The lazy part is wishful thinking on my part – I have to work all weekend!
What’s everybody else up to?
This post is in: Open Threads
The lazy part is wishful thinking on my part – I have to work all weekend!
What’s everybody else up to?
by TaMara| 91 Comments
This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News, This Is A Doom & Gloom Free-Zone
I don’t remember when I stumbled on Beau – he describes himself as a southern journalist and his takes are thoughtful – but this morning there was this nugget I was unaware of, so I went searching for more information. This is why I’m posting a quick hit climate post this morning before I run off to take care of my long list of things-to-do today.
Here’s the announcement:
There is a lot to disseminate, but you can read more here, here, and here.
FERC’s new transmission and cost allocation rule, Order No. 1920, continues the essential work of the Commission – ensuring a reliable grid – by requiring the nation’s transmission providers to plan for the transmission we know we will need in the future.
This rule adopts specific requirements addressing how transmission providers must conduct long-term planning for regional transmission facilities and determine how to pay for them, so needed transmission is built. The final rule reflects more than 15,000 pages of comments from nearly 200 stakeholders representing all sectors of the electric power industry; environmental, consumer and other advocacy groups; and state and other government entities.
The grid rule contains these major elements:
- Requirement to conduct and periodically update long-term transmission planning to anticipate future needs.
- Requirement to consider a broad set of benefits when planning new facilities.
- Requirement to identify opportunities to modify in-kind replacement of existing transmission facilities to increase their transfer capability, known as “right-sizing.”
- Customers pay only for projects from which they benefit.
- Expands states’ pivotal role throughout the process of planning, selecting, and determining how to pay for transmission facilities.
Now back to how transforming soil and rewilding is an important part of climate solutions:
A couple of success stories.
Free-roaming animals reintroduced in Romania’s Țarcu mountains are stimulating plant growth and securing carbon stored in the soil while grazing
A herd of 170 bison reintroduced to Romania’s Țarcu mountains could help store CO2 emissions equivalent to removing 43,000 US cars from the road for a year, research has found, demonstrating how the animals can help mitigate some effects of the climate crisis.
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The European bison herd grazing in an area of nearly 50 sq km of grasslands within the wider Țarcu mountains was found to potentially capture an additional 54,000 tonnes of carbon a year. That is nearly 9.8 times more carbon than without the bison – although the report authors noted the 9.8 figure could be up to 55% higher or lower, so making the median estimate uncertain. This corresponds to the yearly CO2 released by a median of 43,000 average US petrol cars, or 84,000 using the higher figure, or a median of 123,000 average European cars, due to their higher energy efficiency, the researchers said.
A lot more information at the link on the facts behind it and the challenges.
Mossy Earth has a good video on the Bison:
Feb 18, 2023The iconic European Bison is making a comeback across the old continent. However, the question remains, do we have space for them? Are we able to co-exist with this mighty keystone species? In this video we try to explore these ideas and also lay down the foundation for a future bison project.
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Meanwhile in India:
Mar 12, 2024Permaculture Instructor Andrew Millison travels to the village of Laporiyah in Rajasthan India to see the 45 year water harvesting and community development project spearheaded by waterman Laxman Singh. We spent 2 days touring the village with Laxman and his team, including well known academic Vishnu Sharma. Vishnu has specialized in the revitalization of Rajasthan during his long career and we were very lucky to have him as Laxman’s interpreter. This village has experienced such an incredible transformation due to the work of the villagers, it is hard to express in one video. For my regular viewers, you will see that this is flat terrain, with very different strategies than the regularly visited hilly locations. Enjoy!
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Here are the last two Carbon Cowboy videos:
May 14, 2020 • CLARKESVILLEMurray Provine lived the traveling executive lifestyle until prostate cancer was diagnosed. With a focus on his personal health, he changed his 110 acre horse farm to Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) cattle grazing – with the tutelage of Allen Williams. 3 years into the change, Murray and his land are in much better health. Filmed in Clarkesville, Georgia
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May 14, 2020 ALBERTAA research team led by ecologist Steve Apfelbaum explores 4 regenerative grazing ranches in Alberta, Canada. The ranchers were some of the very first to adopt organic farming and AMP grazing in Canada – making their ranches profitable, and a haven for wildlife. Filmed in Alberta, Canada
At their Youtube page, Roots So Deep there are many, many more videos talking with farmers, showcasing their research, and community town halls where they spread the good news and answer folks’ questions.
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That’s enough for today. I’m off to continue rewilding my yard (hey it’s year THREE of killing my grass – you can see the latest photos here and read an update). I’ll continue with rewilding in the next post – still want to get to what’s going on in the arctic tundra.
Doomerism is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.
It is how authoritarians win. Let’s try to fight the doom.
Michael Mann and Timothy D Snyder
This is a doom and gloom free zone
Climate Solutions: New Grid Rules and Big BisonPost + Comments (91)
This post is in: 2024 Elections, Biden Administration in Action, How about that weather?, Jan 6: Insurrection, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
Wow! Even Newsmax can’t ignore the great things President Biden has done “Biden has funneled a record $16 billion to Black universities, passed criminal justice reforms, and worked to roll back marijuana restrictions, among other legislative efforts.”pic.twitter.com/PlGuKjVXNd
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) May 17, 2024
Holding our Houston area jackals in the light… y’all check in when you get the chance:
BREAKING: Power outages could last weeks in some parts of Houston after storms caused extensive damage, county official says. https://t.co/GJ8b0Fv3zK
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2024
“Debates over the debate” convo in full spate:
Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS https://t.co/lMcWDDHMQM
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 18, 2024
Per the Associated Press, “Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS”:
… President Joe Biden’s campaign signaled it would reject Trump’s offer, an official pointing to the acceptable debate parameters it detailed earlier this week. Under those conditions, a Fox News-hosted debate would not qualify.
Republican Trump’s post on his social media network came after Democrat Harris accepted a different invitation from CBS News…
Fox News said in a statement it offered to host a VP debate on July 23, August 13 or a day after both party conventions. Harris’ team previously told CBS she would debate in-studio on the July or August dates Fox mentioned…
Trump for months has pressed Biden to debate, even placing an empty second lectern onstage at some of his rallies as a symbolic offer to the president. In a separate post Friday, he said he had accepted an invitation for still an additional debate, hosted by NBC and Telemundo, after previously committing to yet another invitation from Fox News for an October debate.
