Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Ukraine / Russia

noharleyyet said:
Schmalts or anyone here has just as much right and real circumstance to criticize the current leadership as those here who apologize and equivocate for it.
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Even more so when the criticism is pointing to why Putin decided to do this now. It's not just criticism, it's my belief that it's effectively linked to this invasion so it is on topic.
 
Straight Arrow said:
Where you been? Putin is the source of the fake news.

No, it's not. It is a prevalent far right rant. And don't insult others by repeating the stop the steal, Jan 6th political discourse nonsense.
Best stick to opinion of Ukraine/Russia debacle based on factual happenings and more learned analysis. There's plenty of it from those more in the know than you and I.
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I respect that others find Biden to be the right man for the job (and that many voted against the alternative to Biden), but any honest discussion has to include the view that age has taken its toll. You can love Reagan or hate Reagan and still both see that he was not himself his last two years on the job - and saying so does not make one a communist or fake 80s-news lover. In fact, much to @Ben Lamb's dismay, I am a huge Reagan fan - but he lost a few steps then, and fair to suggest Biden has done the same.
 
noharleyyet said:
Schmalts or anyone here has just as much right and real circumstance to criticize the current leadership as those here who apologize and equivocate for it.
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I completely agree and support the right to criticize based on valid information and actual accounts of misstatements, widely accepted criticism of poor decisions, and other substantiated examples of leadership missteps. However, unsubstantiated subjective derogatory comments regarding a leader's mental capacity or other characteristics disliked merely due to the opined political ideology are not helpful, fair, or honorable as a citizen exercising free speech. It reflects negatively on the citizen as well as the targeted leader.
'Just saying there's plenty to opine and debate about without resorting to personal insults of anyone, but especially an elected national leader ... whether it be Pres Donald Trump or Pres Joe Biden.
 
VikingsGuy said:
I respect that others find Biden to be the right man for the job (and that many voted against the alternative to Biden), but any honest discussion has to include the view that age has taken its toll. You can love Reagan or hate Reagan and still both see that he was not himself his last two years on the job - and saying so does not make one a communist or fake 80s-news lover. In fact, much to @Ben Lamb's dismay, I am a huge Reagan fan - but he lost a few steps then, and fair to suggest Biden has done the same.
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Reagan definitely lost it in the end. I'm old enough to have seen it at that time. If you watch videos of Biden making a public speech 5 years ago and then watch something today, that's if you can find something not off a teleprompter the difference is staggering. He always had a little studder of sorts but I still don't know what "As one computer said, if you’re on the train and they say ‘portal bridge’ you know you better make other plans”? I'm not even sure if Psaki tried to explain that one, if she did I missed it.
Listen, I just think Biden is doing a terrible job on Ukraine and well, approval ratings numbers show well.... I'm not the only one
 
VikingsGuy said:
huge Reagan fan - but he lost a few steps then, and fair to suggest Biden has done the same.
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I am a huge Reagan fan as well, and was saddened by his decline in latter WH years. However, the comparison of Biden with that decline is unwarranted. Biden has a propensity for misspeaking, as well as speaking before thinking. However, I would submit that it's not any worse than VP Dan Quayle or Pres George W. Bush.
 
Straight Arrow said:
I am a huge Reagan fan as well, and was saddened by his decline in latter WH years. However, the comparison of Biden with that decline is unwarranted. Biden has a propensity for misspeaking, as well as speaking before thinking. However, I would submit that it's not any worse than VP Dan Quayle or Pres George W. Bush.
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I disagree - having watched speeches from both leaders before and after their decline - Biden (due to natural decline we will all face if we live long enough) has undoubtedly lost ground and his staff knows it (just like Reagan’s did).

One of the more progressive house staffers I know is livid that “her agenda” is sidelined for another 3 years due to his growing ineffectiveness - it’s not just the GOP and world leaders that see it.

And this makes the Ukraine situation more dangerous. I hope in 2024 we elect a president under the age of 65.
 
schmalts said:
Switching oil buying only works if other countries don't side step in and buy it up instead. Is that happening? Last I heard India was going to buy it, unless that's changed. Then there's China...... that's a whole nother can of worms
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Full disclosure, I think we should provide aid regardless.

That being said...

From the stand point of increased US market share it doesn't matter if Russia sells oil to India. Brass tacks it's not really oil so much as Gas. US LNG to Europe instead of Russian gas. This is a 5-50 year outlook, not next month... but there is no doubt in my mind that Europe is going to look for other sources of NG, 2021 it was absolutely coming from Russia... now, not so much.

It's also about future trade deals, stronger relationships with European partners, increased influence at the UN... etc etc.

What we do now has ripple effects that will last decades. Look at post WWII Europe as an extreme example, and the bonanza in the US economy.

It's also a safety thing, Russia funds our enemies... Russia lost the Moskva... tons of tanks, helicopters, planes, troops. Likely for every 1 dollar we spend they are losing 10 or 100. Those are dollars that could be spent on building infrastructure to attack the United States.

Regardless of morals... this is the easiest foreign policy decision in 50 years.

100 Billion I'm still in.
 
wllm1313 said:
Full disclosure, I think we should provide aid regardless.

That being said...

From the stand point of increased US market share it doesn't matter if Russia sells oil to India. Brass tacks it's not really oil so much as Gas. US LNG to Europe instead of Russian gas. This is a 5-50 year outlook, not next month... but there is no doubt in my mind that Europe is going to look for other sources of NG, 2021 it was absolutely coming from Russia... now, not so much.

It's also about future trade deals, stronger relationships with European partners, increased influence at the UN... etc etc.

What we do now has ripple effects that will last decades. Look at post WWII Europe as an extreme example, and the bonanza in the US economy.

It's also a safety thing, Russia funds our enemies... Russia lost the Moskva... tons of tanks, helicopters, planes, troops. Likely for every 1 dollar we spend they are losing 10 or 100. Those are dollars that could be spent on building infrastructure to attack the United States.

Regardless of morals... this is the easiest foreign policy decision in 50 years.

100 Billion I'm still in.
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$100-500 Billion pressuring Putin and Xi will get us far more return than $4 trillion in Afghanistan.
 
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