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Taking stock of the situation in Ukraine $111 billion and 10 months later
American Thinker ^ | December 31, 2022 | By Rajan Laad

Posted on 12/31/2022 9:35:11 AM PST by Kazan

If you were to ask any Democrat or Republican politician in D.C. about their reasons for supporting Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine, their reductive reply is likely to be ‘to defend freedom and democracy.’

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Since the beginning of the war, Zelensky applied draconian measures to restrain the press such as threats of criminal prosecution and fines against media outlets and journalists critical of the government.

Zelensky also banned many media outlets claiming they were carrying Russian propaganda. But reports suggest these outlets were merely holding Zelensky accountable. Also, all television channels in Ukraine have been shut down except for the one controlled by Zelensky.

###

To sum it up, Zelensky has total control of every syllable being uttered by the Ukrainian media.

What about Political Opponents?

Weeks after Russia’s intervention, Zelensky imposed martial law to suppress opposition political parties.

Zelensky “temporarily” banned 11 of his political opponents including “The Opposition Platform for Life”, which has 44 seats in Ukraine’s national parliament. The party was accused of, you guessed right, being pro-Kremlin.

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What about religious freedom in Ukraine?

Earlier this month, Zelenskyy sanctioned personnel within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church claiming they were “affiliated with centers of influence” in Russia.

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The Church is the largest in Ukraine with about 12,000 parishes.

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Zelensky is being called the modern Winston Churchill.

Churchill didn’t ban the Labor Party ,or adversarial media outlets, or churches. He used his powers of persuasion to bring people together, not tyrannical, draconian measures.

The Perils

This is much worse than the wastage of $111 billion of your funds.

The war in Ukraine had attracted over twenty thousand foreign fighters, who obviously haven't been vetted. These “fighters” could pilfer advanced weaponry for further use or sell it on the black market. The buyers could be terrorists. Biden’s open borders would allow these arms into the U.S. and could be used against citizens.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: debt; deficit; ftxdonationstodems; inflation; lootingthetreasury
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To: BroJoeK

Zelensky chose the latter and followed the path of strengthening personal power. Today, the executive branch represented by the Office of the President is employing the NSDC (National Security and Defense Council) to control of all other branches of government in the country. The president’s party has an absolute majority in the Verkhovna Rada, which provides the president with control over the legislative branch of government. Since the parliament forms the government, it also controls the Cabinet of Ministers.

A certain problem for the president was the independence of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. But in the end, he solved it: Zelensky issued a decree that supervened his predecessor’s on the appointment of two judges of the Constitutional Court, and one of them was the Chairman of the Court. Ukrainian law does not provide for such a way of dismissing a judge. It is as though President Joe Biden overturned the decisions on the appointment of two U.S. Supreme Court justices nominated by Donald Trump to alter the balance of power in the Court in favor of liberal-minded judges. As a result, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine is stymied.

Similarly, Zelensky began to battle the political opposition. The decisions of the National Security and Defense Council—put into effect by presidential decrees—imposed sanctions against a number of Ukrainian individuals and legal entities. It was done ignoring the direct constitutional prohibition to impose sanctions against Ukrainian citizens. These sanctions involve the extrajudicial seizure of property without any evidence of illegal activities of the relevant individuals and legal entities. Three Ukrainian TV channels were among those sanctioned. The proof that we are talking about a politically motivated illegal decision is that when the journalists of these channels created a new one, it was disconnected from broadcasting just an hour after the start, this time without any presidential decrees.

The policy of Zelensky is destructive for the country not only because he is concentrating power in his hands ignoring the law—thereby destroying those very modest achievements in democratic development that once existed in Ukraine—but also because it undermines the foundations of civil harmony. Zelensky will likely need to rely increasingly on the forceful suppression of all resistance and dissidence.

The religious policy of the state is also divisive and aimed at providing benefits to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) created in 2018 by Poroshenko and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. At the same time, pressure is being exerted on on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—the largest of the Ukrainian confessions—to the extent of condoning the hostile takeover of churches and the beating of priests and church members.

More here
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-zelensky%E2%80%99s-ukraine-becoming-increasingly-autocratic-182124


21 posted on 12/31/2022 1:22:12 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: Kazan

I don’t give a damn about defending democracy. When Putin rolls over the Baltic states, Poland and Moldova as well as threatening Western Europe we may give a damn about that.


22 posted on 12/31/2022 1:42:29 PM PST by willfulknowledge
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
What was banned were those who were openly supportive of Russian occupation.

