Europe at War

[krummholz]

I'm an Eastern Orthodox. 

Happy Easter to you!

(My father was baptized Eastern Orthodox - Polish Orthodox, to be specific. And that reveals a mystery that cannot now be resolved, because he was born in 1914, but the Polish Orthodox Church was only established in 1924. I I have to imagine that he was raised as a traditional Eastern Orthodox before the Polish church was created. No way to ask him now...)

[Todd]

Well, yes, I know it: none, zilch, nada, nechevo.

That is inaccurate.

[Florestan]

Happy Easter to you!

To you too, thanks.

(My father was baptized Eastern Orthodox - Polish Orthodox, to be specific. And that reveals a mystery that cannot now be resolved, because he was bquoteorn in 1914, but the Polish Orthodox Church was only established in 1924. I I have to imagine that he was raised as a traditional Eastern Orthodox before the Polish church was created. No way to ask him now...)

Well, here's a glass of wine to your late Polish Orthodox father --- and to all GMGers, past present and future no matter what their religion or lack thereof.

[Florestan]

That is inaccurate.

Please correct me.

[Todd]

Please correct me.

I did.  I pointed out that your statement is inaccurate.  It also highlights an ongoing issue.  People cannot even agree on basic facts.  Something similar occurred pertaining to Napoleon's success or lack thereof in his war against Russia.  Or, more germane to this overall topic, what security and economic issues are at stake for the US in Ukraine.

[Florestan]

I did.  I pointed out that your statement is inaccurate.

You emphatically did not.

Once again, I ask you: what nation states* were there in North America after 1848?

* your very term

[Todd]

You emphatically did not.

I did.  This appears to be a case where you and I have very different understandings of the phrase 'nation state'.  And so it goes.

[SimonNZ]

Or, more germane to this overall topic, what security and economic issues are at stake for the US in Ukraine.

You must be a terrible chess player if you can only see the immediate board and think only one move ahead.

We should play for money.

[BasilValentine]

I'm an Eastern Orthodox. 

I know; Your Easter is a week later than the Roman Catholics' this year. Theirs is on the lunar calendar linked to Passover (Last Supper/seder). 

[JBS]

My friends, I'm smiling at the thought of the signature of a "virtual acquaintance" of yore: I don't belong to an organized religion; I'm Eastern Orthodox."

If he thought EO was not organized, I can only wonder what he thought of us Jews.

On a more serious note: my normal route to work goes by one of the few Ukrainian Orthodox churches in my area. Normally there is at most a handful of cars in the parking lot. I have no idea of how large their congregation is, nor what their usual attendance on Easter is, but today there were a number of cars parked on the street and a line of at least two dozen cars waiting to enter the parking lot/church entrance: first time I've ever seen them that crowded.

[Todd]

Ukraine war: US wants to see a weakened Russia

Ukraine thus reveals its usefulness as a killing field.


Unrepentant Schroeder exposes German coalition rift over Ukraine

In a weekend New York Times interview he [Schroeder] said Germany had also benefited from his ties to Putin, though he said he would resign if Russia ever stopped sending Germany gas.

Gerhard Schroeder, man of the people.

[Harry]

Ukraine war: US wants to see a weakened Russia

Ukraine thus reveals its usefulness as a killing field.


Unrepentant Schroeder exposes German coalition rift over Ukraine

Gerhard Schroeder, man of the people.

He is what Chamberlain was to England in the beginning of the WW II. One could say that Chamberlain was naive to a fault. Schroeder is just a war criminal, and a profiteur pur sang, as long as the expensive gifts and the money flows in, Schroeder does not give a damn about the genocide of the Ukraines, if Poetin thinks its okay its okay for Schroeder.

[Todd]

He is what Chamberlain was to England in the beginning of the world.

Yeah, sure.

[Harry]

Yeah, sure.

O, yeah I forgot, you are a know all person. 

[drogulus]

     I don't know how to repel an invader without weakening it. Zelensky is convinced that Russia must be defeated or Ukraine will never be safe. He is right.

     Note that at first the US/NATO strategy was to support Ukraine with hand held weapons on the assumption that Russia would prevail on the battlefield and therefore the goal was to support a Uke insurgency based in the west of the country and guerilla warfare in urban areas.

     The situation has changed rather dramatically and this is revealed both in the kinds of weapons delivered and the statements by officials in allied countries. The view of Zelensky turned out to be realistic after all. That's why they are getting heavy weapons that were denied to them earlier.

[Florestan]

I did.  This appears to be a case where you and I have very different understandings of the phrase 'nation state'.  And so it goes.

Never mind. Yesterday I was both in contrarian mood and a little drunk from celebrating Easter. 

[drogulus]

     Fires rip through Russian oil depots not far from the Ukrainian border.

Large fires tore through oil depots on Monday in Bryansk, a Russian city less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border that is a key logistical hub in Russia's war effort.

Russian officials said they were investigating the cause. The fires took place on the same day that Russian forces targeted critical infrastructure across Ukraine.

Russian state television reported two separate explosions. One was at a civilian oil storage facility — part of a pipeline that links Russian oil fields with Europe — and the other was at a military oil depot. One blaze engulfed an oil tank that held 10,000 tons of diesel fuel, state television reported; the other contained 5,000 tons of diesel.

Russia has accused Ukraine of conducting several attacks on border crossing points and other facilities inside the country.

     

[krummholz]

To you too, thanks.

Thank you, but truth be told, I don't celebrate Easter really (on either day). I was baptised Roman Catholic since that is the branch to which my mother's side of the family belongs, but I have long ago since stopped adhering to that, or any other organised religion. If I had been around in the late 18th century I would probably have been a Deist as that view is closest to my own... God in all things (though as to a personal God, I consider myself agnostic). Maybe I am a secular humanist after all...

Well, here's a glass of wine to your late Polish Orthodox father --- and to all GMGers, past present and future no matter what their religion or lack thereof.

Thank you once again!   

[Que]

Not surprising news, but still a significant development - and a big set back for Putin:

Sweden and Finland agree to submit Nato applications, say reports


I like this picture of the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland.
A subtle reminder that if this world was run by women instead of elderly sociopathic men, we probably wouldn't be in this mess...

[milk]

Ukraine war: US wants to see a weakened Russia

Ukraine thus reveals its usefulness as a killing field.


Unrepentant Schroeder exposes German coalition rift over Ukraine

Gerhard Schroeder, man of the people.

I'm not going to scoff at these implications, although I think Putin deserves an ignominious defeat. And, I think it's probably not a good idea to brush off unpopular views without giving those views some serious thought. Of course I think the world would be better off without Putin. But we should also consider the cost of war, in lives and otherwise. I notice that my French and Swiss colleagues (here in Japan) are a little more war-skeptical. That may be why La Pen got something like 40% (and it could also be why she lost - other than the fact that she's disgusting to many French people). I'm totally out of my depth here but I do get nervous when everyone has the same narrative. We'd better be able to answer questions like: Was this war preventable? What's at stake for everyone? What's the worst-case scenario? What would prolong this war? What are the long-term implications? Etc. I hope Ukraine can prevail or enter negotiations from a strong position but I'm a sensing a bit of mania about this war in the media. It's not a given that this thing is good for the world or the U.S. (though I think Putin is bad). That remains to be seen.