In the midst of World War III…
Posted on: March 13, 2022
- In: Open Thread | Ukraine | Women | Womens' Rights
- 104 Comments
We are also celebrating (?) Women’s History Month. This is all too apropos, because women’s history is bursting at the seams with men wreaking havoc on us – and none worse than the evil monsters who start global wars, such as our not-so-dear Pooty-Poot.
There is a concept in activism called “Nothing About Us Without Us.” In other words, don’t make decisions about a marginalized group, such as folks with disabilities or Black people, without significant representation from that marginalized group. It strikes me that this concept has been largely absent from so much of the decision-making that has created the difficult conditions women live in today.
Its absence has been deeply felt. For example, how many women agreed when the Texas legislature effectively overturned Roe v. Wade in that state? How many agreed when the Supreme Court refused to put a stop to it? (The Supreme Court consults the Constitution, which is a woman-free document, thanks to the QOP men who refuse to pass the ERA – without getting agreement from women.) How many women agree to allow trans women to enter their safe spaces? How many women agreed that Putin should wage war on Ukraine?
I want to be clear that women in power are NOT the women who would need to agree to all of these actions that impact us; those women are far too likely to echo the men, as they benefit from the patriarchy almost as much. It is the marginalized and disenfranchised who need to be brought into the conversation. Joe Biden is a great example of how to do this right. He knows his base is Black women, and true to his promises, he has set about elevating Black women to positions of power they have never had before. Under his leadership, we now have a Black woman Vice President, and will soon have a Black woman Supreme Court Justice; he’s also appointed more Black women to appeals courts than any other President already. Way to go, Joe!
To me, “Nothing about us without us” seems to cut through the convenient excuses white male supremacy throws up when they make policies that hurt us. I’m going to keep it front of mind as I talk about women’s rights going forward.
Open thread, as always.
104 Responses to "In the midst of World War III…"
March 14, 2022 at 2:35 am
Another exceptional post MB. We still have a long way to go. I wonder if we’ll ever see the ERA passed. Happy Women’s History Month, everyone!
March 14, 2022 at 6:09 am
Great post, MB! Odd how women’s rights are so overlooked. Hmmm, wonder why. The Constitution, “a woman-free document.” Exactly so. And the situation for women has gotten worse over the last several years. Legislators denying women bodily autonomy. As our VP said, “Mr. Kavanaugh, can you think of any federal law which sets controls on men’s bodies?” Kavanaugh didn’t even understand the question — not because he’s stupid, though he is, but because the idea of government controlling men’s bodies is unthinkable.
We must continue fighting for the same damn rights. Again.
March 14, 2022 at 6:14 am
More heartbreaking news from Ukraine.
Pregnant mother whose photo showed tragedy of maternity-hospital bombing in Ukraine dies with her baby
A pregnant woman, her face pale, lies on a stretcher. Her left hip is covered in blood as she is rushed out of a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which had just been hit by an airstrike. The gripping picture, captured by photographer Evgeniy Maloletka for the Associated Press, encapsulated the toll on civilians of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was shared, and the strike condemned, around the world — but little was known about the woman herself.
Now, the AP reports that the woman and her baby died in horrific conditions in the aftermath of the attack on the hospital — arriving for surgery with her pelvis crushed and hip detached.
…at least 31 attacks on health-care facilities or equipment have been documented by the World Health Organization since the start of Russia’s assault 2½ weeks ago.
March 14, 2022 at 8:02 am
Thank you, Annie and Luna!
I am heartsick about Ukraine. Thanks for the update. And that dog is showing how I feel today!
March 14, 2022 at 12:33 pm
She’d fit in quite well back when women didn’t need to vote because they agreed with how their husbands voted.
Yes, that was really one of the reasons given why women shouldn’t get the vote.
March 14, 2022 at 1:42 pm
@9 – of course it was!
Meanwhile the QOP Death Cult continues their lunatic attempts to control women by killing them if they disobey. I wish I were kidding.
March 14, 2022 at 2:37 pm
The first time I found a woman in politics that I instantly respected and admired, was our Hillary. It was when Bill was President and he showed how brilliant he was when he had Hillary work in the White House on Universal Health Care.
That was when I saw a woman stand up to more than 1/2 of American citizens that tried to destroy her and she didn’t shut up and sit down for anyone. From that time on, all I could think about was was when would she become our President.