Biden’s campaign on Friday referred back to a previous statement in which chair Jen O’Malley Dillon accused Trump of having “a long history of playing games with debates: complaining about the rules, breaking those rules, pulling out at the last minute, or not showing up at all.”
Trump is starting to weasel his way out . . . https://t.co/qBumlGyHWz
— John V. Moore (@johnvmoore) May 18, 2024
Taking presidential debates out of commission's hands virtually guarantees fewer viewers https://t.co/xgYTLTdfV4
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2024
At least it will, if our Very Serious Horserace-Tout Media has anything to do with it…
… CNN said Friday that it will make its debate, scheduled for June 27 with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators, available for simulcast on any U.S. network with a news division that wants it, and allow free entry to CNN.com to stream it. ABC had said on Wednesday that it would allow networks and streaming services to simulcast its debate, set for Sept. 10 with David Muir and Linsey Davis as moderators.
A debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and whomever former President Trump chooses as his running mate is expected to air this summer on CBS. Fox News said it was seeking a second undercard debate but the Biden campaign signaled it would reject that
Each of the two debates between Biden and Trump in 2020 were carried on at least 16 networks, according to the Nielsen company. The first was seen by 73.1 million viewers, the second by 63 million…
For CNN leaders, there was a great temptation to keep it for themselves. It would have likely been the most-watched event ever on a network that is struggling in ratings. CNN’s chief executive, Mark Thompson, made a point in tying the debate to the brand on Wednesday when he announced the agreement to hold it during a sales presentation to advertisers in New York…
[Which is why CNN is not doing that!]
Despite worries about how many people will watch, Jamieson said there’s some irony in that there’s a lot to like about the proposed ground rules for the event. So far, the plans are to hold them in television studios without an audience.
That’s something the Annenberg group had proposed a decade ago, saying an audience that reacts to what the candidates are saying is often a distraction, and that audience is usually packed with partisans on both sides.
If the two campaigns agree to rules where one candidate’s microphone would be shut off while his opponent answers a question, it would go a long way to solving what has been a more frequent problem recently with politicians interrupting and talking over an opponent, she said…
To win this debate, all Trump must do is behave like a completely different person than he has shown himself to be over the last 8 years
Not looking great for the MAGA crowd https://t.co/pdYXXzYy6V
— Swann Marcus (@SwannMarcus89) May 18, 2024
Elsewhere: Violent criminals & their defenders —
BREAKING: The man convicted of attacking ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. https://t.co/vqH1dKzC1V
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2024
At least David duPape has the excuse of untreated mental illness:
Fox Business guest Brent Bozell calls George Soros “the greatest threat to democracy — not just in this country, but worldwide.”
Bozell’s son is currently awaiting sentencing for smashing window on Jan. 6, leading chase against police. Feds seek 11 years. https://t.co/4dJtR9DJ9F pic.twitter.com/3b2RtsZKj4
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) May 16, 2024
FLASH: Brent Bozell IV, seen here leaving court with Brent Bozell III, sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in federal prison for his role in the Capitol attack.
I asked him if he still thinks the 2020 election was stolen, he declined comment.
Reporting with @JulesJester. pic.twitter.com/TlC78aGqN8
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) May 17, 2024
The next Supreme Court appointee will share a jurisprudence with one of these two people and the 2024 election is largely about which one it’ll be pic.twitter.com/V9WBDRRpew
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) May 17, 2024
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Busy, Busy, Busy All the TimePost + Comments (115)
This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads
When I was very young, my parents called me Eeyore (supposedly because that’s how my baby brother pronounced ‘Anne Laurie’ without the use of consonants). That much-maligned mythical donkey was one of my earliest role models, a true Cynic whose example I strive to emulate. Eeyore did not wallow in doomerism; he recognized the shortcomings of those around him, and took a certain satisfaction in noting them even while striving for mutual happiness. (Consider the famous birthday party story: Since Eeyore knew his friends would not remember his birthday unprompted, he made sure to remind them; when the best those friends could come up with for presents were ‘a jar that used to have honey in it’ and ‘a red rubber rag that was once a balloon’, he found a way to enjoy those humble gifts.)
Political doomerism does nobody any good. Yes, there are too many dumb / cruel / ill-informed voters, and a plethora of political grifters and crackpots all too eager to take advantage of them. Our job is to fight for every honest vote — to cure ignorance & stupidity where we can, and to get our own voters to the polls.
You aren’t a more “realistic” person if your entire life is about telling other people how bad things are.
— Jane Coaston 🏔️ (@janecoaston) May 13, 2024
H/t to commentor Quadrillipede for linking to this useful post from Unitarian Universalist Doug Muder — “Hope, Denial, and Healthy Relationship with the News”:
… Today… I’m talking about an experience that I know is personal, but I’m only guessing about its universality. I think maybe something similar happens to a lot of you also, but we tend not to talk about things like this, so I don’t really know.
The experience is an intense spiraling downward that gets triggered not by anything in my personal life, but from my interaction with the news. I hear about something in the outside world, the public world that we all share, and then the walls come tumbling down…
One minute, you’re sailing along calmly, thinking, “Yeah, there are problems, but we’ll be OK.” And then you hear or see something. Maybe it’s a big thing, like the Dobbs decision or the October 7 attacks. But it doesn’t have to be. Maybe you hear about a heat wave in Asia. Or see police fighting with protesters. Or maybe somebody you know, somebody you thought knew better, surprises you by repeating some hateful political talking point about trans people or immigrants.
And in an instant the bottom falls out. That guarded confidence you felt a minute ago is gone, and suddenly all you can think is: “We’re doomed. We’re on a track to some unthinkable dystopia, and nothing I do makes any difference. People don’t understand, and I can’t explain it to them, because I can’t even imagine what they were thinking to begin with.”
I experience this as depression and despair, but I know other people for whom it manifests as anger: How can so many people be so stupid or self-centered or short-sighted? …
At this point, you need more than just a distracting hobby or a comfort animal. You need a strategy.
