I get where you’re coming from, but I was out protesting the Iraq war, too. And I was writing many, many letters to the local newspaper about torture, Gitmo, and “rendition.” In my small conservative town that caused me some amount of trouble. And I was writing to my shitty Senator about the 1990s Iraq no-fly bullshit as well. When same Senator came to speak at graduation I was one of the people who stood, turned my back to him, and then walked out. Luckily I had tenure. I’ve been railing against this shit for a couple decades. So, is it ok for me to continue to complain about these deaths as well?
Is it, in other circumstances, OK for someone to suddenly come to the realization that this is one more war that shouldn’t be happening and start to protest? Or should they keep quiet because they don’t have the “cred” from being upset about previous conflicts because they weren’t, at that time, paying enough attention? Asking for a friend.
I assume @navarro is rather for everyone to speak out against the horror of war every time, not for those who didn’t condemn the second Gulf War and occupation of Iraq to shut up now. Just saying.
There were many who did find the war in Iraq justified, and didn’t have a problem with the fact that it was illegal under international law. I sometimes have to remind myself of that. I wasn’t among them, but that was easy at the time. I also remember being in support with the first Gulf War, after Kuwait was attacked. I remember the feeling of joy when the first wave of F15 was deployed and cruise missiles were fired.
The larger consequences I did not forsee, and couldn’t have had, at the time. I had a good feeling because I being on the right side in a “just war”.
Today, I have a bad feeling despite being on the right side.
Among the assistance Russia requested was pre-packaged, non-perishable military food kits, known in the US as “meal, ready-to-eat,” or MREs, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The request underscores the basic logistical challenges that military analysts and officials say have stymied Russian progress in Ukraine – and raises questions about the fundamental readiness of the Russian military.
Forward-deployed units have routinely outstripped their supply convoys and open source reports have shown Russian troops breaking into grocery stores in search of food as the invasion has progressed. One of the sources suggested that food might be a request that China would be willing to meet, because it stops short of lethal assistance that would be seen as deeply provocative by the west.
Napoleon was, of course, correct. An army does march on its stomach.
Two Bellingcat journalists highlighted previous reporting about the government contracts to provide food to Russia’s defense ministry, and raised questions about whether corruption might be responsible for Russia’s reported lack of preparedness in feeding its own military forces.
And in case it is not clear to all readers, Prigozhin is the same cook
i’m sorry if i made you feel like i was calling you out specifically when what was really going on was that i reached a tipping point while i was reading the comment i ended up replying to. i don’t have anything against you or your feelings about the fucked up situation in ukraine.
i’ve simply been reading too many comments around the internet from americans taking an awfully self-righteous tone approach in their condemnation regarding russia about some of the same things we did in the war against iraq, e.g. bombing maternity hospitals, killing civilians in the thousands, and killing reporters. i definitely do not intend my comment to be taken as support for putin’s policies and actions. i just needed to vent to someone, somewhere about my intense discomfort with so much misplaced self-righteousness.
as for your rhetorical questions, you are free to do as your conscience dictates. i am no one’s boss, i am no one’s moral authority. in the daily ugliness i see i barely have control of my own emotions or my own moral sense.
with no disrespect intended, i ask if that clarifies my earlier reply?
I truly hope China sees providing material and financial support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as something that’s just not worth it. Giving assistance to the aggressor means supporting the atrocities they are committing and is not a good look even if it’s “only food”.
We were lied to about WMD and how long the war would last, and a lot of us believed it at first. But as soon as we realized what was going on and saw the civilian toll begin to add up, those of us with any sense quickly turned staunchly against the war.
And that is why I condemn Putin and his war cheerleaders (as I condemn Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld) while hesitating to condemn the average Russian. The Russian people are being lied to as well, but they will figure out what is going on in time.
