Bipartisan Ukraine aid vote neither victory for Ukraine nor for functional American governance

 Bipartisan Ukraine aid vote neither victory for Ukraine nor for functional American governance

We in the peace movement knew the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board would be quick to celebrate the House Republican capitulation to Democrats in squandering another $61 billion on the lost war in Ukraine. For its entire 26 months, the Ukraine war has had complete support by the Trib for endless weapons for endless war, instead of negotiations that could have resolved it in its first month.

But to frame it as a harbinger of functional bipartisan governance is both surprising and preposterous. It simply represents Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson caving to the US war party which always gets its endless billions for war through bipartisan support. The six months of Republican delay were a welcome break from war bipartisanship when Republicans actually aligned themselves with the electorate which favors peace, not endless war in Ukraine.

The Trib correctly noted that a majority of House Republicans voted against this weapons boondoggle which will prolong the war to kill off the remaining Ukrainian soldiers, and further descend Ukraine into an ungovernable, failed state.

That 112 vote Republican majority, along with a majority of the American people, have infinitely more sense than the Biden administration and its partner in endless war, Speaker Mike Johnson.

The $61 billion cannot replace the hundreds of thousands of dead Ukrainian soldiers. It cannot prevent Ukraine eventually suing for peace, losing a quarter of its territory when negotiations early on would have kept it whole.

What will the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board write when that occurs? We in the peace community would like to know.

 

Rep. Casten votes to squander $95 billion to further destroy Ukraine, enable genocide in Gaza, provoke military confrontation with China

 Rep. Casten votes to squander $95 billion to further destroy Ukraine, enable genocide in Gaza, provoke military confrontation with China

My pretend peace loving, fiscally conservative Congressman Sean Casten is anything but. Yesterday he voted with almost all House Democrats to print nearly a hundred billion dollars to further America’s decline on the world stage from military adventurism.

Normally, Casten doesn’t support any measure proposed by conservative, Bible thumping House Speaker Mike Johnson. But when Johnson struck a devil’s bargain with House Democrats to goose our economy with endless more Ukrainian and Palestinian blood, Casten jumped right in.

Johnson and House Democratic leaders devised a brilliant plan to split Biden’s gargantuan $95 billion dollar giveaway to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan into 3 separate bills of $61, $26 and $8 billion. That made it more politically expedient for all 3 to pass. The gambit worked as House Democrats, including Casten, cast a total of 590 of their 661 votes for war, war, possible war. The first ensures the destruction of Ukraine. The second ensures the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Gaza. The third makes war with China more likely. Casten voted aye on all three.

Congressman Casten knows Ukraine is being systematically destroyed by America’s refusal to negotiate its end. Congressman Casten knows the 2,300,000 Palestinians in Gaza are being devoured by US enabled Israeli genocide. Congressman Casten knows US provocations in the Far East put America on a collision course to war against China.

For my Congressman Sean Casten, loyalty to the Biden administration war agenda is more important than saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

All reac

Biden’s words proclaim Two State Solution or Palestinians; Biden’s actions ensure One Apartheid State Solution

Biden’s words proclaim Two State Solution or Palestinians; Biden’s actions ensure One Apartheid State Solution

 

Every time he’s asked, President Biden asserts he seeks statehood for Palestinians decades long under Israel’s Apartheid regime controlling them in the region.  

 

But for his entire six decade career in public office he’s done everything possible to protect Israel’s inexorable dehumanization and removal of Palestinians from their historic land.

 

Now as president, with significant influence to promote Palestinian statehood, Biden is doing the opposite.  Last Thursday he cast the lone veto in the UN Security Council denying full Palestinian UN membership. The vote was 12-1 with 2 abstentions. It only needed 9 votes to pass but the US veto nullified the 12 vote approval.

Biden does much more that veto UN Security Council resolutions on Palestinian statehood. He remains in “ironclad support” of Israel’s government which fervently argues there will never be a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister pulls no punches.  “In any future arrangement … Israel needs security control all territory west of the Jordan. This collides with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty. What can you do?” Everyone knows that I am the one who for decades blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger our existence.” 

Biden’s ironclad support includes thousands of tons of weapons for Israel’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of 2,300,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Once the Netanyahu-Biden tag team finishes off those pesky Palestinians who want a state of their own, any further UN Security Council resolutions will become moot.

When Biden’s lips move on the issue of Palestinian statehood, he’s lying. But his thumbs up to the next load of 2,000 lb. bombs to level entire city blocks in Gaza represent the absolute truth of his commitment to a single Apartheid state solution for the Palestinian people.

Maestro Netanyahu playing acolyte Biden like a Stradivarius

 Maestro Netanyahu playing acolyte Biden like a Stradivarius

At 81, President Biden is conducting foreign policy like a freshman who just flunked Political Science 101.

Not realizing he’s the most powerful leader in the world, he’s being bamboozled by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of a country whose GDP is one-fiftieth that of Biden’s America.

When Netanyahu exploited the October 7 terrorist attack to ethnically cleanse Gaza of all 2,300,000 Palestinians, Biden dutifully adopted Netanyahu’s directive that Biden send him billions in weapons to finish off those pesky Palestinians who refuse to leave.

