11 arrested in protest at Sen. Bernie Sanders’s office over war in Ukraine
11 arrested in protest at Sen. Bernie Sanders’s office over war in Ukraine
The protesters, who were with anti-war group Code Pink, were advocating for Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. leadership to negotiate an end to the war.
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THAT'S the war they choose to protest?
Presumably, antiwar protestors protest every war. Basically, a return to WW2 America's policy of non-intervention.
That's not the best way to sell it, me thinks lol
Turns out being anti-war protesters means they're ANTI WAR.
What do you want them to do? Raise funds to send some missles over?
I guess Ukraine could just use hopes and prayers to get Putin out of their front yard.
I'm pretty sure that most of the solid anti-war protestors would expect Ukraine to just accept Russian territorial demands, up to and including complete annexation.
It turns into a reductio ad absurdum pretty quickly though. Putin didn't seem to return Crimea or the occupied regions of Donbass and Luhansk when asked politely. Not even when asked sternly. Indeed, it would seem that when all he faced was stern disapproval he decided to come back for more.
There is no doubt in my mind that supporting Ukraine now is stopping more Russian aggression later. Besides, Putin can end this war any time. Just go back to the original borders. The only reason not to is his yearning for Imperial glory. The irony being that many of these anti-war protestors would probably proclaim themselves anti-colonialists.
Putin can end this war any time. Just go back to the original borders.
Exactly.
If these anti-war protesters want to yell at the people who can stop the war, they need to protest at the Russian embassy.
Then why are they protesting action that will end the war faster?
- WAR IS PEACE
- FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
- IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
You didn't answer the question.
You didn’t tell me what action will end the war faster, other going to the negotiating table. Ukraine is running out of bodies to throw into the meat grinder. This is a war of attrition, and the numbers are not in their favor.
Wouldn't providing Ukraine with more weapons extend the war? Their latest offensive shows they're running on fumes.
You're right, they should just roll over and accept Russian domination.
Their comment, of course, was overly simplistic. I'm sure what they meant was "then why are they protesting action that will end the war in Ukraine's favor faster".
If you only care about blindly ending war as soon as possible by any means necessary, you definitely have two major options. Either let the aggressor do whatever they want, or use overwhelming force to utterly destroy them.
Which is your preference?
If you only care about blindly ending war as soon as possible by any means necessary, you definitely have two major options. Either let the aggressor do whatever they want, or use overwhelming force to utterly destroy them.
Except this is assuming that the US is omnipotent. The US cannot use overwhelming force to defeat Russia in the conflict. That leaves only not supplying arms to reduce the length of the war and casualties.
So you prefer just letting aggressors do whatever they want, got it.
As anti-war as you or I may be, there's more than enough petty dictators who are more than happy to be pro-war and fuck up the world.
So you prefer just letting aggressors do whatever they want
I dont have that principle, I think there are cases when you should and when you shouldn't.
there’s more than enough petty dictators who are more than happy to be pro-war and fuck up the world.
I'm more concerned about the US. Why is biggest kid on the block when it comes to genocide and war so enthusiastic to supply Ukraine with arms?
Especially given operation AERODYNAMIC by the cia...
Ah, whataboutism, the first recourse of the desperate to appear neutral.
The US military industrial complex, and the politicians who serve it, have a lot to answer for. Keeping Ukrainians from being overrun by wannabe world dominators is not one of them.
Your principle seems to be pointing fingers at the big boys while you let the small fries die in trenches, begging for help that will never come because "It's just not right for the US to do things!"
Whataboutism isn't a logical fallacy(and claiming it is was first used to defend British colonial violence) also if it was what I was doing wasn't whataboutism, it was questioning the motives of the person providing aid.
Your principle seems to be pointing fingers at the big boys while you let the small fries die in trenches, begging for help that will never come because “It’s just not right for the US to do things!”
Continuing the war so more people die isn't helping. War is a racket, it is always a racket.
I dont have that principle, I think there are cases when you should and when you shouldn’t [let aggressors do whatever they want]
Personally I don't think there's any case where we should be telling other peoples to just accept their annexation or colonization. I'd be interested to hear the argument otherwise.
I’m more concerned about the US. Why is biggest kid on the block when it comes to genocide and war so enthusiastic to supply Ukraine with arms?
Because it defends American hegemony and weakens an anti-American state. It's not a hard question to answer. That doesn't mean it's not also the right thing to do regardless. Bad people can go good things for bad reasons. Unfortunately some seem to think the deaths of Ukrainians and pillaging of their land is a sacrifice worth making in order to geopolitically weaken America. I'm all for reducing America's global power, but I'm not so cruel as to choose other people's lives to trade for it against their will.
If Ukraine wants to defend itself, I think it's a good thing to air them in that; I also think making such invasions as difficult and expensive as possible is the anti-war position.
