Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Roots of War


With the blizzard of Western media coverage of the Ukraine war, it is difficult to find alternative perspectives from the dominant narrative that the power-mad authoritarian, Putin, has invaded a neighboring country utterly without provocation.

While I don’t necessarily disagree with that assessment, basic journalistic balance compels me to seek additional information about the roots of the conflict if possible.

In that regard, one useful article recently published in the Progressive by Nicolas J S Davies and Medea Benjamin argues, as its title proclaims: “The United States Is Reaping What It Sowed in Ukraine.”

Among other allegations, the authors contend that the U.S. supported the coup in Ukraine in 2014 that looms large in the development of the current conflict.

I also came across a report based on an op-ed authored by Vladimir Putin himself in a German newspaper in 2021 that also accuses the U.S. of supporting the 2014 coup. 

As for proof, the only evidence either article offers is some leaked State Department transcripts suggesting that at least some officials indeed wanted the coup to happen — but that hardly amounts to confirmation of direct U.S. government involvement. (There must be additional evidence but I’ve not seen it.)

Still, when it comes to geopolitical machinations of this type, nothing would surprise me about any of these parties — the U.S., Russia, or the major Nato countries. When powerful interests compete and collude, bad things happen.

What we know for sure is that is what is happening inside Ukraine right now is a very bad thing indeed. And everybody who has played any part whatsoever is causing it deserves our collective condemnation.

Beyond that, the roots of the war go back much farther than the events of 2014, or the rise of Vladimir Putin, of course. There’s way too much history involved here for a superficial treatment, but even that, sadly, seems to be lacking in most of the breathless media coverage I’m sorting through on a daily basis now.

Today’s Top News Stories (75):

  1. Top US and Chinese officials hold high-stakes meeting in Rome (CNN)

  2. U.S. ‘will not allow’ lifeline to Russia, says White House (Reuters)

  3. Talks resume as crisis, fighting escalate (WP)

  4. Ukraine said it had begun "hard" talks on a ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees with Russia, despite the fatal shelling of a residential building in Kyiv. (Reuters)

  5. Besieged Ukrainians held out hope that another round of talks Monday might open the way for more civilians to evacuate. Russian forces kept up pressure on the Ukrainian capital, a day after shelling areas close to the Polish border. But the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russian troops have not made major advances over the past 24 hours, despite expanding strikes to the west. [AP]

  6. Blasts heard around Kyiv as Russian forces inch closer (CNN)

  7. Russia pushes war in Ukraine close to U.S. NATO allies' border (CBS)

  8. Russian Airstrike at NATO’s Doorstep Raises Fears of Expanded War (NYT)

  9. White House official reiterates U.S. would defend NATO territory (WP)

  10. People fleeing what until recently had been the relative safety of western Ukraine joined thousands crossing into eastern Europe after Russia stepped up attacks, prompting fears of an even larger exodus. (Reuters)

  11. Zelenskyy to address Congress on Wednesday (USA Today)

  12. Zelensky presses Biden to increase economic pressure on Moscow, expand sanctions (WP)

  13. Zelenskyy’s speech to Congress presents test for Biden (Politico)

  14. Zelenskyy vows to keep negotiating with Russia (AP)

  15. Russia Warns Western Companies of Arrests, Asset Seizures (WSJ)

  16. Officials: Biden considering trip to Europe (AP)

  17. Russia could default on its debt within days (CNN)

  18. People flee 'horrifying' Mariupol conditions along escape route (BBC)

  19. A newly installed "mayor" of the southern Ukrainian port city Melitopol seized by Russia introduced herself in a televised statement after Russian troops reportedly kidnapped the actual mayor. Elected Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was seen on video Friday with a hood over his head, being led away from a government building by armed men. [HuffPost]

  20. One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies said Russia's military operation in Ukraine had not all gone as quickly as the Kremlin had wanted, the strongest public acknowledgement yet from Moscow that things were not going to plan. (Reuters)

  21. Russia threatens to pay foreign debts in rubles following sanctions (The Hill)

  22. Chernobyl power line again damaged by Russia, Ukraine agency says (WP)

  23. China’s Reluctance to Distance Itself From Russia Limits Its Role on Ukraine (WSJ)

  24. US urged China not to supply arms to Russia at six-hour Rome meeting (Guardian)

  25. Xi Jinping faces a fateful decision on Ukraine (Financial Times)

  26. 'Putin is frustrated': National security adviser on what military base attack reveals (CNN)

  27. US view of Putin: Angry, frustrated, likely to escalate war (AP)

  28. Russians Kill Civilians, Loot for Supplies in Occupied Ukraine, Residents Say (WSJ)

  29. How Does It End? A Way Out of the Ukraine War Proves Elusive. (NYT)

  30. U.S. journalist killed in Ukraine was known for his ‘innate humanity and empathy’ (WP)

  31. Oil falls 8% on Russia-Ukraine talk hopes, China lockdowns (Reuters)

  32. Once a powerful symbol in Russia, McDonald’s withdraws (AP)

  33. ‘Things Will Only Get Worse.’ Putin’s War Sends Russians Into Exile. (NYT)

  34. A global food crisis looms unless the war in Ukraine is stopped because fertilizer prices are soaring so fast that many farmers can no longer afford soil nutrients, Russian fertilizer and coal billionaire Andrei Melnichenko said. (Reuters)