The beginning of strategy is noticing patterns. One pattern I’ve noticed in my life is a weekly cycle. I post my political blog on Monday mornings. And even though I’ve been assembling it all week, Monday morning usually requires about six hours of intense concentration. In particular, it’s emotional concentration, because I test each sentence for all the ways it could be misunderstood, and all the unintentional insults I might be dealing out to readers who come to this topic with life experiences different from mine. By Monday afternoon my empathy is exhausted, including my empathy for myself. So Monday evenings are difficult for me, and I’m highly vulnerable to these kinds of collapses.
I’ve tried a number of remedies, but the one that works best is simple acceptance: This is what Monday evening feels like. Notice it, accept it, don’t make it worse, but also don’t take it too seriously. I get through Monday, try not to expect much out of myself on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning I’m almost always fine…
… Hope is neither optimism nor pessimism. Optimism and pessimism are beliefs about the future, but hope is an attitude towards the present. Hope says that striving is worthwhile. It doesn’t promise you an outcome. It just says that trying is better than not trying.
So in conclusion, that’s the mental hygiene I’ve been trying to live by these last few months, and that I recommend: Cultivate your capacity for hope, and regularly exercise your ability to live and function in the presence of uncertainty…
We don’t get to choose the future, but we do get to choose our own actions.
Choose well.
I can attest the usefulness of this strategy on a small scale: I started doing nightly posts about the then-new ‘Wuhan virus’ because noting all those bits of news and then setting them aside kept me from spiralling seventeen times a day. I kept doing them because other jackals found them helpful, and shared their own news, and their own coping strategies (as well as their own fears).
We (seem to have) made it through the pandemic, which was not a given any time in 2020. We will make it through the current pending disasters, probably… and if we don’t, despairing about circumstances now will not help.
@RebeccaSolnit had a great piece on climate doomerism “People assume you can’t be hopeful and heartbroken at the same time, and of course you can… Hope is not happiness or confidence or inner peace; it’s a commitment to search for possibilities.” https://t.co/245Zxd771M pic.twitter.com/hlxlNbY6UI
— Sarah (@Sarah_Oestreich) May 13, 2024
This post is in: Jan 6: Insurrection, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Politics, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Corruption, Violent Insurrection at the Capitol
Please please please let this story have legs.
“I’ve never heard anything like this in the entire history of every controversy I’ve ever known about with the United States Supreme Court.” Rachel Maddow reacts to a NYT report that an upside-down flag, a symbol of Stop The Steal, flew over Justice Alito’s house after Jan. 6. pic.twitter.com/TKb0FNumjm
— Alex Wagner Tonight (@WagnerTonight) May 17, 2024
half a h/t to Jackie because she sent me a TikTok from Facebook and I tracked it down on twitter. The part where Rachel gets really serious is around 2 minutes, 18 seconds.
Gradually and then suddenly? We can only hope.
Oh, and if you want something soothing and uplifting watch this. I can’t recall who posted the link in a post earlier today.
Open thread.
*found the cartoon on twitter but also had it sent to me by TBone, so another half h/t for her! You know what they say, half a h/t here, half a h/t there, pretty soon you’re talking about real hat tips!
Will This Story Have Actual Legs (I Surely Hope So) Open ThreadPost + Comments (154)
by Adam L Silverman| 17 Comments
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine
(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Quick housekeeping note: Ruby appears to have made a full recovery and Rosie is still doing very well ahead of her next chemo treatment on Monday. Thank you all again for your good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and/or donations to Rosie’s GoFundMe.
One correction from last night: Putin and his entourage went to Beijing. I wrote that Xi had gone to Moscow.
As I begin writing tonight’s update – at 7:30 PM EDT – air raid alerts are up from Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava Oblasts in the northeast through Kirovohrad Oblast in central Ukraine to Mykolaiv and Odesa Oblasts in southern Ukraine. An air raid alert has just gone up – 7:50 PM EDT – for Vinnytsia Oblast.
Two years ago today at Azovstal. Don't forget that more than 900 Mariupol defenders are still in the russian captivity pic.twitter.com/P0U7f7ldHh
— Olena Halushka (@OlenaHalushka) May 16, 2024
Russia has continued bombarding Kharkiv and Sumy Oblasts, as well as other parts of Ukraine.
Speaks volumes.
(📷: mfaukraine/IG) pic.twitter.com/KvWC4BHjCi
— Тетяна Denford 🇺🇦🔱 (@TetyanaUkrainka) May 16, 2024
Evacuation from Vovchansk becomes extremely dangerous. Today, Russia bombed evacuation point. With each passing day, more people are desperate to escape. This 92-year-old woman, who lived through WWII occupation, says this is far worse than anything she’s ever experienced. pic.twitter.com/hMnAp5w6qG
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 17, 2024
UPD. Three civilians were killed and 28 were injured today in Kharkiv.
📷libkos/IG pic.twitter.com/N0xZfwqNvU
— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) May 17, 2024
Russian forces are also continuing to commit crimes against humanity. I’m not embedding it, but Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance has captured video of a Ukrainian in a wheelchair killed on the grounds of a hospital in the Russian occupied portion of Vovchansk. The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office is treating this as an execution of a civilian trying to flee the Russian occupation. Do NOT go looking for the video or the still imagery!!! You don’t need to see it!!!
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
Our Energy Sector Has Lost a Significant Part of Its Production, there is a Need for a Rational Consumption of Electricity Again — Address by the President
17 May 2024 – 19:47
Dear Ukrainians!
A brief summary of this day.
Our military. The Commander-in-Chief reported on the situation at the front. The Kharkiv directions: Vovchansk, Lyptsi, Kupyansk. We are deterring Russian pressure. I thank each brigade, each unit. We also continue to focus on the Donetsk directions, first of all, the Pokrovsk one — where the situation is the most difficult, with the highest number of battles. In fact, the entire Kharkiv operation of the occupier is aimed at weakening our overall forces along the front, and, at the same time, it is an attempt to strengthen its propaganda — propaganda aimed also at world leaders. Russia wants to show that they are the ones who determine what happens next in the war. Our task is to thwart Russia’s attempt to expand the war and to prevent the occupier from breaking both the frontline and our diplomacy — our way of bringing a just peace closer.
