Russia Killing Civilians Including Mothers & Babies: Where is the U.S. Outrage?
On T.V. news every day are vivid depictions of incredible cruelty and barbarism in Ukraine by the unprovoked invading Russian forces. Although the Ukrainians are surprisingly effective at halting the Russian advances, they are unable to stop bombing from high altitudes and distant artillery/rockets aimed at hospitals, including a maternity hospital, apartment buildings and other civilian targets (Ref.1). U.S. supplied Ukrainian handheld antiaircraft Stinger rockets are effective up to an altitude of about 11,000 feet with a radius of 5 miles (Ref.2). Russian planes can fly above that with impunity and bomb civilian targets at will. Thus, the cries from Ukrainian leaders for a no-fly zone, and growing demands by increasing numbers in Congress to better arm Ukraine (Ref.3). Even James Clapper, President Obama’s chief of the CIA is calling for the transfer of Polish MIGS. To him it is not “if”, it is “when” (Ref.4). Although President Biden is authorizing considerable weapons for this war, he seems to have created his own “Red Line” at shooting down high-flying Russian equipment but not those at lower altitudes. The administration also rejected a Slovakian offer to send effective Russian S-300 anti-aircraft rockets to Ukraine, because it would then need U.S. replacements (Ref.5). It seems illogical that killing Russian pilots below 11,000 feet is not provocative; however, above that would be.
But the slaughter continues with the U.S. reasonably concerned not to widen the war, yet not adopting an incremental policy. Although we in the U.S. condemn Russia and support Ukraine up to White House limits, there seems to be a lack of moral indignation from religious leaders, medical societies, and those who claim to stand for human rights and defend the downtrodden. My review of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists websites, found no sense of outrage towards Russian killing of civilians, only the possibility of contributions towards aide on one site Ref.6).
Although many politicians decry the use of fossil fuels because of climate change, the reliance on Russian natural gas and oil especially in Europe has not diminished. Even now after the Ukraine invasion Europe is still helping Putin fund this war via paying for these natural resources. Because of rising energy costs President Biden is going around the world asking some rogue governments to pump more oil, while in a contradictory fashion, inhibiting production in the U.S. and withdrawing support for a natural gas pipeline from Israel to southern Europe (Ref.7,8). Putin without this fossil fuel income could not wage this war. The lack of a well thought out energy plan including nuclear to eliminate fossil fuel energy by the West is in part responsible for this heinous civilian slaughter.
An incoherent energy policy, a lack of effectively stopping Russian past aggression seizing northern Georgia, eastern Ukraine, and the Crimean Peninsula, along with a feckless U.N., has emboldened a dictator, Vladimir Putin, to invade a neighboring country and use the most barbaric means to suppress its citizens will to fight. Fortunately, and unexpectedly the resistance to the invasion has been remarkable by the Ukrainians, and the Russian military is performing way below expectations. However, the slaughter of civilians continues with less than expected outrage by those who claim to stand for humanity. To date, there has been NO statement from the U.S. government that this Russian invasion cannot prevail, and that the U.S. and its allies will meet this challenge with an ever-increasing effort to defeat this barbaric, unwarranted aggression.
- Li Cohen, WHO confirms 18 attacks on Ukrainian hospitals and ambulances, creating the “worst possible ingredients” for spread of disease, CBS NEWS, March9,2022, available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-news-18-attacks-hospitals-ambulances-world-health-organization/ (accessed March 18, 2022)
- Marshall Brain & Patrick J. Kiger, How Stinger Missiles Work, howstuffworks, March 3, 2022, available at: https://science.howstuffworks.com/stinger.htm (accessed March 18, 2022)
- Melissa Quinn, Bipartisan support for U.S. to give Ukraine planes and weapons grows, CBS NEWS, March 14, 2022, available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-fighter-jets-weapons-congress/ (accessed March 18, 2022)
- Ian Schwartz, Clapper: My Thinking Has Changed, We Should Consider Giving Ukrainians Fighter Jets, Real Clear Politics, March 15, 2022, available at: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/03/15/clapper_my_thinking_has_changed_we_should_consider_giving_ukrainians_fighter_jets.html (accessed March 18,2022)
- Mark Moore, Slovakia offers S-300 air defense system to the Ukraine; Austin remains wary, New York Post, March 17, 2022, available at: https://nypost.com/2022/03/17/slovakia-offers-air-defense-system-to-ukraine-austin-wary/ (accessed March 18, 2022)
- AAFP Foundation, Providing Relief to People Impacted by War in Ukraine, available at: https://www.aafpfoundation.org/donate/ukraine-humanitarian-relief.html (accessed March 19, 2022)
- Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Biden Eyes Venezuelan Oil, WSJ, March 13, 2022, available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-eyes-venezuelan-oil-russia-ukraine-gas-prices-maduro-national-imports-11647195311 (accessed March 16, 2022)
- Soeren Kern, Biden Administration Kills Israel-to-Europe Gas Pipeline, Gatestone Institute, February 15, 2022, available at: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18232/israel-europe-gas-pipeline (accessed March 17, 2022)
“Same Russia, Different War”
Peggy Noonan can still write a good column now and again, I think this is one.
