I can't watch it anymore

[KentuckyWoman]

I am 82. I don't get around good. I can't buy a plane ticket and a gun and head there to help. I'm giving what money I can scrape together to send for humanitarian aid.

Ukraine is being decimated. Civilians deliberately targeted. Children's cancer hospitals, old folks homes, schools, churches, hospitals - even orphanages.

If anyone thinks they stop in Ukraine they are nuts. I grew up in the shadow of the last one who pulled this shit. In between we've had it on a smaller scale.

World sanction aren't going to do anything. No one wants to go head to head with Putin and his thugs on the ground carrying out the orders. Well, we can do it now or do it after half of Europe is in ruins and god knows what else. They'll blow those nuclear plants in a minute, without the smallest regret.

We sat on our hands so many times while people around the world were slaughtered. Finally sending in a "peacekeeping" force if we bother to do anything. Rwanda. Zaire. Bosnia. Sudan ....

No we can't solve it all but there's got to be more than just "sanctions". Please... there has to be something more.

This is awful.

[Achilleaze]

1. Awful

[secondwind]

2. 😶

[CTyankee]

3. I'm your age and I feel so frightened for these poor people. But I think we can have hope that we

have a good, decent man in the White House and good, decent women and men in Congress and we can look forward to a woman of color sitting on our Supreme Court. I am thrilled about these happenings. It could be so, so much worse!

Take heart in the good we have!

[Sherman A1]

4. It is indeed awful and will likely get worse,, however sanctions have only been in place for a short

time. Perhaps we need to let things move along a bit before declaring that they won't work?

I'm in no hurry to get into a hot war with any country at this time.

[KentuckyWoman]

10. I hope you are right

No one wants a war. Upon that we certainly agree.

[wnylib]

17. I agree that we could be doing more

without getting into a direct hot war with Russia. Keep the sanctions, but they do take time that Ukraine does not have. So we need to give Ukraine all the weapons that they need, without hesitation or delay.

[colorado_ufo]

23. Just stop the oil.

No one should buy Russian oil, no country.
Gas prices up? Adapt! No one seems to even remember ration books from World War II, even for items such as sugar and butter much less gas. We need to get out of the mindset that, yes, we should do something but only if it doesn't inconvenience us.

[wnylib]

25. Yes, that, too.

Agree that we need to get out of the mindset of refusing to accept inconvenience. But there is also the problem that the RW Putin supporters in the US would make a big political issue out of the inconvenience.

[SergeStorms]

43. Carpooling.

You seldom see that anymore either. One person in each car. Their personal domain.

During the 70s oil embargo it seemed everyone pulled together, if not for oil conservation purposes, but for economic reasons (which inadvertently led to oil conservation). My Dad had three other men who all took turns driving to work one week per month. They used 75% less gas per month collectively.

People should start that again, if possible, and with public transportation we'd save a huge amount of oil. We wouldn't have to import any of Russia's black goo.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

12. Indeed, give it 6 months, Americans are so used to quick solutions, Russia war grinds on anyway

They dont care about troop or equipment losses, even less about civilian losses, they will lubricate their tank tracks with Ukrainian blood

[Sherman A1]

14. I believe that the Russian tanks that are moving

depending on their fuel and maintenance status are not lubricating much of anything but they are nice targets for ATGMs (anti tank guided missiles).

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

31. If Odessa falls then things will be clearer, maybe 6 weeks till then, they want the S coast

[Lonestarblue]

19. And how many more Ukrainians must die in those six months as we wait for sanctions to work?

Yesterday there was an OP with a letter from a Russian saying that the sanctions are not hurting Putin and the government. They are hurting average Russians. And even if those average Russians, who have reason to fear the police state they live in, rise up in protest, any actions toward Putin would again take months if not years. Sanctions will eventually hurt Putin and his despotic government, but we should remember the billions he has socked away.

As KentuckyWoman said, we can fight now when Putin’s army appears weak or we can give Ukraine to him and watch as he razes cities and murders Ukrainians (only to watch all over again as he takes Moldova and the Baltic states next year) or we can make a stand now. Neither is a great option, but allowing Putin to regroup and strengthen his army seems foolish.

