It was interesting to watch Kevin McCarthy's reaction to Volodymyr Zelinsky's address to Congress. Dana Milbank writes:
He stood at the floor leader’s desk, restlessly playing with the microphone. As Volodymyr Zelensky was about to enter the chamber, McCarthy checked his phone. As the adulation began, McCarthy clapped absently while chatting with Republican whip Steve Scalise (La.).
Zelensky told the rapt chamber that “your money is not charity” but “an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” Lawmakers rose to applaud. McCarthy, who vows to probe Ukraine’s use of U.S. funds, froze in his chair before eventually lumbering to his feet.
Zelensky urged lawmakers to “ensure that America’s leadership remains solid, bicameral and bipartisan.” McCarthy again rose slowly, then quickly sat back down.
Zelensky called on Americans to “help us bring to justice everyone who started this unprovoked and criminal war.” McCarthy sat out the standing ovation, drumming his fingers.
“Let the world see that the United States are here,” Zelensky urged. McCarthy yawned.
Many in McCarthy's party are no friends of Zelinsky:
Most GOP lawmakers skipped the speech entirely, and a few in attendance — Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Tim Burchett — sat through it sulking. Other Republicans trashed Zelensky, calling him “the Ukrainian lobbyist” (Rep. Thomas Massie), “the shadow president” (Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene) and a “welfare queen” (Donald Trump Jr.).
McCarthy has a "lean and hungry" look about him. He has sold his soul to herd cats. As Shakespeare's Caesar warned, "such men are dangerous."
Image: Carolyn Kaster/AP
27 comments:
The original America Firsters were outraged when Churchill spoke to Congress wearing a boilersuit. The modern America Firsters are outraged that Zelensky spoke to Congress wearing fatigues and carrying a Ukrainian flag. Critiquing form over substance and siding with dictators since the 1930s.
Cap
One can recognize that Volodymyr Zelensky's current Churchillian image is a carefully crafted disguise without falling for the likes of Kevin McCarthy.
These are people who lack depth and substance, Cap. Like the snowflakes they are, they turn into dirty water.
I believe you misread Zalinsky, PoV.
For Lockheed, Raytheon, Boeing and Northrop, this is a very convenient war.
Canadian taxes making these companies rich.
I would love to see Junior Mints call Zelensky a "welfare queen" to his face, in a back room of course.
I agree with you about NPoV misreading. I think Zelensky is literally fighting for his life and the life of his country. He is doing everything in his power to get assistance for his armed forces and to keep the peoples morale up.
He needs to be a bit of a salesman with a pitch to get other countries to buy into helping them. He’s pretty good at it and knows how to push the right buttons and how to appeal to peoples sense of humanity and also their fears of having the same thing happen to them. I get it and I forgive him if sometimes it’s a bit over the top.
I would not want myself or our country to be in such a situation and I hope we get all the help we need should it ever happen.
For arms makers and dealers, PoV, war means windfall profits.
I suspect that Jr. has inherited his father's cowardice, zoombats.
It's clear, Graham, that Zelinsky knows how to use modern media. He knows what he's doing.
Theater.
Yep that's it. The whole post.
Well that
And a plea to keep the Ukrainian laundromat open.
The scripted x-comedian savior posterboy actor?
Deception and diversion aids fleecing.
I too yawn.
I have to admit, lungta, that I'm a little surprised by the cynicism toward Zelinsky.
Was actually going to include this ...
"Please do not confuse
my scepticism and realism
For pessimism and cynicism."
Deep dives into the players and money trails give a whole different picture than the all American all the time Washington post.
example
"the Ukraine supplies 25% of world "export" grain " true
but only 12% of world grain is exported true
so if the ukraine exports zero (OH the HORROR)
then available grain is down 3% (25% of 12)
grain available 97% barring other factors
Perfect to blame Putin for your bread prices doubling right?
Proud to pay double to support the Ukraine we are!!
And the list goes on....
I will stand by my first Ukrainian war comment
"Rich people making other rich people richer."
If that wasn't a fact it would have never been pushed and promoted.
