Our Best Stuff From a Grim Week

Searching for hope after seeing horrific images out of Ukraine.

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Happy Saturday, or, as we’re calling it in Ohio, February 68th. When I sent my newsletter last weekend, we were seeing only the first glimpses of the horrors that had been taking place in Bucha, Ukraine. Russian troops had withdrawn, and the arrival of Ukrainian forces and media outlets made it possible for the atrocities to be revealed.

As contributor Andrew Fink noted in a piece we published Tuesday, “We already knew, intellectually, that the Russian army was committing atrocities in Ukraine. We already knew that they were shooting civilians, attacking residential areas with cluster munitions, kidnapping people, and so on.” But because so many of the images we had seen previously were of burned out Russian tanks and defiant Ukrainians standing up to the invaders, it was easy to put it out of our minds.

Not so much now. And we’re seeing even more evidence. The Guardian has a heartbreaking story on the Russian occupation of Novyi and Staryi Bykiv, about 50 miles east of Kyiv. When I was searching for photos for another piece this morning, I saw images of protesters holding up placards featuring quotes from girls and women describing horrific crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers. (I would call them unimaginable tragedies, but I suspect it’s only too easy to imagine.)

These revelations create new challenges for the West. How will the U.S. respond? Will the countries that have presented a largely unified front for the last six weeks stick together, or will there be cracks in the facade? 

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  1. Jon Craig

    I realize regime change and covert assassination are considered beyond the pale, but if Putin is the problem, and I believe he is, why should we rule out a direct solution? Discuss among yourselves.

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    Pat Riot

    "Why shouldn't I root for Russia? Which I am." -- Tucker Carlson

    And then:

    "‘Weakness and surrender’: Ted Cruz seeks to move on from Tucker Carlson mauling:
    The Republican senator was widely mocked after being forced to walk back his description of 5 January as a ‘violent terrorist attack'"

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/08/ted-cruz-capitol-attack-tucker-carlson-interview

    ***

    The question remains: once the news cycle on Ukraine dies down, will Republicans remain majority anti-Putin? That's not what happened with 1/6: the in ensuing days Republicans were so horrified over what happened they were universally against it.

    Now Republicans are promising to prosecute the 1/6 prosecutors if they win power in November.

    If the pro-Putin wing of the GOP wins like the pro-insurrection wing won, then we're finished as a country...

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  3. Jack Zentrist

    The new week starts on a positive note w/ Dana Perino interviewing Ms. Psaki. Is the latter now interested in becoming a coworker w/ the former? Also, Mitch McConnell knocks the ball clean out of the park with exceptionally incisive and, this morning, optimistic remarks! Much praise for fellow moderate, Dana Perino.

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    Larry1914

    “pored” not “poured”

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    DANA A. NICHOLS

    In the face of these irrevocable acts of defiant, real-time genocide, being committed (by now) by a broad cross-section of varying ethnic and intellectual Russian people (manning the ranks) — they can’t dilute their 100 per cent culpability anymore by suggesting their perverted bloodbaths and raping are all the work of ignorant conscripts or rabid Chechens, etc., steered and controlled for specific neighborhoods and towns. No. The Russians can no longer lie their habitually lying asses off and smugly say “it was an SS death squad that slaughtered Bucha…” The hellish, clearly intentional, and now so thorough statement that these “people” have declared to all of the rest of us on this planet, damns each and every one of them as part of the knowing and willing whole, I believe. Nor can any of the Russian people in general — their vast nation is just as instantly informed as the rest of us — remain intentionally ignorant of what their leader is subjecting Ukrainians to; Russian kids, in uniform and either committing these daily acts, or knowing details, are telling their families exactly what the Russian Army is bringing to an entire, innocent population of people. They have adamantly demonstrated that, beyond any diplomatic or economic sanctions or pleas for humanity, they are willfully going to continue this human scorched earth conduct until enough Russians are put down to stay that they can no longer kill anybody unimpeded. That is war. They have willingly brought it to such a hellish level, so thoroughly and quickly, that the free nations of the world have no viable alternative than to begin waging a decisive, knock-them-completely-on-their-murderring-asses counterstrike. Not a pleasant prospect, fraught with risk, but we either launch it quick and with resolve, or continue to sit back and shuffle papers while people get butchered by these animals. Putin has embraced a vision of grandeur that he is the new Emperor of a new Russians-only Dynasty — back to the good, ol’ days, ya know — and evidently, too many of his voters and old-believer population are on-board enough to accept any methods he chooses to maintain brutal control and lead them all back to palaces and minarets (and absolute subservience). BTW, the reference to the Finnish War was somewhat timely snd interesting, reference the way in which Putin is managing his conduct of this war: prior to Stalin sending his army to ‘steamroll’ Finland — marching band included — Stalin had just finished purging (executing) his ENTIRE army officer corp, captains and above, so paranoid was he of any notion of a coup. Imagine the mass graves across the entire breadth of Russia, for decades, so vast was the toll of Lenin and Stalin’s socialism and its bloody paranoia. When he arrogantly sent the remaining (surviving, and now running forward ahead of pistol waving commissars) young kid Soviet officers against the well-trained and winter-savvy Finns, they had their asses handed to them and were repeatedly pushed back. Stalin had already murdered 40 million of his own people from 1919 to 1939, an indiscriminate habit that he clearly passed down to his Chekist protege, Putin. Stop him for good, or he will indeed run past us, unchecked.

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      Dennis

      Except the Finns, despite their heroic struggle, lost that war along with 22,000 square miles of Finland. Finnish bravery was widely praised and admired, but no one came to their rescue. The West promises the same for Ukraine, i.e., a fight to the last Ukrainian.

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        DANA A. NICHOLS

        Yes, sir, a grim fact there. I feel like a johnny-come-lately cold war kid, doing nothing but rehashing the obvious, out of the shock of now seeing the old-school Soviet “world vision” making their surreal presence felt worlwide.

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    Frank Lee

    Deal... Republicans will stop calling Democrats groomers when Democrats stop calling Republicans racists.

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      cheerio

      Hmm.. Maybe Republicans should stop projecting. Dennis Hastert, Roy Moore, Matt Gaetz, Mark Foley and of course those who just looked the other way like Jim Jordan.. Let us not leave out Donald Trump who barged into Miss Teenage USA dressing rooms as the girls were dressing and bragged about it on Howard Stern' "Don't worry ladies, I've seen it all before." If Democrats were like Republicans I guess they would bring this up on every segment of mainstream and cable news they had access.

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    Ed P

    Thank you Rachel (and Jonah).

    It helps to be constantly reminded that positivity and hopefulness is essential. Even in the face of grave threats, it is essential in leadership, for productivity and for coping. Much appreciated.

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  8. Kurt Schilling

    Re: the 'groomers' and their accusers. From the time of the "Reign of Terror" people have only had to scream "J'accuse!" and point at someone that they disapprove of's existence. In our modern world the accusers tend to be far less than honest and frequently are far worse in terms of depravity or lacking ethics than the ones that they are defaming. IF I wrote what I'd like to see happen to several of the GOP leaders, it's pretty damned likely I find the front door being 'cop knocked'.

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    Victor Clairmont

    But Rachel…

    Bad news sells!

    Thanks for The Round Up. And yes, I wish for the days of boring news that came around more often.

    Boring means things are going good.

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    1. Scott Mc

      At least she led with winter…

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      Dave Conant - MO

      Going well, otherwise I agree with you completely.

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