Though I mostly agree with Today’s Edition’s reference to the obviously credentialed subscriber with deep knowledge of Russia and Ukraine, I would add, that were Putin determined to escalate, he, clearly, would invent a pretext for doing so. Meanwhile, short of putting American and NATO troops on the ground or in the air, I would submit that both continuing to resupply Ukraine with much needed munitions and also providing essential air power to enable Ukraine to enforce its own no-fly zone are Ukraine’s best shots, in my view, at maintaining a stalemate and moving both parties, formidable as it might seem, towards a settlement. As a final point, I expect most, if not all, on this thread would concur, that were Putin to annex Ukraine, surely he would expand his fascist mission.
Another balanced and thought provoking letter. While neither i nor my children are at risk (We may die in the nuclear exchange) I support your expert. It may be time to find brave volunteers to fly those relief air drops of food water and medical supplies. And even an international volunteer force to deliver aircraft to enforce a no fly zone. While diplomats may argue the finer points, horrific war crimes demand a risky responce. Surely Putin knows as Xi ponders the ultimate nuclear exchange will be targeted at the Kremlin and all the modern cities of China. (And of course the EU and the US, I believe we are close to the Kennedy Kruschev stand off.)
Thank you, sir, for this newsletter. It confirmed and strengthened my opinions about how our Ukraine policy should be handled. I sent the following to President Biden, using https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Dear Mr. President,
I think the United States should take a more aggressive stance helping Ukraine defeat Putin.
The following points are taken from the April 4 edition of Robert Hubbell's "Today's Edition"(https://roberthubbell.substack.com), where he reports the opinion of a highly placed, highly experiences reader.
A decisive defeat is the best way to get Putin to stop, to give up, to withdraw. For that to happen, the West needs to provide everything Ukraine needs.
1) Ramp up sanctions to maximum effect.
2) Provide aircraft, drones, missiles, and air defense systems to allow the Ukrainian Army to continue the battle for the long term.
3) Make a concerted effort to “supercharge” the international criminal prosecution of Putin while aggressively re-supplying Ukraine with humanitarian aid (food, medical supplies) in plainly marked aircraft and convoys.
These points are similar to the opinions offered by former Russian oil oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, interviewed on CNN's "New Day:"
Robert I need to remind you it’s still spring training so the game between the Angels and the Dodgers is an exhibition game. You made a very important point today we cannot forget. Thousands of American service people have given their lives to defend and protect our freedom and democracy and those Republicans who call Zelensky a “ thug” and TV commentators who spout Russian propaganda don’t represent the values of this country and disrespect the memory of those willing to die to protect it.
Hey Robert! Enjoy the game ... whoever wins! We've had the same discussion in our home - not about baseball, rather Purim's barbaric invasion. My husband agrees with you; an escalation with Putin is not worth the cost of a nuclear incident which would lead to a nuclear war. I can see his point. However, I agree totally with your reader who describes a three-point strategy. What's NATO's job if it's not to stop a barbaric invasion of another country, especially a country that's begging for supplies, help, and survival? It's a global moral obligation to assist our fellow humans who are under attack by a brutal thug. My guess is that China would straddle the case as its economy is the priority. They'll go where they perceive the most benefit. And that might not be with Putin.
History won't be kind to any of us if we allow this to continue much longer.
Thanks for listening. As thanks every day for your Newsletter!
And as you said in what I have decided to label the Questions Asked, Questions Answered section of today’s Newsletter:
“Trump endorsed Sarah Palin in her surprise bid for a congressional seat, but took the opportunity to trash Senator John McCain. See The Independent, Donald Trump attacks John McCain while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress. Who does that? Who is classless and crass enough to taunt a deceased American patriot who cannot defend himself? In attacking McCain, Trump has confirmed that he is a small, petty, insecure man who seeks to inflate his fragile ego by attacking those who cannot defend themselves.”
“As Trump took the time to trash talk a deceased American patriot, his social media app, Truth Social, is imploding. How bad is Truth Social doing? Its executives are quitting en masse and Trump is reluctant to post on the app because it already has the stench of failure. See Forbes, Executives At Trump’s Truth Social Reportedly Quit As Company’s SPAC Stock Drops.”
“And at the annual Gridiron dinner in Washington, D.C., New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said what many Republicans are thinking about Trump—that his mental condition and cognitive abilities are deteriorating. See CNN, Chris Sununu, New Hampshire's Republican governor, calls Trump 'crazy'. I won’t repeat Sununu’s comments because they include language offensive to people suffering from mental health issues. But, as the CNN article says,”
“In short: While Sununu was, ostensibly, joking, it's not really a laughing matter. There are lots and lots of Republicans—including many who are publicly supportive of Trump -- who privately wonder about his mental state and what it means for the party going forward. We should all be worried about what it means for the country going forward.”
If all else fails I believe you have a great future in stand up comedy.
