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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Dear legacy media: you are not here to influence outcomes and policies you find desirable.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

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Open Thread:  Hey Lurkers!  (Holiday Post)

Open Threads

You are here: Home / Archives for Open Threads

Balloon Juice Is the Little Engine That Could (Open Thread)

by WaterGirl|  July 15, 20243:54 pm| 123 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

WE DID IT!  

I took the thermometer down because we are at $30,000!  (As soon as the final angel adds theirs, and I left a little bit of room for Omnes.)

Balloon Juice peeps are the best.

We’ll be coming hot and heavy with the next fundraising very soon.  No rest for the wicked  weary !

To everyone who donated or encouraged others, thank you!

What else can we celebrate today?

Open thread.

Balloon Juice Is the Little Engine That Could (Open Thread)Post + Comments (123)

The Press Is Not Your Therapist

by @heymistermix.com|  July 15, 20241:20 pm| 189 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

The Press Are Not Your Therapist

Goddam right.  Some of these anonymous “senior” Dems need to go on the record or shut their fucking pieholes.  Also, what kind of weak-kneed fuck says shit like that?  We’re a long way from the election.  No matter your position on Biden being replaced by Harris, this just isn’t helping.

Not really related, but relevant, another panic has broken out over how the assassination attempt changes everything.  The DC press is very open to pimping this narrative because a big part of their job is basically a body watch.  Big media organizations pay big money that would be better spent elsewhere to make sure there’s someone around at all times in case some loon takes a shot at the President (or candidate for President).  So they’re incredibly invested, literally, in an assassination attempt being the biggest moment on earth.  Maybe they’re at least partially right (I doubt it),  but someone from the gun party being hit with a bullet from their object of worship is certainly not a no-brainer good thing for Republicans.

Finally, speaking of the gun party, I had no dog in the Jamal Bowman primary fight — I figure his district can figure out whether they want him around for another term on their own.   But if even 10% of  the almost $16 million spent by AIPAC and allied groups against him was available for Lauren Boebert’s opponent, it would help at least keep Boebert’s head down and her mouth shut, especially since she got caught speeding in May and then didn’t pay the ticket. 

I guess that’s a semi-random list, but that’s all I have on this gloomy Monday morning.

(The tweet is via Josh Marshall and the idea for the post title is from Atrios because it’s good.)

 

The Press Is Not Your TherapistPost + Comments (189)

Great News – Four Directions External Match for the next $13,000

by WaterGirl|  July 15, 202412:45 pm| 63 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Political Action, Political Fundraising, Targeted Political Fundraising 2023-24

WE DID IT!  

I took the thermometer down because we are at $30,000!  (As soon as the final angel adds theirs.)

I just got a call from Four Directions to say that they found a match for the next $13,000 we raise!

We don’t need much more than $13,000 to get us to our $30,000 goal!

So even though we are midway through the existing angel match, everything resets, so everyone can take advantage of this.

So…  ($100 donation + $100 angel match = $200) + $200 external match = $400

Plus the $5,000 Angel Bonus when we get to $20,000.

So all donations right now are pretty close to 6x.

I know I don’t need to tell you all what’s at stake.  Let’s do this!

This can also be an open thread.

Great News – Four Directions External Match for the next $13,000Post + Comments (63)

Cannon Dismisses Classified Docs Case

by Betty Cracker|  July 15, 202410:49 am| 280 Comments

This post is in: Activist Judges!, Open Threads

Via TPM:

Per the order, Cannon dismissed the case after finding that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution.

Cannon’s determination that Smith was unlawfully appointed effectively endorses a legal theory tested multiple times in previous cases and dismissed, rooted in the idea that the Attorney General cannot appoint and fund a special counsel absent authorization from Congress. That was seen as an absurd notion, and one contravened by decades of special counsel investigations under the current statute.

But it received a boost both after Cannon held a multi-day hearing on the question and after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas supported the idea in a concurrence in the Trump immunity ruling. Cannon cited that concurrence throughout her order.

Jesus Fucking Christ!

Open thread.

Cannon Dismisses Classified Docs CasePost + Comments (280)

Monday Morning Open Thread: Trying to Be Serious During A *Silly* Silly Season

by Anne Laurie|  July 15, 20248:27 am| 190 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

My new mantra: “We have a good person in the Oval Office. Let’s keep it that way.”

