Ukraine Heating Up

For John, BLUF:  Things are again heating up in the Ukraine, a former part of the Sovirt Uniom, Southwest of Russia.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ukraine:  Russia Massing Troops on Border; US Warns Moscow

From Voice of American, based on reports from Agence France-Presse, 1 April 2021, 07:08 PM.

Here is the lede plus four:

KYIV, UKRAINE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Moscow of building up troops on his country's border as the United States warned Russia against "intimidating" Ukraine.

Kyiv has been locked in a conflict with Russian-backed separatists since 2014, and this week Ukrainian officials reported Russian troop movement in annexed Crimea and on the border, near territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.

On Thursday, Zelensky's ministers discussed the escalating security situation with Western allies, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Zelensky said in a statement that "military exercises and possible provocations along the border are traditional Russian games." He accused Moscow of seeking to create "a threatening atmosphere" as Kyiv hopes to resume a cease-fire brokered last year.

The U.S. State Department said it was "absolutely concerned by recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine."

Further on in the story we seem to have a US commitment to the defense of Ukraine.

On Thursday, U.S. defense chief Austin called his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Taran, Ukraine's defense ministry said.

Austin said during the call that Washington would "not leave Ukraine alone in the event of escalating Russian aggression," the ministry said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, for his part, discussed the "aggravation by the Russian Federation of the security situation" on the front line with his Canadian counterpart, Marc Garneau.

This is not some minor side-show.  It is possible Russia, wishing to regain control of its former territory, might test the new Biden Administration, launching new territorial grabs under the guise of an exercise.

If the Biden Administration is not prepared to react quickly, it could be faced with a fait accompli in some land grad, further weakening Ukraine.  This should be concerning.

Regards  —  Cliff

Political Warfare—Coronavirus Version

For John, BLUF:  The US has not been doing well in the area of political warfare for some time, and needs to reverse course.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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China is winning the coronavirus propaganda war

Here is the sub-headline:

Beijing deploys soft power as Europe and US fall short on solidarity.

From Politico, by Reporter Matthew Karnitschnig, 18 March 2020.

Here is the lede plus six:

Judging by the propaganda, this really is war.

And China is winning.

As Europe struggles to slow the spread of coronavirus and China begins to show signs that it has put the worst of the outbreak behind it, Beijing is engaging in a not-so-subtle PR campaign.

China’s main strategy is to show that the country that gave birth to the virus (and then covered it up for weeks, allowing it to spread across the globe unhindered) is on the front lines trying to save humanity, while the EU can’t get its act together and the world’s other superpower is busy pointing fingers.

Over the past few days, China has sent planeloads of masks, teams of doctors and even ventilators around the world to help battle the crisis.  Chinese billionaire Jack Ma donated one million masks and hundreds of thousands of testing kits to the U.S., with the first load arriving in Seattle on Monday.

"We are doing instead of talking.  We are the friends not enemy.  Could the American do the same to Chinese?" China's ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, tweeted on Monday.

A shipment of 300,000 masks, sent by Chinese charities founded by Ma and his Alibaba empire, arrived in Belgium this week.  Chinese state news agency Xinhua published a photograph of one of the containers draped with the slogan “Unity makes strength” in French, Flemish and Chinese.

Retired Army Colonel David Maxwell talked about this sort of thing in a 27 February Washington Examiner Article, "China's political warfare strategy takes hit from coronavirus".  Here is an extract:

The priority must be on stopping this pandemic.  However, after it is contained and the international economy is returned to normalcy, responsible governments must take a hard look at Chinese authoritarian political warfare and realize the danger it poses.  China will push back with claims that it will not tolerate a smear campaign.  But China must be held accountable.  We can, on that front, take a page from Sun Tzu's Art of War.  As he wrote, "What is of supreme importance is to attack the enemy's strategy."  It is time the U.S. and like-minded countries attack and neutralize the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian political warfare strategy.

I believe Colonel Maxwell is correct regarding the needed action, but I would say, even now, someone in the Department of State should be ticked off as the person to start organizing this effort.  And not a junior functionary, but a new George F Kennan.

Regards  —  Cliff

Plot to Remove Trump

For John, BLUF:  The folks in DC, and places like Portland, are looking more and more wacky.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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We're in a permanent coup

Here is the sub-headline:

Americans might soon wish they just waited to vote their way out of the Trump era

From the Blog of Reporter Matt Taibbi, 11 October 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

I’ve lived through a few coups. They’re insane, random, and terrifying, like watching sports, except your political future depends on the score.

The kickoff begins when a key official decides to buck the executive. From that moment, government becomes a high-speed head-counting exercise. Who’s got the power plant, the airport, the police in the capital? How many department chiefs are answering their phones? Who’s writing tonight’s newscast?

When the KGB in 1991 tried to reassume control of the crumbling Soviet Union by placing Mikhail Gorbachev under arrest and attempting to seize Moscow, logistics ruled. Boris Yeltsin’s crew drove to the Russian White House in ordinary cars, beating KGB coup plotters who were trying to reach the seat of Russian government in armored vehicles. A key moment came when one of Yeltsin’s men, Alexander Rutskoi – who two years later would himself lead a coup against Yeltsin – prevailed upon a Major in a tank unit to defy KGB orders and turn on the “criminals.”

We have long been spared this madness in America. Our head-counting ceremony was Election Day. We did it once every four years.

That’s all over, in the Trump era.

On Thursday, news broke that two businessmen said to have “peddled supposedly explosive information about corruption involving Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden” were arrested at Dulles airport on “campaign finance violations.” The two figures are alleged to be bagmen bearing “dirt” on Democrats, solicited by Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

This is sad if true, and there is a risk it is true.  Does anyone really want to get up tomorrow and go downtown to fight the Brownshirts or some Communist for?  Of Course not.  But…

I like the sketch of former FBI Director James Comey used with the piece.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Progs Have It Backward, and Can't Turn Around

For John, BLUF:  This reminds me of 2016, when Progressives told me I couldn't talk until I had renounced Candidate Trump.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Republicans should never again recite the Pledge of Allegiance

Here is the sub-headline:

Republicans are not showing loyalty but, rather, clearly exhibiting disloyalty.

From Nation of Change, by Mr Michael Payne, 19 July 2018.

I won't do any excerpts.  You can read the rant if you wish.  I would point out, however, that Mr Payne is clueless.  This Russian effort to diddle the American election of 2016 happened on President Obama's watch.  President Obama is not mentioned.  In fact, the failure of the US Government to properly act on the Russian efforts is glossed over.  No mention of the "stand down" order.  No mention of the missing DNC Server.♠  No mention of any of the mismanagement.  And what was FBI Agent Peter Strzok, Chief of the Counterespionage Section, doing all this time?

Let us hope it never goes to impeachment, since, IMHO, the revelations a good defense lawyer would rip bare would be a major embarrassment to the previous Administration.

In the mean time, Nation of Change may be loyal, but it isn't to the America envisioned by a fairly large segment of voters, Democrat as well as Republican.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  On something that is this big a deal to our national political process this would seem to call for extraordinary methods.