Vlad the Invader
About 700 hundred years ago there was a particularly nasty ruler known as Vlad the Impaler. This Romanian was a brutal, sadistic leader who killed thousands. In the Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President has assumed the mantle of this heinous historical figure. His invasion of the Ukraine earns him the title, Vlad the Invader.
Now President Joe Biden must confront Vlad the Invader. Does he have the stones to lead NATO and other countries against Putin’s incursion into a sovereign nation? Biden sent his Vice President to Munich for a meeting with the NATO allies and the Ukrainian President. By most accounts she was an unprepared, ineffective presence who stumbled badly through meetings and a press conference. So, will Joe impose the serious economic sanctions that she said he would put on Putin for his illegal move? That question was answered in a national address.
Speaking to the Nation, Joe announced the beginning of economic punishment for Vlad’s intrusion into two eastern provinces of Ukraine, described by the Invader as a “peacekeeping” operation. He acknowledged that the controversial natural gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, Nord Stream 2, authorization had been halted. Joe went on to read that two major Russian banks had been sanctioned and their sovereign debt access to world credit markets would be frozen. Additionally, some of Putin’s oligarch pals’ assets had been, for all intents and purposes, sanctioned as well. “They share in the corrupt games of the Kremlin policies and should share in the pain as well,” Biden said of the sanctions on Russia’s elite families. Damn, they won’t be able to play on their yachts in the Mediterranean.
There’s just a couple of problems with all this bold talk. There are already 3 pipelines that supplying energy that run into Europe from Russia, so Vlad is still making money. About a billion dollars a day. The Invader really doesn’t give a hoot about not opening a fourth pipeline that’s already built anyway. What needs to be recognized is that these are not exactly draconian sanctions against Russia, as Vlad has had a year to plan for these actions. Russia is flush with cash and won’t be affected. He’s been to the circus and seen the elephant.
Joe then told the country, “Defending freedom will have costs for us as well and here at home. We need to be honest about that.” He said his administration was carefully monitoring energy suppliers around the world. “I want to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump,” Biden said. “This is critical to me.” Say what?! Does anyone recall what Joe did on his first day in office? He cancelled the KeyStone Pipeline, imposed and reinstated severe regulations on the domestic fossil fuel industry. The United States went from energy independence to dependance on foreign sources in a short time. The Nation currently imports oil from of all places, Russia. The smart move would have been to announce that he was rescinding his executive orders and cranking up America’s energy production. Someone please accuse Joe of being smart.
Any keen observer of world events knows that with the interconnected national economies, a disruption in the flow of energy is going to lead to increased prices of all goods, especially food. What Americans are not being told is that the Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe. Wheat, corn, and other staples are produced on a vast scale. The seizure of this country by the Russians will cause chaos throughout the world. Joe could ameliorate some problems by re-starting American energy dominance, making America the arsenal of energy as well as democracy. But Joe never gave the country that impression. He read his speech in the East Room of the White House, turned on his heel and shuffled off, ignoring the press once again.
Some will say that President Biden was firm, resolute and measured. Unfortunately, the United States response to Vlad the Invader was telegraphed months ago. That’s why Tuesday’s announced measures will likely have little or no effect. Putin watched the fecklessness of American foreign policy with respect to Afghanistan, a tip off as to how the current Biden regime would handle itself around the world. The future of the Ukraine is grim.
Vladimir Putin is not befuddled, cognitively impaired or weak. He is a megalomaniac. Vlad the Invader is the epitome of evil and not to be taken lightly. Joe and his handlers need to wise up.