There's no place in America for political violence.

No exceptions.

We cannot allow this kind of violence to be normalized. pic.twitter.com/taupQp1VnB

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 15, 2024

President Joe Biden, in an Oval Office address, decried political violence a day after former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. “We cannot, we must not, go down this road in America,” he said. pic.twitter.com/wm7urpiYng

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 15, 2024

Biden’s reelection campaign and the DNC will start up activities on Monday night after he halted them on Saturday following the Trump rally shooting.

Follow live: https://t.co/IDJyrsbWi1 pic.twitter.com/gaOxU4t6kn

— The Hill (@thehill) July 14, 2024

How dare the President, while condemning political violence, besmirch our beloved political violence https://t.co/r95M7TlabI

— Blitz Primary (by Oprah™) (@canderaid) July 15, 2024

 
Next up: The big conference, where the whole world is watching!

show full post on front page

China's Communist Party will signal its approach to the country's challenges at a meeting this week https://t.co/t4JBJPDJ3D

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 15, 2024

… The Communist Party’s 205-member Central Committee is holding its third plenum, or the third plenary session of a five-year term that started in 2022. This year’s meeting was expected to be held last year, but was delayed.

Historically, this third meeting has emerged as one at which major economic and policy decisions have been set, though not every time. Analysts say the plenum often sets longer-term directions impacting the economy…

Yeah, okay, I’ll get serious… Today, in the fear that made Milwaukee famous:

Prepare for a week of religious deification of Trump, doubling down on violent threats, disdain for the rule of law and promises of retribution oozing from the 2024 GOP Convention while the punditry class insists Democrats are the ones who need to tone down their rhetoric.

— Ragnarok Lobster ?? (@eclecticbrotha) July 14, 2024

Republicans in Milwaukee for the RNC will see plenty of these signs thanking Joe Biden near construction projects. With council support, the Department of Public Works not so subtly installed them in recent weeks. pic.twitter.com/1CBGATjRzt

— Jeramey Jannene (@compujeramey) July 14, 2024

NEW: Wisconsin @GovEvers has spoken with Secret Service and requested the decision to allow firearms within soft perimeter of RNC be reconsidered "immediately," per a source w/ knowledge of discussionshttps://t.co/0YvWB04jIe

— Jessie Opoien (@jessieopie) July 14, 2024


No Repub can be separated from their emotional support weapons… “Gov. Tony Evers seeks to bar firearms near RNC but the move is unlikely to succeed”:

… The request was made to the U.S. Secret Service, which would relay the governor’s concerns to the Republican National Committee, the source said.

But the request appears likely to go nowhere. The power to ban firearms in the security “footprint” outside the credentials-only “hard” security zone seems to rest with the state, not the Secret Service, the RNC or the City of Milwaukee.…

A short-lived effort at City Hall to ban guns within the security footprint failed because local governments like Milwaukee are precluded under state law from enacting gun regulations more stringent than the state’s. Wisconsin allows both concealed carry and open carry.

Instead, the city ended up with a city ordinance banning a host of items within the security footprint but allowing most firearms in the area…

Guns will not be allowed inside Fiserv Forum or other buildings where RNC events are set to take place, or in the “hard perimeter” around the convention, where credentials are required for entry, aside from those possessed by working law enforcement officers, according to a Secret Service spokesperson.

Were I in Milwaukee, I’d spend this week in my own home, well away from the Finserv. There shouldn’t be trouble inside the ‘hard perimeter’ — barring jumpy security agents panicking over a dropped mic or a popping balloon — but the area just outside that perimeter will be full of gun-humping paranoids looking for any excuse to demonstrate Their Second Amendment Rights, preferably on some innocent bystander filthy Democrat lie-bril, especially if that unperson has purple hair or a skintone darker than a sheet of copier paper.

Because I am not a good person, I second this emotion…

like, look, man, political violence is bad and it’s bad for everyone, but if it turns out that a violent reactionary boog tried to kill king chud, well, i am going to fix a cocktail and think about all of the things the GOP could’ve done over the last 20 years to avoid this kind of outcome.

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) Jul 14, 2024 at 2:06 AM

i don’t want to see trump assassinated, i want to see him imprisoned after due course, but these fucking murderous clowns want to murder each other and i am hard-pressed to argue that our whole country would be worse off if they did.

