Will Western media coverage of the China Olympics inadvertently reveal China's evil to the world? "Chinese officials could be seen in a viral video Friday attempting to end the live broadcast of a Dutch television reporter at the Winter Olympics in Beijing."
Nordic states in and out of NATO work together to deter Russia. So that's where the Fuck-Up Fairy is!
I'll put this out there just because it is there. But I completely disagree with the idea that America is blowing the Ukraine crisis while Russia is achieving a diplomatic victory. The author is 180 degrees wrong.
Good luck: "The French government on Saturday introduced a new body to reshape Islam in France, part of President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to rid it of extremism." It's a big job, so don't delay.
Boris Johnson deserves thanks for guiding Britain out of the European Union. But other than that he's been a policy and political disaster. Tip to Instapundit.
Dying with Covid and dying from Covid. When governments with enormous power panic, it gets ugly. Also, China suffered 2 million dead from the pandemic that started there.
The government will provide crack pipes for racial equity. Apparently those privileged straight white crack addicts smoke it more safely. We're not free until all crack addicts are as successful as Hunter Biden. Tip to Instapundit. We've gone nuts.
Two years ago I watched Hong Kong freedom activists bravely fight Chinese authorities. They failed, ground under the pandemic that provided cover and distracted the world. Better luck to the Canadian truckers, eh? "Insurrectionists," my ass.
A Pentagon technology priority list is nice. Better would be a leadership caste devoted to fighting and winning.
Yes: "The CSIS study explains that: 'As a practical matter, access to strategic theaters requires effective hypersonic defenses. […] The United States does not compete with unlimited resources. It is not possible to actively defend every critical asset or even broad areas that hypersonic missiles might target.'" Indeed.
Laugh. But eventually Trudeau will find something to twist as a reason to crack down hard. Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Russia's forces in Belarus could outflank the Dnepr River to threaten Kiev, in theory. But unless Ukraine abandons Kiev, the wide defended river blocking Russian forces coming from the east means the small northern force will be isolated and vulnerable to destruction or at least stalled with heavy losses in crappy terrain. With its rear area the Chernobyl contamination zone. If the approach is defended. Don't go getting an Ardennes delusion.
The battle of the insecure attention whores: "French President Emmanuel Macron was in Moscow on Monday hoping to find common ground with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and NATO[.]"
Every time ballots are used instead of bullets, it is a victory: "Iraqi lawmakers failed to elect a new head of state Monday, as key factions foiled the attempt by boycotting the parliament session."
Threats still exist in CENTCOM. Because losing in Afghanistan didn't end the jihadi threat and because mullah-run Iran is no friend we haven't made yet.
If hitting that rock is so important to Kim Jong-Un, I wonder if the people who might be shot if there is a miss ensure a hit with beacons for the missile to home in on.
Is Justin Trudeau really going to wage war on the people who keep Canada supplied? American states should tell the truckers they are welcome to work in America.
Russia fixates on non-existent threats from past invaders of Russia from the west. But the only successful invasion was from the east.
Don't be silly, progressives care:
The agony of defect defeat. Well that's a complete damned shame for her, now isn't it?
Defense in depth is the best practice. Tip to Instapundit. On the downside, the EU's police powers are expanded. The EU never wastes a chance to expand its power. So the proto-imperial EU chips away at the prefix a little more.
I just hope the Platinum Jubilee cannon salute didn't use up Britain's war reserve ammunition.
The Anschluss deepens: "Belarus plans to deploy up to 200 troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country[.]" The Russians announced that, naturally.
Oil hit its highest price in 7 years. Via Instapundit. I'm again seriously wondering if Putin's lengthy threats against Ukraine are just a way to spike energy prices to bolster Russia's economy.
If Putin conquers something to justify massing troops yet wants to localize the attack to avoid major NATO responses, I'd guess a grab for Mariupol--a tough city of 500,000 to pacify, to be sure--combined with the annexation of the Sea of Azov and possibly Russian-occupied Donbas.
To be fair, the professor is a spectacularly impressive moron. Thank goodness I never had to endure him when I was a student.
Ukraine shows you need nukes rather than promises to deter invasion. Iran doesn't agree. Why? Because Iran knows a deal is a shield for getting nukes.
China and Russia together are a problem. But America is more likely to go to war with Russia over Ukraine than China going to war with America over Ukraine.
Some words to explain the concept (I believe Canadian officers came up with the map):
Why you shouldn't worry about dying from Covid-19 if you are vaccinated. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. My worries have been very low since I was vaccinated almost a year ago.
The NYC mayor is right! I can't count the number of times I broke into homes to steal to feed my cheese habit. Adams is going to work out just swell. Tip to Instapundit.
