Ukraine Always Get What You Want

Although the urgency may be fading in the US, mentions of Ukraine are everywhere that I've been so far in Europe.

 

@Azrael, there are a number of reasons why I gave up on the NYT.
The writing isn't what it used to be. It's not Yahoo or USA bad, but it's still cringeworthy at times.
Same goes for the editing.
It's frustrating to see the editors choose to let the NYT be a platform for people who are writing books about things that should have been reported at the time they happened.
I miss reading thoughtful voices from both sides of the aisle. It seems like the loudest whiners get the bylines.

What will end up bringing me back:
More things like The 1614 Project
They'll offer a good sale, which will make me NYT's bitch again.

 

At least one economist with very fancy titles is keeping the faith.

 

Fair enough.

I disagree, but I think everyone has their personal relationship to the NYT - and that relationship ebbs and flows and cycles through periods of great affection and terrible disappointment and passion and indifference.

 

Public uprising any day now. Any day.

 

It won't be public. If there is an uprising (emphasis on if) it will be a quiet coup led by leaders in the government and the oligarchs. Basically, Russia can't sustain massive losses to their economy while spending big on military. It might take a while, but Putin will either be way more willing to compromise diplomatically, will be forced to concede he's not meeting military objectives and withdraw or be ousted. For all the snark about promises of sanctions, for all the wishcasting and everything else that sounds good except it isn't realistic, the Russia will need to start focusing on building its economy again. Grain and fuel shorts in supplies will make the world suffer, but the world can hold out longer than Russia can. ... Provided Trump doesn't get back into office.

 

in that spirit

 

Ripping people who are joining your side is always such a sound political strategy.

 

I was thinking of this when I posted:

After 3 months of war, life in Russia has profoundly changed

Question is, will the pressure to negotiate a ceasefire crest before the looming famine?

‘We can no longer afford to eat’: Ukraine war pushes millions into starvation

We already see big news outlets arguing in favor of some sort of conditional settlement.

Opinion | The War in Ukraine Is Getting Complicated, and America Isn’t Ready

In March, this board argued that the message from the United States and its allies to Ukrainians and Russians alike must be: No matter how long it takes, Ukraine will be free. Ukraine deserves support against Russia’s unprovoked aggression, and the United States must lead its NATO allies in demonstrating to Vladimir Putin that the Atlantic alliance is willing and able to resist his revanchist ambitions.

That goal cannot shift, but in the end, it is still not in America’s best interest to plunge into an all-out war with Russia, even if a negotiated peace may require Ukraine to make some hard decisions. And the U.S. aims and strategy in this war have become harder to discern, as the parameters of the mission appear to have changed.

 

The Times got a LOT of pushback on this editorial, some of it in this very thread.

 

I know. I think I'm the one who posted it.



Stephen A: I want to address this . . .

Bayless: Of course.

Stephen A: You KNOW I'm sensitive to the plight of Ukraine . . .

Bayless: Absolutely.

Stephen A: BUT . . .