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) Jul 14, 2024 at 2:09 AM

Monday Morning Open Thread: Trying to Be Serious During A *Silly* Silly SeasonPost + Comments (190)

Mean-Spirited Partisans Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  July 14, 20249:41 pm| 86 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Gun Issues, Open Threads, Trumpery, Our Failed Media Experiment

the primary thing that keeps me from dooming is that the Republican Party is relying on low-propensity voters to win (did not vote in 2020, did not vote in 2022) and has cut its GOTV budget to zero

— golden gate theophite (@revhowardarson) July 14, 2024

there are 4 months to go. after every single event nowadays, there is a brief period of shock and then everyone retreats into their partisan camps. people who hated Donald Trump before are likely to still hate him by November, and people who loved him will still love him.

— Lakshya Jain (@lxeagle17) July 14, 2024

Senate Dems should take one of their assorted gun control bills off the shelf, rename it something like "Trump Assassination Prevention Act," and force Rs to do a talking filibuster to block it

— T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) July 14, 2024

If you choose to go below the fold, don’t say you weren’t warned.

show full post on front page

From what’s been reported to date, the shooter sounds like most of the guys I knew from our college SF Club / Tolkien Fellowship meetings when I was his age: a basically well-intentioned (yet frequently annoying) dork with vaguely libertarian ideas (his father, apparently, was registered to vote as a Libertarian) and a certain resemblance to the preserved fetal piglets in high-school science labs.

How this low-rent recreation of the Grassy Knoll incident is liable to play out over the next days and weeks, I can’t predict, except that it will be dumber and more dishonest than even our most cynical Democratic predictions, because This Is Where We Are.

Trump/GOP will almost certainly Terri Schaivo* this. But I think the safe bet is ppl want someone who doesn’t embrace violence

*GOP goes crazy trying to exploit an emotional situation, but they act like such cynical & deranged freaks that normal humans are weirded/grosses out https://t.co/e8RFbYIIPl

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) July 14, 2024

"This is the hardest shit I've ever seen" and it's just some greasy old racist shaking his tiny fist under a pile of bodyguards

— Yurok Around The Clock (@HellcatBruce) July 14, 2024

Violence begets violence.#TrumpIsNotFitToBePresident pic.twitter.com/zDncP2GF93

— ca?a?a ?a?es ????? (@Trump_Detester) July 14, 2024

Everyone has decided getting shot is the election clincher, which is how Teddy Roosevelt won a third term and Gerald Ford won 500 electoral votes.

— Shadow Of The Nerdtree (@agraybee) July 14, 2024

Trump being extended grace and compassion by people he routinely demeans while his supporters try to leverage well, whatever happened last night, to his political benefit and the media cheering them on is a perfect summation of where we are as a nation.

— scary lawyerguy (@scarylawyerguy) July 14, 2024

Should Democrats be concerned about GOP on GOP violence? Yes of course — but Republican internecine violence among its members is not our fault — Republicans need to clean themselves up

— ????Banquo, a US hegemony enjoyer (@BanquoDyar) July 14, 2024

Just amazing what is awaiting the media if Trump is reelected, and yet so many of them are proudly signing up to be the leaders of the Leopards eating faces party. https://t.co/AhVTcS8BwN

— The Biden Accomplishments Guy (@What46HasDone) July 14, 2024

The guy who incited a mob to storm the Capitol on J6, calls them political prisoners who he will pardon, posted a photo of Joe Biden being dragged behind a truck and mocked the attempted murder of Paul Pelosi is calling for calm and a lowering of the political temperature. Got it

— scary lawyerguy (@scarylawyerguy) July 14, 2024

in case anyone forgot how the man in question reacted to the news: pic.twitter.com/h9hBikmOJf

— DaSkrubKing (@DaSkrubKing) July 14, 2024

If I’m going to feel bad for someone it’s the poor schmuck who was bleeding to death behind him while he was striking his Iconic Pose

— Blitz Primary (by Oprah™) (@canderaid) July 14, 2024

Captain Obvious to the rescue:

The assassin community is typically made up of crazy people who exercise poor judgment. https://t.co/UtCdJCVj5e

— Matthew ??????Yglesias (@mattyglesias) July 13, 2024

Mean-Spirited Partisans Open ThreadPost + Comments (86)

War for Ukraine Day 872: Glide Bombs Aimed at Kharkiv

by Adam L Silverman|  July 14, 20247:02 pm| 12 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

Painting by NEIVANMADE. It has a white background an in the center are Soldiers in green doing air defense by firing at incoming Russian missiles in the upper right. The missiles are red and yellow. In the upper left, written in green, is the text: "SAVE THE BRAVEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!" Below the Soldiers, also written in green, is "SUPPORT FOR KHARKIV"

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is still doing fine. She has another week off before her next treatment.

