In defense of Joe Biden...his comments on Putin were accurate and needed.

[maxparrish]

I have been, and will continue to be, critical of the Biden administration's tardy and reluctant application of the full measure of sanctions at war outset and in the continuing failure to provide major weapons systems to Ukraine. However, unlike the chorus of media critics and dozens of hysterical and partisan ankle biters, Biden's excoriation of the Putin the need for him to go is spot on.

Joe Biden, whether off script or not, showed his own growing frustration with Putin's war on the innocent, and stated the truth. As the architect of a brutal and savage war of aggression, Biden's comment "For God's sake, this man has got to go" is an understatement. The quivering retreat of his own staff for stating what everyone believes, only made his moral clarity and mission weaker. The US has no power to make him go, but there are some in Russia that do. And the west has no reason not to strongly convey that such would be welcome and benefit humanity.

Sadly, Biden is not in the best shape to tell his staff to cool their heels and not undermine his message. Reagan also sent moral messages that freaked out his staff, but he overruled them (Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall). Like Biden, Reagan was conveying a moral message and rallying point over that stain in Europe.

Frankly, Biden's statement was tame compared to what could been said...

 

[Mr Person]

As the architect of a brutal and savage war of aggression, Biden's comment "For God's sake, this man has got to go" is an understatement.

It's still not a wise thing to have said. Neither regime change nor the total loss of Russia in the Ukranian war is our geopolitical goal or necessarily in our national interest. The last thing we, NATO, and Ukraine need is for Putin to become convinced that despite our words, we are secretly plotting for regime change in Russia.

Biden said it, and his aides made it even worse by pretending he was trying to say something restricted to Putin exercising power over Ukraine. He wasn't. He was speaking from his heart. In a grand moral sense, he is correct.

But life is complicated and geopolitics more so. Given all the overlapping and intertwined considerations in play, there rarely is a purely good and a purely bad course of action. Knocking Putin out of power would certainly be good in some ways. But it would be bad in other ways. And it would create a huge storm of unknowns the whole way to that goal, and for a long time after. There would not even be a guarantee that the next leader is better.



It's funny. The Trumpists always make a huge deal out of harmless gaffes in which Biden obviously flubbed it but where it's also obvious from the surrounding context that what he meant to say wasn't problematic. And now I see some defending this gaffe - an actual one, being an accidental admission of what one really thinks - despite the fact that it's one that finally has a chance of mattering.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Joe Biden said what billions in the world and millions in Russia are thinking.

It was a statement of morals, not of US policy.

If it made Putin upset, well that's too bad. Relations between the US and Russia will be in the crapper at least until Putin is in the rearview mirror.

 

[SkyChief]

. . . . Sadly, Biden is not in the best shape to tell his staff to cool their heels and not undermine his message. Reagan also sent moral messages that freaked out his staff, but he overruled them (Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall). Like Biden, Reagan was conveying a moral message and rallying point over that stain in Europe.

Frankly, Biden's statement was tame compared to what could been said...

Pres. Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall." is quite a bit different than Joe's "[Putin] cannot remain in power."

These statements are on very different levels. One is a message of hope for freedom, and one is inflamatory hyperbole. The WH walked back Biden's irresponsible statement, and then Biden doubled-down and said "I make no apologies." for his poorly chosen words.

Biden is a loose cannon. His handlers need to put a muzzle on him and tighten his leash. IMO.

 

[charliebrown]

Pres. Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall." is quite a bit different than Joe's "[Putin] cannot remain in power."

These statements are on very different levels. One is a message of hope for freedom, and one is inflamatory hyperbole. The WH walked back Biden's irresponsible statement, and then Biden doubled-down and said "I make no apologies." for his poorly chosen words.

Biden is a loose cannon. His handlers need to put a muzzle on him and tighten his leash. IMO.

It is difficult for me to comprehend how knocking down a wall is equivalent to removing someone from power.

 

[maxparrish]

Pres. Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall." is quite a bit different than Joe's "[Putin] cannot remain in power."

These statements are on very different levels. One is a message of hope for freedom, and one is inflamatory hyperbole. The WH walked back Biden's irresponsible statement, and then Biden doubled-down and said "I make no apologies." for his poorly chosen words.

Biden is a loose cannon. His handlers need to put a muzzle on him and tighten his leash. IMO.

The content of the messages are in different contexts, but the purpose of these messages are similar. Both are moral messages, to those who maintain morally repulsive repression, and to rally the world to a cause. When you convey what you think of the enemy, be it "the evil empire" or "Putin has to go" is expressing the depth of outrage and resolve to someone(s) who need to hear it more than once.

Will Putin actually think there is a plot against him? Perhaps, and that does not seem to be a bad thing. Putin causing more demoralization in his ranks by sacking folks and making false accusations, may contribute to the man going...it will certainty contribute to the perception of the free world that he is Hilter/Stalin nuts and that we must do more to stop him.

Which I welcome, and Putin apologists don't.