One question we don't ask about those civilians trapped beneath Mariupol

It should be an obvious question, but we are so bedazzled by our own propaganda that it never occurs to us. Who has them trapped? Why, the Russians, of course! Well, think about it. International media is obviously on the scene, as you can readily see for yourself when CNN or al Jazeera post footage of the occasional successful “rescue” of civilians from Azovstal. Those are Russian troops helping those civilians to the buses. So if it’s not the Russians trapping them, who else could it be? Maybe those guys who until very recently were acknowledged by CNN, BBC, NYT, the Guardian etc, to be the kind of folks who executed collaborators and used civilians as human shields? That would be the Azov battalion, the same guys doing the same crimes outlined in at least half a dozen Amnesty International reports from 2014 on. The problem is that the collective West has been brainwashed by its own bullshit. Ukraine is winning this war. In fact, no less an authority than US Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced Ukraine’s victory in early April. Yup, they just need a few more billions in US made munitions to put the finishing touches on this glorious triumph of good over evil. Except that was all bullshit, and still is, as confirmed in stories beginning to seep into Western media. Check out this story from Agence France Presse, the France based major news agency. “For every 300 artillery rounds they fire at us, we fire back three.” That’s a wounded Ukrainian soldier talking. They’re ordered to “hold the line.” They are being slaughtered, and the more we drag out this war, the more Ukrainians will die. That Russia had effectively won this war was evident in the first few days. Remember that 50 mile-long Russian convoy that was “trapped” north of Kyiv for ten days? We were treated to all sorts of speculation from Western experts about poor morale, Russia running out of fuel and supplies, etc. Seemed plausible at the time… Except. For ten days, that 50 mile-long sitting duck was not attacked by Ukrainian forces on the ground, from the air, or from long-range artillery. Instead, they tied down tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops waiting for an assault on Kyiv that never materialized, while the Russians created a land bridge to Crimea. Then that 50 miles of Russian heavy weapons made their way to the south, where, two months later, they’re decimating what’s left of the Ukrainian army. The retired US Army generals on CNN told us this was evidence of a heroic Ukrainian victory and was labelled a “Russian retreat.” Telling the truth would have killed the twenty billion in US military exports that have ensued. Why kill Lockheed and Raytheon profits when you can kill people instead? That’s where we’re at. We can keep escalating this war to the brink of global nuclear catastrophe, or we can change course and bend our efforts to making peace.

The longer Putin is "bogged down," the more NATO and EU solidarity will crumble

Think that one through.

They've been telling us for two weeks Russia is bogged down, looking for an off-ramp, etc.

Maybe.

On the other hand, the longer the bog-down, the greater the refugee crisis. Poland is already crying enough. Three million in three weeks. What if Putin is bogged down for months?

Perhaps this thought has crossed the minds of Russia's military planners. Perhaps they see no great reason to un-bog until such time as their stated objectives have been achieved, those being demilitarization and denazification.

The demilitarization seems more or less complete. I don't know how they'll measure "denazification." That's one of those stretchy concepts that let's you declare victory whenever you decide.

The fact that escape corridors out of Mariupol are now functioning tells me the Russians are making progress in that department. That's the home base of the fascist Azov Battalion, the most highly motivated fighters in Ukraine. They literally will fight to the death. They will also execute civilians seeking to escape.

After three weeks of the fiercest fighting of the war, are we to assume the Azovs have pushed the Russians back? Maybe.

But I think a reasonable person should also consider the possibility the reverse has happened.

It was interesting which NATO leaders met with Zelensky today. It obviously wasn't a delegation from the serious end of the spectrum. The longer NATO showcases its impotence, the more its credibility wafts away.

They were there as part of a lobbying mission for more NATO support for the war, particularly "closing the skies." The F-35 is the most expensive weapons program in US history, and is foisted on NATO partners across the board. While armchair war fanboys are eagerly awaiting its combat debut, maybe people who know something have good reason to avoid such a confrontation.

As more and more of America's "partners" realize this war could soon move from their back yard to their living-rooms, and the American Empire is powerless to help them, perhaps they will reconsider their allegiance to their naked emperor.