Personally I don’t think there’s any case where we should be telling other peoples to just accept their annexation or colonization. I’d be interested to hear the argument otherwise.
Idk I'm pretty anti-nationalist. People's material conditions and also not being dead matter more than imaginary lines on a map.
Because it defends American hegemony and weakens an anti-American state. It’s not a hard question to answer. That doesn’t mean it’s not also the right thing to do regardless.
I mean that really should factor into it.
Unfortunately some seem to think the deaths of Ukrainians and pillaging of their land is a sacrifice worth making in order to geopolitically weaken America. I’m all for reducing America’s global power, but I’m not so cruel as to choose other people’s lives to trade for it against their will.
Fighting to the last Ukrainian kills more Ukrainians than allowing their government to sign a peace deal, or at least allowing their government to lose more quickly.
If Ukraine wants to defend itself, I think it’s a good thing to air them in that;
What do you mean by ukraine? Do you mean the government? The ukrainian population? Part of the ukrainian population?
People's material conditions and also not being dead matter more than imaginary lines on a map.
This is unbelievably dishonest. You think the only material change is a redrawing of borders? C'mon now.
Fighting to the last Ukrainian kills more Ukrainians than allowing their government to sign a peace deal, or at least allowing their government to lose more quickly.
Not your choice to make. If they want to defend their land against unwarranted invasion, that's their choice. You don't get to decide what somebody else's life is worth.
What do you mean by ukraine? Do you mean the government? The ukrainian population? Part of the ukrainian population?
Available information indicates a strong support of the defense effort among the Ukrainian populace.
Except this is assuming that the US is omnipotent. The US cannot use overwhelming force to defeat Russia in the conflict.
Good thing pretty much every western country is supporting Ukraine's defensive war effort.
Nobody expects the US to be the sole support for Ukraine.
Good thing pretty much every western country is supporting Ukraine’s defensive war effort.
How is that going?
We've sent billions to Ukraine, seems to only have ended in more dead people and little progress.
So I'm gonna come over to your house and commandeer 2 bedrooms. You can't do anything about it, because that would be violent and non-productive. Thanks for the 2 bedrooms. I'm gonna shit on the carpet and in 10 years send my children to take the rest of your house. But again, you can't do anything because that would be violent and non-progressive.
Because you know, wouldn't want there to be any conflict or anything.
This is so brain dead. Let's frame using your idiocy.
Russia is a house. Ukraine is a house. USA is a house. Russia gave up on their project of building a workers' state and attempted to join the liberal capitalist world dominated by the USA. The USA sent economists to Russia's house. The economic reforms killed as many people as though Russia had been invaded.
Still, Russia wanted to join the USA's economic dominance. But, the USA had built a transnational nuclear military specifically to counter the Russian military. They staffed it with officers from the Third Reich. They built Operation Gladio, Operation Paperclip, and Operation Aerodynamic. These operations grabbed the most violent bullies in the world and protected them, put them into houses neighboring Russia's house, and took the one's already there and gave them all weapons and training.
Still, Russia wanted to join the USA's economic dominance. They asked the USA to not expand NATO to its borders, sorry, to it's front lawn because that would be impossible for Russia to defend against. Russia was run by a stooge that the USA controlled. That stooge hand-picked Putin under USA guidance. Putin continued attempting to appease the USA despite it's bullying. Russia was trying to join NATO to ensure mutual security concerns could be discussed in committee instead of on the battle field.
The USA finally rejected Russia explicitly and kept training and arming bullies. Every time the HOA tried to ban the practice of glorifying the Nazi bullies in the neighborhood, the USA vetoed it.
The USA kept building more and more gangs and they kept building more supply lines and more weapons and more capabilities and finally tried to install those capabilities on Russia's front lawn. During this time, Russia escalated its readiness and it even took military action to prove that if the gangs kept coming they would react.
The gangs kept coming.
Russia reacted.
Your story has absolutely ZERO relevance to the actual history of the situation.
Stop trying to simplify geopolitics into interpersonal metaphors.
In your metaphor what is the billions in human killing machines that NATO et al supply to Ukraine? Who would be the thousands dead and families destroyed?
I'll stop simplifying geopolitics as soon as you recognize the right of the Ukrainian people to defend their land by whatever means is necessary. Every nation in the history of mankind has conscripted its citizens to aid in its defense. Russia will continue to take, and take, and take until someone shows them they cannot take freely any more. This anti-war absolutism is Russian propaganda designed to further their goals of illegal annexation of territory belonging to Ukraine.
You know what would have prevented that? Russia not invading Ukraine.
Yes, only Russia should send billions of dollars worth of human killing machines to Ukraine.
Clearly the solution is to escalate, sending MORE weapons! That can only possibly SAVE lives!