Since then, I have seen very few women in America that has stood up more for everyone, including women. One other leader like Hillary has been RBG and few others in my book. I used to see a confident and aggressive Kamala when she was CA’s AG. Now she has been quieted and constricted in comparison, IMO. I believe the same would have happened to any woman that Biden would choose.
There will always be ‘reasons’ a woman should stand back and not outshine a man, a male President, a boss at work, many redneck husbands…etc.
Until women become more outspoken, more supportive of most women and never give up…things will never be equal.
March 14, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Thank you Shadow! Love your points about Hillary. She is a true fighter for all women.
I’m not sure if Kamala has changed or gotten quieter…it seems to me that the media has her on blackout, which is par for the course for accomplished women. She’s been doing a lot of the diplomacy for the US abroad re Ukraine, for example, but we rarely (if ever) hear anything about it.
March 14, 2022 at 6:14 pm
MB, I agree that the media has been negative on Kamala and also on Joe too. Seems they only liked Obama then Dump.
Like everything else, women have to outsmart, outwit and excel in every way to get though the haters.
March 14, 2022 at 8:02 pm
As I remember, all vp’s are kept in the background, but I expected to see and hear a lot more of our historic first woman vp.
March 14, 2022 at 8:27 pm
That proposed bill in TX is insane. When I had my worst miscarriage & stumbled into our local ER, gushing blood, I did actually think, “thank god I live in a blue state.” I had recently read about how hard it was for women in red states to get a life saving abortion. This was in the 90s. I always enjoy telling this story whenever I’m around religious types carrying on about abortion being legal here. If they’re snotty about it, I describe the gory details and how my grandma died from it and how it wrecked my Dad’s life. Then they squirm and say something dumb like, “well maybe in extreme circumstances.”
March 14, 2022 at 8:31 pm
Direct TV is also getting rid of OAN. Took them long enough.
March 14, 2022 at 8:33 pm
We don’t get OAN anymore. We had it a few years ago at a different house where we had Charter Communications.
March 15, 2022 at 12:08 am
I agree with you, socalannie. All veeps are supposed to be nonentities. And she and Biden have a tightrope to walk. If she’s not a co-President, people like me are cross. If she’s noticed at all, even only as much as a male veep, the wingnuts have crises about bitches taking over the world.
I’d say Harris and Biden have been doing a pretty good balancing act, even if it’s grindingly disappointing they have to do it at all. Hopefully, it won’t somehow tar her when she runs for Prez. Although there’ll probably be so much crap thrown at her then, a bit more from doing too much/not enough as Veep won’t even be noticeable.
March 15, 2022 at 9:26 am
Russia just sanctioned Biden, Hunter Biden (!), and Hillary Clinton. But not Trump.
March 15, 2022 at 7:16 pm
From the WaPo, so that 9 am is Eastern time, which is 6 am Pacific time (groan).
Zelensky on Wednesday is planning to give a virtual joint address to the U.S. Congress, which could increase pressure on Biden to provide military planes to Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone. Zelensky has previously requested such assistance, but so far Biden has resisted amid concerns that the aid could draw the United States into direct combat with Russia, a fellow nuclear power.
The remarks from Zelensky — who has earned a reputation for harnessing social media and offering stirring words to mobilize an international response — will be carried live at 9 a.m., giving him an opportunity to speak directly to an American audience.
March 16, 2022 at 7:42 am
Beautiful birds and adorable doggie!
Love the Hillary tweet! She lives in all these toxic men’s heads rent-free, 24-7.
March 16, 2022 at 7:04 pm
It’s a fcking war, what were they expecting? Pretty pictures of sunflower fields?
When President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday, aired a video documenting the human toll of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, the images were so graphic they prompted an apology from a cable news anchor for having failed to warn viewers about what they were going to see.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/16/ukraine-zelensky-information-war/
March 17, 2022 at 11:24 am
@35 – Putin has achieved the exact opposite of what he wanted – instead of absorbing Ukraine with impunity, he has united the Western world and NATO in support of the country, Personally, he’s never going to be the Tsar of Russia, and he’s likely not going to live much longer.
This war is so pointless and tragic and horrific, but at least that is a small consolation.
March 17, 2022 at 1:41 pm
“This war is so pointless and tragic and horrific, but at least that is a small consolation.”
I’ll take it. Putin himself is radioactive toxic nuclear waste. The sooner he is contained, the better. The Ukrainians are having to crawl through a river of shit, but I do believe they will come out clean on the other side (The Shawshank Redemption).