Your use of the word “banned” in this case is misleading. People who were openly supportive of Russian occupation have been killed. And no, the article is quite accurate and unlike your post is supported by numerous links. I am grateful that American Thinker is still able to post articles that contradict the hopelessly flawed narrative put out by Biden and the Democrats that you haplessly attempt to defend.

23 posted on 12/31/2022 1:44:57 PM PST by fireman15 (Irritating people are the grit from which we fashion our pearl. I provide the grit. You're Welcome.)
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To: Kazan

There will come a time when each of us will go online, and none of us will be able to find each other, amid all the AI chatbots they will flood around all of us to recite government propaganda at us over and over, to try and make everyone think they are alone in their beliefs.


24 posted on 12/31/2022 11:05:45 PM PST by AnonymousConservative (DO NOT send me sensitive information - http://www.anonymousconservative.com/blog/surveillance)
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To: fireman15

O’Biden and Zelensky have no problem continuing this war until every Ukrainian has their life sucked out of them.....with a Comedian and a Dementia Patient leading what did people expect!


25 posted on 12/31/2022 11:26:26 PM PST by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: AnonymousConservative

China’s notorious for those.


26 posted on 12/31/2022 11:27:25 PM PST by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: willfulknowledge

If Putin land locks Ukraine by doing that I’m all for it!


27 posted on 12/31/2022 11:28:15 PM PST by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: PGR88

WhenZelensky took power in 2019, his office famously said it - “doesn’t need journalists.” - Since then the Ukraine president has sought to dismantle press freedoms en masse....he signed new laws limiting the freedom of the press and new media modeled on Russia’s censorship regulations.Thus giving Zelensky the power to fine media outlets, revoke licenses, block online media without court order, and censor big tech.

He ‘combined’ all national TV channels eliminating ALL privately owned Ukrainian media outlets - so there is only one source of news in Ukraine and that is controlled by Zelensky.

We are funding a Dictator plain and simple..... Zelensky will prove in time to be a greater threat than Russia or China.


28 posted on 12/31/2022 11:41:04 PM PST by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: Kazan

I don’t give a damn about defending democracy. When Putin rolls over the Baltic states, Poland and Moldova as well as threatening Western Europe we may give a damn about that.


29 posted on 01/01/2023 4:12:53 AM PST by willfulknowledge
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To: MarMema
MarMema: "Zelensky chose the latter and followed the path of strengthening personal power. Today, the executive branch represented by the Office of the President is employing the NSDC (National Security and Defense Council) to control of all other branches of government in the country.
The president’s party has an absolute majority in the Verkhovna Rada, which provides the president with control over the legislative branch of government.
Since the parliament forms the government, it also controls the Cabinet of Ministers."

All of that could be said of Franklin Roosevelt during World War II.
Countries at war often become intolerant of serious political opposition.

MarMema: "A certain problem for the president was the independence of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine."

Franklin Roosevelt also waged war against the US Supreme Court, as does our Democrat Party to this very day.
Yes, FDR lost his battle against SCOTUS, but it was a close call, and Democrats today carry-on FDR's war against justice.

MarMema: "These sanctions involve the extrajudicial seizure of property without any evidence of illegal activities of the relevant individuals and legal entities.
Three Ukrainian TV channels were among those sanctioned."

And Franklin Roosevelt famously interred hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in American concentration camps.
Sh*t happens when countries are at war for their survival.
And while you're carping and complaining about Ukraine, what, exactly is going on inside Russia?

MarMema: "The policy of Zelensky is destructive for the country not only because he is concentrating power in his hands ignoring the law—thereby destroying those very modest achievements in democratic development that once existed in Ukraine—but also because it undermines the foundations of civil harmony.
Zelensky will likely need to rely increasingly on the forceful suppression of all resistance and dissidence."

But first and foremost, above all else, Zelensky must win his war or there will be no democracy or dissidence in Ukraine under Russian jack-boots!

How utterly insane do you have to be to think that Russian rule over Ukraine is better than Ukrainian self-government?

MarMema: "At the same time, pressure is being exerted on on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—the largest of the Ukrainian confessions—to the extent of condoning the hostile takeover of churches and the beating of priests and church members."

My understanding is that Ukrainian actions are directed at alleged Russian agents in the Russian Orthodox church.
So, perhaps there are Russian agents also in the Ukrainian church?

