A debate on Al Jazeera's "Up Front" about Ukraine. Plus, my weekly interview with Judge Andrew Napolitano on Netanyahu's post-war Gaza plan, US backing for Israeli occupation, and latest in Ukraine.
I'm a little confused at Aaron's response at minute 12 "No just harsh, you'd agree that they're unreasonable". No. They're not unreasonable. Kiev was bombing ethnic Russians for years in the Donbas region. The entire area voted overwhelmingly to become part of Russia. The US and Ukraine have continued to threaten Russia with NATO membership. It is not unreasonable at all. I thought that Aaron's response was a little weak by conceding to Russia's illegitimacy. I'd love to know if that is off base or if it was just a tactical mistake on Aaron's part.
Being caught in a crossfire from the two smug Ukrainian propagandists (on "Up Front"), you handled the whole affair with calm and without losing composure. Also rightly pointing out that Ukraine, since 2014 and now more than ever before, is anything but an independent country. Well done Aaron!
As usual the biggest deterrence to peace is sock puppet politicians unwilling to speak the truth of our times.
Biden openly bragged that this war was to destroy the Russian economy, weaken it , and cause regime change take, take your pick any any or all three.
They also ignore that Putin petitioned for security guarantees long before the war started and the US arrogantly refused these only weeks before the war began.
This is just another US imperialist war and Europe and Ukraine are paying one hell of a price for their cowardly blind servitude.
I am always amazed at Aaron's ability to handle these types of interviews with aplomb, while employing facts, nuance, and context. I usually like Mark Lamont Hill, but it seems as though he let his bias show through during this interview.
I’d argue it like this. The foundational misunderstanding is that Ukraine is a mono-bloc entity filled with “Ukrainians.” It’s not as the history and all the polling data shows. It’s a divided country. There’s nothing “Ukrainian” about the east of the country except what’s “on the can” so to speak. They are by all metrics Russian. In itself, no problem. There are lots of countries like this. Both the countries I have citizenship in are like this (Canada and the UK.) the problem only arises when an outside power wishes to use these divisions for its own purposes. This is what happened. US and vassal Nato and EU countries cynically set the country alight while cos-playing as “first responders.” The history of this goes back decades. So the first thing I would have asked these two: “Is Ukraine a multi-national state? Like Canada or Belgium with two distinct polities?” In Canada, Anglo vs Franco Canadians for example (putting aside First Nations for simplicity’s sake.) this would have put the lie to the myth of “Maidan unity” which the MP appeals to. It went unchallenged. That “unity” is completely untrue as evidenced by even western polling data. Ironically the Ukraine is PRECISELY useful to the West BECAUSE it is so divided so naturally, this is the myth these two have to establish above all in order to keep utterly misrepresenting the situation. Bust that and it all falls apart.
Apropos of the conflict killing the most innocents (the Russian Federation has taken great effort to minimise civilian casualties), it seems to me obvious that it will be impossible to effect any change in amerikan policy on Palestine before the creepy gang of careerist parasites otherwise known as amerikan national politicians learn that it is possible to support Palistine and still have a career in amerikan politics.
In a nutshell that means neutralizing the zionist lobby in amerika which has been a major determinant in amerikan policy on Palestine ever since 1948 when a group of zionists paid harry truman USD$2 million to garner amerikan recognition of the ersatz state of israel.. Just three days later the dims-dominated congress voted to recognise this racist settler state.
Since then it has got so much worse, eg lbj created a minor furore in June1967 when during the so-called six day war, the zionists attacked the USS Liberty and he told newsweek that was intolerable. He was rapidly told by his own staff to pull his head in before all dims lost their seats, so being a typical sleazy politician that is what he did As a sop, the zionists provided limited access for amerikan engineers to study the latest soviet rockets which egypt and Syria had been using.
It is so much worse in 2024 where only three (3) congress persons out of a total of 435 districts have been asking for a ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further slaughter. That is after literally millions of citizens across the US have protested to demand the same.
