PUTIN JUST TOLD US WHAT HE'S PLANNING
Putin Just Told Us What He´s Planning
Oct. 1, 2022
By Alexander Baunov
Mr. Baunov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Vladimir Putin´s speech on Friday, in which he formally proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, was many things: a distorted history lecture, a rather tedious enumeration of supposed Western sins, an airing of grievances and a vaunting of power. For all the rhetorical flourish ´ accusing Western elites of Satanism, for example ´ it was in many ways a typical address from Mr. Putin.
But it was also something else: a plan. Amid the bluster and veiled threats, the president made three distinct points that, taken together, form a blueprint for war and peace.
First, Mr. Putin claimed in his speech that this week´s explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines were the work of the United States. In one move, that frees Russia from having to excuse its failure ´ now or in the future ´ to deliver gas supplies by that route. That alone is a victory. But this accusation also hinted that Russia may now be entitled to respond in kind, in effect threatening Western pipelines with sabotage. The weaponizing of energy supplies could take on a new dimension: not only reducing supplies from Russia but also hindering the delivery of energy from other places.
Second, Mr. Putin suggested that talks for ending the war should begin immediately. He appealed to Ukraine to cease hostilities, withdraw its troops from the new "Russian" territories and sit down at the negotiating table.
The same type of ultimatum was issued on the eve of Russia´s invasion of Ukraine. On Feb. 21, Mr. Putin formally recognized the so*called Donetsk and Luhansk People´s Republics. After clarifying that he meant the entire regions, not just the areas controlled by the separatists, he then demanded that the Ukrainian Army withdraw from both. Within a few days, he launched his invasion.
There is a difference between the state of affairs now and the situation in the spring, when everyone was reeling from the invasion of the world´s second*largest army into a sovereign state. Mr. Putin´s latest threat comes after a humiliating retreat from the Kharkiv region. It was this military setback that pushed Russia to announce the mobilization and the annexation, and it seems highly unlikely that the Ukrainians will consider Russia´s request for talks seriously this time around. On the contrary, Ukraine has repeatedly said that annexation would mean an end to any attempt at negotiations with Mr. Putin´s Russia. For Ukrainians, after what happened this week, even sitting down at the negotiating table would amount to surrender.
This leads us to Mr. Putin´s third point: that the United States "created a precedent" for the use of nuclear weapons with its bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It´s not hard to work out the implication. If the West continues to send weapons to Ukraine and refuses to put pressure on Kyiv to agree to a solution that would satisfy Russia, Mr. Putin may resort to the nuclear option.
There is one clear explanation as to why the use of a nuclear weapon or even talking about it is a great temptation for Mr. Putin and those who share his views about Russia´s standing in the world. Equality is understood by them in a very blunt, practically arithmetical way. To be equal to the United States, Russia must show that it can do anything the Americans can, regardless of when they did it or what the context was.
This symmetrical concept of equality and an almost superstitious idea of global justice are pushing Mr. Putin and some people around him to go for the nuclear option ´ especially since the prospect of Russia winning a conventional war is uncertain, if not improbable, and the Kremlin doesn´t recognize any exit strategy that cannot be passed off as some sort of victory.
This conflict is increasingly presented as existential for Russia. Mr. Putin and many Russian commentators want to convince the outside world that they are serious. Their argument is "Many didn´t believe we were going to invade Ukraine or annex more of its territory, but we did. Now you don´t believe that we are going to use nuclear weapons, but we are not bluffing."
This is Mr. Putin´s message, and the mood in the Russian elite is noticeably gloomy and fatalistic. There is, however, one significant difference between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and threats to resort to nuclear weapons. Before the invasion, Russia fiercely denied having any intention of invading. Now it´s doing the opposite.
Alexander Baunov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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Lawrence A Finale
Lawrence of Neasden,
Man of action in the past,
Reflected with dismay
How life had moved so fast.
So many years gone now
Since they´d gone to war
And Lawrence no longer
Rode his camel anymore.
It´s ashes rest in an urn
On the mantle shelf
Alongside photos of it
And Lawrence himself,
All dressed in style
In their combat gear
With others of the Corps
All paraded in the rear.
Sometimes it brought
Many tears to his eye
When he recalled
Their last fond goodbye
Before they´d all dispersed
Their duties well done
Secure in the knowledge of
A fine victory won.
There´s an empty space now
There in Lawrence´s carport
Where in the state of emergency
All the troops would report.
He can hear the harness jingle,
Hear the camels throaty roar,
Where in his mind Lawrence
Rides his camel once more.