[SheltieLover]

24. Agreed!

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

30. Wait, you want to fight Russia right now? With what, our planes and troops in Europe?

Just say no to world war

[Calculating]

55. Just say no to genocide

Which is what Russia is doing.

[onecaliberal]

5. We're watching genocide.

[Srkdqltr]

6. I'm 80. I dont get around well. I see old women bent over as I am

Carrying all their things running from the evil. I understand how you feel. I don't know what to do either. I know Poland will be next if he isn't stopped. I hurt for the extremely brave people who are doing all in their power to slow this down . There has to be a way.

[Glorfindel]

7. I share your feelings, KentuckyWoman...

I'm almost 77 and also feel helpless.

[Tomconroy]

8. The only way it ends is with America intervening. That simple.

[Sherman A1]

15. We have intervened with equipment and sanctions

give it a little bit to see how what we have done plays out.

[Tomconroy]

18. Does Ukraine have any time?

[Sherman A1]

28. I don't know for sure what amount of time they have,

but neither do you know that they do not have sufficient time for sanctions and the weaponry that we have provided will work out.

This isn't going to be solved quickly. Direct US Military involvement could very well lead to something that we seriously do not want to see either there or here. Are you willing to risk a much wider escalation of this war? I for one am not that interested in seeing such occur.

[wnylib]

20. Agree, but let's give them more weapons.

[Sherman A1]

29. We and our NATO partners have already shipped a great deal of weaponry

likewise non aligned nations such as Sweden and Finland have also done so. I am sure that you are aware of this having come to pass.

[wnylib]

35. Yes, of course I am aware.

I am also aware that Zelensky is pleading for a no fly zone, which we can't do without coming into direct war with Russia. But we could provide Ukraine with the necessary planes and anti aircraft weapons to create their own no fly zone.

[Sherman A1]

38. We have shipped AA weapons to them

Planes are problematic as there is little time to train their pilots on new systems and the Polish deal is still up in the air.

[wnylib]

54. Could we just buy the Polish planes outright

and give them to Ukraine instead of the plane trade off plan?

Or, is there another source besides Poland for the planes that Zelensky wants? I'm no good at identifying the types of aircraft, but as I understand it, Zelensky wants a type of plane that Russia made and sold to Poland. Nobody else has such planes?

Is there something similar enough that pilots would need minimal retraining to fly them? Training on different planes, even if it takes longer, seems better than no planes.

[Emile]

9. We're just getting over a worldwide pandemic and Putin

is trying his best to start a nuclear worldwide war. I'm so sick of this crazy shit!

[gab13by13]

11. I think we should ship drones to Ukraine,

and teach them how to fly them. They are equipped with Hell fire missiles and some can even do air to air fighting. We have a lot of drones that could be shipped there now.

I say drones because it appears that Poland giving jets to Ukraine isn't going to happen.

[wnylib]

21. Drones and anything else that Ukraine requests.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

34. Exactly. Follow Z's lead/requests

[appalachiablue]

13. I understand you, a fast growing nightmare. Stay well.

[jaxexpat]

16. Send as many backpack launchers and missiles as can be transported to the Ukrainians.

Armor piercing, ground to air, anti-personnel, heat seeking, yes please.

[hamsterjill]

22. I could have written this post.

Thank you for your thoughts.

I feel the same way - about it all. Add to that the fact that I’m watching my country throw away the very democracy that we’ve all worked so hard to have the honor of living under.

We are already in WWIII. It just hasn’t been admitted yet. May God help us.

[2Gingersnaps]

40. So true!

The UN and NATO were created for this very purpose, "never again." This is what every rational thinking person has feared since nuclear bombs were dropped at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, nuclear weapons in the hands of someone willing to use them for his greater glory. And mitigation against a global pandemic is the excuse used to pretend "our freedom" is threatened? Exactly, God help us.

[gab13by13]

26. Drones could be a game changer,

"Malcolm Nance" He was absolutely spot on at the onset when he pushed the US to send Stingers and Javelins.

Drones would help to even up control of the air.

[SheltieLover]

27. I couldn't agree more!

Now the UN is preventing staff from using "war" and "invasion" so as not to piss off the murderer!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216456787

Sickening!