March 17, 2022 at 2:48 pm
I think it has to be Poland who makes the first move in helping Ukraine with their air defense. Because… 1) It can’t be the U.S. 2) They are the ones being deluged by refugees. We all love our friends and relatives, but no one wants them to move in. 3) For history reasons. Poland got completely used and abused in committing the worst atrocities of WWII (Auschwitz, Treblinka) and here’s their chance to be a hero pre-WWIII (or at least be a significant factor). 4) It would be insulting to Putin if it’s Poland that gives him the middle finger and not the U.S. who is seen by Putin as a worthy adversary. It is treating Russia as on par with Poland, not the U.S.
It’s a Putin trick. First give Ukraine the MiGs; when Putin doesn’t push back because the risks are too high, do more and more. It’s a risk to Ukraine (Putin can get worse as far as war crimes), but that’s what they’ve been asking for over and over and over. And Putin is probably going to get worse regardless. Ukraine needs air defense – and maybe air offense. It’s a risk they are willing to take. I don’t see how it’s a risk to Poland unless NATO is telling them, “absolutely not”.
My armchair analysis from nowhere, KS…
March 17, 2022 at 6:20 pm
DYB, beautiful blue jay. Wish we had those here — they’re rare in the PNW. We have Steller’s Jays, which are darker, without white markings, and have a stylish black crest and head.
March 18, 2022 at 12:35 am
I should be used to these tactics from the Republicans by now, but it still makes my brain hurt.
More than two dozen Senate Republicans demand Biden do more for Ukraine after voting against $13.6 billion for Ukraine
Thirty-one Senate Republicans voted last week against the $1.5 trillion spending bill to fund the government, increase U.S. defense spending and provide humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. In recent days, many of them have clamored for more weapons and aid.
…
“’We should send more lethal aid to Ukraine which I voted against last week’ is making my brain melt,” tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/17/republicans-ukraine-aid-vote/
March 18, 2022 at 5:01 pm
Politicians have been trying to land on both sides of an issue since modern democracies got going. (For all I know, the ancient Athenians had that trouble too.)
But they used to let time, as in a couple of years, pass before pretending they had always been at war/not-at-war with EastAsia.
And they used to try to pretend to be, or sometimes they even really were, loyal to country and president. Even when being loyal meant the president would succeed.
This new mode of blatant bullshit not even pretending to serve anything but their own power and greed really is meltifying.
March 18, 2022 at 10:06 pm
“Why I should have listened…” Duh.
Why I should have listened to Garry Kasparov about Putin
Given Kasparov’s acuity in predicting current events, I ask what he thinks might happen next. He believes Putin has “already lost” the battle, in the sense that his key objective of swiftly annexing Ukraine has failed. “I don’t think that a Ukrainian leader can accept anything less than the return of land [in Crimea]. This war will end with the Ukrainian flag on Sevastopol.”
But he points out that “what price the Ukrainians will pay for this is unclear”, since it would be foolish to expect Putin to back down quickly merely because of economic pain. The one tool that might force a rapid positive conclusion, he thinks, is Nato backing a “no-fly” zone or getting directly involved. “Putin only respects strength.”
https://www.ft.com/content/4079c3f7-75f0-4d5e-9c9d-bc673d26cfd9?sharetype=blocked
March 18, 2022 at 10:18 pm
William Thomas: ranked #462 in men’s swimming.
Lia Thomas: ranked #1 in women’s.
Amazing what a name change does.
March 18, 2022 at 11:26 pm
You know it’s not about the sport, as TransRightsActivists like to pretend, because then transwomen would also be trying to compete in sports where they’d lose. Gymnastics, for instance. Nope. It’s swimming, weightlifting, rugby, and the like. All sports where size and testosterone-fueled musculature lets them scoop the money and prizes. After women worked decades to get recognition and even had to get laws passed to enforce some equality. I wonder how many decades of women wrongfully losing out it’s going to take, this time around, before people start realizing, again, what the criminal waste of talent takes away from all of us.
March 19, 2022 at 12:09 pm
‘Birthing people’, he has a problem with real women and should keep his stupidity to himself. Self castration does not equal being a woman.
