent. We have no tradition of dictatorships here in The United States, unlike South America which has long been ruled (off and on) by military juntas, left and right, for over 200 years.

      I am sure there are some people here (left and right) who would like to do things like that, but they are usually counted as being lunatic fringe.

      Also, in The United States, our dictatorship is not a political one, but a cultural one, consisting of: the entertainment industry and higher education, and the media.

      Even of Trump gets back in, the aforementioned institutes will still remain under leftist control, but held in check (so to speak) by conservative forces. But then what does "conservative" mean in the U.S.? Go figure.

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  2. Dr.Waddy fromJack:I think Russia's objective in Ukraine remains unchanged: that is, to satisfy themselves that any possibility of Ukraine in Nato is eliminated. Whatever floats that boat is what they will do. I would think that outrage over the very idea of Ukraine in Nato is a popular view in that proud nation.

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  3. Dr. Waddy from Jack: Romney's suggestion of treasonous expression by Gabbard is beneath contempt! I've heard suggestion that he may become an "Independent". Good riddance, numbers be damned!

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  4. Dr.Waddy from Jack: We must for our own good ASSUME that the "American" left fully intends complete, forced control of all expression: spoken, written, broadcast, posted, disguised, suggested or insolently distributed in any form.Their now manifested and proven assault on anything or anybody "deemed " politically incorrect provides proof of their totalitarian

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  5. Yes, Ray -- right-wing regimes, often backed by the military, once flourished in Latin America. Thankfully, left-wing regimes are currently the exception to the rule "south of the border", and quite a few Latin American states have elected solidly conservative governments. Some countries, like Mexico and Brazil, seem to be oscillating between left and right, which I guess is healthy and "democratic", to a point, but the Left in Brazil is showing that it regards no democratic or constitutional principle as sacred, and will do almost anything to obtain and retain power. Ring a bell?

    P.S. I wouldn't mention too often or too loudly that quaint tactic of dumping your enemies and critics in the ocean. The devotees of "cancel culture" might become inspired, and then all us "deplorables" could find ourselves deep-sea fishing without a pole...

    Jack, I'm not so sure about Russia's objectives. If all they wanted was a commitment from Ukraine not to join NATO, I think they might have gotten it a few days into their invasion, when Kiev was imperiled and everyone expected Ukraine to collapse in a heap. I think Russia wants more than a vow of neutrality. It seems like Russia wants "regime change", or, failing that, to dismember Ukraine and render the parts not consumed by Russia permanently dysfunctional. To put it another way: what use would a pledge of neutrality be, if you don't trust the leaders (or even the people) of Ukraine to begin with?

    Jack, I have ample confidence in the wisdom of the good people of Utah. They will send Romney into retirement in 2024. With any luck, he'll beat them to the punch -- maybe after he sees Liz Cheney's fate in 2022.

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  6. Dr.Waddy from Jack: But I would suggest any solely Ukrainian guarantee would not work for Russia. How could a land so savaged by Great Russia, both now and in the memorable past, be counted upon? Russia itself understands the indescribable pain of sociopathic invasion! No, I think Russia will insist upon a resolution which, by THEIR lights, ASSURES them of freedom from further Nato incursion and of course from Ukraine or "its rump".

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  7. Quite! But what would such a resolution look like? I submit that only regime change or the Russian occupation of most of Ukraine would do the trick.

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  8. Dr.Waddyfrom Jack: Russia could say this: To Nato: "It shall be the polcy of the Russian Federation to regard any incursion of Nato into Ukraine as a military attack on our homeland warranting a full military response". To Ukraine: "A pledge from you not to join Nato will be accepted but we will hold hostage to it all Ukrainian territory we now occupy." To the world: " Are you now convinced of our sincerity in resolving NEVER to countenance Ukrainian membership in Nato! ?

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  9. Jack, I just read an article by a hawk (I assume he was a hawk) who insisted that, after Russia's alleged atrocities in Ukraine, we can't accept any solution that leaves Russia in control of ANY portion of Ukraine, because that could be spun as a Putin victory and thus entrench him in power. I don't agree with that endgame, because I think it risks, even invites, nuclear war, but I see his point: what the West really wants to do is "punish" Putin, and that's not an easy goal to accomplish. Much will depend, I suspect, on how the war goes in the next few months.

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  10. Dr. Waddy from Jack: Putin did what any Russian leader would have had to do; he took unilateral action to remedy an unbearable affront and hazard to Russia, brought by powers apparently blithely dismissive of Russia's plausible fundamental concern about the national security threat to them presented them by a Nato in Ukraine salient! Any Russian leader could have chosen measures far short of Putin's inhuman onslaught!
    Perhaps an air and sea blockade of Ukraine.?Massing of forces on Ukraine's borders, coupled perhaps with negotiation EMPHASIZING Russian resolve , might have borne fruit(?).But then again, historically justified ethnic and perhaps even Russian Ukrainian loathing of Great Russia might have prevented that and such may long have been assumed on both sides, making this war inevitable! If you take Putin out, tthe vital geographical, historical and strategic verities will still obtain.














    of invasion should Ukraine not pledge t




    l concerns about the

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  11. Jack, I tend to agree that no Russian leader worth his salt would have countenanced a Ukraine in NATO, BUT other Russian leaders might have found more subtle ways to prevent that. The long war in Donbas may have been counterproductive to Russia's long-term security, since arguably it bolstered Ukrainian nationalism and NATO's aid to the Ukrainian military. Seems to me Putin would have been far smarter to intervene in Ukraine back when it had a president who was pro-Russian.

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  12. Dr.Waddy from Jack: True, true but how might such a pro Russian Ukrainian leader thenhave answered those forces which eventually did disempower him?

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  13. Jack, it's true that President Yanukovych was unpopular with the pro-Western element in Ukraine. I assume, had he been determined to stay in power, and had Russia been determined to prop him up, that ultimately the mass demonstrations would have been dispersed by force. It takes some nerve to do that, sure, but is a proxy war between NATO and Russia a BETTER solution to the problem? I think not!

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