[BumRushDaShow]

39. That was debunked on Snopes today Sheltie

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=16457262

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/un-ban-word-war-russia-ukraine/

We have to start being careful about news sources nowadays because if we thought that there was enough fake shit coming out of Faux Snooze, it's about to get ratcheted up even more.

[SheltieLover]

49. Ty so much, BRTS!

I have been in hyper pissed mode here!

You are, of course, correct! I saw that post & hit the roof!

[BumRushDaShow]

50. It sounded bogus to me

because that is something that nefarious anti-U.N. trolls would put out there - and not just those from places like Russia but the whole damn GOP, who every time they get a President elected, makes sure that the U.S. DOESN'T pay (nor catches up on payment of) its annual dues.

[SheltieLover]

52. Yup

[mrsadm]

56. I read recently that Russian press were prevented from using the word "war"

prevented by the Russian govt. ... Maybe that fact got turned around into the UN by passing on errors.

[BumRushDaShow]

57. It expect it was intentional to blur the source of who actually promoted that

Typical "projection".

[Jarqui]

32. Similar sentiments

My eyes are going. Hearing is going. Both major types of arthritis. Other health issues. But I contemplated if there was some way I could go over to fight. My father trained soldiers for WW2 how to shoot and fight hand to hand. I learned those lessons pretty well. Our family has served for generations. My wife would have a conniption.

Our children deserve to be left a world in better shape. We talked a good story over the years but the results are not so hot.

I agree. This is not just about Ukraine. If Putin snatches Ukraine, somewhere else is next. There's nothing to stop him. We have to dig in and make a stand now. I'm so taken with the defiance and courage demonstrated by the people of Ukraine. Have to find a way to help them. I'm looking ... and open to suggestions.

[SheltieLover]

33. Kicking again!

[2Gingersnaps]

36. Thank you! Right there with you.

Most of my life I have been militantly antiwar. Since I was a kid the wars have been "Cold War slaughter them there so we don't face them here." And wars of other peoples natural resources. Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House because he knew in the late 70's where global warming and increasing competition for finite fossil based energy sources was going. Most Faith based President in the history of our nation, arguably. "Total fool" they said. Not one of them were lowered into a nuclear reactor to prevent a melt down at the age of 27. Tax cuts to entice corporations and stock holders to desire to make more money were more important. Extreme Sarcasm. Enter the "charming, folksy" spokes President Actor. And here we are. And this time, this one is the one we all feared. The true threat.

[calimary]

46. President "Aw shucks" was the beginning of the end.

My dad loved Ronald Reagan. After that mercenary bastard took the White House and started implementing his “policies” and his “greed is good” philosophy, my dad turned to me at the dinner table and said “well, what do you think of Reagan now?” And I remember responding “Dad, what I think of Reagan, I’m not gonna say at the dinner table.”

[orangecrush]

37. Welcome to the club

The only videos I watch from there anymore are blown up russian columns.

[marieo1]

41. Total Agreement

I am an older lady, too, and I am heartsick by what people do to each other. Especially Russia...........Ukranians are their neighbors - how can Putin and his ilk be so cruel. Even in our country, I am heartsick about all the protests, protests...............about anything and everything. Why aren't people just glad to be alive and live, enjoy their lives and help each other. Sure, we might not all think exactly alike but..............SO WHAT!! We can still love, respect and care about all humanity and respect other peoples beliefs and opinions.

[lastlib]

42. The UN is toothless, given Russia's veto power. NATO is effectively blind.

I think a new international organization is needed--a "United Democracies" that supports and is supported by all nations with democratically elected governmnents. It's the only way to stand up to the tyrants of the world.

[TeamProg]

44. I'm betting Putin doesn't want his families nuked - or kidnapped for ransome or murdered. n/t

[LaMouffette]

45. Kentucky Woman, I feel the same way. My heart is breaking for the people of Ukraine! However, . . .

it would be so extremely easy for this crisis to escalate into a full-blown nuclear war. It seems like Putin is looking for justification to use one of Russia's smaller nukes, and if they do, what then?