March 19, 2022 at 7:17 pm
@48, Shadow, most (80-90%) of trans-identified men aka transwomen keep their male genitals and have no intention of removing them, even if they get silicone ‘breasts.’ I was shocked when I found this out. Nearly all the state and federal regs on trans rights use self-ID as the definition and don’t require any surgery or even medical treatment. Even most sports regs allow testosterone levels to 5 times that of the average women, and some are moving to not require lowered testosterone. Doesn’t make up for longer arms, larger muscles, longer legs, etc. The documented (on security cameras, ironically) rape of the woman in a UK woman’s ward was by one such ‘transwoman.’ The hospital kept saying that there were no men on the women’s ward — until the cops got the camera footage. The incident was brought up in English Parliament during a discussion of gender-identity legislation as an example of risks to women if men can self-identify as women.
March 19, 2022 at 10:50 pm
One of the infuriating things about trans-identified men is that some (not all) of them are insisting that because they identify as women, and like sex with women, they are lesbians. Lesbians with ladydicks. So lesbians who don’t sleep with men who identify as woman are transphobic. Riiiiight. There are fewer trans-identified women who think that because they identify as male, and like sex with men, that they are gay. So gay men who refuse to date them are homophobic. So far gay men have, admirably, refused to fall for this BS and have pushed back without getting the verbal violence lesbians have received. Some old-style transexuals have spoken out against this BS, only to get told they’re not authentically trans. eyeroll Transpeople should be able to live their lives as they wish as long as it doesn’t overrule women’s right to same-sex spaces and sports, as long as they leave children alone, and as long as they’re not homophobic.
@49, Oh what a good doggie!
March 20, 2022 at 12:02 am
OK, last one on the gender woo-woo (for several days at least). Notice these female-identified bodies.
March 20, 2022 at 8:48 am
That picture really says it all, Luna. I’m glad a man is asking the question, finally, if women are okay with it!! That should have been the FIRST question asked!
Speaking of “nothing about us without us…Kentucky joins the states enshrining women’s death into law. These laws will, of course, not impact trans women, so you won’t see them trying to help (for the most part).
March 20, 2022 at 11:04 am
50-51 Luna
Personally, I don’t think these people are special and I don’t need them to try and tell me what a woman is or how they should be accepted as one.
And also, why some people want to be called ‘they’ is a crazy concept to me…I refuse to participate in this upside down world and avoid the entire situation. (I don’t talk to people about this, just avoid saying it.)
And the born-with-penises men playing as a ‘woman’ in sports is wrong and ridiculous to womankind.
Life is short and difficult enough as it is, dealing with this bs from these men is beyond tolerable.
March 20, 2022 at 3:25 pm
The whole “they” and “nonbinary” thing would be funny if we weren’t supposed to take it seriously and affirm them. Does they have multiple personalities? LOL. As for people claiming nonbinaryism instead of being male or female, WTH? Dress how you want, wear cosmetics or not, but you’re still either male or female. It especially irritates me when this is brought into healthcare. Saw a research study on covid where the participants got to ‘identify’ as male, female, or nonbinary. Riiiight. Unfortunately for men, they have higher risk and the covid virus is not going to be fooled by a man claiming he’s female or nonbinary. Bad virus!
March 20, 2022 at 3:35 pm
The Ukrainians are smart and tough. Hoping that the US and other democratic countries will support Ukraine enough to bring Russia to a standstill.
Russia’s war for Ukraine could be headed toward stalemate.
Casualties, equipment losses and a lack of progress on the ground are taking an unsustainable toll, experts say.
…The front lines have barely moved in more than a week. Russians are being killed or injured at the rate of up to 1,000 a day, according to Western intelligence estimates, and even more according to Ukrainian ones.
…The ferocity of the Russian assault has only intensified as the advances have slowed, with Russia substituting harsh bombardments of civilian populations for progress on the battlefield.
…But of the Russian army’s 168 battalion tactical groups, 120 are already fighting on the ground, making up about 100,000 soldiers out of the total 190,000 sent into Ukraine. That means Russia has already committed 75 percent of its combat-ready force, U.S. officials say.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/20/russia-ukraine-military-offensive/
March 20, 2022 at 3:49 pm
I remember back in my earlier days seeing cartoons (maybe even actual pictures?) of Soviet Union female athletes looking like men because they were given male hormones. Never in a million years did I think of those women as actually having penises…
March 20, 2022 at 11:27 pm
MB @53, that’s heartbreaking. I’m grateful for that brave woman though.