The idea of Trump's mental state deteriorating....I would actually feel a little better if I thought Trump was crazy instead of cruel and evil. As for the situation in Ukraine, every day I feel devastated by news out of Ukraine--especially given that I know a fair number of Americans continue to cheer on Vladimir Putin. For nations to be lining up in support of his attack on Ukraine boggles the mind. I lay this directly at the feet of Donald Trump, the crazy man who weakened the United States in every possible way. The very best that can be said of him is that he let the US drift while he pursued personal gain. And to know that at least 30% of Americans would happily elect him again, or someone like him, speaks to the deterioration of our public education and to the success of right-wing media's attempts to destroy the nation as we know it.
Where is the UN in all this? Why can’t relief missions be organized under their auspices. Not all that different than the Berlin airlift. Yes, Russia may choose to attack them. But based on their failed air campaign so far, they may be more of a paper tiger than we think.
Looks like your team won last night, Robert. . .and so did mine! The University of Kansas Jayhawks are NCAA basketball champions for the fourth time. My alma mater. So proud. I know you are proud of those Angels, too! Sometimes we just need a little break.
Hope you enjoyed your evening at the park, irrespective of the outcome! As a Reds fan, I have no skin in this game, but I loved your shout-out to aggrieved Dodger fans. Play ball!
Ah, sounds like you’re a baseball junkie, as am I. Then you must read this amazing compilation of factoids put together by Tim Kurkjian and his researchers, related to the NL adoption of the abhorrent DH. Yes, since the adoption of the DH by the AL in 1973, putatively to make the game more exciting, the AL has out scored the NL in runs per game in every season. The biggest discrepancy was in 1969….0.71 runs per game. How exciting is that!!!!
Yes, I agree with you, Robert. What I believe is required: A little bit of common sense by all Americans and a some acknowledgement of the truism that “… together we stand, divided we fall”; a little understanding that there are moments in time where divided opinions (even now when divisions are deep) can exist alongside of support for a President navigating a dangerous war with a super power possessing nuclear weapons; or, in other words, our divisions stop at our shores.
Angels win! Hope you and Jill enjoyed the game. A well deserved night off at the ballpark. Thank you both for all your hard work and activism.
Though I mostly agree with Today’s Edition’s reference to the obviously credentialed subscriber with deep knowledge of Russia and Ukraine, I would add, that were Putin determined to escalate, he, clearly, would invent a pretext for doing so. Meanwhile, short of putting American and NATO troops on the ground or in the air, I would submit that both continuing to resupply Ukraine with much needed munitions and also providing essential air power to enable Ukraine to enforce its own no-fly zone are Ukraine’s best shots, in my view, at maintaining a stalemate and moving both parties, formidable as it might seem, towards a settlement. As a final point, I expect most, if not all, on this thread would concur, that were Putin to annex Ukraine, surely he would expand his fascist mission.
Another balanced and thought provoking letter. While neither i nor my children are at risk (We may die in the nuclear exchange) I support your expert. It may be time to find brave volunteers to fly those relief air drops of food water and medical supplies. And even an international volunteer force to deliver aircraft to enforce a no fly zone. While diplomats may argue the finer points, horrific war crimes demand a risky responce. Surely Putin knows as Xi ponders the ultimate nuclear exchange will be targeted at the Kremlin and all the modern cities of China. (And of course the EU and the US, I believe we are close to the Kennedy Kruschev stand off.)
Thank you, sir, for this newsletter. It confirmed and strengthened my opinions about how our Ukraine policy should be handled. I sent the following to President Biden, using https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Dear Mr. President,
I think the United States should take a more aggressive stance helping Ukraine defeat Putin.
The following points are taken from the April 4 edition of Robert Hubbell's "Today's Edition"(https://roberthubbell.substack.com), where he reports the opinion of a highly placed, highly experiences reader.
A decisive defeat is the best way to get Putin to stop, to give up, to withdraw. For that to happen, the West needs to provide everything Ukraine needs.
1) Ramp up sanctions to maximum effect.
2) Provide aircraft, drones, missiles, and air defense systems to allow the Ukrainian Army to continue the battle for the long term.
3) Make a concerted effort to “supercharge” the international criminal prosecution of Putin while aggressively re-supplying Ukraine with humanitarian aid (food, medical supplies) in plainly marked aircraft and convoys.
These points are similar to the opinions offered by former Russian oil oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, interviewed on CNN's "New Day:"
https://youtu.be/kVZzznCmF-Q
Thank you, sir, for your excellent foreign policy approach.
Respectfully submitted,
Bob Stromberg, Round Lake, NY
Robert I need to remind you it’s still spring training so the game between the Angels and the Dodgers is an exhibition game. You made a very important point today we cannot forget. Thousands of American service people have given their lives to defend and protect our freedom and democracy and those Republicans who call Zelensky a “ thug” and TV commentators who spout Russian propaganda don’t represent the values of this country and disrespect the memory of those willing to die to protect it.