You feed peace and starve war not the opposite.
"Theater"?, "fleecing"?, "convenient war"?, "carefully crafted disguise"? Yes, Zelinsky is obviously on his knees begging for International support. Here, we've met Ukranian families who have come to survive the war. And we are doing what we can to help them put their lives together (I have friends who are helping). Perhaps you need to trade places not only with Zelinsky, but with the people he is trying to protect. Maybe then you would understand why he is on his knees. But given what you should already know about the war, I doubt that you would value anything more than your own self-interest. Shame on you.
CD
We're relatively comfortable here, CD. The Ukrainians live in a very different reality.
CD
It's just collateral damage to where the world business interests run. Dig deeper and both sides are "protecting their people"
Lil Volo isn't on his knees; he is strutting the world stage crowing "More weapons! More war!"
There is no shame really in recognising disaster capitalism when it happens. The shame is loving the patsies and not recognising the profiteers and actual (beyond the propaganda) instigators.
Follow the money, who profits? It's a long list before you get down to Russia.
It's a given that the wealthy make lots of money from war. lungta. It's always been that way. But given the death, destruction, and displacement sometimes you cannot remain neutral --
because there is more at stake than profits.
We never were neutral Owen ... we helped light the fire ...knowing full well death, destruction, and displacement were !00% guaranteed.
A few years ago whenever I looked at Ukraine I had trouble keeping track of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. There were some messy elements. Someone shot down a passenger plane with accusations in several directions. Not easy for a casual observer.
Mr. Putin, ever the bull in a china shop, charged into a maelstrom of his own making. Now, whatever he does feeds the ever ravenous American war industry. Biden must love it.
And thousands of civilians continue to die, Toby.
I agree we were never neutral, lungta. But it's hard to remain neutral after you get to know Mr. Putin.
It’s my belief the arrival of a submarine launched ‘tomahawk style’ missile warhead leaves little room for discussion among the dead, shattered, wounded citizenry.. after the fact. Nor does it matter to the DEAD - who actually ordered the launch. What was their ‘reasoning’ or the overall ‘strategy’.. ‘the goal’ or ‘Holy Grail’
Welcome to the current world lungta..
I’ve examined the seasonal weather patterns of Ukraine.. looking mainly at the ‘downwind’ immediacy and potential seasonal reversals.. & related ecosystems (like drinking water) .. What may come of the ‘final solution’ in Putin’s War - Tactical Nuclear Weapons, ranging from submarine, air launched & ground based locations.. may not fit definitions of ‘VICTORY’ unless the word PYRRHIC accompanies it
Said another way.. ‘What Happens in Ukraine doesn’t necessarily Remain in Ukraine’
The present world order is far from perfect, sal. But if it's remade to Putin's liking, autocracy will be the order of the day.
It is up to the Ukrainian people to decide who they align with. At this time they have chosen Zelenskyy to escape the clutches of the Putin regime. Not too long ago they chose Victor Yushchenko to lead them to independence, until Putin's cronies poisoned him. RG
It's not easy to navigate the world these days, RG. Ukraine's current allies are a better fit than Yushchenko.
Zelensky is doing a good job of representing his country while making efforts to obtain financial and military support for the war with Russia.
He is good at knowing which crowd he is "playing" to. Stephen Corbett some time ago, did a routine discussing Zelensky's skils. He pointed out that the skills he had when he worked as an entertainer were transferable to his current position, in that comedians need to be able to "read" a crowd and tailor their presentation for that crowd. Corbett also pointed out comedians need to be able to change course very quickly, be light on their feet.
If Zelensky was not demonstrating the communication skills he has, Ukraine would have been over run by Russia a long time ago. He has gathered international support for the war and inspired the Ukrainians to fight with agility and strength.
My take on things is Putin thought the world would just stand by but they didn't. Now that Putin knows Ukrainians fight back and other countries support them, he may have second thoughts about invading other countries.
Canadians might want to remember that although the Americans sit on our southern border, Russia sits on our Northern Border.
It seems pretty clear, e.a.f, that Putin misread the situation.
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