My son watched a youtube last night about trans women in women’s sport. He said the video and the comments were very critical of them.
March 21, 2022 at 12:46 am
Glad to hear the media is starting to wake up to what a travesty the whole trans activism has brought down on us.
As Rebecca Reilly-Cooper points out, as soon as you start talking about “balancing fairness and inclusion” — something people do nonstop in the articles about including transwomen in women’s sports — your premise is that women should give up fairness to themselves. Your only question is whether it should be a lot or a little. Fairness doesn’t work that way. Take some of it away and you have UNfairness!
What I actually wanted to mention was an interesting map from the Brits. It shows Russian positions a week ago and today. The feeling that Ukrainians have fought the Russians to a standstill is not wishful thinking. The data support it!
March 21, 2022 at 10:52 pm
DYB and quixote, what are your opinions on how realistic Kasparov is?
March 22, 2022 at 7:29 am
Hey all, I’m in a conference on the East Coast. I will be hearing Kasparov tomorrow and will try to meet him!
I agree that Putin is not appeasable. The only way to stop this war is to remove him from power.
As for “they,” do not get me started. You are a single person. You are attracted to one or both sexes. This is not complicated or new. This kind of navel gazing entitled stupidity is why Republicans get traction campaigning against wokeness.
March 22, 2022 at 12:33 pm
Kasparov in my experience has been on target. I think he’s right about Putin. I keep carrying on about the same thing here. There was a good cartoon about it the other day: one person saying “If we get involved in Ukraine it could be WWIII.” The other one saying, “If we don’t it could be WWIII.” That’s it in a nutshell.
Looking forward to hearing your impressions of Kasparov, mb!
March 22, 2022 at 4:27 pm
“Looking forward to hearing your impressions of Kasparov, mb!” Me too!
People here seem to be in a state of confused limbo over the war in Ukraine. They are on board with might makes right, the means justifies the ends, you gotta break a few eggs (cage a few kids) to make an omelet, etc. A Christo-fascist way of thinking. But might always “wins”, right? Hitler was only defeated by a bigger might. Trump didn’t really lose. But now… Putin seems to be losing??? Against Ukraine??? WTH does that mean for them and their dreams of a Christian Theo/Autocracy? It really has shaken their confidence. I think they’re afraid of the domino effect if Putin goes down.
March 22, 2022 at 4:37 pm
That’s interesting to hear, PJ! It didn’t occur to me our local might-makes-righters would see it that way. Not sure why. It seems obvious now that you mentioned it.
But makes them a bit of a fifth column, doesn’t it :grimace:
March 22, 2022 at 4:51 pm
Bad news.
A Russian court convicted top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny of fraud and contempt of court Tuesday and sentenced him to nine more years in prison, elevating his team’s fears for his life while in detention.
Immediately after the day-long hearing, his lawyers, Olga Mikhailova and Vadim Kobzev, were also briefly detained by police, according to the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. The attorneys were talking to the media outside the penal colony where Navalny is being held when police made people disperse and took the lawyers away in a police van before eventually releasing them.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/22/russia-navalny-fraud-prison-sentence/
March 22, 2022 at 6:15 pm
the means justify the ends…
“But makes them a bit of a fifth column, doesn’t it :grimace:” It certainly does, quixote.
March 22, 2022 at 7:28 pm
I can’t take the Republican questions of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Dear God. Lord have mercy. I’m embarrassed for them. Shamelessness really is their superpower. Judge Jackson’s patience and calm is *her* superpower (along with being an intellectual giant to little morons). Job has nothing on her. But dear god.
March 22, 2022 at 11:24 pm
Talking about BA.2…(Omicron.2)
Fourth doses coming for seniors?
One thing Abu-Raddad’s research can’t reveal is how well immunity holds up for older people. Qatar is a young country. Less than 10% of the population are over the age of 50, he says, so they couldn’t tell if the vaccines continued to work as well for seniors as they did for younger people.
Del Rio suspects that the vaccine efficacy in seniors wanes farther and faster than it does for younger people.
“I predict the CDC in the next week or two is going to recommend a fourth dose for people over 65. If you’re 65, and you get infected, you could still have very severe disease despite being vaccinated,” he said.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/22/health/ba-2-wave-us-other-countries/index.html
March 22, 2022 at 11:34 pm
How can she make a decision involving women if she doesn’t know what a woman is? She’s exceptionally well qualified otherwise.
