Tuesday, February 8, 2022

@17:40, , 2/7/22

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1

All Options Are Not on the Table as Biden Moves Troops Closer to Ukraine
The president’s opposition to sending U.S. troops into Ukraine reflects the mood of a war-wary Washington, as well as concerns about Russia’s nuclear arsenal. read more
 
Sabers are rattling.
 
2
Overhaul of Electoral Count Act Will Pass, Manchin Says
Senators working to overhaul the law said recent revelations about former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election made their work even more crucial. read more
 
A half measure.
 
3
The Crisis That Defined Blinken’s First Year
As the secretary of state enters his second year in office, Russia threatens, China looms and Afghanistan remains a challenge. read more
 
Much of the U.S. wants to go Crusading. 
The Afghans keep winning.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan

4
Where Fox News and Donald Trump Took Us
Roger Ailes understood the appeal Mr. Trump had for Fox viewers. He didn’t foresee how together they would redefine the limits of political discourse. read more
 
A toxic combination of autocrats
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy
 
5
U.S. Warns of Grim Toll if Putin Pursues Full Invasion of Ukraine
Biden administration officials told lawmakers that a large-scale Russian invasion could kill as many as 50,000 civilians and prompt a refugee crisis in Europe. read more
 
Sabers continue to rattle. 

6
‘Taking the Voters Out of the Equation’: How the Parties Are Killing Competition
The number of competitive House districts is dropping, as both Republicans and Democrats use redistricting to draw themselves into safe seats. read more
 
Gerrymandering works both ways.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy
 
7
Arizona Republicans Sought to Overturn Votes. Rusty Said No.
The speaker of the Republican-controlled Arizona House — who supported Donald J. Trump in 2020 — just torpedoed a bill that would have let lawmakers reject the results of an election. read more
 
Some Republicans are democrats.
 
8
In Scrutinizing Trump and His Allies, Jan. 6 Panel Adopts Prosecution Tactics
The House committee investigating the assault on the Capitol and what led to it is employing techniques more common in criminal cases than in congressional inquiries. read more
 
Treason
 
9
Man Charged in Kidnapping of Bloomberg’s Housekeeper From Colorado Ranch
The man was accused of kidnapping an employee of Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, and asking for the whereabouts of his daughters. read more
 
A man dreamed of another's wealth.
 
10
Esper Memoir of Trump Tenure to Move Ahead After Legal Battle Ends
The former defense secretary dropped a lawsuit against the Defense Department after it reversed decisions on what parts of his memoir were to be redacted, his lawyer said. read more
 
Trump should be in prison.
The part former defense secretary, Mark T. Esper played is not clear.
 
11
Where Fox News and Donald Trump Took Us
Roger Ailes understood the appeal Mr. Trump had for Fox viewers. He didn’t foresee how together they would redefine the limits of political discourse. read more
 
Treason.
 
12
Panel Backs Transfer of Guantánamo Detainee Suspected of 9/11 Role
The Biden administration is expected to send the detainee, whom the military tortured and so could not be put on trial, to Saudi Arabia as early as March. read more
 
The U.S. committed war crimes.
 
13
Ian Welsh1 day ago
Open Thread
[image: Open Thread] Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn read more
 
There are lifetimes to negotiate.
Sooner is better.    As soon as you can is best.
 
14
Ukraine Gave Up Nuclear Weapons 30 Years Ago. Today There Are Regrets.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine turned over thousands of atomic weapons in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the United States and other countries. read more
 
Some people do not consider enough of the consequences.
Nuclear war is thinkable. 

15
Biden Notes Economic Success as Employment and Wages Rise
President Biden is celebrating a historic year of job gains and trying to shift the narrative amid high inflation and a lingering virus that have many consumers glum. read more
 
A causal connection is not clear.
Biden's words give hope.
 
16
Why ‘Trust Us’ Is Often Reason Enough Not to Trust the Government
In the most sensitive government operations, the public can be beholden to the official narrative — which sometimes turns out to be wrong. Yet officials can be defensive about skepticism from the news media. read more
 
The demand for trust indicates a lack of understanding on all parts.
 
17 
Delta C.E.O. Asks U.S. to Put Unruly Passengers on the No-Fly List
The request came in a letter to the attorney general after an increase in complaints about violent and disruptive passengers during the pandemic. read more
 
Delta airlines is a regulated common carrier.
Only the regulating authority can bar passengers. 

18
Jan. 6 Defendant Seeks to Subpoena Trump as Witness at Trial
The request to have the former president testify faces an uphill fight, but it illustrates efforts by defendants to place him at the center of their cases. read more
 
The judge should deny this pointless exercise.
 
19 
President Biden extends solar tariffs, with major caveats.
The Biden administration extended tariffs on imported solar products but made changes to exempt many more products from the levies, a decision that angered some domestic producers. read more
 
These tariffs are Potemkin villages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

20
Ian Welsh2 days ago
The Ukraine Crisis Is Pushing Towards The Cold War
[image: The Ukraine Crisis Is Pushing Towards The Cold War] So, Biden has warned that other countries should not help Russia evade Ukraine based sanctions. Meanwhile, China’s Xi has backed Russia on its “no NATO expansion” demand, and received support in return: In the joint statement released by the Kremlin, Putin and Xi called on Nato to rule out expansion in eastern Europe, denounced the formation of security blocs in the Asia-Pacific region, and criticised the Aukus trilateral security pact between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. I don’t expect Russia to inva... read more
 
War powers are a way to structure a carbon free economy.

 

 

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