Second, because it’s been a longer weekend than I think any of us were planning on, I’m going to keep tonight’s update as brief as possible.

As I’ve typed this post over the past hour (6:00 to 7:00 PM EDT) air raid alerts have gone up for Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson Oblasts. The on for Kharkiv Oblast that was up has come down. The alert maps do not show any inbound cruise missiles, but it may be an ugly morning in southern Ukraine.

Apparently, Odesa’s air defense intercepted inbound cruise missiles shortly after I hit publish:

Several loud explosions heard in Odesa as air defences intercepted incoming Russian missiles. Sizeable fire reported in one location. Earlier, Air Force warned ballistic missiles headed from the south #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/1lGwfu2isW

— Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) July 14, 2024

As of 7:36 PM EDT the air raid alerts for southern Ukraine have dropped, but a new one has been posted for Kharkiv Oblast.

Russia attacked Kharkiv with glide bombs again about two or three hours ago:

Explosions reported in Kharkiv! Right now, the city is under russian glide bomb attack!

— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) July 14, 2024

Andrei Kozyrev, who was Russia’s Foreign Minister from 1990-1996 and in the Duma through 2000, has some well informed thoughts regarding the potential aftermath of last night’s shooting in Pennsylvania.

The Kremlin TV is blaming Democrats’ created “atmosphere around Trump” for an outrageous attempt on him. As usual, domestic propaganda will be translated to poison the political atmosphere in America through cyberspace.

— Andrei V Kozyrev (@andreivkozyrev) July 14, 2024

Unbelievable how Russia uses this appalling attack on Trump to spin wild conspiracy theories pic.twitter.com/z7MYIR67On

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) July 14, 2024

This is what state TV in Russia is telling viewers tonight: “Today Trump quite literally spilled blood for America. He is now highly likely to get back not only the Oval Office, but also control of all key state institutions: Congress, the Prosecutor’s office, the Supreme… pic.twitter.com/5eBNOYlipI

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 14, 2024

This is what state TV in Russia is telling viewers tonight: “Today Trump quite literally spilled blood for America. He is now highly likely to get back not only the Oval Office, but also control of all key state institutions: Congress, the Prosecutor’s office, the Supreme Court.”|

As Rahm Emanuel once proclaimed, but was terrible at actually executing, never let a crisis go to waste.

Either in the US or in Russia:

President Zelenskyy, however, has a bit more class:

I am appalled to learn about the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania.

Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail.

I am relieved to learn that Donald Trump is now safe and wish him…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 14, 2024

I am appalled to learn about the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania.

Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail.

I am relieved to learn that Donald Trump is now safe and wish him a speedy recovery. My condolences go out to the close ones of this attack’s victim, a rally attendee.

I extend my wishes for strength to everyone who is horrified by this event. I wish America emerges stronger from this.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

show full post on front page

We Are Working to Increase the Strength and Number of Ukrainian “Patriots” – Address by the President

14 July 2024 – 09:40

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Sunday. Morning. The whole week was full of events and negotiations.

Now, after the visit to the United States, there are decisions regarding new Patriot systems and dozens of other air defense systems. We are working to increase the strength and number of Ukrainian “Patriots.” I am grateful to all our partners who are helping us.

There are three new security agreements for Ukraine: Poland, Luxembourg, Romania. And now the team is working on new documents – there will be agreements with the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and after the meeting with the Prime Minister of Ireland, we also decided to prepare an agreement.

There is the Ukrainian Compact, which was endorsed at the NATO Summit in Washington. This is all about weapons for our soldiers, about the work of defense companies in Ukraine and with Ukraine, about support for our recovery – everything is as concrete as possible and truly supports our defense of life.

There are new defense packages.

