@Cold Miser, about your post on the Lend-Lease program, thats a YUGE thing that got US involved into WWI & WWII.. Remember this, read up on History..
This isn't Call of Doody, Modern Warfare were playing..
I hope everyone in Congress, (also YOU, as a American), recognizes
what this bill, which apparently has now passed and Biden will sign it (seeing as he asked for it directly), means.
Let's recap. Per our Constitution
the military is under civilian control. That is, the actions of the military,
including weapons used by same or suitable for same, are under the control of Congress and The Executive.
Congress must authorize anything that leads to expense, and such must come from The House. Again, this is basic Constitution stuff.
Now Congress has
explicitly authorized, and Biden will sign, this bill that
specifically permits the transfer to Ukraine of basically
anything other than nuclear material. Seriously folks -- that's the only real exception found in the referenced definition.
By agreeing to provide direct weaponry that can be and will be used in the waging of war by one of the two parties to same we have entered the conflict. That our GIs are not directly there is of no consequence. This is no different than shipping arms to Britain during WWI in the Lusitania or the lend-lease provisions in early WWII that ultimately led us to get involved there in Europe. Indeed Pelosi directly referenced those early WWII provisions indicating that she knows damn well the implications of what Congress just did.
In fact it was
lend-lease of March 1941 that led Hitler to come after the United States;
we had entered the war as a belligerent by officially agreeing to supply war material to Britain.
Recall, in Early WWII the U-boats sinking Merchant ships just off OUR Coast? The Grave yard of the Alantic?
In those two wars there was no
realistic means for the Germans or other Axis powers to hit us
directly on our own soil.
But they did in fact do that in response when they sunk the Lusitania, which had a bunch of Americans on board. They could reach that ship, did reach it, and did sink it. They did so
because we were supplying England with munitions.
We claimed at the time we were not, we were
lying and that is now established as a historical fact.
The Germans hit a legitimate military target despite our and Britain's claims at the time otherwise.
Today the situation is
different. Russia can hit us
here and not just with nukes. They can hit American assets that are by any reasonable international standard
military targets all over the world
and that includes military command and control which by our Constitution includes all members and facilities of both Houses of Congress along with the Executive, never mind obvious things like the Pentagon.
I don't think Putin is crazy enough to do it right up front
but do not mistake "doesn't" tomorrow morning for "can't" -- the door is open.
Don't kid yourselves folks; such a strike,
if it occurs, is entirely legal from an
international law perspective under the laws of war.
It is legitimate for a belligerent to strike the military elements, direct and indirect, of an entity supplying its opposing military.
We are now a belligerent in this conflict having crossed the line when we went from providing food, medical assistance and similar
to military goods and the definition in this act
does not draw a distinction, not that there really is one that is internationally recognized in the first place, between offensive and defensive arms.
There was some dispute whether we have already done that, of course -- particularly as regards whether
we were the enabling intelligence and actionable information that led Ukraine to be able to hit certain things thus far. But up until now
there was reasonable plausible deniability to our actions.
NOT ANY MORE; this is not implicit or hidden at all, it is IN YOUR FACE, public, and with no apologies or weasel-words.
Again folks: As of this point in time we are now a belligerent in the Ukraine-Russian conflict.
PS: If you think I'm supporting either side of this corrupt jackwad brigade -- nope. Hard pass. You want to fight Russia go pick up a rifle yourself. I've got no ---- in this fight and neither does any honest American.
Putin and Lavrov both have made very succinct and warning statements in the last two days against such interference. Next, Poland will be invading. These maniacs want this to happen, They have no cards left to play to continue their ruse,
so they will keep poking the Bear even more . They must think this will save them in the mid-terms that, and their hatred of Russia. They are just itching to get back in there to continue their looting operation.
This Morning the UK just deployed some 8K Troops, to " Support & defend" NATO. Countries over there.
Meanwhile..
I read Biden wants to send $33 billion to the Ukraine on top of what we already sent. He and other congressmen are probably being blackmailed - Send us what we ask or we spill your secrets,, capeesh? Now, send us the ------- money!!!
All of this pussyfooting around is beyond me. Sending anti tank missile secret training taking place, sharing intelligence. Pretty Cucking unbelievable. Not good, and remember, China is on Russias side. If you thought we had supply chain issues now, you aint seen nothing yet.
Everything comes full circle given enough time. I need to go find a school desk to go hide under, again.
I hope everyone HERE has "cheap Sun Glasses", prepared for the possible Flash of Canned Sunshine..