All Putin has to do is hang on til Nov. if republicans take over, Rupert will “Carlson” the country - and the world
Hey Robert! Enjoy the game ... whoever wins! We've had the same discussion in our home - not about baseball, rather Purim's barbaric invasion. My husband agrees with you; an escalation with Putin is not worth the cost of a nuclear incident which would lead to a nuclear war. I can see his point. However, I agree totally with your reader who describes a three-point strategy. What's NATO's job if it's not to stop a barbaric invasion of another country, especially a country that's begging for supplies, help, and survival? It's a global moral obligation to assist our fellow humans who are under attack by a brutal thug. My guess is that China would straddle the case as its economy is the priority. They'll go where they perceive the most benefit. And that might not be with Putin.
History won't be kind to any of us if we allow this to continue much longer.
Thanks for listening. As thanks every day for your Newsletter!
Sincerely,
Muffie Wilson
And as you said in what I have decided to label the Questions Asked, Questions Answered section of today’s Newsletter:
“Trump endorsed Sarah Palin in her surprise bid for a congressional seat, but took the opportunity to trash Senator John McCain. See The Independent, Donald Trump attacks John McCain while endorsing Sarah Palin’s bid for Congress. Who does that? Who is classless and crass enough to taunt a deceased American patriot who cannot defend himself? In attacking McCain, Trump has confirmed that he is a small, petty, insecure man who seeks to inflate his fragile ego by attacking those who cannot defend themselves.”
“As Trump took the time to trash talk a deceased American patriot, his social media app, Truth Social, is imploding. How bad is Truth Social doing? Its executives are quitting en masse and Trump is reluctant to post on the app because it already has the stench of failure. See Forbes, Executives At Trump’s Truth Social Reportedly Quit As Company’s SPAC Stock Drops.”
“And at the annual Gridiron dinner in Washington, D.C., New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said what many Republicans are thinking about Trump—that his mental condition and cognitive abilities are deteriorating. See CNN, Chris Sununu, New Hampshire's Republican governor, calls Trump 'crazy'. I won’t repeat Sununu’s comments because they include language offensive to people suffering from mental health issues. But, as the CNN article says,”
“In short: While Sununu was, ostensibly, joking, it's not really a laughing matter. There are lots and lots of Republicans—including many who are publicly supportive of Trump -- who privately wonder about his mental state and what it means for the party going forward. We should all be worried about what it means for the country going forward.”
If all else fails I believe you have a great future in stand up comedy.
The idea of Trump's mental state deteriorating....I would actually feel a little better if I thought Trump was crazy instead of cruel and evil. As for the situation in Ukraine, every day I feel devastated by news out of Ukraine--especially given that I know a fair number of Americans continue to cheer on Vladimir Putin. For nations to be lining up in support of his attack on Ukraine boggles the mind. I lay this directly at the feet of Donald Trump, the crazy man who weakened the United States in every possible way. The very best that can be said of him is that he let the US drift while he pursued personal gain. And to know that at least 30% of Americans would happily elect him again, or someone like him, speaks to the deterioration of our public education and to the success of right-wing media's attempts to destroy the nation as we know it.
Where is the UN in all this? Why can’t relief missions be organized under their auspices. Not all that different than the Berlin airlift. Yes, Russia may choose to attack them. But based on their failed air campaign so far, they may be more of a paper tiger than we think.
You may be interested in this “historical accuracy” project. https://sheilakennedy.net/2022/04/restoring-trust/?fbclid=IwAR1NATJJqNBzXmEfAJaAw9TXUlNN5YWFk_klsYiesqpRr6rkDoocPWOH5-4#.YkwhC4trei0.facebook
Thank you Robert, to your reader who is a scholar in genocide studies, and to the reader who’s served in the defense and foreign policy of the US.
Looks like your team won last night, Robert. . .and so did mine! The University of Kansas Jayhawks are NCAA basketball champions for the fourth time. My alma mater. So proud. I know you are proud of those Angels, too! Sometimes we just need a little break.
Hope you enjoyed your evening at the park, irrespective of the outcome! As a Reds fan, I have no skin in this game, but I loved your shout-out to aggrieved Dodger fans. Play ball!
A Baseball break…
Ah, sounds like you’re a baseball junkie, as am I. Then you must read this amazing compilation of factoids put together by Tim Kurkjian and his researchers, related to the NL adoption of the abhorrent DH. Yes, since the adoption of the DH by the AL in 1973, putatively to make the game more exciting, the AL has out scored the NL in runs per game in every season. The biggest discrepancy was in 1969….0.71 runs per game. How exciting is that!!!!
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33621715
Yes, I agree with you, Robert. What I believe is required: A little bit of common sense by all Americans and a some acknowledgement of the truism that “… together we stand, divided we fall”; a little understanding that there are moments in time where divided opinions (even now when divisions are deep) can exist alongside of support for a President navigating a dangerous war with a super power possessing nuclear weapons; or, in other words, our divisions stop at our shores.