The zionist lobby has publicly stated they will fund opponents to these few and the one who doesn't have base of support from within the Arab-American community will almost certainly be out-primaried for the seat thanks to a massive infusion of zionist dollars to her opponent.
Until sufficient amerikans challenge this outrage by ensuring she is not out-funded by a careerist who is happy to take the dollars and vote as the zionists tell him/her to, this can only get worse.
Unless enough amerikans genuinely horrified by the current genocide each chip in a few bucks to her campaign, no other politicians will dare to stand up to aipac and the rest of the zionist lobby.
Doubters need to acknowledge that it is zionism they are fighting against nothing else. Toss in a few bucks despite how they may otherwise feel about the candidate. Otherwise the divide and rule strategy that has long been a major tool of colonists at home as well as in Occupied Palestine will continue forever.
The speakers for Ukraine are inviting the further destruction of their country. Their arguments are heartfelt but without facts or a project of establishing a basis of peace. One reports that Kiev has the support of 80% of Ukrainian voters; she does not offer how she knows this. No one mentions the US comment (several but principally Austin) that the war is intended to weaken Russia and remove Putin. Aaron Mate's comment on April 2022 is rock solid. Ukraine's claim for democracy falls apart with the cancellation of participation in the parliament by Russian ethnic parties, the cancellation of the Presidential election, endless propaganda, and dictatorial laws against dissenters. Democracies also do not bomb their own towns to slaughter fellow citizens.
The arrangement for this discussion -- largely fact-free, disrespectful, and tilted -- worked against it providing any way forward. Lamont is pitifully ignorant, and instead of fair refereeing, let his bias show.
Ukraine is being crushed and the outcome may be a full assault by NATO/US on Russian territories and civilian population .... and the Russian response that everyone fears most. This is no playground dispute and resembles the run-up to WWI more every day.
Ukraine and Gaza have something in common: their fates to a large extent are in the hands of foreign powers that are either blithering idiots or nazis, usually both - and I don't mean Russia. Seems like that element, idiotic nazis, a redundant designation and always in the shadows, has come into its own and is now proud to declare themselves blithering, idiotic nazis - like it or die. You object and you might easily be listed on their death lists- myrotvorets - and other hit lists, the existence of which doesn't do them any discredit whatever. It's kinda let live and let die -very liberal - all positions are equal and deserve respect. BUT YOU GET BONUS POINTS FOR EVERY SLIGHT TO RUSSIA.
Ukraine's declaration of independence when the USSR disbanded in 1991 stipulated Ukraine's geopolitically neutrality.
In 2004, Viktor Yanukovych, who was committed to upholding Ukrainian neutrality, ran for the presidency of Ukraine against Viktor Yushchenko, who favored Ukraine joining NATO. Mr. Yanukovych won the election in the second round of voting, but the U.S. orchestrated an exhaustively documented color revolution known as the Orange Revolution that prevented Mr. Yanukovych from assuming the presidency -- this is in 2004, ten years prior to his being violently overthrow in the U.S.-backed Maidan coup -- and in an illegal third round of voting, Mr. Yushchenko, the pro-NATO candidate, won the presidency.
In 2010, Mr. Yanukovych won the presidency of Ukraine a second time. After he assumed office, he succeeded in signing into law a bill he submitted to Ukraine's rada reasserting Ukraine's neutrality as originally declared upon Ukraine's independence from the USSR in 1991.
Ukrainians have zero credibility.
I'm a little confused at Aaron's response at minute 12 "No just harsh, you'd agree that they're unreasonable". No. They're not unreasonable. Kiev was bombing ethnic Russians for years in the Donbas region. The entire area voted overwhelmingly to become part of Russia. The US and Ukraine have continued to threaten Russia with NATO membership. It is not unreasonable at all. I thought that Aaron's response was a little weak by conceding to Russia's illegitimacy. I'd love to know if that is off base or if it was just a tactical mistake on Aaron's part.