  35. The United States Is Reaping What It Sowed in Ukraine (Progressive)

  36. Putin accuses US of orchestrating 2014 ‘coup’ in Ukraine (Al Jazeera)

  37. Fleeing Putin’s wartime crackdown, Russian journalists build media hubs in exile (WP)

  38. The Kremlin asked Russian media to highlight Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s broadcasts “as much as possible” due to his criticisms of the U.S. and its NATO allies in his coverage of the Ukraine crisis, Mother Jones reported. Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman weighed in on the report, tweeting at Carlson to “live your life in such a way that the Russian government and state TV apparatus doesn’t think you’re an ally.” [HuffPost]

  39. ‘All art must go underground:’ Ukraine scrambles to shield its cultural heritage (WP)

  40. War censorship exposes Putin’s leaky internet controls (AP)

  41. India is considering taking up a Russian offer to buy its crude oil and other commodities at discounted prices with payment via a rupee-rouble transaction, two Indian officials said. (Reuters)

  42. Ukrainian refugees top 2.8 million (NHK)

  43. As Ukraine war rages, Israel grapples with fate of oligarchs (AP)

  44. Republican donors line up behind Liz Cheney as she takes on Trump (CNN)

  45. Anti-Trump Republicans lining up for 2024 shadow primary (AP)

  46. What happened to a Georgia elections office targeted for takeover by those claiming fraud in the 2020 election(WP)

  47. The war in Ukraine has opened a new front in the U.S. Republican Party's civil war, with party primary candidates vying to run in the November midterm elections attacking each other for past comments praising Putin. (Reuters)

  48. Why Ukraine is a big moment for cryptocurrency (WP)

  49. Trump’s shadow lurks over Biden’s support for Ukraine (Politico)

  50. US economy flashes a recession warning sign (CNN)

  51. The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline shot up a whopping 79 cents over the past two weeks to a record $4.43 per gallon. The price is $1.54 higher than it was a year ago. Nationwide, the highest average price is in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the lowest is in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [AP]

  52. Putin Needs an Off-Ramp — The question for world leaders is how to ensure the Russian president is defeated while nevertheless providing him with a route out of the crisis. (Atlantic)

  53. Missiles Fired From Iran Hit Near U.S. Consulate Site in Iraq (NYT)

  54. Iran attacked Iraq's northern city of Erbil with a dozen ballistic missiles in an unprecedented assault on the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region that appeared to target the United States and its allies. The U.S. needs to make a decision to wrap up a deal to salvage Iran's 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said amid fears that arduous talks in Vienna might collapse. (Reuters)

  55. LA County’s COVID hospitalizations hit lowest level since last July (LA Daily News)

  56. ‘Deltacron,’ the Delta-Omicron hybrid COVID variant, appears to be in the U.S., according to a new study (Fortune)

  57. Lockdowns Spread Across China to Contain Outbreak (WSJ)

  58. China has reported more local symptomatic COVID-19 cases so far this year than it recorded in all of 2021, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant triggers outbreaks from Shanghai to Shenzhen. China's pandemic playbook is running low on pages, says Breakingviews columnist Yawen Chen. (Reuters)

  59. Covid’s toll may be three times greater than reported. That’s a lot of lost souls. (Edit Bd/WP)

  60. China battles multiple outbreaks, driven by stealth omicron (AP)

  61. Shenzhen shutdown threatens tech supply chains (Politico)

  62. In March 2020, California became the first state in the nation to issue a stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Two years later, Covid-19 policies here and elsewhere are being rolled back, a shift that is sowing division among those who once agreed how best to handle the pandemic. One of the most contentious changes in California has been the lifting of the statewide school mask mandate. (Cal Today)

  63. For decades, Black residents have been leaving some of the nation’s largest cities while suburbs have seen an increase in their Black populations. Those two trends have now spread to even more areas of the country, according to the 2020 U.S. census. [AP]

  64. Why your student loan payments may be delayed (again) (NPR)

  65. Every high-profile Republican who ran against CA Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall race will sit out the election later this year. (Politico)

  66. Afghan Aviators Hide as Taliban Urge Them to Return to Duty (NYT)

  67. Officials Confirm Several Geomagnetic Storms Are Hitting Earth This Week. (Science Alert)

  68. New supernova identified in the weird Cartwheel galaxy (Space.com)

  69. As a Crisis Hotline Grows, So Do Fears It Won’t Be Ready — Envisioned as the 911 for mental health, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will soon be 988, with more services for more callers. But it’s already straining to meet demand. (NYT)

  70. COMIC: How a computer scientist fights bias in algorithms (NPR)

  71. Rampaging Camel Kills Two Men at a Tennessee Farm (NYT)

  72. The Ultimate Clingy Boyfriend — Male Santa Marta harlequin toads will piggyback on their mate for months before egg meets sperm. (Atlantic)

  73. Researchers Could Lure Murder Hornets to Their Deaths with Sex (Gizmodo)

  74. Russian McDonald’s fan chains himself to eatery in attempt to prevent closing (NY Post)

  75. Astonished Friends Listen In Rapt Enjoyment As Man Recounts Plot Of Movie He Watched Over Weekend (The Onion)

at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)