John Hay worked on Lincoln’s Presidential campaign, became Lincoln’s secretary in the White House, and was at Lincoln’s deathbed at the Petersen House across from Ford’s Theater. Subsequently Ambassador to the United Kingdom under McKinley, then Secretary of State under McKinley and then Theodore Roosevelt, until Hay died in 1905.
The Russo-Japanese War. Regarding the Russians, Hay told Theodore Roosevelt “Dealing with a government with whom mendacity is a science is an extrememy difficult and delicate matter”.
The Russo-Japanese battles were bigger than our Civil War battles.Battle of Mukden, 300,000 Russians faced 270,000 Japanese, with more than 160,000 casualties.
It didn’t start with Putin, or even Communism. Russia went and took what it wanted, to the world’s vocal disapproval nearly 120 years ago. The world expected Russia to crush Japan.
And of course, in the end, Russia got their ass handed to them by the Japanese.
Give it a look. Wall Street Journal, this past Weekend.
I don’t suppose there’s a John Hay in the Biden administration………
Thank you for making the effort to reply, I mostly agree with Kay. Ken
Everything is a BUSINESS MODEL.. WAR,GOVERNMENT,MEDICINE,RELIGION,MARRIAGE,COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY, POLITICS,CHARITIES.
WHO PROFITS, WHO LOSES..
WHY NOW, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON.WHO STAYS IN POWER. THIS IS MASSIVE WORLD WIDE MANIPULATION. LIKE THE VACCINE WHICH DOES NOT WORK,IMPAIRS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM and NOW
90% OF THOSE DYING FROM IT ARE FULLY VAXXED… NOTHING IS AN ACCIDENT. IT IS ALL CONNECTED.
Not relevant to the topic, but thought it worth looking at.
Has anyone read about the “RaDonda Vaught” case in Tennessee? I just learned about it today, with the verdict announced.
Looks like a medication error. Screw-up with the Pyxis, or whatever they call those medication dispensing devices. I am no longer hospital based, only hear about the frustrations you can get with that system. Sounds like she overrode safety protocols, made a medication error, gave vecuronium instead of Versed, patient died.
She screwed up, but should she have been criminally prosecuted? Sounds like she’s going to jail. Civil penalties, sounds like nursing license revoked, but criminal charges and jail?
Maybe there’s more to it, but I get the feeling she is a scapegoat for systemic failures in the system.
I’d be scared to be a nurse in Tennessee.
Our moral outrage is probably in the same bin where we put our outrage over the genocide against the Uyghurs. Or before them the Tutsis (and Hutus), or the European Jews, or Armenians, etc, etc.
Physicians would do better opposing ALL totalitarianism, beginning at home, so that we do not become what we profess to hate, the enemy of the individual patient. Based on the past shameful two years, we would do better cleaning up our own back yard.
That is obviously no defense whatsoever of the war crimes Putin is committing against innocents. The residents of Stalingrad,1937 Nanking, the American Indians, poor farmers in the American South in 1864, or even slaughtered Carthaginians could all weigh in.
But we we must tread carefully with a major nuclear power, given how close we have come on multiple occasions to The End. Physicians will have far less capabilities to offer even after a limited nuclear exchange given the ensuing climate disaster, fallout, and famine.
Under under no circumstances would I trust any word out of James Clapper. Whatever his resume’, he is a proven perjurer, and a traitor to this nation and the oath he took, and I would rather see him pay the just penalty.
One must first have a conscience and moral compass to express outrage and then act to remedy the travesty.
Our current crop of “so called leaders” have no collective conscience or moral compass.