Dozens of meetings in a week – with country leaders, heads of government, with congressmen and American public leaders, with President Biden and Speaker Johnson. After meetings with US governors, I will meet with our regional leaders, as we need cooperation between regions as well, between communities and community leaders directly. Healthcare, shelters, defense industries, etc. The United States is ready to help at all these levels.

And today’s incident in America.

A few more words about what happened when it was already night here in Ukraine.

An attempt on the life of Donald Trump. A heinous crime. One that can only be condemned. And which shows how serious the global challenges to democracy are right now.

Violence in any form and anywhere must never prevail.

I am confident that America will rise to the challenge. I wish Mr. Trump a speedy recovery. Strength and support to all who have been affected.

May every evil intention fail. And may all who can restore security truly do so.

Glory to Ukraine!

Somewhere in the US:

“Uncle Andrey, stop. Pray and think about what you are doing!”

After the Russian strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, a video of Natalia Vertinskaya appeared online, introducing herself as the niece of Russian Defense Ministry head Andrey Belousov and urging him to stop… pic.twitter.com/7rJP9CGHKm

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 14, 2024

“Uncle Andrey, stop. Pray and think about what you are doing!”

After the Russian strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, a video of Natalia Vertinskaya appeared online, introducing herself as the niece of Russian Defense Ministry head Andrey Belousov and urging him to stop shelling.

▪️ The Insider investigated and found out that Vertinskaya is indeed Belousov’s relative. And his cousin lives in Kyiv and his grandparents are buried in Kyiv. In one of the Kyiv cemeteries, journalists of Donbas Realii found probable places of their burial. The names on the tombstones are Major General Alexander Alexandrovich Belousov and Serafima Nikolayevna Belousova.

▪️ At the same time, Dmitry Belousov, the younger brother of the Russian Defense Minister, denied the existence of niece Vertinskaya in a commentary to Russian media.

“We have neither Vertinsky relatives nor relatives in America. Accordingly, there is no combination of Vertinsky relatives in America,” Belousov Jr. said.

If you’re wondering how many glide bombs Russia has fired at Ukraine this past week, it’s 700 or so.

Since the beginning of this week alone, Russia has launched more than 700 guided aerial bombs, more than 170 attack drones of various types, and nearly 80 missiles against Ukraine.

Russia continues and intensifies its terror.

As I have long said, Russia’s impunity has shown… https://t.co/nyUdwcdy6k

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 14, 2024

Since the beginning of this week alone, Russia has launched more than 700 guided aerial bombs, more than 170 attack drones of various types, and nearly 80 missiles against Ukraine.

Russia continues and intensifies its terror.

As I have long said, Russia’s impunity has shown everyone that the world has only one right – the right of force.

It is clear that sooner or later there will be new agreements and a new order. A new stability will come.

The question is: when, by what means and as a result of what events people will realize that it is time to stop?

Last time it happened after the Second World War.

I have questions:

Don’t do drugs, kids. pic.twitter.com/yYlRlkW6rL

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 14, 2024

Oy vey.

Speaking of oy vey:

May be they should visit at least the areas that were occupied by Russia but are now back in Ukraine

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) July 13, 2024

https://t.co/fKiNeFpdVK

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 14, 2024

Oh dear lord, it turns out that to stop wars in our countries, we just need to defund our defense forces, stop the armed resistance, start negotiating with aggressors, then hold each other by hands and pray for peace all together -– how come we in Ukraine didn’t figure that out ourselves?

That would definitely end all wars and prevent a nuclear disaster, global warming, and world hunger. In all seriousness, there’s something fundamentally wrong with a world in which “outstanding scientists and thinkers” who:

a) refer that call to religious leaders/international organizations/regular people — to whoever on earth but never directly to immediate aggressors and warmongers — Vladimir Putin and Russia, the key war criminals waging the largest European war of aggression since Adolf Hitler that has such a catastrophic effect on the world and that has already left hundreds of thousands dead and entire regions devastated in ruins

b) are barely hiding it that the responsibility for “ending wars” falls upon immediate victims of aggression defending themselves rather than aggressors and warmongers — “Putin wouldn’t listen, so we’d better massage our sense of moral superiority on Ukraine instead”

c) don’t risk actually and directly facing the consequences of their methods of bringing about “world peace” by succumbing to aggressors that are unwilling to negotiate in good faith (as with the Russian occupation of Ukraine)

d) moreover, publish their calls via a newspaper so humiliatingly trampled down by Russian totalitarian censorship that it even fears using the very word “WAR” concerning what Russia does to Ukraine.

