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How does Putin feel? What does Putin want? What will Putin do? Who will Putin listen to? Can Putin be removed? What motivates him?
All good questions to which nobody seems to have a definitive answer.
There have been hints that Putin might be willing to cut a deal with some sort of compromise and retreat from Ukraine, but that would be a shock. It would destroy the bloated and fragile personal and national identity that he has been building all these years. People tend not to compromise when their very identity is at stake.
They may not say it publicly, but U.S. officials and their NATO allies don’t see a breaking point for Putin — either an economic toll so severe or battlefield losses so devastating — that would convince him to order his troops home and allow Ukraine’s leaders to govern in peace.
Can’t analyze much since at the time of publication the facts on the ground in Ukraine amidst reports of a Russian offensive are vague at best.
Come back tomorrow.
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Big day for Joe Biden – nixing Russia’s Most Favored Nation trading status, calming the horses at the House Democratic caucus meeting in Philly, and highlighting America’s battle against COVID.
EASTERN TIME
10:15 AM THE PRESIDENT announces actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine
Roosevelt Room
12:15 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference
Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2:10 PM THE PRESIDENT tours an elementary school, highlighting the impacts and investments of the American Rescue Plan on its one-year anniversary
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If you are interested in the economics and politics of inflation in America, I recommend the essential read in the Washington Post by Catherine Rampell, especially these two paragraphs:
It’s unclear if Democrats have been blaming “corporate greed” for inflation because the message polls well or because they believe it. If the latter — well, we’re in deep trouble.
Because Democrats might end up adopting policies that make things worse.
It would be great to know what Joe Biden (or Janet Yellen) thought about that column.
Here’s the New York Times on Secretary Yellen and inflation:
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen acknowledged on Thursday that despite economic progress in the United States, inflation continued to be a challenge.
“I don’t want to say that inflation is not a problem,” Ms. Yellen said at an event held by The Washington Post. “Inflation is a problem.”
Ms. Yellen noted that Russia’s war in Ukraine was driving up oil prices and causing gasoline prices in the United States to rise sharply. She said the Biden administration was working to insulate American consumers from the impact of the sanctions, but she did not elaborate on any new measures to lower gas prices.
Ms. Yellen pointed to Biden administration policies to reduce the cost of child care and elder care as longer-term remedies for rising prices. She said that in the near term, it would be the responsibility of the Federal Reserve to combat inflation.
“Inflation is first and foremost the job of the Federal Reserve,” Ms. Yellen said. “We have to look at the Federal Reserve to take steps to bring down inflation and I have confidence the Fed will take the actions that are needed.”
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Is the Dominant Media (bored with the old storyline) looking for a new storyline? Or is there some rooting going on?
Politico:
New York Times:
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Finally, here is the sentence that the Biden high command will make time for today, embedded in a Wall Street Journal story about how the White House has not been so kind to Amazon, even though the company’s top spokesperson is Jay Carney, Joe Biden’s former top spokesperson:
Mr. Carney has sent a series of frustrated messages to White House chief of staff Ron Klain about perceived slights against Amazon, said people familiar with the messages.