I have just had a long meeting on the preparations for the first Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland in June. This is the first real opportunity to bring a just end to this war closer. The Office team, our international experts, and all those involved in working with partners on the Summit were present at today’s meeting. We have almost a month to go before the Summit, a month of our work. We already have the confirmations of states from all the continents to participate in the Summit. We will definitely continue to work at all levels to make the event effective. I will continue my communication with the leaders, the team will keep working at the level of national security advisors, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Parliament, civic leaders… And we also use our informal ties with partners. Ukraine and many other countries have already been through so many Russian meannesses and deceptions — Russian violations of agreements and promises, that only the world majority together can ensure that Russia is effectively forced to respect the UN Charter, the international law, and real peace.
And there was another important meeting today. We had a very detailed and long conversation about the protection and restoration of our energy sector, and the situation in the energy industry in general. Prime Minister Shmyhal, the Minister of Energy, the military, and the representatives of energy companies. Now, after the Russian strikes, our energy sector has lost a significant part of its production. Time is needed to restore it. Much effort is needed to further develop the energy sector — the new energy sector, which will be able to function despite the threats of Russian terror. In addition, we are already preparing for the next heating season, which includes, in particular, scheduled repairs and preparation of nuclear generation. Therefore, there is a need for a very rational, thoughtful consumption of electricity again. Both at the Government level and at the level of regional and local authorities, as well as at the level of energy companies, we need to ensure that the public is fully informed about how power cuts happen now, when there is a peak load, and why we need everyone to be conscious of their consumption. Of course, we are working to provide Ukraine with more air defense protection. We are working with all our partners on a regular basis, and we are convincing them.
And one more thing.
Russian terror will never remain unpunished. Step by step, we are making sure that the Russian state feels the consequences and the price of its evil. I thank everyone who works for this, who produces our drones, our weapons. And everyone who uses them — and uses them accurately. Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!
Here’s the details on the energy shortages and rationing:
⚡Ukrenergo: Restrictions on energy supply for industrial users remain in effect due to power shortage.
Limitations will be applied from 7 p.m. to midnight local time on May 18, while restrictions for domestic users are not forecasted for the same day.https://t.co/VwAaK3S1bx
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 17, 2024
From The Kyiv Independent:
Ukraine will uphold restrictions on energy supply for industrial users due to the damage caused by recent Russian attacks against the Ukrainian energy system, the state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo announced on May 17.
Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country. This included the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts.
Russia carried out another large-scale attack on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure. At least two hydroelectric power plants had to be decommissioned as a result of attacks.
Limitations for industrial users will be applied from 7 p.m. to midnight local time on May 18, while restrictions for domestic users are not forecasted for the same day, according to Ukrenergo.
Ukrenergo also warned that power shutdowns can still occur in the region if the limit of power usage is exceeded.
The schedules of the potential shutdowns can be found on the personal online accounts of energy supply users, as well as on the website or social media of the regional energy operator.
Ukrenergo previously implemented rolling blackouts in all of the Ukrainian regions for both industrial and domestic users on May 15.
“The capacity of Ukrainian power plants is not enough due to the consequences of five missile and drone attacks carried out by Russia on Ukraine’s energy system since March 22,” the statement read.
There is another frontline in the war in #Ukraine.
Between #energy workers who heat homes and light streets and russian #missiles that destroy power stations and bring only darkness.
After relentless russian attacks in the last two months, Ukraine's energy workers face a… pic.twitter.com/zXW1lsTMS7
— DTEK Group (@dtek_en) May 13, 2024
There is another frontline in the war in #Ukraine.
Between #energy workers who heat homes and light streets and russian #missiles that destroy power stations and bring only darkness.
After relentless russian attacks in the last two months, Ukraine’s energy workers face a race against time. They need the world’s help to protect our skies and find equipment to restore the energy system, before winter arrives.
Please share and join our #FightForLight: https://linktr.ee/fightforlight
President @ZelenskyyUa:
"russia has not stopped terrorizing our people for a single week in more than two years of this war.russia tries to expand the war while consistently making empty statements about peace. We must use all available means to force russia to make a real and… pic.twitter.com/9MwVWGIwOr
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 17, 2024
President @ZelenskyyUa:
“russia has not stopped terrorizing our people for a single week in more than two years of this war.russia tries to expand the war while consistently making empty statements about peace. We must use all available means to force russia to make a real and just peace. Our defense against russian assaults and strikes is critical in this regard.
I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine!
I thank all the countries that help us!”
"For the first time since the start of the war, none of the brigades complain that there are no artillery projectiles. And this has been happening for the last 2 months. However, we still have to work a lot. The Czech initiative will go ahead. We are negotiating with all partners… pic.twitter.com/dUtIoFcMq7
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 17, 2024
“For the first time since the start of the war, none of the brigades complain that there are no artillery projectiles. And this has been happening for the last 2 months. However, we still have to work a lot. The Czech initiative will go ahead. We are negotiating with all partners about money,” Zelenskyi said.
https://rbc.ua/rus/news/front-zbroya-kadrovi-rotatsiyi-ta-mir-golovni-1715931411.html
From RBC-Ukraine:
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the media, outlining the Russian objectives in the Kharkiv region, his vision for the withdrawal of Russian troops, the stance of international partners and their fears, and commenting on personnel rotations within the Cabinet and the Presidential Office.
Situation in Kharkiv region
Speaking about the situation in the Kharkiv region, the head of state noted that he had a substantive meeting with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, commanders of Operational Strategic Group Khortytsia, Yurii Sodol, and Operational Tactical Group Kharkiv, Mykhailo Drapatyi, as well as border guards including State Border Guard Service head Serhii Deineko and National Police representatives.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Defense Forces have “stabilized the Russians where they are now.” The deepest advancement of the occupiers is 10 kilometers. In some brigade directions, the enemy has made no progress at all.
