A well-kept secret in the western part of Rensselaerville. Minimal signage, best approached on Cheese Hill Road from County Route 358 or State Route 145 (Preston Hollow), or from Gulf Road off County Route 353. The area has several hilly, narrow seasonal roads–not for the faint of heart. The multi-use trails aren’t blazed but are indicated by “Motor Vehicle Trail” signs. Recreation in this beautiful forest includes hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, mountain biking, nature observation, and birdwatching.
I have to wonder how much of the Ukraine – Russia War is just about replaying the 2020 US Election 🐴 🐘
Pretty much every body knows what has happened over the past few years. President Trump was buddies with Russia as they cut him a good deal on financing, likely chopping a few points off his interest rate on financing his junk bonds, saving him millions in monthly payment on loans. Lower interest rates means more pocket money as less monthly payments. The Ukrainians in contrast gave Joe Biden’s son a no show job, buttering up President Joe Biden.
I doubt any politician would be so brash or frankly stupid to do a quid pro quo, but politicians know who butters their bread and takes care of their needs. Much corruption is not explicit but informal and resides subtly in the back of folks minds. Most partisans know that Ukraine takes good care of their fellow Democrats, while Russians care for the GOP. It’s not bribes being handed out, it’s knowing where their friends are. Most people know that standing with the Ukrainians isn’t about standing for peace – especially when the US is arming them – but demonstrating to the public you are a good Democrat, standing up against the Russia and the GOP.
I don’t believe we should be war mongering in Eastern Europe. It sucks to be an Ukrainian resident right now, although ordinary Russians are also suffering a lot. But we should be focused on back home and not Russia or Ukraine. We should be a voice for peace, not war.
And what about Ukraine Today? And what of the role of the US? Have we entered a new era wherein the US imperialist behemoth has instantly transformed itself, repudiating its bloody past to stand before us as the champion of truth, justice and freedom? The corporate media and the bi-partisan war parties would have us believe it. Their full throttle war propaganda ranges from blatant falsification of history, to daily Orwellian-like media fabrications to jailing truthtellers like WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange to banning Russian Television (RT), including its renowned broadcaster Chris Hedges.
Throughout, the West has responded with an emotional display of moral outrage. From the West’s point of view, this emotional display signals its virtue to other countries. And this virtue, in turn, enhances its reputation. At the same time, the West also wrote policies—policies that incurred costs—sanctioning Russia.
Every time Zelensky repeats his call for a no-fly zone, the West must repeat its refusal to help those under siege from the sky. With each refusal to help, the indignation cycle repeats. The West experiences more guilt and is spurred to atone for its refusal to support a no-fly zone. In this feedback loop, the West imposes more sanctions or, for example, sends more Javelin missiles.
Zelensky also deploys powerful images, including one that summons an image of what his wartime death might look like: a Jewish president abandoned by the West and Germany in particular. In the process, he does not suggest that Western values are inherently bad. Rather, he calls out the West for its failure to act—and suggests that it can do better.
Violent conflicts like the current war in Ukraine are deeply imbued with emotion. Still, NATO and Western leaders must not be held hostage by emotions while making policy decisions. Policy is not a means for relieving guilt or signaling virtue. Rather, NATO and Western policies should be driven by a pursuit of the West’s and Ukraine’s best interests. The best outcome of this war for both Ukrainians and the West might hail from a negotiated solution in which clear heads, rather than emotions, prevail.