So I am trusting in President Biden, who, unlike Traitor Trump, is NOT relying on his own personal "gut" feelings (and on his desire to please Putin) and is instead relying on his decades of experience in foreign affairs and is gathering information from all of the US's military leaders and from our NATO allies on how to proceed.

Here's some good news, though: the British have sent thousands of light, antitank weapons to Ukraine. These are portable weapons that individual Ukrainians can, and are, using to blast the shit out of the Russians' tanks.

British-provided 'one shot one kill' missiles are helping Ukrainians punch holes in Russian armor

The NLAW anti-tank missiles provided to Ukraine by the UK is proving itself in fighting around Ukraine.
The portable, shoulder-fired missile is easy to use and has earned praise from Ukrainian troops.

British-provided NLAW anti-tank system turning the tide in Ukraine — Scrappy NLAW anti-tank missiles have the punch to eliminate Russian tanks.

The Next Generation Light Antitank Weapon (NLAW) was provided by the British before the war in January. The Ukrainians are setting up counter-attacks and ambushes in the suburbs of Kyiv on Russian armored columns using the NLAW. The NLAW system is proving its mettle.

Since the NLAWs came over before the war started, they were able to be distributed widely to soldiers, and the Ukrainians are taking the initiative to blast Russian armor.

[link:https://www.businessinsider.com/british-provided-nlaw-missiles-help-ukraine-destroy-russian-armor-2022-3|

I can so see these weapons as being especially effective in the hands of the courageous and determined Ukrainians.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

59. Great post. Especially the part about Biden. There may not be any great answers, and

I find it hard to be hopeful about our world. But thank goodness TFG is not in power. Though, his time in power did help lead to this tragedy.

[Moostache]

47. The media (as per usual) is blowing this story...

The horrors of war in civilian areas never changes...whether it was seige warfare or carpet bombing or Hiroshima / Nagasaki, the suffering of the people is always most acute in the places furthest from the progenitors of these wars. Rich old men start wars that kill poor young men and women and children indiscriminately. Same as it ever was...until now.

Now we have the same horrors on TV and internet videos. We have the same children orphaned or orphans to begin with, suffering, dying, crying and starving. Mourning mother, fathers, grandparents. War is always hideous and always horrifying. This was true in 1500 BC, 35 AD, 1860, 1914, 1939, 1952, 1968, 2003, on through to today. But this is different.

Why is this different? The answer to that relies on how we answer another question...do we believe Putin would launch nuclear missiles into Ukraine? Into Poland? Into Germany? Into France? Into England? Into the United States? Do we believe that Putin would rather destroy the planet than admit his failed planning and rejected ideology are lies? Do we know for certain that he would NOT do so?

In world history, we have had madmen in power, men in power who went mad, and men with maddening power (nukes)...but today we face one man who is all three at the same time. Worse yet, Putin is openly threatening to use nuclear weapons in warfare between nation-states. The Cold War was different. Proxy wars between east and west were a different kind of horror, but there was no direct, open and overt threat to use nukes to the extent there is right now. In Vietnam and Korea and Afghanistan and Central America, Russians and Americans fought through various other groups that deflated the risks of direct, mano y mano fighting. It is no longer separatist regions in Ukraine fighting, where we could send in a UN peacekeeping force to stop the violence and allow for a negogiated settlement...we have Russian regulars invading and shelling Ukrainian cities, populations and infrastructure. We will not take the only steps that could stop that - a defensive line of NATO troops in a non-member state, trying to block the Russians from the Ukranain people. Because Putin knows this - both through the reality on the ground and through his previous bad-behavior "wins" in Syria, Georgia, Crimea, and more - it makes him a unique threat in human history at this moment.

The risks have to be stated, understood, evaluated and then actioned against the worst case scenario. Are we in the USA willing to see Warsaw or Kviv or Berlin or Paris leveled? What about Los Angeles or Chicago or New York or Washington DC destroyed and the millions of lives that would be lost for the benefit of democracy ABROAD? Jesus H. Christ...the January 6th committee is attacked ruthlessly by the GOP HERE AT HOME...we cannot risk a nuclear war with only 60% of the public on-board. We are NOT a United States at this time in history, we fail even that time-honored test of internal disagreements ending at the shores...we have opposition party members OPENLY SUPPORTING THE ENEMY...the text book definition of treason. Yet, we can't find the courage to act HERE...what makes anyone believe it can be found to act THERE? We have an internal challenge to democratic rule already underway - voting rights are being savaged and election rules are being placed in order to facilitate the theft of future elections. We have to get our house in order first before we allow the events of the world stage to take all of our focus off of our own government's peril.