So much for the claims that overthrowing Saddam "gave" Iraq to Iran: "Iraq’s national elections in 2021 revealed much less support for Iran despite increased Iranian threats and financial promises Iran could not keep."
Every one of those Chinese Communist Party-aligned Confucius Institutes on our campuses should be padlocked, searched, and permanently banned. They are propaganda and espionage hubs.
Putin didn't realize "that the stakes [in Ukraine] are also high for the United States, whose global reputation has been severely eroded recently, not least by the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the country’s subsequent takeover by the Taliban." Indeed.
This article describes weaknesses in Russia's military and use that I've described since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Can Russia afford to lose--or even break by using--his army threatening Ukraine?
I'm not so sure the trucker protests should block roads for very long. They risk annoying people who could be supporters. Make the point and clear a path. Rotate the places to make the point. Cheerfully. Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Welp, Grandpa Tsar just went nuts. Lie back and think of Russia.
I will note that progressives had zero problems teaming up with communist anti-war activists.
Drone threat: "In the event of a conflict with Russia, U.S. and NATO air forces will confront a contested air littoral — that is, the airspace between ground forces and high-end fighters and bombers." Hah! I called that air littoral the "brown skies" in this 2018 Army article advocating a defense against that threat.
Andrew Cuomo won't be prosecuted for sexually harassing women while governor (or for turning nursing homes into Covid death wards):
America will provide engineering and maintenance support for Taiwan's Patriot air defense systems.
Who lost Afghanistan? Biden pretends he dutifully carried on Trump's (!) policy, but he carried on Obama's. Remember? Even Obama changed his mind about pulling out. Although he left Afghanistan shaky when he left office. So it is on Biden. Defeat was not inevitable. It was Biden's choice.
No wonder jihadis think God is on their side. Via Instapundit.
Oh, FFS. The Army has a climate strategy. Via Instapundit. One more substitute for victory. To paraphrase what I was told, "There is no climate change in the Army. The climate changes on the Army."
Almost every cabinet department has technology to break into encrypted phones. Add this to the amazing number of departments that have SWAT forces. Still, with the Army focused on climate we can send in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to defeat our enemies. Which is nice.
The wreckage of America's bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Yes, I've been noting this for a long time.
Smoke and mirrors around Ukraine. As I see it, Putin bluffs invasion to get concessions. Biden bluffs toughness to deter Russia. Advantage: Biden. Unless the Fuck-Up Fairy gets involved.
The media calls the Canadian trucker protest a "so-called Freedom Convoy." I never heard BLM tagged with the "so-called" modifier.
Don't overstate the Russian-Chinese "alliance." Indeed. The pipeline to China is portrayed as a Putin win. Long ago I figured that was a huge mistake that risks China securing its energy imports with force.
The evacuation from Afghanistan was bungled at the top. This obscures the bungle of deciding to completely withdraw: "The original American withdrawal plan was for a thousand or more U.S. and NATO troops to remain to advise and train the IRA security forces and monitor the corruption."
China's willing collaborators.
There was a time when I ate up columns like this. I didn't trust the NYT and didn't know why anyone did. But now it seems like scouring the battlefield after a victory to kill the wounded. Mind you, I fully support that. But I don't need to watch.
Democrats no longer salute LTC Vindman--highlighted as a former Trump staffer, with his impeachment role buried deep.
Radical Slovakian leftists protested an agreement that lets fellow NATO member America use Slovakian air bases. Russia does have useful idiots, no doubt.
As Democrats double down on calling the non-woke nothing but treasonous insurrectionists, remember that false patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
The CENTCOM commander thinks Russia has had a hand in some of Africa's recent coups. For a weak power, destroying is always easier than building.
Why aren't our credentialed morons content to simply do the job they are hired to do well? Tip to Instapundit.
Canadian media is as credible as Russia Today (RT). Tip to PJ Media.
Strap in, the decade is going to be rough. After decades of trying to convince Democrats not to unleash their leftist street muscle, the right has decided to use the same tactic (oh horrors, says the left!). Tip to Instapundit.
Media morons have used the Canadian trucker protest to add to the "fake but accurate" and "fiery but mostly peaceful protests" doublethink by coining "calling the Ottawa protests 'peaceful' downplays non-violent dangers" and "the alt-right has weaponized 'freedom' to undermine democracy." Funny, for decades I've been told "this is what democracy looks like." Never mind. I'm sure Prime Minister Zoolander will bust protester heads, claiming the protesters have "freedoms of mass destruction," eh?
Practicing battle damage assessment.
Silly me, I took the good January jobs report as a good sign. Yay for Biden, I said. "The economy" isn't adding jobs--government did. Private sector jobs dropped. Tip to Instapundit.
