Politics Corner February 26

 

photo mine (beware of Harlan)

History doesn't repeat but it does echo. Please don't pull out your umbrella and go Chamberlain (ask the nearest history teacher or professor or holocaust survivor) it's far too late for that. Putin found his Sudetenland in Crimea and Poland in the rest of Ukraine. Now he's looking at Moldova for the rest of Czechoslovakia and Belarus is ripe to be his Austria. So which of the Baltics or Finland is going to be his Netherlands? He's got a leg up on Hitler though. He's already got Russia. [Daily Beast]

I can't lie, I want that hat. But why aren't the earflaps down? Freezing for the Führer?

via Daily Beast

Israel and Hamas will be sort of meeting in Qatar. They will not be anywhere near each other but they will be in the same city. All I know is that I want it to stop. [Reuters]

Hungary has finally stopped blocking Sweden from joining NATO. Sweden has historically attempted to be neutral (let's not talk about vikings) but with Russia being so bellicose and pushing into central Europe in Ukraine, Sweden, along with Finland decided that they'd rather be with us than them. The problem with Hungary is that it isn't exactly us. Orban has a dictatorship but they don't call it that. If you walk the streets of Budapest you'd never know. If you lived there you would always know. Anyway, Sweden, being an open Western country allowed a protest that offended Orban and he's kept the world on edge for, well however long it's been since they applied. The Baltic states are already in NATO and Finland newly joined so the only way from Russia to Sweden is from St. Petersburg through the Baltic sea and surrounded by NATO countries. If Sweden is a member then the Baltic Sea is cut off for Russian military action. They may have Crimea but the Black Sea is contained on all other sides, including it's exit to the Mediterranean by NATO members. Keep in mind also that this the same NATO that Trump wants to throw under the Russian bus.

The bigger problem at the moment is that Putin has no problem throwing his people into the meat grinder of ground combat. See Ukraine. [CNN]

via CNN

If you're not watching John Oliver, you probably should. Do you remember when Jon Stewart was sane, funny and relevant? That. [Daily Beast]

via Daily Beast

Political Discussion welcome.