See, “certain words” are “prohibited” in the Russian Federation, so we numbly comply with Putin’s totalitarian “laws” while pretentiously lecturing Ukraine and the West on how they need to stop wars they never started.

Historians of the future will have a lot of weird, extremely weird stuff to try and fathom to describe the Age of Hypocrisy.

Here’s the thing. We’re about to enter an age where the U.S. may become very hostile to Ukraine, and neutral-positive to Russia. If this happens, there will be no fairness. And it may tip the balance into Russia’s favour sufficiently so that they win the war in this iteration of…

— Oleg Kostour 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@OlegKostour) July 14, 2024

Here’s the thing. We’re about to enter an age where the U.S. may become very hostile to Ukraine, and neutral-positive to Russia. If this happens, there will be no fairness. And it may tip the balance into Russia’s favour sufficiently so that they win the war in this iteration of it.

And history is generally written by the victors. So we may become the scapegoat for all sorts of problems by those with the power to control the narrative. Lies about Ukrainians will be spread all over the place.

America was not an ally to Ukraine when they pressured Ukraine to give up its nuclear deterrent and weaponry to Russia. We may experience this type of America again soon. The type that meets with Orban and Putin and snubs Ukraine.

Remaining non-nuclear and caring about the NPT and potential sanction risks is no longer a consideration in a world of complete chaos when you have a murderous neighbor.

NATO itself may collapse, and disappear as it’s not clear it would hold itself together outside of PAX Americana.

Are the British, German, French, Turkish Greek, and Polish portions of NATO going to have the same interests? None of those would defect to allying with Russia/China if NATO disappears?

Ukraine is so keen on NATO entry but what if in 5-10 years the alliance itself is meaningless.

New York, Donetsk Oblast:

An American-made Bradley is destroying russian positions in New York, Donetsk region. The legendary IFV leaves no chance for the enemy.

📹: @United24media pic.twitter.com/qHy4HcM0jt

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 14, 2024

Pokrovsk:

The special battalion “Shkval”, consisting of volunteer prisoners, as part of the 47th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully carries out a mission to clear an enemy tree line in the Pokrovsk direction with the support of Bradley infantry fighting… pic.twitter.com/eo3RiNgcQo

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) July 14, 2024

The special battalion “Shkval”, consisting of volunteer prisoners, as part of the 47th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully carries out a mission to clear an enemy tree line in the Pokrovsk direction with the support of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

https://t.me/brygada47/867

The battalion consists of citizens who served sentences in prisons and is formed of volunteers who themselves decided to defend Ukraine. The 47th’ recruiting department approached the selection very responsibly, and therefore each of the ex-prisoners passed an interview.

Compare this to kamikaze assaults by unaccounted Russian convicts.

The Kharkiv front:

Accumulation of 5 destroyed Russian Desertcross-1000-3 on the Kharkiv front.https://t.co/BkjL6jZNdo pic.twitter.com/q40mP2uW6G

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 14, 2024

Ukrainian Marine Kriegsforcher has a new assessment up about the battle for Novomykhailivka. First tweet from the thread, the rest from the Thread Reader App:

NOVOMYKHAILIVKA THREAD PART I

Russian strategic advance in Pokrovsk have started at 10.10.23. They deployed 3 CA to capture Avdiivka and all our attention was there.

But there was one more big battle. The Battle for Novomykhailivka that costed them 300 armed vehicles.

🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/IFLgNnbJeP

— Kriegsforscher (@OSINTua) July 14, 2024

I need to figure out that there will be a couple of parts about that battle. Need to say that I will try to post only undocumented losses.

And this part will be about tanks.

The first recorded loss of T-54B tank. This tank was lost on December 2023.Image

Another destroyed T-62M.

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One more T-62M.Image

I remember how this T-62M was hit and stopped. He managed to drew a couple of miles and than was hit by the FPV drone.

Don’t know why but no one left that tank.
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TG channels, steal ASAP!

T-62M without a turret was used as AFV during the assault.

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T-62M. During the attack found a landmine and was stopped. Later was destroyed.

Apart from that tank BMP-2 and BMP-1AM were deployed.Image

Another T-54!

During the attack with MTLB was stopped. One week ago was still at that place.

