Not a photo-essay

 

Because no one’s having any demonstrations anytime soon, can’t add photos of one.

This TPM piece documents a lot of what Trump is doing today and most of it follows a theme of the new Trump team is using wildly improper criteria to attack political opponents. As I was in the Navy for around a decade (PN3, USN, 1991-2001), I’ll comment on the attempt to prosecute military people for the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

After World War II, the Allies held the Nuremberg Tribunals for members of the Nazi Wehrmacht. They established an international law that certain orders were illegal. For the military person to say “I was just following orders” simply isn’t a legitimate excuse. Even if our Commander-in-Chief or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs tells a Seaman Recruit or a Private to commit a war crime and the war crime is then committed, the Sailor or Soldier can be prosecuted for having followed an illegal order.

Were any illegal orders given from either President Trump or from President Biden concerning the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan? Right now, Trump’s people are deciding whether or not to create

a commission to investigate the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, including gathering information about who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military, how it was carried out and whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason,

But if no one in the military was given an illegal order, it’s difficult to see how anyone could be prosecuted. If the military simply did as either president instructed them to and none of the orders given were abusive towards civilians or prisoners and if no illegal armaments, such as poison gas, were ordered to be used, it’s difficult to see how any prosecution could proceed.

If the withdrawal from Afghanistan was presidential policy, which I believe it was, then that was not something that military people of any rank had any say over.

Let’s say a Major General (two stars) ordered his division (three brigades) to attack and one of the Colonels (in charge of one of the brigades) decided “Nah, it isn’t the right time to attack, the Major General is wrong,” then the Colonel would quite properly be court-martialed for insubordination. The Colonel can’t claim that “I was given an illegal order” because the action ordered falls under standard, everyday, expected actions.

What Trump’s people are trying to do is to prosecute military people for following the instructions of their Commander-in-Chief, for following legitimate, legal orders.

It’s difficult for me to see any legitimate reason to do this. Unfortunately, this is not the only example of overreach cited in the TPM piece.

Day 899 of war in Ukraine

So there are apparently no meaningful “red lines,” so why isn’t Ukraine given permission to use ATACMS missiles in Russian territory?

Russians attacking with drones instead of the usual missiles.

Identifying bodies from the supermarket in Kostiantinivka.

Ukraine has still not received clearance to use US missiles in Russia.

Kursk offensive by Ukraine into Russia appears to have been joined by second strike into Begorod oblast. Russia’s defenses once you break through the border area are quite weak.

General sense being chaos & abandonment [on Russian side] by Moscow. "I want to understand where our state is at all? Where is the administration?”

Russians describe military response to Ukrainian invasion “as a “counterterrorist operation,” giving them the same legal status as law-enforcement actions against Islamist extremist groups in the northern Caucasus.” Russia’s military is NOT in charge of counteroffensive against Ukrainians. Counteroffensive is handled by “the Federal Security Service, Russia’s domestic intelligence agency” FSB will loyally handle the job, but is unlikely to be successful.

Question as to how to secure border as conscripts are currently used.

Ukraine uses marine kamikaze drones to take out Russian naval targets.

Iran will be sending ballistic missile systems to Russia

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/08/10/war-for-ukraine-day-899-belgorod/

Day 892 of war in Ukraine

 

Ukraine wins first Olympic Gold medal of 2024 games in fencing! Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan defeated Russia’s Olga Smirnova, but refused to shake hands and was thus disqualified.

Russians commit utterly horrific war crime. Blogger assures us the image appears authentic, but we do not need to see it.

Woo hoo! Russians lose Kilo Class Submarine!

Also an S-400 air defense system not completely incapacitated, but badly damaged.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine needs to carry out long-range strikes against Russia. It needs to be able to hit missile launch sites.

Film on 95-year old woman who makes trench cakes for the troops.

Russian opposition figures urge that sanctions be lifted as they are hurting ordinary Russians. Problem: ordinary Russians are helping to maintain the war. Ukraine asks for acknowledgments that Russia is imperialistic and that they will denounce that in return. No, Putin is not the only driver of the war.

Crew of a T-80 tank.

More oil fields destroyed.