“We have very powerful brigades, I am grateful to them. We have reinforced several directions with individual battalions, reallocating from reserves and other directions. The crossing of the border by the Russians is due to a lack of air defense. They operate with aerial bombs and artillery where they have an advantage… 8 months of partners delaying decisions made it difficult for our troops,” explains the president.
Regarding fortifications, Zelenskyy said that no one has reached the concrete defense line, dismissing claims as nonsense.
“The enemy reached the first line. The first line is not the border, it is impossible to build there because of the weapons used by the Russians, which caused our people to die. That is approximately where they are now. The first line was built during the war, under constant fire, by our military. The second line is also built by the military, and the third line, constructed by local authorities, is the strongest—not because they are better than the military, but simply because it is farther from the weapons, shells, and shelling,” said Zelenskyy.
According to the head of state, the Russian goal is Vovchansk. Beyond that, they want a 10-kilometer zone and aim to develop any success they achieve. However, for now, the situation is stabilized by our Defense Forces, said Zelenskyy.
Permission for using Western weapons on Russian territory
Regarding Ukraine’s use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory, the president does not believe there should be any prohibitions “because this is not about the Ukrainian army’s offensive using Western weapons on Russian territory.”
“This is defense. It is like the preventive sanctions we spoke of before the full-scale invasion. It is the same. It is a warning. Moreover, they have the same ‘gray’ zone. They also have evacuation areas. There are almost no civilians on their border for understandable reasons,” emphasized Zelenskyy.
Blinken’s visit
As the president recounted, the visit of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ukraine had several objectives.
“Firstly, a $2 billion aid package. Secondly, US proposals for security guarantees. A draft Treaty on Security Guarantees already exists. Thirdly, we discussed our vision for the NATO Summit. They heard our vision, accepted the information, and will return with feedback,” Zelenskyy shared.
However, he stressed that the main issue is air defense.
“At what stage is the dialogue with this or that country that has the relevant systems. Where we see them, where our partners see them, when it might happen, and what needs to be done for this,” Zelenskyy added.
Negotiations with Russia
During his conversation with journalists, the president also emphasized that Western partners are not pushing Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table with Russia.
“Partners are not pushing us. Although I think there is such an atmosphere in the world. And here we need to be very firm and strong. The correct platform has been chosen today where we have the initiative—the Peace Summit,” Zelenskyy believes.
Goals for peace summit
Speaking about the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland (to be held on June 15-16, 2024) and its goals, the head of state said that Kyiv aims to achieve a communiqué.
“We want to achieve energy security, including nuclear one. Because I believe everyone is interested in this, and it could allow us to forecast another winter. We want to achieve free navigation. Any cargo through Ukrainian waters without risk. This is also the safety of people in Odesa and the South in general. Because they hit ports—this affects infrastructure, the sea, and the economy. We also want to make a serious step towards prisoner exchange. In the humanitarian aspect, prisoner exchange is a double issue, as with energy. Energy is nuclear safety, which everyone supports. I think where there is nuclear safety, we can talk about the overall security of the energy system. Regarding exchange. Where there is a prisoner exchange, there is the return of children. That is what we want to achieve,” Zelenskyy explained.
Withdrawal of Russian troops
President also outlined how he sees the mechanism of withdrawing Russian troops from Ukraine. According to him, it is important to involve a large number of countries in this issue.
“If we have a serious number of countries and there is a corresponding communique, I believe this will be our diplomatic advantage. After that, we can organize platforms in various countries where each of these points will be technically worked out. And then this plan can be presented to the representatives of Russia. It’s like it was with the grain initiative: we agreed on a plan with the UN and Türkiye, and then they separately agreed on this plan with Russia, the first corridor,” he said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that “it is important that there are not just 2 countries, but many countries.”
“Otherwise, the Russians will jump out, as was the case with the grain corridor, and we had to build another corridor. It was very difficult. And that’s why we have such a plan on these 3 points. If we succeed, it definitely opens the way to the next meeting, where all other important matters should be addressed,” the president said.
According to him, the Ukrainian government has such a vision: before talking to Russia, there must be a detailed plan that is approved by the entire world.
“We are working on different fronts. I speak with leaders. Diplomats Andrii Yermak is dealing with. Yesterday he presented an analytical document on Ukraine to NATO with Rasmussen in Denmark. In Brussels, he and our team met with many ambassadors, including China and the Global South, regarding the summit,” the president added.
Ukraine’s accession to EU and NATO
Speaking about accession to the European Union and NATO, the head of state expressed the opinion that the Ukrainian side has done everything possible so far.
“It’s only about politics now. That is, instrumentally and operationally, we have done everything to open negotiations with the EU for Ukraine in June. I think everything will work out there. Even difficult partners today have become a bit simpler. We have actively worked with them,” Zelenskyy said.
Government and Presidential Office rotations
He briefly commented on personnel matters in the Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidential Office, stating that it “needs to be resolved.”
“We talked about it with the prime minister. Today we have acting duties in several ministries. This needs to be addressed,” Zelenskyy said.
Situation with weapons and Czech initiative
The president assured that progress is being made even with the Czech initiative concerning artillery ammunition.
“For the first time in years of war, none of the brigades complain that there is no artillery shell. And this has been happening for the past 2 months. However, much more work still needs to be done. The Czech initiative will go on. We are negotiating money with all partners,” he informed.
According to Zelenskyy, an initiative is now being opened where partners will provide funds for the production of our drones – EW systems specifically in this particular direction. He added that the technical indicators of Ukrainian drones are improving.
“We are starting to produce a lot of them, but there is not enough money for them. We are capable of producing more than there is money,” the president said.
Partners’ positions and fears
In Zelenskyy’s opinion, partners fear the defeat of the Russian Federation in this war.
“They would like Ukraine to win so that Russia does not lose. Because it will be an unpredictable defeat and unpredictable geopolitics. I believe that this does not work that way. For Ukraine to win, we need to give it everything that winners have,” he said.
Macron’s idea of Western troops in Ukraine
Zelenskyy also commented on French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement regarding the possible deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine.
