Schmidt on Ukraine and this moment

[cilla4progress]

Link to tweet

?t=T9cDu-STSnzlP8LtkcXVaw&s=19

Great leaders lead their countries to do right, even when it is unpopular.

In the end, the people will see.

[Walleye]

1. That's why I'm so glad we have a Joe. He is very good at ignoring the clamoring

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. It's nice to finally have a REAL Commander in Chief back in the White House

Link to tweet

[PortTack]

3. Thank god for our President!

[Buckeyeblue]

4. But wasn't that also the case pre-WWII?

We let our greatest ally, Great Britain, get bombed night after night without taking action. It wasn't until Japen bombed a a distant Naval Base that sentiment changed.

Americans don't understand the rest of the world.

And yet I find myself being uncharacteristically hawkish about this stand off.

[AngryOldDem]

17. I think there's a difference between isolationism, rampant in the '30s...

…and what we’re seeing now. FDR’s Lend-Lease program was a way to counter the resistance to getting involved until Pearl Harbor forced us to enter the Pacific Theater.

Now, people don’t care because history is not taught, much less valued.

Ukraine, I cautiously think, is a justified conflict. Russia cannot be allowed to be at Western Europe’s doorstep. We don’t know the extent of Putin’s adventurism yet, and although Biden has said no troops will be sent in, I’m afraid we must be open to that. And I don’t say that lightly, either.

[Effete Snob]

5. Hmmm... maybe trying to foist Sarah Palin as a legitimate candidate was, like...

...one step on a road to where we are.

[cilla4progress]

6. Totally agree

He's not quite as smart as he thinks he is


He is a powerful voice on our side of the autocracy/democracy divide who many respect and listen to.

[deRien]

13. I think Reagan

was one of the first steps on this road... a B actor becoming president... with onset Alzheimer's... it's been a rocky road to this day in time...

[calimary]

19. Yep. Reagan was the beginning of the end.

Packaging perfection. Harmless, adorable lovable old “Uncle Ronnie”! And he sold America straight down the river, while reading a teleprompter like a star.

[Joinfortmill]

7. 👍

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. What does he think we should be doing?

[cilla4progress]

9. Here you go!

Link to tweet

?t=BSmUTM3nbMKpR8fFgkPzHw&s=19

[WhiskeyGrinder]

10. No, I meant those of us living our American life. Does he think we should feel ripples?

[KPN]

22. I fell like he thinks we should be uniformly energized

and united against Putin’s threat to the western world. Which we are not, for at least two reasons: 1) some on the right actually support Putin for a variety of reasons but primarily because they are uninformed or support authoritarianism or white supremacy; and/or 2) they don’t see how Putin’s venture directly affects them personally and are therefore apathetic. There is also that share of the public that pays no attention to news and are consequently beyond apathetic, that is, ignorant.

I tend to agree with Schmidt’s expression. He’s talking about America and Americans generally — not Biden or any particular members of Congress.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. I agree. It's as if we're back in 1949 with the Iron Curtain ushering in the Cold War

[Baked Potato]

12. There is a lack of understanding in America

how incredibly dangerous the real world is and how difficult it is to motivate it’s people to lay one’s life on the line to protect Democracy.

To many, it’s easier to believe there is an invisible god-shield protecting us all and if arms must be taken up, well that’s just something someone else can do if they want.

[Sympthsical]

14. "Now watch this cable news appearance!"

Yeah, I can't imagine why on earth Americans aren't as informed and given context in the way they probably should be.

People who live entirely with the sphere of MSM lecturing others on why Americans don't know as much as they should.

I dunno, Steve. Total mystery! Thanks for the Tweet. Please like and subscribe.

[kairos12]

15. Agree. People in the U.S. are just yawning about this.

[L. Coyote]

16. Or cheering on our enemies.

Link to tweet

[calimary]

20. Yep. Sad to say.

[AmBlue]

24. Twisted f*cks

No other way to describe these freaks. They turn my stomach.

[maxsolomon]

18. We are insular. It comes with our Privilege.

The vast majority of Americans will be more concerned with the impact on the price of gas.

[calimary]

21. Yep. Sad to say on this, too.

[L. Coyote]

23. From a Facebook post, unverified data:

For those who ask: “Why does Ukraine matter? “
This is why Ukraine matters.
It is the second largest country by area in Europe by area and has a population
of over 40 million - more than Poland.
Ukraine ranks:
1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;
2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves;
2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world's reserves);
2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);
2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves;
3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)
4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;
7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)
Ukraine is an important agricultural country:
1st in Europe in terms of arable land area;
3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world's volume);
1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;
2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports;
3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;
4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;
5th largest rye producer in the world;
5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);
8th place in the world in wheat exports;
9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs;
16th place in the world in cheese exports.
Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.
Ukraine is an important industrialised country:
1st in Europe in ammonia production;
Europe's 2nd’s and the world’s 4th largest natural gas pipeline system;
3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants;
3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km);
3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment;
3rd largest iron exporter in the world
4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;
4th world's largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;
4th place in the world in clay exports
4th place in the world in titanium exports
8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates;
9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products;
10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).
Ukraine matters. That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world.