Yeah! Why can't they just roll over and die instead? Smh people fighting not to lose their homes or worse are so inconvenient to us. Sometimes we have to read about it and be upset! Absolutely unacceptable these people should care more about how they're making people on the internet feel and stop defending themselves so much. As someone that's entitled and privileged I surely know what is best for them.
I can respect the desire for a policy of complete non-intervention.
cringe. It's actually good to take action to reduce harm.
Is it actually reducing harm to fight to the last Ukrainian though? There were multiple attempts at peace that were sabotaged by either nazi paramilitaries or nato-member politicians. Remember when Zelensky traveled to the front to tell them to respect the ceasefire during Minsk 2 and they didn't? Maybe the people sabotaging peace would be less bold knowing the US isn't going to keep supplying arms.
Is it actually reducing harm to fight to the last Ukrainian though?
When Russia is trying to commit genocide against Ukraine? Yes.
Do you have a source for Russia doing genocide or are you just referring to the war?
It's been widely reported by numerous nations and organizations. Search for "Russian genocide Ukraine" and you'll see plenty of credible sources
So no then? Did you learn to critically read the news in school?
I'm wondering if you just posted the link without reading any results and are just doubling down to sound correct.
One of the first articles is AP news reporting UN backed human rights groups calling it genocide
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-human-rights-663b3a4ba24499d93f3f889e98f8b652
And an article by Time reporting the kidnapping of children being investigated as genocide, and that there is already enough evidence for the allegations
https://time.com/6262903/russia-ukraine-genocide-war-crimes/
None of these articles formally come to the conclusion that there is a definitive genocide. They are meant to bait racist bloodthirsty rubes like you to into acting on your biases.
Members of the U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine also expressed concerns about allegations of genocide by Russian forces, and said they’re looking into them.
expressed concerns about allegations
looking into them
Keep hallucinating wishfully.
From statista:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 9,614 civilian deaths during Russia's invasion of Ukraine as of September, 2023. Furthermore, 17,535 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher.
Even if these estimates are extremely conservative they are low for a genocide. Perhaps Russians are just terrible at genocide and should learn from Americans.
And there we have it.
multiple attempts at peace
What were the terms of this peace? Do you have sources to back up your claims?
Are you not aware of Minsk 1 or Minsk 2? There are more but those are the big ones
No I am not. Would you kindly explain and provide sources for this and all your other claims?
No, I think it is reasonable for you to go out and research two well known and easily researchable treaties. I am not your secretary.
I think it is reasonable for me to expect the burden of proof to be on the person making the claims.
I have never thought of the usa helping ukraine because they are interested in ukranian peoples lives. I see them fighting because gaining an ally with great resources and an excellent geographic position is important to maintain power.
They are also testing the new way of running a war between first world armies.
Perhaps I'm wrong but this war benefits american interests beyond being world police.
Or, and stay with me here, we have a blueprint from about a hundred years ago of what happens when you just let a powerful county annex surrounding countries. Spoiler Alert, they don't just stop at 1.
Code Pink is a coopted sci-ops campaign at this point. Don't work with them
Psy-ops.
Seriously. This is one of the few large modern conflicts we didn't have direct involvement in starting. Actually, it might be the only one. Guess it depends on how you define "large."
No involvement other than the thirty-odd years of provocation since the end of the cold war.
C.J. Polychroniou, Dec. 23, 2021: Chomsky: Outdated US Cold War Policy Worsens Ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict
That totally justifies killing 50 people in a grocery store. Why would the US force Putin to do this?
If the US hadn’t continually expanded NATO eastward against its stated promises, and hadn’t affected a coup in Ukraine in 2014, and hadn’t flooded Ukraine with weapons under the Trump & Biden administrations, then the Russian invasion probably wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
And there's no way to resolve this without killing 50 people in a grocery store.
Leftists who don't see Putin as a fascist are fucking tragic. I feel sorry for you, bud.
He’s a war criminal who bombed his own people within his own borders in order to get into power. There are virtually no leftists who are confused about what kind of person Putin is.
Then why are you - and Chomsky - making excuses for him?
We’re not making excuses for him.
You're both framing his invasion of Ukraine as a struggle against NATO expansion, which is the same excuse he gives for his "special military operation"
It was framed that way for decades by people on the left and also by centrists like Jeffery Sachs and by right-wing, realpolitik ghouls like Henry Kissinger and John Mearsheimer.
And Ukraine really does have a Nazi problem, which American media used to cover before Russia’s invasion, and then after the invasion it suddenly was considered Russian disinformation.
Turns out it's more complicated than "person does bad things, and so every single action and affect of their action is completely cartoonishly evil". Doesn't mean some things they do AREN'T, don't get me wrong.