We are not willing to fight a nuclear war for Ukraine. Period. We can be horrified by the images, saddened to our very core by the savagery of the Russians under Putin, but we won't do anything more than we have so far - only changes in volume but not active engagement. We will send planes to Poland and facilitate the transfer of assets to Ukraine, but we will not establish and enforce a no-fly zone and shoot down Russians ourselves. We can't without providing the flimsiest rationale for Putin to nuke Warsaw or Kyiv or worse.

The solution is targetted regime change in Russia - either by revolt of the oligarchs or military or people, or as distasteful as the concept is, by assassination and decapitation of the Putin regime. The media is not openly or honestly debating this central question - does the West REALLY care? because they are using the horrors of war and suffering much like video footage of starvation in Ethiopia in 1984.

We are the World (USA for AFRICA)
Do they know its Christmas? (Band-AID)
Live-AID 1985

All of those events / records / actions started because of the video footage of starving children and horrors in drought-striken Africa back then. The media now is using the same play book - show the suffering, but don't discuss the root causes, don't get in-depth, don't expose the powers that be and how their actions PRODUCE this kind of suffering. Same thing today...media outlets can ramp up the pressure to make change a reality by demanding answers from business interests that are even today allowing back door transactions to keep oligarchs functioning in Russia.

I understand the axiom all too well - if it bleeds, it leads is still the mantra of "news" media and it is maddening.

[calimary]

51. Hah! The "mantra" of the news media.

Working IN that news media for years, I learned that you ask three basic questions (particularly in visual media like TV):
1) what happened?
2) who cares?
3) what do we see?

For radio, #3 would lean more towards - what do we hear? - although you sure can “see” what’s being described, if it’s done well and colorfully enough.

One TV station where I worked, the executive producer LOVED flames. A little two-story apartment house fire on some side street would lead the 10pm news because of the dramatic - and local - visuals. Didn’t much matter what matters of great importance were going on in Washington DC or the mayor’s or governor’s offices. Those flames led the news.

[Jetheels]

48. It is all very heartbreaking, the state of the world.

[Skittles]

53. I hear you

I don't watch news, and reading it is stressful enough

[hydrolastic]

58. I blame Trump

I know he has Plausible deniability but his actions has emboldened Putin. I hope we can do something I would attend a protest if there was one.

[Hekate]

60. I know

[hunter]

61. I turned off the television news and opinion twenty years ago.

Shortly after 9-11-2001.

My wife and I quit all traditional cable-satellite-broadcast television a few years later.

Whenever I have actual opportunities to make this world a better place the news reaches me through other channels.

[jimlup]

62. I agree except for the nuclear situation which I can't see how we solve.

Problem is Putin will go nuclear if he thinks he might win it. That means he WILL GO NUCLEAR and then the planet is in peril.

We are talking major extinction event and perhaps our species.... I don't know how this will end but I don't like the prospects. If I could see a way out I'd advocate for it but I don't know a way out other than the Russian people rebelling against Putin.

[Joinfortmill]

63. I hear you.

[oasis]

64. We need to PUT PUTIN DOWN. He's a mad dog. nt

[onetexan]

65. +1 -K&R

[The Jungle 1]

66. I support President Biden 100%.

He is handling russia with great skill. Their economy is shut off. The ruble has crashed. We are sending stingers and javelins. Unlike Afghanistan, the people of Ukraine are fighting for their country.
Polling as of February shows that puketin still had 70% support of the filthy russian people. I am done with them forever. Their leader is killing babies and civilians yet they love him. It is time for them to taste hunger. russia cannot survive without the world economy! We will crush them and we better make them suffer for a long time.
I am 66 and I remember bomb drills in school because of russia. The reason We have to pay for NATO is because of russia.
The russian people just don't understand.