Being caught in a crossfire from the two smug Ukrainian propagandists (on "Up Front"), you handled the whole affair with calm and without losing composure. Also rightly pointing out that Ukraine, since 2014 and now more than ever before, is anything but an independent country. Well done Aaron!
As usual the biggest deterrence to peace is sock puppet politicians unwilling to speak the truth of our times.
Biden openly bragged that this war was to destroy the Russian economy, weaken it , and cause regime change take, take your pick any any or all three.
They also ignore that Putin petitioned for security guarantees long before the war started and the US arrogantly refused these only weeks before the war began.
This is just another US imperialist war and Europe and Ukraine are paying one hell of a price for their cowardly blind servitude.
You acquitted yourself well in the debate, Aaron...despite it being three-on-one.
I am always amazed at Aaron's ability to handle these types of interviews with aplomb, while employing facts, nuance, and context. I usually like Mark Lamont Hill, but it seems as though he let his bias show through during this interview.
I am pretty certain I pay for Aaron Mate.
WHY IS IT THAT THERE ARE NO SUBTITLES or TRANSCRIPTS?
Once more: there are millions of deaf people on this planet!
YouTube has closed captions in the bottom right corner. Just click "CC".
It actually says no closed captions for this.
Not on this one. U-tube is usually fine.
FINALLY got this. Well done Aaron.
Disappointed in the way this “debate” was handled. A woeful lack of accountability for claims made by the Ukrainian minister and the pseudo academic.
I’d argue it like this. The foundational misunderstanding is that Ukraine is a mono-bloc entity filled with “Ukrainians.” It’s not as the history and all the polling data shows. It’s a divided country. There’s nothing “Ukrainian” about the east of the country except what’s “on the can” so to speak. They are by all metrics Russian. In itself, no problem. There are lots of countries like this. Both the countries I have citizenship in are like this (Canada and the UK.) the problem only arises when an outside power wishes to use these divisions for its own purposes. This is what happened. US and vassal Nato and EU countries cynically set the country alight while cos-playing as “first responders.” The history of this goes back decades. So the first thing I would have asked these two: “Is Ukraine a multi-national state? Like Canada or Belgium with two distinct polities?” In Canada, Anglo vs Franco Canadians for example (putting aside First Nations for simplicity’s sake.) this would have put the lie to the myth of “Maidan unity” which the MP appeals to. It went unchallenged. That “unity” is completely untrue as evidenced by even western polling data. Ironically the Ukraine is PRECISELY useful to the West BECAUSE it is so divided so naturally, this is the myth these two have to establish above all in order to keep utterly misrepresenting the situation. Bust that and it all falls apart.
Apropos of the conflict killing the most innocents (the Russian Federation has taken great effort to minimise civilian casualties), it seems to me obvious that it will be impossible to effect any change in amerikan policy on Palestine before the creepy gang of careerist parasites otherwise known as amerikan national politicians learn that it is possible to support Palistine and still have a career in amerikan politics.
In a nutshell that means neutralizing the zionist lobby in amerika which has been a major determinant in amerikan policy on Palestine ever since 1948 when a group of zionists paid harry truman USD$2 million to garner amerikan recognition of the ersatz state of israel.. Just three days later the dims-dominated congress voted to recognise this racist settler state.
Since then it has got so much worse, eg lbj created a minor furore in June1967 when during the so-called six day war, the zionists attacked the USS Liberty and he told newsweek that was intolerable. He was rapidly told by his own staff to pull his head in before all dims lost their seats, so being a typical sleazy politician that is what he did As a sop, the zionists provided limited access for amerikan engineers to study the latest soviet rockets which egypt and Syria had been using.
It is so much worse in 2024 where only three (3) congress persons out of a total of 435 districts have been asking for a ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further slaughter. That is after literally millions of citizens across the US have protested to demand the same.
The zionist lobby has publicly stated they will fund opponents to these few and the one who doesn't have base of support from within the Arab-American community will almost certainly be out-primaried for the seat thanks to a massive infusion of zionist dollars to her opponent.