“Training in Ukraine is logical, we have already talked about this. It’s faster than going, for example, to France or even to Poland. And then there is cooperation on demining, and we can create a hub for repairing French equipment in Ukraine, so that it doesn’t have to be sent to France. I look at this very positively, to be honest. All this could be a step that would push other countries as well. That is, it opens a new page in this war,” the president believes.
Ceasefire during Olympics and potential duration of war
The President of Ukraine said that he does not yet believe in a ceasefire with Russia during the summer Olympic Games.
“We have had a ceasefire already. But it doesn’t work very well with this enemy. Besides, there is a risk – who will make sure that their forces won’t approach us during the ceasefire? Ceasefire doesn’t prevent them from getting closer with equipment and then launching an offensive. That is, I don’t understand the details. For me, it still sounds like a dead story,” Zelenskyy said.
The president believes that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not interested in dialogue with the whole world because even China will tell him: “Explain the occupation of territories!”
“Because China stands for the territorial integrity of any state. Today there should be grounds for Putin to seek a way out of this situation. Because now he has no discomfort. Because where are we shooting? What can we attack? With what? How will they help us economically? Will sanctions put enough pressure on them or not? Will there be a tribunal or not? We need to answer to each of these questions. And work and advance on each of these fronts every day,” the president summed up.
If Tatarigami’s take regarding President Zelenskyy’s statement on ammunition availability is correct, then this is a major CIV-MIL problem:
According to Ukrainian media Liga, Zelensky said today that "none of the brigades are complaining about the lack of artillery shells. This has been the case for the past two months." This is out of touch with reality and a result of positive reporting promotion in the top brass pic.twitter.com/1upEOTDK4s
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) May 17, 2024
Illia Ponomarenko writes about the two wars that Ukraine is fighting:
There's one thing that one should keep in mind as he or she follows the developments in Ukraine.
The people of Ukraine are actually fighting two wars at the same time. Apart from the Russian invasion, the largest war of aggression in Europe since Adolf Hitler, there's another…
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 17, 2024
There’s one thing that one should keep in mind as he or she follows the developments in Ukraine.
The people of Ukraine are actually fighting two wars at the same time. Apart from the Russian invasion, the largest war of aggression in Europe since Adolf Hitler, there’s another war — a domestic war of our people against so many things that undermine us from within.
It’s about corrupt officials, it’s about incompetent and populistic decision-makers, it’s about those who embezzle our money allocated on fortifications and defenses, it’s about those who give exemptions from military conscription to sports-betting firms (with very murky tax records), and don’t it to charity foundations providing the military with fast and vital aid.
It’s also, for instance, about entire departments of the SBU security service spying on anti-corruption investigating journalists during the war with Russia.
It’s a war against so many things that try to drag us back to what we used to be – a weak and corrupt informal Russian colony.
Just like the “military” war with the foreign invader, this internal war for saving this country from its own dark side has had its victories and setbacks.
Every time high-profile malpractice is exposed in the open, it is fought daily, triggering a scandal and a public uproar.
And these two wars are interconnected.
A favorable outcome of the war against Russia’s aggression is not possible without significant victories in this domestic war of ours.
That’s our life and the struggle for national survival in the last… ten years!
And I must say that sometimes I look through the news, I can’t help but keep thinking about the fact that so many of those insolent pen-pushers in high cabinets don’t deserve to even hold a candle to all our men and women who save this country every single day and do the impossible on the fronts of Russia’s war.
Meet "Juice", the warrior from the Rubizh Brigade.
She is from Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. During the first months of the full-scale invasion, she actively volunteered, and when enemy shelling destroyed her home, she did not hesitate and joined the ranks of the AFU. Now she is… pic.twitter.com/IHY5C2WvqG
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 17, 2024
Meet “Juice”, the warrior from the Rubizh Brigade.
She is from Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. During the first months of the full-scale invasion, she actively volunteered, and when enemy shelling destroyed her home, she did not hesitate and joined the ranks of the AFU. Now she is engaged in remote mining.
The reason:
This is what Ukraine is fighting for.
📹: Yellow Bike Educational Center pic.twitter.com/pMfeNJwIrS
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 17, 2024
Lithuania:
Solidarity of the free world will lead to victory!
We are grateful to our Lithuanian friends for their steadfast support.
🇺🇦🤝🇱🇹 https://t.co/LgOVbpLZ6L— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 17, 2024
Tatarigami and his Frontelligence Insight team have a new assessment of the battlespace across a number of oblasts. From the Thread Reader App:
Frontlines Situation Report – May 17th, 2024
The frontline situation remains challenging. Russian forces intensified attacks in the Bakhmut area and advanced tactically in the Kharnohorivka and Kharkiv areas. Despite this, the frontline remains relatively stable
2/ Chasiv Yar
Despite initial successes in the assault on Chasiv Yar, including reaching and occasionally crossing the canal with small groups, the Russians failed to establish a foothold. Lately, they’ve increased the use of armored fighting vehicles to advance.
3/ The situation south of Bakhmut is more complex. Russians attempted to advance toward Klischiivka with frequent and large assaults. While most of these attacks have been repelled, it’s unlikely that these attempts will cease soon, posing a continued risk to Klishchiivka4/ Kharkiv region
Our team thinks that the frontline is not stable, albeit with no signs of collapse. Russian troops try to infiltrate forests and buildings further south to establish a foothold. However, we’re skeptical about their ability to advance deeply for several reasons
5/ Initially, Russian troops dispersed infantry forces along the border, but supplying them became difficult as they moved deeper into Ukrainian territory. To push south, they need to extend logistics, which is challenging with Ukrainian brigades redeployed into the area6/ Without fully equipped mechanized units, achieving swift and decisive penetration of defenses is almost impossible. This limitation is likely to lead to slower advances (if any), hindering the overall progress of Russian forces, unless new units will be introduced.7/ Kurakhove-Krasnohorivka area
The situation is difficult, with Russian forces advancing in Krasnohorivka. They may try to reach Kurakhivka, aiming to cut off Kurakhove’s logistical routes. However, rapid advances by Russian forces are unlikely due to defenses and geography.
8/ Chernihiv area
Over the past month, our team has monitored Russian forces near Chernihiv oblasts. While no significant invasion force is seen near Chernihiv Oblast, localized incursions across the border may extend the frontline and compel Ukrainian troop redeployment.