Some Chinese analysts thinks decoupling will hurt China more than America in the technology race. The bad news is that 15 years ago the Chinese would have been hurt. Tip to Instapundit.
Russia will have difficulty emerging from the Ukraine crisis with a win. America gains in any outcome. I doubt NATO wants Ukraine, however. And Russia could get a "win" by annexing some territory it already controls or keeping troops in Belarus. Side note: the pictured tank is American and not Russian.
Is the meeting between Europe's two biggest insecure attention whores all about getting the West to revive the Minks accords to acknowledge Russia's conquest of Crimea and eastern Donbas?
Europe is oblivious to Russian, Iranian, and Chinese threats; while America is on leaderless autopilot. I would like to say that's wrong. God help us if the EU dethrones NATO for defending Europe.
Monitors say North Korea is preparing a parade? So what? Let them waste fuel and make their military even less ready for war by preparing for a pageant.
If Kaepernick is unconvincingly claiming his anti-flag protests were pro-military, I really worry about the state of our military. Let's go, Toyota.
The Germans are eager to pretend Iran doesn't want nukes. Also, pretending Germany knows what is best for protecting Israel is a bad look.
Fauci should be under attack for his pandemic role. But this will do. Via Instapundit.
Will Biden's political needs force Trudeau to back down in the Canadian trucker protest? Tip to Instapundit.
I do miss the days when mean tweets were America's most pressing concern.
Apparently, after HHS defended giving away crack pipes, the administration says that is wrong. Do we believe or officials, or not? Thank God for fact checkers: Accurate--but mostly false. Via Treacher.
You shouldn't need a film to know that communist parties commit horrific crimes on unimaginable scales. Tip to Instapundit.
America and Japan practice fighting for islands, including boarding ships.
Iraq paid the last of the reparations to victims of Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Kudos to Iraq for working to regain the trust of its neighbors. Let's keep supporting their training-wheels democracy against threats from Iran, jihadis, and especially corruption.
I'll be very disappointed in Jonah Goldberg if he becomes a CNN tamed house conservative. He has a history of resisting leftists. And he can still offer valuable commentary when he doesn't get close to Trump issues. While conservatism doesn't equal Trump, it shouldn't mean helping Democrats. I understand a man has to take care of his family. I wish him well personally. But c'mon, man.
Via Instapundit, FFS "Which skin color emoji should you use?"
Projections based on "if we do nothing" are so worthless that it is beyond my comprehension that they get publicity.
Notice the difference between the Canadian trucker protesters out in the freezing cold for freedom on the one hand; and the Antifa/BLM rioters who went home when the weather got cooler on the other.
The Olympics have a Russian doping scandal. Putin may not have restored the territorial glory of the USSR, but he has restored Soviet sports cheating!
I find it amazing that the left truly doesn't understand how people can be for the Xi Jinping Flu vaccine yet against the government requiring you to get it--and keep getting it.
Islamist terror group in Congo.
A submarine-launched anti-aircraft missile.
The Russian exercise in Belarus, to me, is probably a practice for penetrating the Suwalki Gap--with a side benefit of threatening Ukraine. The air defense bubble supports my view. Not that I'm saying Russia is planning to go to war with NATO. Just practice.
Can Poland succeed in vastly expanding and modernizing its military? Could Poland recruit from the rest of NATO for soldiers who want to be in a fighting force rather than a uniformed civil service?
Inflation and the Magical Monetary Theory. MMT proponents must be really smart. Because that's the only way to make BS sound reasonable.
LOL:
Marine plans for a light amphibious warship. I want an APD.
Denmark may allow US forces on its soil. I assume Bornholm Island would be a nice outpost to project American power into the Baltic Sea in support of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Finland.
Well, France scored a sub win in Asia with Indonesia.
It saddens me that our military leadership must be reminded that the military has only two missions: "to deter our enemies from engaging us in warfare, and if that fails, to defeat them in combat."
Russia appears to be financially supporting far-right groups in the West. No shit, Sherlock. Much as the Soviets supported far left groups in the West.
China may never have the largest economy. I did say China had a window of opportunity to do that. If China gets it, can China hold it?
Ideology destroys rule of law. God help us from the woke left.
Friday morning the U.S. said Americans should leave Ukraine within the next 24-48 hours. Well that's ominous. Not a prediction of war--just a possibility at any time, now.
So Putin has scheduled war for Wednesday? Via Instapundit. I'll be surprised. But, well, you know.
The Air Force again wants to move beyond the Reaper.
Are the Baltic states defensible? No. But they can be freed.
More American troops are going to Poland. But they are airborne and not armor, so America isn't planning to wage war.
All is not quiet on the internal Russian front. I have wondered if Putin could survive initiating a war.
