After decades of backing Israel ~95%, it’s difficult for me not to observe their words and actions with a more skeptical eye in the wake of Bibi Netanyahu’s corruption & sucking up to Vladimir Putin, he at least appeared to be part of the Trump-Putin axis to at least some degree.
Bibi went so far as to appear on Red Square at a military parade standing next to Putin & his military brass wearing a St George’s ribbon, which in our age has come to symbolize Putin’s plans for Novorossiya (most of which was -and is- to be carved from Ukraine’s hide).
And Bennett’s party is to the right of Netanyahu’s, while Jerusalem seems to think they need Russian cooperation in Syria.
There’s two sides to every story, Ukraine and its (Yiddish) president retain at least equal credibility in my eyes. I would say Netanyahu’s closeness to Trump & Putin did serious damage to Israeli credibility from the viewpoint of much of the free world- as many in Israel predicted
In response to Jarad Perry of Missouri, I am also from Missouri but now live in Florida full time. If you want any further proof that Republican candidates from Missouri are crazy, look no further than five of the Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate to replace retiring Senator Roy Blunt. One, Vicky Hartzler who ran to Mar-A-Lago to get Trump's endorsement as soon as she announced her candidacy (she didn't get it). Two, Mark McCloskey is the "shoot them as you see them" male part of the couple who brandished guns and threatened protestors in their neighborhood. Three, Eric Schmidt the current Attorney General who was one of the first AG's to sign the petition started by the Texas AG to decertify the 2020 election. Four, Eric Greitens, the former Governor of Missouri, who resigned in disgrace due to multiple investigations into his sexual misconduct and campaign finance allegations. He is endorsed by Rudy Guiliani (need I say more!). Five, Billy Long a current U.S. Rep who chose Kelly Ann Conway as his campaign manager (need I say more!). So I think there is more than enough proof that the Republican voters and Republican candidates in Missouri are truly without character and integrity.
I can back up basically what Jared said. Missouri's current governor is from a small town ,about 300, now lives in a "big" town pop. 11000. except for a hitch in the military 40 years ago, he has lived there all his life. I think he is basically a good person unlike our former Gov or our Jr Senator. Even so he has no idea how most of Missourians live or their problems. Then given the toxicity of the legislature there is nobody who wants to help him learn. Having grown up in the same area as the Governor and having lived for 40 years on the eastside of Kansas city in a working class neighborhood I understand the rural perspective and the urban perspective. So I tried to explain our governor to a friend who is an aid to our local legislator. She cut me off she didn't want to hear about it as far as she was concerned the Republicans were just a bunch of arrogant A--holes.
I spoke too soon. Just came back from walking the dog, lo and behold two Trump 2024 banners are back up on the garage. The kicker is there is a Ukrainian flag right below the other banners. What a effing hypocrite! Can't these people recognize that Trump tried to shake down the newly elected president of Ukraine not unlike a mob boss looking for a favor? They keep putting his first impeachment in a memory hole. You're right they are intellectually lazy.
On "wilful ignorance": For some time, a big theme on the right has been that "common sense" is more reliable than expertise. Not just that "experts" (in scare quotes) are sometimes mistaken, or sometimes miss parts of the bigger picture outside their niche, or might have an agenda. Not just that eggheads can get lost in abstraction. But that expertise itself leads to error, away from the "real world" truth, and that the average person living an ordinary life knows better about everything. This theme has been amplified by quasi-intellectuals.
In the early days of Covid, general-interest commentators loved to say "the experts are wrong!" -- and then they'd go on to make predictions that turned out far more wrong than anything said by any expert. But the critics of expertise don't need to be right. They just need to get attention.
Trump was the apotheosis of the anti-expertise theme, with his combination of comical ignorance, lack of interest in learning anything, and boundless confidence in his own superior wisdom. He was anointed the king of common sense, despite his pattern of absurd pronouncements.
I read just about every article Bulwark writers and contributors wrote. The ones that stand out to me the most were Amanda Carpenter, Will Saletan, Tim Miller and Mona Charen's musings. Each one thoughtfully pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump/Putin wing of the GOP. There is a man in my neighborhood for years had Trump banners emblazoned on his garage and house. Last week while walking my dog I noticed the banners were gone finally. I live in a devout Morman neighborhood and wonder did he have an epiphany or was it divine intervention in the form of 25 mile an hour winds? Is Ukraine finally the straw that broke the camel's back and people have come out of their 4-6 year coma's to realize Democracy is good, authoritarianism is bad.
I wrote Mr. Bunch about this, but as you commend his "Mr. Jones" podcast, permit me to say it was a shattering history lesson. I knew some of it, But Duranty's infamy exceeded my understanding. I find I am exposed to more great films these days.
After decades of backing Israel ~95%, it’s difficult for me not to observe their words and actions with a more skeptical eye in the wake of Bibi Netanyahu’s corruption & sucking up to Vladimir Putin, he at least appeared to be part of the Trump-Putin axis to at least some degree.
