Hope n' Change is condensing our usual detailed analysis of the news today because the events in Ukraine are complicated, the situation is fluid and volatile, and because we've been invited to a Fat Tuesday celebration and can't really type very long at this computer keyboard while wearing all of these beads, feathers, and flashing LED accessories.
We will note that Obama has definitely thrown a darn good scare into Putin with all of his talk of seriously considering joining a coalition of nations in affirming the remote possibility of "costs" for further military activity, which is why Vladimir now says he may not need to immediately invade the rest of Ukraine (boy, that's a relief!).
The fact that he then test-fired an ICBM missile and threatened to destroy the United States economically was probably just a little temper tantrum based on Obama's clear foreign policy victory. Talk about being a sore loser!
But for now, all any of us can do is watch this developing crisis. Specifically, we'll be watching it on a small television in the corner of "The Big Easy" restaurant while drinking hurricanes, eating po boys, collecting tossed beads, listening to good New Orleans jazz, and trying not to think of the boobs on display in Washington.
27 comments:
You are an evil man, Mr. Jarlsberg. Today's cartoon caused coffee to shoot out of my nose with the velocity of ink coming from the Royal Pen while it is writing an Executive Order!
Thanks a lot Stilton. Now when I think of boobs I will be envisioning the collection of anti-American freaks that are ruining our country, rather than nice round bronzed mammalian protuberances, most commonly found in emails and magazines purchased from behind the counter. Sheesh!
Thanx, Stilt-I have to buy a new keyboard now after it got sprayed with coffee while reading your latest strip. Where'd I leave the tequila?
Sad but true. Definitely one of your funniest!
@Stilton,
Hope you didn’t partake of too many of those Hurricanes and are suffering the consequences today. And, today is Ash Wednesday, which makes me think that ashes are all that remain of our standing in the world. For decades, liberals have been pushing the “ugly American” agenda; wanting us to roll over and stop being the alpha dog. Well, now we are starting to see the results of that philosophy. Putin is playing O’Liar like a cheap kazoo, and we pretty much have zero legs to stand on now. Our empty threats are, well….. empty, and Putin, Assad, Kim Jong Un and their ilk damn well know it.
Where are you, Teddy Roosevelt? You need to show our Boob in Chief where that big stick is! And I ain’t talking about Reggie’s big stick either.
Not really on topic but I was just on Moonbattery.com and saw a few words I never thought I'd ever see put together. "..the Armys lgbt community..."
Apparently the (Our) military has endorsed a drag queen show. It didn't mention if bathhouse barry (PBUH) was in attendance or not. Normally I refer to him as king hussein, (PBUH) but in this case I prefer the former. I know I read the bathouse name here first but I don't recall which one of us used it first. Both are fitting.
And yes a great cartoon today Dr. J.
I've also read that Ukrainians from all over their country are showing up at bases and recruitment centers to sign up to defend their country. Some places are so full they are turning some people away! How cool is that?
Truer words were never drawn as well as that Stilton.
A classic. Well played, sir.
Colby, as I rhetorically asked on Monday's H&C, does anyone else remember how during the '80s, this kind of crap didn't happen? Why was that?
It was because Reagan made it clear that this sort of thing would not be tolerated, and the world believed him.
His critics like to mock the fact that Reagan's only actual "military adventure" was tiny, little Grenada, when Castro decided to test Reagan's resolve. Reagan's response was quick and decisive, and that was the end of kind of nonsense.
Compare the '80s to what has been happening since, after we outsourced our global leadership and resolve to "international consensus", which usually limits itself to "strongly worded letters".
The lesson is that those who are clearly prepared to act and possess the resolve usually don't have to.
I'm not a fan of being the exclusive "global policeman", but it's the reality we inherited after being the last free country standing after WWII. What we are now witnessing is the consequence of our contemporary wimpy "leadership from behind" non-policy. Nature abhors vacuums, and Russia and China are more than happy to fill in those roles in our absence. If I was Japan or Taiwan right now, I'd be extra scared.
@WMD, haven't you seen "The Bridge On The River Kwai"?
yeah, it's not even close to the same. :-(
Speaking about the boobs in Washington, the boob-in-cheef is trying to make the COUNTRY go "tits-up", so maybe a 21 square mile sink-hole between Delaware and Virginia is the solution. I'm working on genetic modification for a 47 ton gopher to ship to the "Smithsonian", (nudge nudge, wink wink).
While not wishing to paint Russia's actions in a favorable light, I choose to reserve my opinion until the chips all fall. There is more going on in Ukraine than is generally being reported. I did read that hundreds of Ukrainians are volunteering to defend their country. I also read that nearly 700,000 Ukrainians have chosen to flee across the border into Russia. Thus far, all Russia has done is fortify their own bases in Crimea, and protect the roughly 60% of the citizens there that are Russian-,without firing a single shot. Meanwhile, Neo-Nazis wearing Swastikas, aided by George Soros and IMF ilk, have deposed the nation's democratically elected President and burned half the Capital city to the ground. Taking sides at this point seems a foolish thing to do.
Nicely done, sir! This is frickin' HILARIOUS!!! =P
@John the Econ -
Didn't Reagan also bomb Libya in response to terrorist activity?