Was lost on March.
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Two destroyed T-80BV, one destroyed T-72B and abandoned T-80BV.

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Damaged and abandoned tanks.

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Panzers on the way. To hell.

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Two more destroyed T-80BV and BMP-1.

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More tanks and more.

2-4 from the famous 155 marine brigade.

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More tanks from the Russian marines.

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More T-80BVs. Still marines.

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Damaged and abandoned T-80BV. And two more destroyed T-80BV tanks that were used by Russian infantry as a covering positions.

It was super popular by them back than.

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Another damaged and abandoned T-80BV that survived 9 anti tank mines but fortunately was stopped.

And destroyed T-72B 89.

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One destroyed T-80BV, one more damaged and abandoned T-80BV and another abandoned T-72B3M.

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Two more destroyed T-80BV tanks.

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Just take a look at the first photo.

3 – destroyed B3M tank.

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Four more tanks🔥

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More tanks.

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And more tanks.

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Folks, as usual we need your support. Right now your help is desperately needed for my own company:

– 4 different antennas;
– 1 tablet;
– 1 starlink;
– 4 wheels

In general: 5500$

Please, help:

PP: [email protected]

BMAC: buymeacoffee.com/ukranianmarine…

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Wishlist | freedomfighterThe main goal of this page is to share my memories and thoughts about the war.https://buymeacoffee.com/ukranianmarines/wishlist

Unfortunately, somehow this post didn’t become popular and it’s really surprised me.

Well, maybe these kind of threads won’t be popular anymore 👌

We managed to gather 3/5 of the sum!Image

That’s a lot of destroyed Russian material.

Somewhere in Ukraine:

A Ukrainian Anti-Aircraft Regiment fighter shoots down a Russian cruise missile during one of latest Russias missile attacks. https://t.co/IyUJcE3Hfl

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 14, 2024

Russia:

A Russian soldier from the 138th Brigade, which participated in the battle for Volchansk, informs the relatives of his fellow soldiers that he was not able to get everyone out alive. This is the same battle that Putin so frivolously described as creating a “sanitary zone.” For… pic.twitter.com/DZVc4dxraG

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) July 14, 2024

A Russian soldier from the 138th Brigade, which participated in the battle for Volchansk, informs the relatives of his fellow soldiers that he was not able to get everyone out alive. This is the same battle that Putin so frivolously described as creating a “sanitary zone.” For him, a couple of thousand here, a couple of thousand there have no meaning. Meanwhile, warmongers will say that Russia must keep pressing, and Ukraine must surrender.

https://t.me/russianocontext/3938

I know that a lot of people reading these updates, whether you comment or not, are incredibly angry not just at Putin, but also at Russians, especially the ethnic Russians, because they either support Putin, go along to get along, or just keep their heads down and try to survive each day. But I strongly recommend you watch the video embedded above with the sound on. That soldier is fighting in an unjust genocidal war against Ukraine, but he’s just admitted that he’s failed as a commander.

Tomsk, Russia:

Meanwhile in Russia.

Tatiana Laletina, a 21-year-old artist from Russia’s Tomsk was sentenced to 9 years in prison in charges of “high treason”.

In 2022, she sent a total of $30 to a Ukrainian foundation providing aid to the Ukrainian military repelling a full-scale Russian… pic.twitter.com/KLRmoXpySd

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 13, 2024

Meanwhile in Russia.

Tatiana Laletina, a 21-year-old artist from Russia’s Tomsk was sentenced to 9 years in prison in charges of “high treason”.

In 2022, she sent a total of $30 to a Ukrainian foundation providing aid to the Ukrainian military repelling a full-scale Russian aggression.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

First, some adjacent material:

It’s a hot day for Chara to travel from Kharkiv.
+40°C 🔥 on the highway.
Lots of stops & H2O 💦
Vision Mission 20:20 is only 2 hours from Kyiv! pic.twitter.com/nEGlwfSJ4w

— HUGS Helping Ukraine Grassroots Support 🍁🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@HugsUkraine) July 13, 2024

Vive la France ! Joyeux 14 juillet. Merci pour votre aide ❤️🇫🇷🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/2CDolLt4fo

— Patron (@PatronDsns) July 14, 2024

Aux armes, citoyens!

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 872: Glide Bombs Aimed at KharkivPost + Comments (12)

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