Ukraine Update: 8:00 PM

Marlene Dietrich was once asked if she missed the war.  “No,” she said “I miss what people are like when they are trying to be brave.”

The bravery of the Ukrainian people is impressive and shaming when you think about the fact that half the U.S. population considers themselves oppressed over having to wear a mask to keep from killing other people.

Earlier today Wesley Clark was on CNN and said that he was used to living in a country that defended the right of other people to be independent and free.  My partner pointed out that the US administration under Bush hauled their asses to Kuwait to defend their right to be free from invasion and they certainly were not part of NATO. 

Last night, Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief of Staff for Colin Powell, pointed out that the U.S. itself violated every international law in sight when it invaded Iraq.

There is enough blame to go around.  I have never, ever supported a U.S. military intervention in any country and I have written a book about the media complicity in the invasion of Panama (which the military still refers to as “Operation Just Cause.”)  But, I also cannot believe that we are going to sit here and wring our hands while Putin takes over an independent country militarily and subjugates its population while that population begs for our help.

It is not a proud day. 

•        CNN is showing a video report of a fight over a bridge in the city of Kherson, just north of Crimea.  It is thought that this is an offensive directed toward preparing for a move on Kyiv.

•        There are reports of heavy fighting in Kyiv.

•        The US has finally put sanctions on Putin and Lavrov, but not made any announcement abut removing Russia from the SWIFT banking communication system.  Biden (and people like Andrea Mitchell) were arguing that Germany was the bar to implementing SWIFT sanctions.  But today there were reports that Germany and others had approved exclusion of Russia from SWIFT.

•        Adam Kinzinger is calling for establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

•        Kropyvnytskyi, a city south of Kyiv, is filled with refugees.  Locals are trying to accommodate the refugees.  People are pouring out of Kyiv. 

•        It always amazes me to hear the corporate media pundits repeat and repeat and repeat the same lines, complete with the same language.  Erin Burdett (CNN could have sent a lot of people to Ukraine, but they chose to sent Erin Burdett) is asking about Putin’s “end game.”  “What is his mission,” asks Burdett.

• Evelyn Farkas responds with the obvious that “control of Ukraine” is his end game. 

•        Burdett then starts the media narrative about Putin’s mental state, a total waste of time.  She is commenting on Putin’s “body language.”  Unfortunately there are a lot of commentators who are willing to play the “Putin is unstable” game.  Steve Hall, former CIA chief of Russia Desk starts talking about “data points.”  Macron, according to Hall says he saw a “different Putin.”  Then, Hall talks about a “rant he had a couple of days ago.”  He mentions Putin’s “isolation” due to COVID.  Then, Hall goes into a totally baseless consideration of what is “weighing on his (Putin’s) mind.”  Hall theorizes that Putin is thinking about Afghanistan and the previous president of Ukraine.   Putin is, according to Hall, worrying about his oligarchs.  Note: Putin made those oligarchs oligarchs. I don’t know what he has to worry about.

•        The Kyiv Independent  (KI) is reporting attacks on a thermal power station in Troieshchyna, on Kyiv’s northers left-bank.

•        (KI) is also reporting that Zelensky is saying that Russia will attack with full force tonight.

•        Peskov’s daughter posted an anti-war post but it was quickly taken down.

•        It’s roughly 3 AM in Ukraine.

•        Ukrainians are saying they shot down a Russian plane carrying paratroopers.

•        CNN reporting on the Cat Café.  20 cats are in that cat café. The café is open while everything else is closed.  “If we go, no one will feed our cats.”  They are “our life.”  I love these people.

•        Wesley Clark said he was used to living in an America who helped people maintain their independence.

•        Russia blocked a move to have the UN condemn the invasion of Ukraine.

•        There is concern that Kyiv could fall tonight.

•        “We are defending our country alone.” Said Zelensky  “The most powerful country in the world” is watching from a distance.

•        Ukrainians are being asked to make Molotov cocktails in their houses.

•          Ukrainians are giving out weapons to anyone who will take one.