2,000 lb blaster bombs…check

Intelligence…check

Demanding Congress squander another $14 billion to complete the ethnic cleansing....check

Fighter jets, helicopters, precision guided missiles…check, check, check.

Every few weeks Biden rings up Netanyahu to complain about Israel’s ongoing genocide that’s hurting Biden with his voter base in the November 5 election. Over half of his 81 million voters in 2020 are abandoning him over his enabling of the Gaza genocide. Stalked in public by anti genocide protesters has forced Biden to abandon public campaign events in favor of private fundraisers with mega donors.

When Netanyahu obliterated 7 foreign aid workers including an American, Biden again complained to his foreign affairs boss about the unsavory optics on the world stage. A week later Netanyahu upped the ante of his disdain for Biden by bombing the Iranian consulate in Syria, a dastardly disregard for diplomatic protocol that could trigger a regional war. It was as if Netanyahu was telling Biden, ‘Don’t dare criticize me in public or private.’

Never in American history has any of Biden’s 44 predecessors so shamelessly destroyed America’s standing on the world stage by allowing a small but powerful rogue state leader to commit such grotesque crimes on a captive people to eliminate their existence. These crimes that could not have started much less continue without Biden’s “ironclad” support

But Karma may be coming for President Biden. His refusal to abandon weaponizing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza could sink his reelection November 5.

In his relationship with Biden over Gaza, Netanyahu caresses a Stradivarius. Biden flails away on a tin whistle.

Chicago Tribune remains in stunning denial of nature and reality of war in Ukraine

 Chicago Tribune remains in stunning denial of nature and reality of war in Ukraine

Every few weeks the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board publishes an editorial misrepresenting the war in Ukraine.

Yesterday’s latest, ‘A GOP speaker risks his neck to finally help a desperate Ukraine. He deserves Democratic support’, continues the Trib’s endless exercise in futility.

The Trib implies the delayed $61billion in weapons Biden wants for Ukraine’s defense must be passed by Congress to prevent a Ukraine loss to Russia. That is not supported by a single, respected historian and political scientist.

Sixty-one trillion in weapons will not prevent Ukraine from losing about a quarter of its territory to Russia. Why? Ukraine is just about out of trained, committed soldiers to continue fighting a lost war and may be on the brink of collapse. Most of that $61 billion will stay right here in the Homeland making weapons that won’t reach Ukraine’s military till long after they throw in the towel.

The Trib knows this war could have been prevented altogether or settled within the first month without Ukraine losing any territory. The Trib knows that the Biden administration, with UK help, blew up that settlement when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanded Ukraine President Zelensky keep fighting so the US “could weaken Russia.”

Twenty-six months later the Trib remains in denial stating, “We have never wavered in our support for the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression, stretching back to the beginning of Putin’s brutal, illegal war. We’ve never heard any reasonable argument to the contrary.” The editorial mentioned Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s visit to the University of Chicago to lobby Gov. Pritzker and his sister, special U.S. representative to Ukraine, Penny Pritzker, to “press his nation’s case.” Too bad Shmyhal, the Pritzkers and the entire Trib Editorial Board didn’t pop in to talk to esteemed UChicago Political Science Professor John Mearsheimer. He could have added some reality to the fantasy that endless US billions will end Ukraine’s destruction, when it’s only negotiations that can end its destruction.

What was truly reprehensible was the Trib’s gratuitous sliming of the House Republicans trying to stop this senseless waste simply ensuring Ukraine’s demise. Doesn't matter their motives...only that the $61 billion be quashed. Calling them “firebrands” when they’re promoting peace is a form of ‘projection’. It’s the Trib Editorial Board Members that wear the moniker ‘firebrands’ for engaging in radical promotion of endless war destroying Ukraine.

It’s not too late for the Chicago Tribune to pivot to peace in Ukraine. It knows the war is hopeless. It knows that continued war will simply kill hundreds of thousands more Ukrainian soldiers. It knows negotiations are the only way this war will end.

What is the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board waiting for?

All reaction

Speaker Johnson caves to War Party to save Speakership

 Speaker Johnson caves to War Party to save Speakership

Newbie House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson has been holding up the Biden administration’s $95 billion weapons boondoggle since he replaced Kevin McCarthy 6 months ago. McCarthy got booted for trying to be a tad too bipartisan than the conservative zealots led by Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt Gaetz.

But the conservative clique that stalled Biden’s weapons cache designed to continue the demise of Ukraine and the genocidal ethnic countries cleansing of Gaza was a wonderful step toward possible peace in both.

Alas, the War Party, led by genocide enabler Biden, brought all their rhetorical guns to bear on Johnson to break with the GOP Speaker removers and go bipartisan to pass Biden’s weaponspalooza.

MTG and Heave Ho Gaetz promptly threatened to McCarthyize Johnson for daring to help squander $95 million to get hundreds of thousand more killed for nothing.

Johnson is left with going all in with his war loving Democratic colleagues to pile up enough Democratic votes to prevent his expulsion.

To do that John has to regurgitate every despicable Democratic lie to justify his lust for financing endless war with $95 printed billions.

