Day 1234
Some headlines this morning.
Trump was president 2016-2020. His Ukraine "support" then? A measly $47 million for a few hundred Javelins.
Now he reportedly wants to funnel weapons through NATO to Ukraine. One problem: his NATO pick is Matthew Whitaker — the Big Dick Toilet salesman — with zero military experience who probably can't find Ukraine on a map.
What could go wrong?
Everything could go wrong.
Of course, there’s a fine line between pugnacious populism and stupidity, historicism and historiography, Donald’s pronouncements and, er, reality.
It would be churlish to speculate now because the water has been turned off and I wouldn’t be able to take a long, hot shower afterwards.
On the Ukraine jacket, I watched the Taras “Come Back Alive” Chmut interview. He uses the metaphor of a sinking ship to describe the Ukraine’s situation, criticizing Z and his TOP 5 greasy managers for failing to adequately address challenges.
Chmut also discusses military commanders' fear of reporting losses, analyzes the toughest frontlines, explains Team Russia's recent advantages and critiques Europe's unpreparedness for war.
I forgot to upload a vid made after Russia’s attack yesterday morning.
Imagine waking up — or rather being awake since 2 a.m. listening to drones dive-bombing your neighborhood in the capital city of a country in the middle of Europe — and seeing this.
Ukrainian journalist Bohdan Butkevych, once critical of the government, suddenly finds himself mobilized despite health issues that supposedly made him "unfit for traditional service." His wife claims it's punishment for criticizing officials and members of parliament.
Turns out, Butkevych had been doing freelance work for military intelligence — har, har — but after his critiques, the collaboration mysteriously ended, his draft exemption was revoked, and he was declared fit enough for "non-combat roles." Now, he's off to a training center, proving that in Ukraine, speaking out might fast-track you from vlogging to frontline drills. Freedom of speech? More like freedom to pack your bags for boot camp!
The soap opera provides an excellent opportunity for self-referencing prophecy:
Ukraine today is not unlike the Mohist equivalent of the trolley problem. Z has told us, “We must pull the lever,” but for the last two and a half years he has driven the country into a double-tracked curve in such a way that the rear wheel bogey jumped the rails and flattened the economy while simultaneously failing to prevent the grisly deaths of innocent civilians.
Looking on the bright side, this means that if you’re a good journalist in Ukraine, you don't have an Achilles' heel. Because you're just a piece of shit in the middle of the track that eventually is going to get run over. And if the trolley's going to be Z, then you're going to try and derail it1.
Have a great weekend. Support independent artists!
We must pull the lever! Get Z the hell away from the trolley car problem (November 27, 2021)