Bottom line: I think it's fine for you to carp and complain about failures in Ukrainian democracy.
But only a stark raving lunatic -- or Vlad the Pute, but I repeat myself -- would wish a Russian victory and conquest of independent Ukraine.

Are you as luny as Putey?

30 posted on 01/02/2023 2:53:44 PM PST by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: Kazan

31 posted on 01/02/2023 3:08:25 PM PST by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: BroJoeK

I remember on Twitter when Ukraine handed out guns to everyone...one guy said he was going to shoot some nazis.

Just what do you think life under Ukraine was like?
Corruption everywhere, roving gangs of Nazis wrapping people up to telephone poles and taking down their pants, the homeless had tires put over their heads, Roma were tracked down and persecuted.
Pensions and salaries were not being paid. Ukraine was and still is daily shelling Donetsk and killing civilians.

The last 8 years were a civil war.

The problem with so many of you is how clueless you are.
Watch this.

https://thesaker.is/they-tell-you-that-we-are-nazis/


32 posted on 01/03/2023 1:25:49 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: BroJoeK
https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/y22bb3/western_media_coverage_of_ukraine_before_feb_2022/
33 posted on 01/03/2023 1:39:01 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: BroJoeK

You are quite simply yet another brainwashed Bidenista.

You are a success for their marketing firm.
They went on an all out sell to convince people that Putin is evil, just like orange man bad.

Congratulations on supporting Biden, Romney, Pelosi and all those wonderful folk like you.


34 posted on 01/03/2023 1:44:11 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: BroJoeK

https://twitter.com/edolinsky/status/1609585381879455746


35 posted on 01/03/2023 1:53:29 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: willfulknowledge

Very few cared that NATO under our lead took Kosovo away from Serbia.

Giving it to the KLA who had just the year before been labeled a terrorist group.

The new president was found to be guilty of black market organ theft of Serb pows, along with drug running and more.
But we had him as a guest at the WH.Now he is at the Hague awaiting trial I believe.

Its ok to create new annexations or countries as long as you are not Russia or China right?
Even then, why have we not freed Tibet but are stirring up Taiwan to become independent from China, even as Biden admits to One China?

Money laundering and Hunter Biden. Good stuff in the 3rd most corrupt country in the world.
This has nothing to do with the poor Ukrainians, whom we are standing in front of us so they can be butchered.


36 posted on 01/03/2023 2:02:54 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: MarMema
MarMema: "Corruption everywhere, roving gangs of Nazis wrapping people up to telephone poles and taking down their pants, the homeless had tires put over their heads, Roma were tracked down and persecuted."

If any of that is even true, those are just the kinds of problems voters elect opposition parties to correct.
But in wartime, priorities shift to one thing and one thing only: how to defeat the invaders.

MarMewma: "The last 8 years were a civil war."

The war was launched by Russia in 2014. It was not a "civil war", it was a Russian invasion, and remains so today.

How stupid do you have to be not to see that?

37 posted on 01/04/2023 1:33:39 PM PST by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: MarMema
"Western Media before Feb. 2022"

I never saw any stories like that.

38 posted on 01/04/2023 1:35:21 PM PST by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: MarMema
MarMema: "You are quite simply yet another brainwashed Bidenista.
You are a success for their marketing firm.
They went on an all out sell to convince people that Putin is evil, just like orange man bad."

But, FRiend, Putin IS evil.
That is a simple, indisputable fact, as evidenced by his invasion of Ukraine.
NOTHING else matters -- since Putin invaded, HE is evil, and his troops become orcs the instant they cross the border into Ukraine.

You may remember that Hitler and Stalin were ALLIES for two years, carving up eastern Europe between them. As such, Americans had NO INTEREST in choosing Stalin over Hitler, or visa-versa.
But as soon as Hitler invaded Stalin's Soviet Empire, then our choice was clear -- we sided with Stalin because he had been invaded, unprovoked.

Only someone like yourself besotted with Russian propaganda could imagine Russians on the side of justice and Ukrainians deserving of subjugation under Russian jackboots.

39 posted on 01/04/2023 1:48:26 PM PST by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: MarMema
MarMema: "Very few cared that NATO under our lead took Kosovo away from Serbia."

The 1990s Yugoslav wars took around 140,000 lives and created 4 million refugees.
The result was at least six new countries with borders established by war and negotiations.
The Serbian population in Kosovo is only 4% and most countries recognize Kosovo as independent of Serbia.

That situation has nothing to do with Ukraine.

40 posted on 01/04/2023 2:03:05 PM PST by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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