To your point, that was more 'quick and decisive' action that put the world on notice that actions had consequences.
Today, not so much.
Except for the consequences of Stilton's actions in pounding down hurricanes...
@Geoff King makes some good points. This is more complex that the drive-by media is capable of understanding, much less explaining. For one thing, Ukraine is much like the former Yugoslavia; an artificial political construct of convenience, with differing cultures wedged together.
@CenTexTim, I didn't mean to exclude Libya as an example of Reaganesqe resolve, but did so because it was more in line with our post-cold war approach to making people behave via airpower. Grenada was the only "boots on the ground" mission of the Reagan era.
An aside: I was in school when Reagan bombed Libya, and I vividly remember the very liberal instructor of a political science class I was taking walking in like the world was about to end. "Well, there we go! It's going to be all over soon!" he said. What a putz. It was an entertaining semester of insanity, and it was too much fun tripping this guy up. (which was reflected in my final grade, btw) The most interesting thing I learned in this class was the the more over-the-top-liberal the professor, the more conservative most of the class leaves after the semester is done. Students are mostly stupid, but not that stupid. They still get to experience the real world more than these instructor clowns do.
Hilarious, Doc, but I agree with TrickyRicky - you have now ruined (at least for a few minutes until I stop laughing) my concept of "boobs". Shameful. Keep doing it .... the other one is just frustrating.
I do agree that John The Econ we inherited the "world policeman role" after WWII - and that means nothing if one if we are not willing to use force ala Reagan as John the Econ points out - but we got that role because the world was decimated. It ain't that way no more (so to speak, badly) and our allies are sponging off our largesse. Pax Americana is a wonderful thing but now our allies need to pay their dues, while we get our own house in order. But we still need a strong (local) defense - that is one of the (few) true roles of the federal government.
And speaking of largesse, enjoy "The Big Easy" - those of us out in the country envy you.
Actually @Chuck Ef, America got the role only partially because we were the "last man standing". It also should be noted that the better part of Free Europe voluntarily turned over that role to us simply because they didn't want to pay for it. Instead, safe to do so under the umbrella of safety provided by us, they chose to indulge in creating their welfare states. Socialism in Europe would not exist as it does today if they actually had to pay for their own defense.
The only question I have is: Who is going to protect us as we do the same?
The Ukraine situation may be "complex" but I see it as just another stupid media crisis to mask the real destruction of the US going on in Washington. Sadly, we have no Reagan to handle any of this.
@John The Econ
Well said .... very well. Yup.
Reminds me of the attitudes of the millennials.
Bravo!
Obama should be able to accept this as just another legacy of slavery. After all, Russia took over the Crimea from the Ottomans to put a stop to 300 years of slave raids into Russia and Ukraine.
Absolutely perfect observations as always Stilt. You are so audited ... *lol*
@Geoff King- Good points, and I complete agree. It's too early to know exactly what's right and wrong here (although I think the odds are in favor of Obama being wrong).
That being said, when America's president is weak and morally ambiguous, the world gets more dangerous.
I read a book written in the late '80s called "How NATO Weakens The West". The book explained exactly what the problems with having Uncle Sam be the world's policeman were, and it's just what John the Econ said: since the European countries had NATO-mostly funded by Uncle Sam-they were able to blow all their money on socialist programs instead of their defense.
Even so, it turns out that the world DOES want SOMEONE to be the world's policeman, and they usually want Uncle Sam to be that policeman, even though they whine and cry about it. Someone (i.e., a U.S. president) should have done something about the situation at least back in the '60s. Now, we're just screwed.
@Chuck Ef, here's the "attitude of the millennials":
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/five-economic-reforms-millennials-should-be-fighting-for-20140103
Screw the rest of the world. Gimme free stuff.
At least the hippies paid lip service to the idea of "freedom". These weenies are actually content to be slaves.
@everyone: Great posts and 'toons on the last posts I've been privileged to witness! I too am a little apprehensive about the outcome of the Ukraine crisis, but I'm real sure that Vlad the Shirtless is sharting in his Tommy Commiehama Jeans from laughing so hard at Obagawind's latest 'threat'. If the Ukrainian's really do want freedom from oppression and communistic rule; then God's speed and blessings to them. I can, however, understand Obendover's outrage at a Socialist rulers attempt to stop a country from becoming free from Communist rule; as it takes away from his night in the spotlight, and Putin's actions may even be a plagiarism issue in Otakeover's mind. Another theory on the Ukraine was brought forth by Dennis Kooksocialist a couple days ago on Bill O'reilly: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/russia-ukraine-covert-operations-Dennis-Kuchinich/2014/03/04/id/556082
Can't be true, as the US under Barry, is only interested in the takeover of Constitutionalist Societies.
@stilt: Me thinks Washington DC should by now be covered in a 10 foot deep pile of beads, as a result of all the bOObs there who have shown themselves to the populace. Glad you got some beads, Mardi Gras chow, and a good Hurricane buzz or two. Just keep the pics of how YOU got those beads to yourself! Love y'all hear at HNC & God Bless!
Hear? REALLY?! I meant 'here', ya hear me?
I laugghed so hard my left arm fell off. I had a hell of a time getting it back from Checkers (Deceased) ...
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