[NOTE: Repression of dissent is a communicable disease. How many variants are loose in our own atmosphere? And are we preparing to resist their spread?] New York Times Thousands Swept Up as Kremlin Clamps Down on War Criticism The arrests are a stark gauge of how the Kremlin has intensified repression of critics. At least … Continue reading The Front Lines May be In Doubt, But Putin’s War on Dissenters is Going Great
Pope Francis, Ukraine and “effective nonviolent resistance” National Catholic Reporter – May 30, 2022 by Eli McCarthy — Opinion Ukraine – so many new graves A bird sits on a cross amid newly made graves at a cemetery near Mariupol, Ukraine, May 15. (CNS/Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko) So much energy is being expended to urge Pope … Continue reading Is This the “Pope Francis Alternative”? Ukraine and “Effective Nonviolent Resistance”
“NOTE: The shift can be felt even here, thousands of miles away: Russia’s nonstop shelling and bombing is wearing down Ukrainian forces in its eastern regions. They are retreating, taking many casualties. The “wise men” of Davos, and some national leaders of allied nations were talking of concessions to Moscow to get the war over … Continue reading Ukraine: in the East, The War Turns Grim
Two Commentaries by a widely-respected analyst: Russia will not disappear Gwynne Dyer — May 23, 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin will almost certainly not be in power three years from now. The war he foolishly began in Ukraine has fatally undermined his political credibility among the Russian elite (and among a large though mostly silent part … Continue reading Russia’s Future; Taiwan, Ambiguity & Ukraine
Opinion: Thanks, Vladimir Putin, for greatly strengthening NATO From Max Boot – May 17, 2022, in The Washington Post . . . The unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine has given the [NATO] alliance a new lease on life, making it more politically united and militarily formidable than at any time since the end of the Cold … Continue reading New Nordic Math: NATO+ Finland & Sweden = VLAD’s Ukraine Boomerang