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Loyal to the Faith
Be not afraid to testify,
About Jesus Christ our Lord;
While staying in one accord,
And in being loved and adored.
Share in the suffering of Christ,
Who called us to holy calling;
And how much He had sacrificed,
Might be considered appalling.
The Gospel that has been decreed,
That is calling by His power;
For His mercy which will succeed,
Gives purpose and grace each hour.
A holy calling in which He gave,
In Christ Jesus before time began;
Rescuing us as from the grave,
For every last woman and man.
This has now been manifested,
Through appearance of our Savior;
In ridding death as attested,
An afterlife to shine favor.
I was appointed a poet,
A preacher teaching the Gospel;
Never considered a prophet,
But to suffer for the people.
But I am not to be ashamed,
For I know what I do believe;
Convinced of what I have proclaimed,
For salvation that I receive.
Follow the pattern of the Word,
In the faith and the love of Christ;
Everything that you read and heard,
The Holy Spirit has enticed.
Copyright ©2022 Richard Newton Sherrer
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State Of Affairs
State Of Affairs Walking along singing a song in the mist of chaos, looked upon in disbelief. A smile and a kind gesture is all they’ll get from me. Many haven’t realized there is more to this life than meets the eye. Too caught up in he said she said, man said God said over days gone by. Never found the activity very appealing. The Fault finding, blame seeking and name calling often on assumptions to the point its appalling. No,I fill my heart with love sending it before me as
my path knowing what I give to others, I also give
myself. Bottom line we are all sister and brothers. The state of affairs we find ourselves in, makes it Difficult not to belief we are victims of a system. As we
Shift away from fear everything will become clear. We the People, all races, cultures and nations in Collective Unity or at war, the choice is mine and Yours.
World peace begins at home in each humans soul.
We all see it coming so blatant are their ways, even
prodcast all the forth coming horrors on the nightly News
playing a script out of a future film giving us a preview . Turn off the television, walk away from the lies and
propaganda ,.stop feeding Big Corps and Pharma they
couldn’t Careless the ill effects their self*serving profits render. Yes, a fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves in ,waiting we are as though sitting ducks, Isn’t it time to stop passing
the buck and proclaim we the people have had enough.?
Joy Hardy Oct 4, 2022
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THE HURT INSIDE
THE HURT INSIDE
When the heart is hurting
The sky always seems black,
The world is upside down
And nothing is on track.
No matter where you look
Nothing can make you smile,
Everything that you do
Just seems to be a trial.
Tears may fall from your eyes
Showing the hurt inside,
Tears are our release valve
So the heart cannot hide.
copyright´2022 Elsie
Elsie`s Poetry ~*~ Poet5170
http://poetrypoem.com/poet5170
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Super Gayman FBI
Super Gay Man FBI
Before Superman or Batman
Before Obama and Obiden,
There was Super Gayman
J. Edgar Hoover loved being a G*Man. It's obviously clear as to why. Being a bit queer is still a desired trait within the FBI.
By
Abu Lateef
´ 2022
´
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Phone Zombies
Phone Zombies
They walk the streets, oblivious,
in everybody's town;
you'll know them by the way their eyes
are always looking down!
In crowded streets, they move in throngs,
in unison, no less.
How they get 'round, eyes toward the ground
is anybody's guess.
What mesmerizing powers
do those hand*held gadgets send,
to stay imbued with both eyes glued
to screens for hours on end?
On rare occasions, they'll look up,
recording strange events.
Then back to play, they'll look away,
down at the new contents.
How can such people get through life
with eyes fixed on their phone,
with a spellbound mind that's media*blind
with no thoughts of their own?
~William
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a claim of a universe
the universe is a claim of a claim
the universe is a claim of a stake
to claim the universe is to direct the universe
the future direct the future
the future direct the stake of the future
the stake of the future is the direct of the future
the stake of the future is the stake of a direction
the universe is a direct universe
the universe is a direct claim
science claim science
the direction of the universe is the direction of science
to direct is to direct science to its claim
to direct is to direct the direction of science
science claim its direction of the universe
honorary is honorary of science
honorary is honorary of a direction
honorary is honorary of a claim
honorary is honorary of a claim stake
in honor is in honor of a honorary science
in honor is in honor of a future science
in honor is in honor of a claim science
author notes : my writing is called philosophical writing. i only uses middle ages words,words from the renaissance. for
instance words liked gracious,extravaganza,etc. this poem is about a claim of a universe is the direction
of the universe. i don´t add capitalization´s on my writing.
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