This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

There are only three ways onto the Crimean peninsula, excluding aircraft.  One way is via the Kerch bridge; but it’s closed or opened only periodically as the bridge is under repair. The Russians have put up barriers to protect the bridge from a third Ukrainian attack. Or you could go by the Black Sea, but the Russian Navy has been badly mauled, and they have largely retreated and should be considered defeated.

The next way is by rail or the highway that runs through a town called Tokmak. The Kerch bridge is broken, the Russian Navy has retreated and the Ukrainians are pushing through towards Tokmak. In the American Civil War, the capture of Atlanta split the Confederacy. After the capture of Atlanta, the Confederacy could no longer function as a state and the war was decided.

There is a battle coming over Tokmak. A battle neither side can afford to lose. If the Ukrainians can reach Tokmak, the war is decided. Without that rail line and that highway, the Russians won’t be able to supply their troops in Crimea. The Russian occupation will be split in twain. The Ukrainians have done a masterful job shaping the battlefield.

The other day Ukraine hit the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet with two Storm shadow missiles produced by Great Britain. It seems the Ukrainians got wind of a conference of all the Russian military bigwigs, and it was like the ghost of Admiral Yamamoto. The building was destroyed, and we won’t find out for twenty-five years how many really died.

Russian air defenses in Crimea have been degraded and Ukrainian commandos are visiting the peninsula at night. Ukrainian drones are striking aircraft and airfields deep inside Russia. Even Russia’s own air defenses have been shown to be a loose patchwork of outdated obsolete equipment unable to catch or stop anything smaller than B-52.

Russia has no good news at home or abroad and the public is souring on “Putin’s War.” The economy is suffering badly, and gas sales are down over 40%. Gas shortages have begun to show up in agricultural areas. Workers are on strike because they haven’t been paid. The Wagner Group uprising met no resistance and could have driven straight into Moscow! Putin had hopped a plane and flew away until it was safe to come back. Does this sound like a healthy scenario to you?

Moscow was guarded by clerks and police cadets at barricades showing a complete lack of troops inside the Capital. The Russian state is nearing the end of its tether. After Putin had told his people there would be no further mobilization, the government told them. “If we don’t get 355,000 new soldiers, we’re going to have another mobilization.” Then the tone changed, the Russian military announced that they had made their quota, but did they?

Did they really or maybe it was just close enough they chose not to further antagonize the already antagonized public. Cell phones have made this a much more public and personal war. As Russian soldiers call home to speak to their families and pour out their troubles, the Ukrainians are listening. Listening to their stories of bad leadership, bad equipment, and bad morale.

Oh boy, have those US cluster munitions made an impact. Those Russian soldiers in the field speak quite highly about those cluster rounds. Well then, what’s taking so long?

The second-best Army in Ukraine uses landmines for defense. Hundreds of thousands of landmines and behind those, trench lines of armed men.  A direct assault would be foolish and downright Russian. The land mines must be cleared and then the positions taken. So as not to lose all those new used tanks and equipment donated by Europe. There is no division in the European ranks as everyone is now increasing their military spending.

For Putin and these are desperate times. If the Ukrainians reach Tokmak or can shell Tokmak. Ukraine will have Crimea in a choke hold and the war would be largely decided. All roads to Crimea would be closed!

If you’re Vladimir Putin, you must be frantic about now! What can you do? He has to come up with a plan! Some way to strike back at Ukraine when Russian military strength is waning. What to do? What to do?

“Hello, Donald? Hi, it’s me Vlad. Look, I need you to do for me a favor. I need you to get the Republicans to cut off funding for Ukraine. I’m getting my ass kicked over here! What? You’re having money problems? You? No worries, buddy! How much do you need? I’ll write you a check. Of course, you’re always welcome here buddy!”

And now as we reach the apex of the struggle, the Republicans want to turn as yellow as the morning piss and run away from our obligations. A declawed Russia would mean less need for American troops in Europe saving those precious millions of dollars. It will be less likely, there will be another general European war. The Cold War is over, and this is the end of the end of post-Cold War Europe.

The idea that Republicans would turn their backs on NATO and on our friends is appalling and reprehensible. Shocking and beneath the dignity of any legitimate political Party. Why should anyone trust the word of the United States ever again? Why would anyone want to quit a battle, when it’s almost won?

The real question is why and why now? Is it a coincidence perhaps, a fluke? Kevin McCarthy had been stumbling along okay, until Matt Gaetz toppled him. Why now? Why is defunding Ukraine suddenly so important on the agenda? I thought they had an impeachment inquiry to manufacture. Or persecuting Hunter Biden, all thrown to the wayside? For whom?

“We get a lot of our money from Russia.” – Erc Trump

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge–and more.

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do–for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. – John F. Kennedy