9/ Sumy area
While we can’t estimate the current force numbers, they are larger than those near the Chernihiv oblast. We also see what seems like demonstrative actions, possibly exaggerating troop presence. The threat of another border incursion into Sumy Oblast is
very real.10/ The overall goal likely remains the same: to force Ukrainian reserve redeployment from Donbas. Yet, we haven’t seen significant deployment of new large Russian reserves to Donbas intending to turn the tide. This doesn’t rule out such deployments in the future, but not yetIf you found this text helpful, please consider supporting our volunteers and charity organizations that directly assist units on the frontlines. Kindly check out these individuals and their ongoing fundraisers:
@serhiyprytula
@jana_skhidna
@TeoyaomiquuWe kindly ask you to like and share the first (opening) message of this thread to improve its visibility, as algorithms can be unpredictable. If you want to stay updated on future developments, don’t forget to follow.
Kharkiv:
The Kyiv Independent spent 48 hours in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s most-bombed major city. Heavily damaged but never captured during the first days of Moscow's full-scale invasion, the city is now once again the focus of Russian attacks.
Watch here: https://t.co/OQZ7BW2o8m pic.twitter.com/JbUKYVPHd6
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 17, 2024
Instead of a thousand words.
The writing on the video says: "Moving around Kharkiv region. Window is open, gun is ready, due to drones. Everything is burning, everything is on fire…"
📹: libkos/Instagram pic.twitter.com/bFlOKA64ps
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 17, 2024
If you were wondering what Putin’s justification for the invasion of Kharkiv Oblast is:
Putin: “We have no plans today to capture Kharkiv”
“RF Armed Forces are achieving success every day, according to the plan”.
Post your favourite footage of RF AF “achieving success every day” below👇
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) May 17, 2024
Here’s the video clip with Dmitri’s translation:
When this man finally goes, I would highly recommend having his brain checked for worms. RFK may have a few ideas. He's making some sort of a "sanitary zone". God knows what this even means. Sends a couple of thousand Russians to certain death and doesn’t even blink an eye.… pic.twitter.com/j3dUkrwrh6
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) May 17, 2024
When this man finally goes, I would highly recommend having his brain checked for worms. RFK may have a few ideas. He’s making some sort of a “sanitary zone”. God knows what this even means. Sends a couple of thousand Russians to certain death and doesn’t even blink an eye. Nothingburger. Just numbers.
I’m not even mentioning his statement about the shelling of civilians. This is said by the man who placed the murderers from Bucha next to him during the victory parade.
This person is absolutely inadequate, he is sick. He cannot be trusted to manage a pub, let alone the country.
Sumy Oblast:
Destruction of two Russian tanks in the Kursk region of Russian near the border with Sumy region of Ukraine. https://t.co/vfpWvD4Lap
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 17, 2024
Here’s the machine translation of Sternenko’s tweet:
2 Russian tanks were destroyed at once in the Kursk region 💥
Yesterday afternoon, the Russians pulled a couple of tanks to our state border near Sumy region. At first, artillery worked on them, not quite successfully.
Then the operators of Wings to Hell 103 OBrTRO took up the case.
With the help of your drones, both tanks were burned 🔥
Chasiv Yar:
The Kraken unit is showing how they are getting to their positions in Chasiv Yar.
Ukrainian warriors are risking their lives to defend a free Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/jyseoW39oH— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 17, 2024
please help me get engineering equipment (excavators) to our defenders by donating here: https://t.co/rNKFV48K0X
— ✙ Constantine ✙ (@Teoyaomiquu) May 17, 2024
Here’s the full text of Constantine’s first tweet:
russians have intensified assaults around Bakhmut area.
a big mechanized assault around Chasiv Yar – Ivanivske was stopped today. See the image for more details, you will also see more videos soon.
Also, infantry assaults are not stopping for the past 3 days around Ivanivske and Klishiivka. Enemy comes in much larger groups than before. Our defenders stand strong, but they are very exhausted.
🗺️https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ecvyft2TjdX8xGG56
📍: 48.585357, 37.926476
Odesa Oblast:
⚡️Explosions were reported in the city of Odesa after a warning from Ukraine's Air Force that missiles were incoming, Suspilne reported on May 17.https://t.co/1OGWh1CBOm
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 17, 2024
Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:
Editor’s note: This is a developing story.
Explosions were reported in the city of Odesa after a warning from Ukraine’s Air Force that missiles were incoming, Suspilne reported on May 17.
The extent of the damage is currently unknown, Suspilne wrote.
Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov later said that at least three people were injured in the attack and taken to the hospital.
Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper added that two more people were reported as being injured, raising the total to five.
Kiper also said that the attack caused a fire and damaged infrastructure but did not give more details.
Ukraine’s Air Force said later in the day that Russia had used three ballistic missiles in the attack, likely Iskander-M and three Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missiles.
Russian occupied Crimea:
/2. Russian Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Alexandrovich Kulakov, commander of military unit 85683. Killed during the attack on May 13, 2024 on the military base of the 3rd radio engineering regiment on Mount Ai-Petri Crimea.https://t.co/TIDZBuUl1S pic.twitter.com/tArz9ylj0l
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 17, 2024
Here’s the full text of the first tweet:
Claimed hits on the Russian radar site on the mountain Ai-Petri, Crimea. As a result of this mornings Storm Shadow/SCALP strikes. The fact of the attack is confirmed by Russian sources as well, however the targeted locations and damage is not mentioned. Some media claims:
“Russian air defense military base on Mount Ai-Petri was damaged as a result of the morning missile attack on Crimea. The commander of the military unit died
Today, May 13, at around 6 am, several missiles (presumably Storm Shadow) attacked military unit 85683 on Ai-Petri in Crimea, On the mountain there is a military air defense base of the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces.
As a result of the missile hit, the territory of the military unit was damaged, the commander of military unit 85683, Alexander Kulakov, and another serviceman were killed. There are also wounded, their number is being determined.”