Secretary of Defense Austin seems exceedingly risk-averse. The inmates of Guantanamo were treated horribly, with torture, so they can’t be tried for crimes. They’re effectively serving life sentences in an extrajudicial manner.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/08/03/war-for-ukraine-day-892-a-brief-saturday-night-update/

Day 872, War in Ukraine

As the blogger says “I have questions:”

Ballistic missiles and glide bombs hit Kharkiv.

Kremlin already exploiting attack on Donald Trump to increase chaos and suspicion. Russian TV: “Today Trump quite literally spilled blood for America.”

Like President Biden, President Zelenskyy shows some class and sympathy for Trump being shot at.

Ukraine signs more bilateral security agreements.

Film of “...the niece of Russian Defense Ministry head Andrey Belousov” urging him not to bomb the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. Members of his family say that Natalia Vertinskaya is not related to Belousov.

51 Nobel laureates call for peace in Ukraine. Problem is that they’re making a general call to both sides. If Russia leaves Ukraine, the war is over, period. If Russian troops remain in Ukraine, the war will, at best, pause until Russia feels refreshed and relaxed and ready to start it up again. The appeal should be made exclusively to Putin. Instead, they’re “blaming the victim.”

Horrible things will happen if Trump wins in November.

“The special battalion ‘Shkval’, consisting of volunteer prisoners” successfully clears an enemy tree line.

The Battle for Novomykhailivka cost the Russians over 300 armored vehicles.

According to Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russia has lost almost 560k soldiers. Wounded comes to 1677k. Russia, according to Politico, lost 70k soldiers in just two months, the US lost 58k soldiers from 1955 to 1975, fighting in Vietnam. Where is the Russian peace movement?

Of course, we should be aware that a young Russian woman sent $30 to the Ukrainian military. She’s been sentenced to nine years in prison.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/14/war-for-ukraine-day-872-glide-bombs-aimed-at-kharkiv/

 

War for Ukraine Day 860

 

For taking casualties back for identification and burial.

Zelenskyy discusses Viktor Orbán’s visit to Ukraine.

US supplying lots of air defense goods.

For there to be peace, Ukraine must gt back its 1991 borders and to join NATO to deter future attacks. For Zelenskyy, giving up any territory simply extends the war. Secretary of State Blinken says nothing about Ukraine being free of Russian occupiers. Being told Ukraine can never join NATO presents a real problem. Doesn’t that mean Russia can attack again whenever it pleases? Also, Putin is counting on things like Trump’s coming to power in the US.

Trump’s plans for “peace” are much worse than Biden’s as Trump is just straight-up about Ukraine needs to give up territory and to never join NATO. Neither Trump nor Speaker Johnson have any use for Ukraine.

Orbán recommends “peace” talks with Russia.

Erm, wasn’t that the problem at Pearl Harbor? That planes were just lined up nicely, just waiting to be bombed?

Russia stays on the offensive, making small advances.

Strike on Crimea.

“a detailed thread on Russian armor losses in Ukraine.” Armored transport vehicles are depleting quicker than tanks. Russia should start seriously running low on armored vehicles in 2025 or 2026.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/07/02/war-for-ukraine-day-860-compare-and-contrast/

War for Ukraine Day 823

 

There are several corpses burned beyond recognition after Kharkiv is bombed. 8-year old Mykhailo gives DNA so that they might be able to identify if one of them is his missing father.

An 80-year old picture of a toddler handing another child a flower as they're in line to be gassed. Unfortunately, this resembles many, many other children in today’s world, living life while not realizing their circumstances.

A 12-year old girl finds her father dead in the hospital after Kharkiv is hit with nearly two dozen bombs.

Zelenskyy puts out a film where he asks whether Russia desires to negotiate.

“Ukraine has the world’s greatest experience of deception by Russia in negotiations. Deception, which, in particular, was Russia’s cover for the preparation of this war.”

Sweden gives Ukraine permission to use its weapons to directly strike Russia. US and Germany now have to either follow or get out of the way. The British realize: “International law is quite clear- Ukraine has a right to defend itself & that includes striking cross border”

Baltic countries and Poland will send their troops to Ukraine in the event of serious successes of the Russian military at the frontlines

Biden is engaging with both Russian and Israeli aggression “with only the most tepid and minimal pushback.” Putin is “probing with bayonets. Other than the Ukrainians themselves, he has yet to find steel.”