March 23, 2022 at 7:00 am
This is a small thing in the grand scheme of important things right now, but this is important to me. Fuck Iowa. Fuck caucuses. Even KS(!) did away with caucuses in 2020. The result? Bernie got his ass kicked in a primary here in 2020 (Biden 77%, Bernie 23%) instead of winning handily in the 2016 caucuses (Bernie 68%, Hillary 32%). In 2016, about 39,000 people participated. In 2020, 143,000 participated (which was also helped by having all mail-in voting due to Covid). Bernie’s raw vote total actually went up by about 6,000 from 2016 to 2020.
In caucuses, the biggest bullies win (as we all know from 2008). PLEASE, Democrats. DO. IT.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/22/politics/dnc-plan-primary-calendar-change/index.html
March 23, 2022 at 2:26 pm
I HATE caucuses. Yes, I yelled. Yes, the bullies win in caucuses. As I’ve said more than a few times, Washington state had both caucuses and primaries until 2020. The primaries are state-held, caucuses are held by parties. The Dems didn’t count the results of the primary, only the caucus. In 2016 Bernie won the caucuses, but Hillary won the primary. About 3 x as many people voted in the primary than in the caucus, so it was much more democratic.
We’ve had vote-by-mail here for a few decades, so it’s very convenient. For those who have to work, are caregivers, are disabled, or just hate being browbeaten by bullies, it’s hard or impossible to get to a caucus. A primary, OTOH, encourages voting.
March 23, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Quixote @47, great point. I appreciate all of the conversation here about the trans issue. Much more logical than twitter.
Luna @72, I saw that. Pretty strange, but I think she just doesn’t want to get piled on by Their Wokenesses. I wonder what she really thinks.
I wonder if MB got to meet Kasparov today?
PJ, agree wholeheartedly about caucuses. They need to go.
March 23, 2022 at 4:55 pm
“I think she just doesn’t want to get piled on by Their Wokenesses.” I agree, socal. “Their Wokenesses” That’s funny! 🙂 I also appreciate being educated on the trans issue here. I don’t appreciate being educated by RWNJs on the issue. Like they give a shit about women.
I’ve seen a few clips of today’s hearing and it looks like they’ve gone down a different rabbit hole. I don’t know why Republicans didn’t just have QAnon himself question Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as he is the expert on child pornography/child sex trafficking. He could have been zoomed in, in the shadows, with his voice altered. The Republican base would have loved it. Lindsey hysterics just isn’t quite the same.
March 23, 2022 at 7:05 pm
I just saw a clip of Cory Booker. Wow. I needed that. I’m not going to let them steal my joy either.
March 23, 2022 at 10:11 pm
Cory Booker is a talented speaker. My kid really liked his speech for Hillary.
March 24, 2022 at 8:58 am
Saw a video of Biden and other NATO leaders at their meeting in Brussels. What a difference from meetings when Trump was there! Perhaps my imagination, but a number of other countries’ leaders looked really, really happy that the US had a decent President instead of a dangerous buffoon.
March 24, 2022 at 9:46 am
Absolutely, they looked happy. It had a completely different feel – a completely different dynamic at work. Biden is not only *not* a dangerous, untrustworthy buffoon, he has proven himself to be a true leader of the free world like America should be. I think he’s the one responsible for making NATO “great again” (and it’s not easy for me to compliment Biden, poor fella). Sadly, I don’t think other democracies should trust the U.S. more than 4 years at a time. I don’t. We have way too many dumb-billies and a corrupt major political party willing to do anything for power. If they get back into power, all bets are off again. But I’m really grateful for now. And so are they!
March 24, 2022 at 10:38 am
Our Hillary has Covid 😦 I hope she feels better soon. ❤
She posted on twitter…
"Well, I've tested positive for COVID. I've got some mild cold symptoms but am feeling fine. I'm more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness. Please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven't already!"
March 24, 2022 at 11:32 am
Hey all! I’m at the airport. Flight to SF boards in about 45 minutes.
Kasparov gave a great speech. He went right after Condi Rice. Since she was speaking on her topic of expertise (Russia), she was actually quite knowledgeable and non partisan. She was complimentary towards the Biden administration strategy of releasing the classified Intel to predict Putin’s actions, saying it had to scare Putin a lot that the info was so detailed and accurate. She did that right away, which reassured me that she wasn’t going to be a complete ass.
