John T. Reed’s news blog

We need to rethink our avoid nuclear war at all costs policy. Russia and China and North Korea constantly threaten us with nuclear war and we alway shy away. But the present Ukraine situation essentially says that the US and the rest of the civilized world will let Putin murder every single Ukrainian if that is what he wants to do—because he has nukes and frequently threatens to use them. This is not an acceptable position either morally or practically. Putin must be stopped. It need not be NATO. Indeed non-NATO countries have already gotten involved—Switzerland, Sweden, the EU, Finland....

There are 6000 communist Chinese citizens in Ukraine initially China told him to prominently display a Chinese communist flag then we’re trying to look like it was siding with Russia they reverse that advice and told them not to reveal that they are Chinese. WTF? Who are they supposed to claim they who are? Africans? Outer Mongolians? One says he escaped Romania by claiming he was South Korean. A lot of African countries abstained from condemning Russia in the UN. Guess who got told to go to the back of the line of refugees trying to get into neighboring countries. And now their...

Self-sanctioning is a new word. Biden, notwithstanding his mythical bravery against Cornpop, is a world-class wimp and moral coward But private companies are on their own imposing the sanctions that Biden is too wimpy to ask for. Basically, private entities in other countries are saying, “Russia go F yourself” regarding any transaction. Part of it is the complexity of the sanctions. People are just saying no Russian business. Middleman and we’re willing to do business with Russia are finding their clients do not want that. Business also worries about future sanctions.  

Sanctions on Russians prevent them or their foreign customers from getting routine insurance for political risk or trade credit. I think the latter is letters of credit. Those say that if you deliver the product that the customer in the other country  ordered and they do not pay for it, the bank that issued the letter of credit will pay for it. I initially forgot about the role of insurance in international trade. I believe the first insurance on earth was for cargoes in ocean going ships. And the insurers now are going beyond the literal wording of the sanctions...

NATO requires unanimity. Ukraine is not a member of NATO.One possibility: 1. Make them a member now. 2. If any NATO member refuses to approve that, let the rest terminate the vetoer’s membership. 3. What is stopping us from helping Ukraine against Belarus? They are not Russia.  4. NATO has used military force in Bosnia and Afghanistan, neither of whom were members. 5. Russians in Ukraine are trespassing. Seems there is a difference between attacking Russia and attacking Russians who have invaded a peaceful neighbor for the purpose of stealing that nation from its people.