J.C.MacSwell

No worries. One day INow will say "FFS really? so needless" when we poke fun of the extreme Right...and then we can put on our skates and play shinny in Hell...

Sorry INow...forgive my sense of humour

...at least when they come from the Left we know their intentions were good...

Apparently the WH thinks they may have a lead on some climate friendly oil that could replace the Russian's climate friendly oil... "U.S. officials make rare trip to Venezuela, discuss resuming oil imports to help replace Russian fuel" https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/06/venezuela-american-officials-visit/

I'm thinking they can fly them into Ukraine, regardless of pilot and have to land them there. At that point it can't be a member of Nato pilot or crew that does a sortie against Russian targets, unless it's some "volunteer" with no connection to Nato member military. But of course I don't know the "rules". It all seems very strange.

Elon Musk seems to agree with that part: Neutral Oil Neutral Gas If you paid a 100% extra excise tax on the portion of oil and gas payments that went to the Russians, and that extra tax went to Ukraine...at least you could claim you were neutral with regard to your fuel use.

That's a tough one because while I am pretty emphatically for free speech, within limits that of course I would have opinions on defining, clearly the Russian government is suppressing free speech for their political opponents and citizens well inside those limits, and just as clearly for their own purposes. ...so why should we allow them the free speech they disallow others? On the other hand how would we know that they are lying if we only hear it through restrictive filters?

The damage in Chernobyl will outlive us all.

So what is the best way to ensure that Russia's oil and gas sector suffers, and suffers most immediately? We are approaching a shoulder season where the need for heating and cooling is reduced, but also when reserves have been reduced and when it normally is made up. Prices will inevitably rise. How do we reduce this benefit to Russia? How do we, as a coalition in this economic war, share the pain? Ideally we would increase, not decrease, taxes on fossil fuels to decrease demand which unfortunately seems fairly inelastic with price. Can our economies handle it? How much reduction in consumption can we handle? How quickly? Something we should be doing anyway, even without a Putin. I think a combination of release of reserves, temporary increase in production, and rationing and/or tax increases are in order.

Probably just a few "Chernobyls" with contamination limited if the weather is favourable, and with only slightly raised radiation levels beyond countries bordering Ukraine...nothing much to worry about.

Sorry. Forgot where everyone got killed and nothing is actually happening now. Hint: As significant as it was, ask yourself how many died? How many injured? Compare to any hour in the last few days in Ukraine. Then compare the results of negotiations.

Another reasonable analogy? Was Nato threatening to put Nuclear weapons in Ukraine? The Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961, over 60 years ago, was nothing on the scale of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and, sanctions aside, the US has done nothing substantial since.

Which kind of reminds me of a thought I've had the other day seeing the Ukrainian resistance...I wonder how much and how long this will set back reasonable restrictions on private ownership of assault weapons in the U.S.?

...and then of course he takes on the bully by himself while hearing words of encouragement toward himself and words of derision toward the bully.

No way am I going to click like for that... ...ahh...what the heck +1

And in the mean burn Russian fossil fuels...because they don't contribute to global warming.

“My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British prime minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.” Neville Chamberlain Sept 30, 1938

No. He wasn't part of the delegation.

Because it's hard.

Understood. I did wonder how they managed to give less protection to a late trimester unborn child, than an essentially younger one born prematurely. Simply by default and where birth is used as as the legally recognized point of human life?

This guy?

How is this not making Laws?

So essentially they make Laws, when lawmakers fail to do so.

I know it is a difficult subject, but has a Federal Law ever been passed allowing full access to abortion with no restrictions?

Putin of course, would only have an interest in furthering his agenda, and saving what little face he has left...which is probably only with state informed Russians, and others of his ilk.