Sumy Oblast struck with 28 separate attacks.

Somehow, Russia considers itself entitled to have a safe zone.

Short film clip of a scene inside a home when a Russian missile strikes nearby.

Battle assessment.

Tatarigami and his Frontelligence Team have published a new investigation into Russian missile manufacturing.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/26/war-for-ukraine-day-823-the-butchers-bill-for-kharkiv/

War in Ukraine 6May2024

 

Wow! Zelenskyy in Easter outfit! So rare to see him in anything but Army green. “We pray for all our cities and villages, that should feel the Lord’s grace, not the constant terror of evil, and which have black clouds hanging over them, and bombs and missiles coming from those who belong in hell, not in the Ukrainian sky.”

Russia hits Kharkiv with glide bombs, hitting the city center and apartment buildings. Sumy suffers massive fires.

Drones used to send Easter cakes to front-line troops.

A while ago, Russia was jamming GPS signals so that planes couldn’t safely land in the Baltic States. Seems that Russian sabotage is spreading. European intelligence agencies, especially those of Sweden, Germany and the Czech Republic, report an increase in Russian sabotage activity. “Russia has attempted to destroy the signalling systems on Czech railways, the country’s transport minister told the FT last month.” and “Putin is currently feeling “emboldened” and will seek to push lines as hard as he can in Europe”

Again, our blogger feels World War III began in 2007, it’s just mostly been a “non-kinetic” war. General Hodges examines things that the West fears about there being an active World War. First thing to understand is that deescalation has been tried and has decisively failed. Russia is “a militaristic adventurous regional power.”

The Russia Black Sea Fleet was dealt with, not through diplomacy, but by force. Force worked and that fleet is not a threat today. Let us not overstate Russia’s willingness to use nuclear weapons. NATO nuclear deterrence appears to be working fine.

Russia doesn’t ratchet down operations for Easter.

Pictures of what used to be the city center of Bakhmut.

Russians do their best to destroy n M1A1 Abrams tank. The tank went down fighting and “went out like a warrior!”

Russian approaching strategic highway.

Easter celebrated on the front lines.

Russian AFVs stored in an open field. The vehicles are more or less outdated and useless.

https://balloon-juice.com/2024/05/05/war-for-ukraine-day-803-russia-bombards-continues-its-bombardment-of-ukraine-despite-the-holy-day/

Very sad stuff

 Saw this on Xitter today.

Good grief, where to begin? 

1. No one is going to institute "socialism," Biden may be more leftist than Trump, but socialism is out of the question.

2. No one is taking away the 2nd Amendment. We'd like to do some rewrites as the original purpose of it was to permit slave patrols, but mostly, we'd like to make some adjustments to it.

3. Good grief? The guys and the gal who lied to senators about wanting to throw out Roe v Wade? THOSE people are "qualified"?!?!?!

4. The Electoral College gave us both the younger George Bush and Trump.  'Nuff said!

5. Really? Y'all seriously believe that we'll keep a Constitutional Republic under a wannabe fascist dictator? 

6. "police and law and order" from a guy who thinks laws don't apply to him? Seriously, check out Trump's position on "Presidential immunity." Believe me, "law and order" will apply only to common citizens! 

7. Have you heard anything about how Trump regards the military? Have you people been living in a bubble for the past decade or so? 

It goes on and on about how wonderful and glorious and marvelous Donald Trump is, but it's the same ideological drivel from people who very clearly get all of their news from right-wing media. 

-----

What the heck? Long as I'm on this, here's Trump's latest from his Xitter-like social media platform:

1. I take very strong issue with both "successful" and "popular." Trump was neither, that's why he lost the 2020 election.

2. Nearly four years later, still no evidence of any "rigging" or "stealing."

3. No evidence that Biden is "crooked," despite the House Oversight Committee having investigated for well over a year. 

4. "Soros" is an automatic and unequivocal sign of antisemitism on the part of anyone who cites the man.

5. Rachel Maddow looked at why this case was delayed for so long. Trump corrupted the DOJ. Trump's last Attorney General Bill Barr was very deeply involved in that corruption.

6. Heh! The only "Legal Scholars and Experts" who feel there's no case are those that Trump is paying directly.