(44.4845306, 34.0297396)
Novorossiysk, Russia:
/2. A number of objects were targeted in the Novorossiysk area. Preliminary it’s known about the strikes on:
– Grushovaya Balka oil depot
– Gazprom oil depot in Kirillovka
– Mazutnyy Terminal of the port of Novorossiysk pic.twitter.com/1dRk0vdklf— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 17, 2024
/8. Additional videos of strikes on Novorossiysk pic.twitter.com/F2s9dHMUWu
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 17, 2024
/10. As said by some Russian sources: “at least 2 UAVs attacked the Tuapse Oil Refinery, where a retification column and an area of 200 square meters caught fire.”
A week ago Reuters retthat Tuapse oil refinery resumed work after 3 months of repairs following the January drone… pic.twitter.com/Oe6CCggBOQ— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 17, 2024
Novorossiysk, Russia, this morning, a Ukrainian attack drone screams over the city at low altitude, eventually slamming into the port and exploding. pic.twitter.com/BrTsIG0J3l
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) May 17, 2024
"It's been over 80 drones. They're flying in a row. It's really crazy!"
Footage of a drone attack on Novorossiysk and Tuapse in Russia's Krasnodar region last night.
The commentary of witnesses is curious. https://t.co/e4npyRCHt9 pic.twitter.com/3FLgbzHlnE
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 17, 2024
Krasnodar Krai, Russia:
Videos showing a Ukrainian UAV attack on Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai. https://t.co/j43TTvys9Ghttps://t.co/ao0466GDBxhttps://t.co/TmuQMXpLjbhttps://t.co/ucgRrM4aKUhttps://t.co/mGcIP93ORA pic.twitter.com/RwClIB02Ew
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 17, 2024
St. Petersburg, Russia:
Russian authorities have given updated information that it was an accidental detonation of 76-mm ammunition from WWII, not a drone attack. https://t.co/9S5bMi1nJI
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 17, 2024
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There are no new Patron tweets today. Here is some adjacent material:
The power of companionship
📷: 37th Marine Brigade pic.twitter.com/2nNWu143BI
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 17, 2024
Усім, хто евакуює людей, усім, хто рятує тварин – величезна подяка від усієї країни! pic.twitter.com/5D20aFwYcy
— Сергій Погребецький (@pogrebeckij) May 16, 2024
Cats are being evacuated from Vovchansk in the north of Kharkiv as Russians continue to rain bombs upon the city they are trying to re-occupy. pic.twitter.com/Q95OF5ib2k
— Nate Mook (@natemook) May 17, 2024
Open thread!
War for Ukraine Day 814: The Russian Bombardments ContinuePost + Comments (17)
by John Cole| 76 Comments
This post is in: John Cole Presents "Stories from the Road"
Oh noes, an elderly Republican has a sad:
Despite all the talk that Joe Biden killed the Commission on Presidential Debates this week, there’s at least one objection.
“We ain’t dead yet,” says Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr.
He’s the co-founder and co-chair of the commission, and he sat down for an interview with the Playbook Deep Dive podcast this week to discuss whether this really is the end of his organization’s 36-year run producing 33 general election debates.
Fahrenkopf had harsh words for senior members of the Biden campaign, which stunned the commission on Wednesday morning with a letter declaring the president would not participate in the commission’s fall debates. The Biden team described the commission’s debates as “noisy spectacles” that occur too late in the process to accommodate early voting, and which were too easy for Donald Trump to hijack in 2020 by breaking rules that went unenforced.
Fahrenkopf called the Biden campaign’s allegations “false” and said the campaign “didn’t do their homework” on early voting. He blamed the blowup on Biden advisers Anita Dunn and Ron Klain’s hostility to the commission.
Some quick background- Fahrenkopf is the former head of the RNC from 83-89, during the Reagan years, before most voters today were even able to vote, and according to his wikipedia entry, he is 84 years old. So no, he and the Presidential Debate Commission are not technically dead, but if you look at the actuarial tables he’s got one foot in the grave the other on a banana peel and the commission is in the same boat.
Having said that, thank FUCKING GOD Biden’s team managed to secure the debates outside this shitshow. Here’s the deal- it’s not 1988 anymore and we are long past pretending that the old rules of genteel debate still hold. In fact, the biggest impediment to Democratic success in the last twenty years or so are the idiots in the Democratic party, now mostly gone, who believed in the old way and treating Republicans as serious people who should be given the benefit of the doubt. The stupid centrist fuckers who think they can negotiate with terrorists because in their mind Tip O’Neill is still smoking cigars and having drinks with Reagan.
Those days are long gone, and the simple fact of the matter is the institutions we relied on for decades and centuries are crumbling in this new era, because much of government and civil life requires people acting in good faith. Republicans tossed that aside in the Gingrich era and have become worse with every passing years, and have in many instances either fully co-opted institutions or simply ignore them and do what they want because they realized there are no repercussions.
The same thing happened to the Sunday shows and much of the media- Republicans realized that there is no down side to just flat out lying, and they did that until they just stopped showing up. In addition, the media bent over backwards to be “fair and balanced,” so we were then and now treated to the grotesque spectacle of treating things like Obama agreeing with Henry Louis Gates as a scandal on par with Donald Trump blackmailing Ukraine. Biden’s dentures slip and he mispronounces a name while Trump shouts out “MAGNETS DON’T WORK UNDERWATER AND HANNIBAL LECTOR WAS A GREAT GUY” and the headline the next day is “both Presidents have issues with their age.”
This serves no one, of course, except Republicans. It doesn’t help the country, it doesn’t help inform the public, and it certainly doesn’t build faith in institutions.
So Mr Fahrenkopf can fuck off into the wilderness for all I care. After the deceits and abuses they let Trump get away with the last few times around, I see no need to include the commission this time around.
In other news, this happened in Congress:
Jasmine Crockett is the Queen, of course. But Jamie Raskin’s reaction has me howling. pic.twitter.com/yjmKYbgja6
— Jane of the North (@JaneotN) May 17, 2024
Two thoughts- Raskin deserves credit for not breaking out into a full laugh, and I hope that Crockett is around for a long time.
My legs are very sunburned and ouchie, so I am going to do nothing but watch Caprica tonight and stay out of any sun tomorrow. I guess I have nothing else to say, really.