Until sufficient amerikans challenge this outrage by ensuring she is not out-funded by a careerist who is happy to take the dollars and vote as the zionists tell him/her to, this can only get worse.
Unless enough amerikans genuinely horrified by the current genocide each chip in a few bucks to her campaign, no other politicians will dare to stand up to aipac and the rest of the zionist lobby.
Doubters need to acknowledge that it is zionism they are fighting against nothing else. Toss in a few bucks despite how they may otherwise feel about the candidate. Otherwise the divide and rule strategy that has long been a major tool of colonists at home as well as in Occupied Palestine will continue forever.
The speakers for Ukraine are inviting the further destruction of their country. Their arguments are heartfelt but without facts or a project of establishing a basis of peace. One reports that Kiev has the support of 80% of Ukrainian voters; she does not offer how she knows this. No one mentions the US comment (several but principally Austin) that the war is intended to weaken Russia and remove Putin. Aaron Mate's comment on April 2022 is rock solid. Ukraine's claim for democracy falls apart with the cancellation of participation in the parliament by Russian ethnic parties, the cancellation of the Presidential election, endless propaganda, and dictatorial laws against dissenters. Democracies also do not bomb their own towns to slaughter fellow citizens.
The arrangement for this discussion -- largely fact-free, disrespectful, and tilted -- worked against it providing any way forward. Lamont is pitifully ignorant, and instead of fair refereeing, let his bias show.
Ukraine is being crushed and the outcome may be a full assault by NATO/US on Russian territories and civilian population .... and the Russian response that everyone fears most. This is no playground dispute and resembles the run-up to WWI more every day.
Ukraine and Gaza have something in common: their fates to a large extent are in the hands of foreign powers that are either blithering idiots or nazis, usually both - and I don't mean Russia. Seems like that element, idiotic nazis, a redundant designation and always in the shadows, has come into its own and is now proud to declare themselves blithering, idiotic nazis - like it or die. You object and you might easily be listed on their death lists- myrotvorets - and other hit lists, the existence of which doesn't do them any discredit whatever. It's kinda let live and let die -very liberal - all positions are equal and deserve respect. BUT YOU GET BONUS POINTS FOR EVERY SLIGHT TO RUSSIA.
Apropos the Al Jazeera debate:
Ukraine's declaration of independence when the USSR disbanded in 1991 stipulated Ukraine's geopolitically neutrality.
In 2004, Viktor Yanukovych, who was committed to upholding Ukrainian neutrality, ran for the presidency of Ukraine against Viktor Yushchenko, who favored Ukraine joining NATO. Mr. Yanukovych won the election in the second round of voting, but the U.S. orchestrated an exhaustively documented color revolution known as the Orange Revolution that prevented Mr. Yanukovych from assuming the presidency -- this is in 2004, ten years prior to his being violently overthrow in the U.S.-backed Maidan coup -- and in an illegal third round of voting, Mr. Yushchenko, the pro-NATO candidate, won the presidency.
In 2010, Mr. Yanukovych won the presidency of Ukraine a second time. After he assumed office, he succeeded in signing into law a bill he submitted to Ukraine's rada reasserting Ukraine's neutrality as originally declared upon Ukraine's independence from the USSR in 1991.
Links:
Jan 7, 2010
"Yanukovych: Ukraine will remain a neutral state"
https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/yanukovych-ukraine-will-remain-a-neutral-state-56539.html
Mar 1, 2010
"Ukraine’s Yanukovich pledges to work for EU integration"
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/ukraine-s-yanukovich-pledges-to-work-for-eu-integration/
June 3, 2010
"Ukraine's parliament votes to abandon Nato ambitions"
https://www.bbc.com/news/10229626
September 3, 2013
"Ukraine leader urges pro-Europe drive despite Kremlin pressure"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-russia-yanukovich-idUSBRE9820HG20130903/
December 23, 2014
"Ukraine Votes To Abandon Neutrality, Set Sights On NATO"
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-parliament-abandons-neutrality/26758725.html