Bibi went so far as to appear on Red Square at a military parade standing next to Putin & his military brass wearing a St George’s ribbon, which in our age has come to symbolize Putin’s plans for Novorossiya (most of which was -and is- to be carved from Ukraine’s hide).
And Bennett’s party is to the right of Netanyahu’s, while Jerusalem seems to think they need Russian cooperation in Syria.
There’s two sides to every story, Ukraine and its (Yiddish) president retain at least equal credibility in my eyes. I would say Netanyahu’s closeness to Trump & Putin did serious damage to Israeli credibility from the viewpoint of much of the free world- as many in Israel predicted
In response to Jarad Perry of Missouri, I am also from Missouri but now live in Florida full time. If you want any further proof that Republican candidates from Missouri are crazy, look no further than five of the Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate to replace retiring Senator Roy Blunt. One, Vicky Hartzler who ran to Mar-A-Lago to get Trump's endorsement as soon as she announced her candidacy (she didn't get it). Two, Mark McCloskey is the "shoot them as you see them" male part of the couple who brandished guns and threatened protestors in their neighborhood. Three, Eric Schmidt the current Attorney General who was one of the first AG's to sign the petition started by the Texas AG to decertify the 2020 election. Four, Eric Greitens, the former Governor of Missouri, who resigned in disgrace due to multiple investigations into his sexual misconduct and campaign finance allegations. He is endorsed by Rudy Guiliani (need I say more!). Five, Billy Long a current U.S. Rep who chose Kelly Ann Conway as his campaign manager (need I say more!). So I think there is more than enough proof that the Republican voters and Republican candidates in Missouri are truly without character and integrity.
I can back up basically what Jared said. Missouri's current governor is from a small town ,about 300, now lives in a "big" town pop. 11000. except for a hitch in the military 40 years ago, he has lived there all his life. I think he is basically a good person unlike our former Gov or our Jr Senator. Even so he has no idea how most of Missourians live or their problems. Then given the toxicity of the legislature there is nobody who wants to help him learn. Having grown up in the same area as the Governor and having lived for 40 years on the eastside of Kansas city in a working class neighborhood I understand the rural perspective and the urban perspective. So I tried to explain our governor to a friend who is an aid to our local legislator. She cut me off she didn't want to hear about it as far as she was concerned the Republicans were just a bunch of arrogant A--holes.
I spoke too soon. Just came back from walking the dog, lo and behold two Trump 2024 banners are back up on the garage. The kicker is there is a Ukrainian flag right below the other banners. What a effing hypocrite! Can't these people recognize that Trump tried to shake down the newly elected president of Ukraine not unlike a mob boss looking for a favor? They keep putting his first impeachment in a memory hole. You're right they are intellectually lazy.
On "wilful ignorance": For some time, a big theme on the right has been that "common sense" is more reliable than expertise. Not just that "experts" (in scare quotes) are sometimes mistaken, or sometimes miss parts of the bigger picture outside their niche, or might have an agenda. Not just that eggheads can get lost in abstraction. But that expertise itself leads to error, away from the "real world" truth, and that the average person living an ordinary life knows better about everything. This theme has been amplified by quasi-intellectuals.
In the early days of Covid, general-interest commentators loved to say "the experts are wrong!" -- and then they'd go on to make predictions that turned out far more wrong than anything said by any expert. But the critics of expertise don't need to be right. They just need to get attention.
Trump was the apotheosis of the anti-expertise theme, with his combination of comical ignorance, lack of interest in learning anything, and boundless confidence in his own superior wisdom. He was anointed the king of common sense, despite his pattern of absurd pronouncements.
I read just about every article Bulwark writers and contributors wrote. The ones that stand out to me the most were Amanda Carpenter, Will Saletan, Tim Miller and Mona Charen's musings. Each one thoughtfully pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump/Putin wing of the GOP. There is a man in my neighborhood for years had Trump banners emblazoned on his garage and house. Last week while walking my dog I noticed the banners were gone finally. I live in a devout Morman neighborhood and wonder did he have an epiphany or was it divine intervention in the form of 25 mile an hour winds? Is Ukraine finally the straw that broke the camel's back and people have come out of their 4-6 year coma's to realize Democracy is good, authoritarianism is bad.
I wrote Mr. Bunch about this, but as you commend his "Mr. Jones" podcast, permit me to say it was a shattering history lesson. I knew some of it, But Duranty's infamy exceeded my understanding. I find I am exposed to more great films these days.
Loved the comment on Missouri (Republican) politics. It helped explain a lot.
So my Trumpy neighbor was astonished at how many of the Russian people believe Putin's lies. I wanted to punch him.
Thanks for all the links Charlie, I don't always see them or don' t have time to go find them.
And Thanks for The Bulwark...
I deeply appreciate The Bulwark’s Ukrainian coverage.