I still think she was a terrible NSA and Secretary of State, of course. I will never forgive her for 9/11.
Kasparov and Rice were very aligned on Russia, although Rice thought Putin had changed and declined recently. Kasparov said Putin is a brutal, calculating man and nothing has changed. Both agreed the only way forward is for Ukraine to win the war. Both mentioned that he will likely be removed from power by the Russian elite at some point, especially if he loses.
Kasparov talk d mostly about artificial intelligence (the purpose of the conference) and he said, innovation can only flourish when there is freedom. He feels the Russian and Chinese way (authoritarian), if it wins over democracy, will kill innovation and creativity. It was a very good speech. I didn’t end up meeting him because he was mobbed after his speech!
March 24, 2022 at 11:34 am
PS, can’t believe Our Girl has COVID!! Get well soon Hillary!
Speaking of COVID…where is Clarence Thomas? Anyone see any updates?
March 24, 2022 at 6:56 pm
MB, thanks for the synopsis. My thought (not that I’m an expert at all) is that Kasparov has a better feel for Putin and Russia than does Rice.
March 24, 2022 at 7:01 pm
Hmmm. “given antibiotics”? Those work on bacterial infections, not on viral infections.
The Supreme Court has remained silent on the condition of 73-year-old Justice Clarence Thomas since it announced his hospitalization earlier this week and said he was on the mend.
The statement also said Thomas’ “symptoms are abating” after antibiotics and he expected to “be released from the hospital in a day or two.”
It was unclear whether Thomas was still recovering in Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he had been admitted on Friday after experiencing flulike symptoms.
But the court hasn’t provided an update since Sunday and didn’t respond to multiple messages seeking comment Thursday.
March 24, 2022 at 7:04 pm
Whales are doing well!
It was an unusual sight in Bellingham Bay when a massive humpback whale visited ahead of schedule, and closer to shore than anyone expected.
“This humpback whale was spotted here in Bellingham Bay about 20 yards from shore,” said marine biologist Erin Gless, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association.
Researchers say it is a good sign and yet another example that the humpback population is flourishing. “Humpback whales, I’m very happy to say, are doing incredibly well in this region,” Gless said.
March 24, 2022 at 7:59 pm
Thank you for reporting, MB! I hope you had safe travels. From the start, Putin’s war on Ukraine has seemed stupid to me. Putin is a lot of things, but stupid hasn’t been one of them up until now (he’s not a genius, but he’s always been very calculating). I’ve heard a lot of possible reasons, but I still find it mindboggling.
On Clarence, well, hope springs eternal… It’s his wife who is making all the news. Yikesalmighty! Looney Tunes plus *Supreme* hubris equals SuperMAGA(t) Ginni Thomas. That woman is scary. A true believer.
March 24, 2022 at 8:46 pm
MB, hope you’re home and comfy by now. Thanks for the interesting report on the speeches.
Luna, that’s amazing about the Humpback in Bellingham Bay, a place I will always love. I wonder if any of my family saw it. My first apartment overlooked that bay, and you can see it from all over B’ham. There’s a great park in Fairhaven (S Bellingham) called Boulevard Park that runs along the bay. I spent a lot of time there when I lived up there in the 80s & 90s. Now, it’s crowded all the time, as is Bellingham.
March 24, 2022 at 8:48 pm
I think there’s a guy that lives up there @ Daily Kos. I remember talking to him about the starfish @ the park I mentioned.
March 24, 2022 at 8:50 pm
PJ @ 94, agree. I thought he was insane to try to take over Ukraine. I don’t understand why he would want to be responsible for millions more people.
March 25, 2022 at 8:29 am
So Bob Woodward breaks this huge story about Ginni Thomas and he is on Morning Joe talking about just how much of a dangerous, powerful, full-on QAnon lunatic she is (paraphrasing, obviously) who was desperately pushing to overthrow a free and fair presidential election. And then Bob goes off the cliff of bothsidesism. For real. And he couldn’t be persuaded off that cliff – although Joe and Gene tried. He missed the importance of his own damn story.
March 25, 2022 at 10:23 am
That’s perfect. Thank you for posting, MB! And thank you for saying it, Stephanie! (I really like her – she cuts right to the chase)
March 26, 2022 at 8:22 am
I like her too. Quite a few likes on her tweet! That’s encouraging.
Comments are closed.
The Widdershins 
March 13, 2022 at 5:51 pm
New post!