Ultimately the current crisis is like the first Trump impeachment because it still involves Ukraine president Zelenskyy, that nation’s foreign military support, and the continuing economic corruption that dominates global economies. It may resemble the Trump second impeachment in that Russia hopes to decapitate Ukraine’s government in the coming weeks. The Trump-GOP connection to this crisis couldn’t be clearer when drawing the line from the GOP’s Ukraine policy in 2016 to the continued praise for Putin at CPAC while also trying to be sympathetic to Ukraine, because Republicans are all about the shitposting. The end of the crisis might occur when Russia kills Zelenskyy.
But despite being outmanned and outgunned, Ukrainian forces have managed to repel many attacks and maintain control over their capital Kyiv.
The West has provided weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and NATO plans to send thousands more troops from its Response Force, the first time it has been used as a collective defence, to protect its allies near Ukraine and Russia.
Reuters reports that some of the 30 NATO allies have announced they will supply more weapons to Ukraine, including air defences.
Waschuk says Putin appeared not to anticipate the level of defence and response he is encountering from Ukraine.
"He, I think, had his own idea of Ukraine, a Ukraine where people would be greeting Russian soldiers with flowers and feeling great relief at being liberated from the drug addicts that he claims run the country," Waschuk said.
"But this is a bizarre, delusional belief on his part and it has been, I think, completely smashed by what's happened."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which Waschuk said the West might be reluctant to do, as shooting down a Russian aircraft would constitute an act of war.
He suggested that if a no-fly zone is used that it be put in gradually, applying only to missiles at first.
"We've had no-fly zones before. We had them over Syria, we had them over Libya, but never of course with a nuclear power led by a delusional, highly threatening leader," Waschuk said.
Retired major-general and CTV News military analyst David Fraser told News Channel on Saturday that anyone supporting Russia must be held accountable.
Along with Russia, countries also have imposed sanctions on Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for Russian forces.
"Anybody who is supporting this illegal invasion should be held accountable, and by extension politically, China should be encouraged not to engage," he said.
www.ctvnews.ca/...
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British right-winger Katie Hopkins, in an article in which she was interviewed with her friend American right-winger Ann Coulter, said “Putin rocks.”
Hopkins praised Russia as being “untouched by the myth of multiculturalism and deranged diversity.
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Talk show host Tucker Carlson said the U.S. should “rethink America’s alliances.”
Tucker Carlson basically derided people who claimed that Russia was our enemy.
Senator Rand Paul, who clearly has his own ties to Russia, agreed:
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The story really starts earlier when Putin began pumping money to people like Trump.
And when he infiltrated the NRA to make it into a right-wing paramilitary.
And when people like Paul Manafort went to help Putin install a puppet president in Ukraine.
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Trump-Russia love goes back to the late 1980s.
Donald Trump allowed anonymous buyers to purchase his luxury condos, and he didn’t ask any questions, so he became a magnet for dirty money.
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I'll skip to the part of the story when the Soviet Union dissolved and before democracy could take hold, a few bandits seized control of Russia's industries and resources.
They needed to launder their money.
Trump needed money.
It was a match made in heaven.💕
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Trump came to power on two lies: First, birtherism, which connected him with the white supremacist. Second lie: he was a successful businessman.
In fact, he was propped up by Russian money.
Now, for the political psychologists and the authoritarian personality.
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Those with an authoritarian disposition have a “bias against different others (racial and ethnic outgroups, immigrants).
They make up about 1/3 of the population.
@karen_stenner's research led her to conclude that This percentage occurs across cultures.
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They admire strong leaders, like Putin. They tend to fall in line.
They despise "weakness" and they fear people who are different. They like sameness and order, so diversity scares them.
There. In 13 tweets. Why they love Putin.
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Now that Russia bombs (their) homes, the really tough people like Zelenskyy are fighting back, and civilians are confronting Russian soldiers, watch as the Republicans try to distance themselves from Putin.
Don't let them.
Make them go down with Putin's ship.
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Appellate lawyers compulsively cite sources, so here's a partial bibliography for this thread:
Paxton, Anatomy of Fascism
Stenner, Authoritarian Dynamic
Gessen, How Totalitarianism Recaimed Russia
Snyder, Road to Unfreedom
Also:
justsecurity.org/60528/understa…
The great Trump+Putin = 💕 continues.
Trump has no choice but to sing Putin's praises.
Just suppose Putin got really angry and started telling the world about some of their private conversations.
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