Here’s what he said followed by what his brain knows is the truth.

Speaker Johnson: “We’re going to stand for freedom and make sure that Putin doesn’t march through Europe… we’re the greatest Nation on the planet, and we have to act like it” (‘We’re among the worst nations on the planet, destroying our moral standing worldwide enabling genocide in Gaza and degrading Ukraine. But doesn’t matter if I can keep my Speakership’)

Speaker Johnson: “I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing.” (‘And the right thing is to make nice with war Democrats so they’ll make nice with me’).

Speaker Johnson: “To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.” (‘I don’t care how many Ukrainians must die to save my Speakership as long as it’s not Yankee blood. That $95 billion, if it passes, might just get me the Democratic votes I need to stick around’).

Speaker Mike Johnson looks like a sweet, young man. But in his heart and soul lurks a craven, power hungry political opportunist who’ll send thousands to needless death to save his skin.

Jackie could have debuted in Comisky Park

 Jackie could have debuted in Comisky Park

77 years ago today Jackie Robinson broke the color bar at Ebbits Field in Brooklyn.

But a little known fact in Chicago White Sox history comes to mind as MLB celebrates Jackie's first game with every player wearing his number 42 today.

During 1942 Spring Training in Pasadena, CA, the White Sox gave a tryout to a couple of black players. The Pale Hose passed on both. One was Nate Moreland, a journeyman player who toiled for 16 years in the Negro Leagues, Minor Leagues and Mexican Leagues.

The other did somewhat better but not for the Chi Sox. His name...Jackie Robinson.

 Will Biden’s zero sum game approach to foreign conflict bumble US into regional/nuclear war in Europe and Middle East?

President Biden continues on his astonishing and disheartening path to regional/nuclear war in both Europe and the Middle East.

In Europe, he plows ahead with his foolish demand to squandering another $61 billion in weapons for the lost cause in Ukraine. Any weapons manufactured will not reach Ukraine before their impending collapse, turning Ukraine into a rump state of abject poverty requiring endless US/NATO assistance.

Biden views the Russo Ukraine war as a zero sum game: US must win, Russia must lose. That requires endless US efforts to reclaim all Russian held Ukraine territory and bring Ukraine into NATO. Biden’s approach? Assisting Ukraine attacks on Russian territory.

Ukraine President Zelensky’s only hope is to widen the war to obtain direct US intervention. He almost provoked that 2 years ago when he claimed an errant Ukraine missile that killed 2 Poles in neighboring NATO Poland, was a Russian strike requiring immediate NATO response. Every day this 26 month long war continues represents another chance for US belligerence to make that happen. But Biden pushes on to possible all out war with his refusal to pivot from military provocation to diplomacy. That would require Biden dropping his zero sum game. Not likely.

The Middle East is more precarious still. The US has been Israel’s go to weapons and diplomatic supporter in their grotesque genocidal ethnic cleansing of 2,300,000 Palestinians in Gaza. That has turned both Israel and America in pariah states worldwide.

Besides the genocide, the possibility of all out regional war between Israel and its Arab neighbors looms daily. Biden remained silent when Israel launched its dastardly bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria, killing 7. But when Iran signaled its intent to reply militarily, Biden invoked his standard zero sum game view that Israel can do no wrong. Iran? They can do no right. That’s a recipe for all out war.

President Biden only learned one thing from his six decades of political leadership: America is 100% right in foreign affairs; our imagined enemies 100% wrong. History is filled with empires that disappeared from that zero sum game.

Will Biden’s America be next?

America’s crazed proxy war on Russia is destroying Ukraine’s economy

 America’s crazed proxy war on Russia is destroying Ukraine’s economy

I’m no economist. But you don’t need to be one to figure out the economic catastrophe the US has imposed on its Trojan Horse Ukraine in its lust to weaken Russia.

Most opponents of this endless US debacle focus on the hundreds of thousands dead Ukrainian soldiers without a single US death to weaken, isolate Russia.

But we should not ignore the economic basket case Uncle Sam has created, essentially degrading life for every Ukrainian not yet killed.

Since goading Russia into invading 26 months ago, Ukraine has ceased to exist as an economically independent nation. Its exports have largely vanished, its imports have exploded. Ukraine has gone from a surplus exporter to a massive importer. That dries up foreign currency making the paying for further imports, even the national debt, increasingly problematic.

Exports plummeted by 17% and 30% respectively in ’22 and ’23. Imports? More than doubled since America’s disastrous, losing proxy war crossed the Red Line to invasion.

Ukraine now spends half its GDP on defense that’s accomplishing nothing but more soldier cemeteries and spiraling economic collapse. Its borrowed over $40 billion in last 2 years, a 200% increase compared to the previous 10 years. Its external debt is now 90% of GDP and heading north to 140% by 2026 according to EU estimates.

All this could have been avoided had the US realized 33 years ago that the end of the Soviet Union meant the true end to the Cold War. Now, having turned the Cold War into a Hot War destroying Ukraine, America’s crazed leaders, including most Democrats and Republicans, lust for another $61 billion in weapons that will prolong the flow of red blood and red ink.

And the Big Fool in the White House just says ‘Push on.’