Tracker

I have opined this before here, but Harper was only able to keep the crazies in check so long as he personally was popular and held power. Harper bailed when his popularity was slipping and it became obvious that neither he nor the CPC were going to win the next election. Had he not left, he would have received the same fate as all the other CPC leaders- assassination from within the party. It worked for Mulroney when he orchestrated a revolt against Joe Clark and even won a couple of elections, and that is the fantasy of the current lot of CPC.

Putin's mindset will not allow him to countenance any defeat. If he or his generals decide that Ukraine is not worth the price they are paying, and decide to withdraw, the probability is that he will try to cripple it on his way out. This will involve destroying as much of the infrastructure and military as possible. There have been overt attacks on civilian targets already, so Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity already. The scenario is different, but resistance in both Viet Nam and Afghanistan defeated much larger forces, and Russia was driven out of Afghanistan as well. The reasons for the US and Russian defeats were: the support of the great majority of inhabitants for the resistance and foreign supply of weapons to the local fighters.

Justin Trudeau should take that as a great compliment.

Surrender would mean the end of Ukraine for decades and a strengthening of Putin's power in Europe and Asia. Putin wants nothing less than a complete dissolution of Ukrainian self-government and the killing or imprisonment of all opposition there. This is essentially a replay of the Spanish "civil war" where a massively equipped, Nazi-backed force took on democratic inferior forces supported by the international community. The lack of strong response by democratic nations fueled Nazi confidence and led directly to World War 2.

It has been speculated by many international political observers that Trump has been owned by the Russians for some 20 years due to all the money he has borrowed from their banks. There is no way that Ukraine will surrender- the Russians have apparently planned to decapitate the Ukrainian government by capturing or killing every one of them. The Russian army is being shown up as having outdated, poorly maintained equipment, and many of the Russian soldiers are very poorly trained and completely unaware of their mission goals. Putin fits all the criteria for a psychopath, and is at best a sociopath. He will serve himself above all other ends. I would not put it above him to institute a "scorched Earth policy" if forced to retreat out of Ukraine.

I wonder if the right-wingers have gotten frustrated with being out of power so often and have decided to espouse Trumpian policies and tactics. The Manitoba provincial election a few years back where the PCs tried to spilt the opposition vote by funding native candidates is an example that tells us that potential already exists. Someone ought to have gone to jail for that.

There seems to be a competition between GOPers as to who can say the stupidest thing, and the competition is renewed every day.

Only about 60% of Americans are double-vaxxed. Stupid or what?

Slovak army sends Ukraine ammunition and other war material worth of 11 million €. Fu*k Russia

Slovakia donates military material worth 2.6 million euros and also material owned by the State Material Reserves worth 8.4 million euros.

They aren't a-peeling in the same way.

The Netherlands is sending 200 stinger anti-aircraft missiles, sniper rifles with ammunition, helmets, fragmentation vests, radars and detectors to detect ground mines and naval mines to Ukraine +150 soldiers to Romanian/Ukraine border. I hope it arrives on time.stay strong! 729 41

Two Dutch flights to Russia were turned around in midflight today and returned to their airports of departure.

These individuals are probably as effective in one portfolio as another.

Germany is sending war materiel to Ukraine, and is no longer opposing locking Russia out of the SWIFT banking system, and European teams are refusing to play Russian teams. Every bit counts.

'Attempt to interfere:' Former Alberta justice minister officially removed from post EDMONTON — Suspended Alberta justice minister Kaycee Madu was moved to another cabinet post Friday following a report that concluded he tried to interfere in the administration of justice over a traffic ticket. © Provided by The Canadian Press Premier Jason Kenney, in a news release, announced that Madu takes over as labour minister from Tyler Shandro, and Shandro becomes the new justice minister. “Given (the report’s) findings, and the unique role of the office of the minister of justice and solicitor general, I have concluded that it would be appropriate for minister Madu to step aside from that position,” Kenney wrote. (But not fired)