Vladimir Putin has officially declared war on Ukraine

Trying...

My SIL deployed a few weeks ago.  We are with our daughter and their 4 month old, helping however we can.   

Those who support Putin over Biden just because they think he's on their side can go to hell. Shame on them.

If autocracy comes to the US, these are the people who will happily be turning in their neighbors for an extra $10. These are the people who will happily run the camps to get rid of the undesirables.

These people are always with us - weak people who have no moral sense of right and wrong. They pretend to be Christian, many times. But the message of Christ has never been the reason for their faith. No, they plan to use it as a cudgel to control and destroy those who are different from them - they look, act, speak or believe differently. Nazis under any other name are still Nazis - just with a slightly different flag.

praying for members of our military. My DS is in a deployable command so worried also."

Praying also for the Ukraine and for peace

And there’s this. Putin is cracking down on anyone who might oppose him in Russia.

Same.

Thats how I feel. 

The problem with these sorts of things is that while yes, eventually they die or get overthrown - that doesn't change the outcome for the millions who lose their lives in the meantime, or have their lives upended.

We got through WW2 - but millions of people didn't.  For them, the regime never ended.
We are getting through COVID - but millions of people haven't.  For millions more, they are fighting with the long-term effects of the disease and we don't know how long it will last or how bad those will be.

There are many countries that have always been authoritarian and show no signs of changing, ever. People live their entire lives under these conditions.

While it's nice to believe that someday things will get better, it is also a bit naive to think that it's all going to be fine someday - it may be, but you and your loved ones may or may not be around to enjoy those days.

Trump and those like him just piss me off so much. I’m sure Obama and others previous presidents were outraged by what Trump said daily, but they stayed quiet for the most part and let him (try to) govern in his way. It would be so nice if he would just shut the hell up and go away. And take Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and others with him.

Keep in mind that Ukraine was trying to avoid being caught "provoking" an attack by Russia. The plan was for a false flag operation, but Ukraine didn't bite. When that didn't work, Putin just said "screw it" and invaded on whatever pretext he thought sounded good.

They have mounted a robust response according to The BBC reporter in the area a moment ago.

PS - Looks like the GOP is aiming to help ensure we have enough "law enforcement" when the time comes. TX allows their citizens to be bounty hunters against women having abortion. TN wants to ensure their gun-nuts can act be classed as "law enforcement"

"Fury over ‘reckless’ Tennessee bill that would class some gun owners as police

"Gun safety advocates condemn proposal introduced in state legislature as ‘blatant attempt to legalize armed vigilantism’"

The proposed law, introduced in the Tennessee house and senate this month, “expands the definition of ‘law enforcement officer’” to include civilians who hold an enhanced handgun-carry permit – earned by taking an eight-hour handgun safety course and paying a $100 fee....

Scottie DeLashmit, the president of Tennessee State Lodge for the Fraternal Order of Police, told ABC that officers “spend countless hours” honing their skills, and must qualify annually with the same weapons. DeLashmit added that officers also spend hours training in “driving, criminal law, defensive tactics, etc.”

“These vigorous standards are in place to ensure officers are familiar with their weapons,” DeLashmit said in the statement. “The enhanced handgun carry permit training is far less demanding than anything required from a cadet attending a basic law enforcement academy.”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/24/tennessee-gun-owners-bill-police-legislation

Are you woke yet?

BoJo: "Today, in concert with our allies, we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy.

And to that end, we must also collectively cease the dependence on Russian oil and gas that for too long has given Putin his grip on western politics.

Our mission is clear; diplomatically politically, economically, and eventually, military, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure."

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/24/russia-invades-ukraine-declares-war-latest-news-live-updates-russian-invasion-vladimir-putin-explosions-bombing-kyiv-kharkiv