Sec. Kerry to visit Kiev on Tuesday

[MBS]

See
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kerry-to-visit-ukraine-on-tuesday-threatens-sanctions-if-russia-doesnt-pull-forces-back/2014/03/02/bdd16d4a-a245-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html

Also, the website for the American Embassy in Kyiv, which has useful general information on American response (including specific actions of Kerry and of American ambassadorial staff) and also is bound to have updates on the visit:
http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/
http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/statements/kerry-kyiv-03022014.html

Safe travels, Sec. Kerry.

[hrmjustin]

1. I wish him the best.

Not an easy job.

[YvonneCa]

2. I am so frustrated..

...from reading about Ukraine in GD. I am grateful Sec. Kerry is involved in working through the conflict. But I am dismayed at how DU has become such a negative place for Democrats. Attacks on Kerry, Pres.Obama, Gov. Brown...most Dems currently doing the job are rampant. It seems we worked to elect Dem leaders and now we treat treat them like ****.

Sorry for the rant. The state of DU is just sad...

[wisteria]

3. I agree. Sometimes I feel I have out grown DU.

[JI7]

4. i spend more time in a few groups, from what i have noticed a large number of

right winger trolls are on here . but it has been this way for some time.

people just sound stupid with black/white views of the world.

[YvonneCa]

11. Me, too...

...wisteria. I don't really mind that there are new younger people around...or that some of us are older...I just miss civil discussion of issues. Discussion always helped me better understand policy decisions. Whether I agreed or not, I learned.
Now that is lacking...except in here. . But worse, it has been replaced with partisan attacks...against the very Dems once supported here.

BTW..glad you're still around!

[JI7]

5. people are stupid and don't really care other about these matters, take syria for example

you think people who are actually there give a shit about the US and Iraq. it's amazing how people think others view the world through the US.

[karynnj]

8. It is frustrating

I was looking at who was involved on this and it seems they are many of the people wh o congregated on DU GD -- when the more mainstream people preferred GDP. In addition, many of the worst are new people - and I suspect they might be libertarians - some of the Rand Paul variety.

I noticed a good article on facebook that spoke of the propaganda on Ukraine. He spoke of the far left picking up Russian propaganda - including in articles in the Nation. It is written by a Yale professor. Two interesting comments -

- The Russian media has said the protests were led by gays and Jews - the better to discredit it internally. Their claim in media designed for FOREIGNERS and their international statements claim that it was led by Nazis.

- They claim that the Russian language will be barred - but the person heading the interim government is Russian speaking and speaks Ukrainian badly.
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/mar/01/ukraine-haze-propaganda/

It is dishearteningly like DU, where a Russian source or a Venezuelan source is taken as Gospel and everything from the Obama administration is taken as a lie. Why not question everything - giving more credit to things that seem to match what is happening in the world? With Russia, it seems to have worsened since Snowden was allowed to stay there.

I did watch the Face the Nation round table that followed Kerry and his words were well regarded by all -- except the lady from American Enterprise ( where Lynne Cheney once was.) Oddly, his appearances seem more controversial at DU than in the real world.)

(The stupid comments from DU idiots that they were for diplomacy -- and JK never was were pathetic to read. )

[YvonneCa]

12. Hi, karynnj. Thank you for...

...your thoughts on this. It is people in this group who keep me at DU.
I agree with you that many libertarian types are in GD. That alone is frustrating because they seem to be so reactive and have little sense of the history of various issues. They attack instantly when any Democrat acts contrary to their ideals..and the attacks are very personal, leaving little space for debate of issues and policy. That is frustrating to me because DU has always been a place for discussion and clarifying issues...no matter the side one ends up on. Even when we agree to disagree. And the people under attack are the Dems many here worked hard to elect, like Sec. Kerry and President Obama.
This place is not pro-Democrat any more.
I do think some are much younger...ahem. ....than some of us in DUJK. And that is fine. But I wish there was more open-mindedness during discussions. We'd all learn more from each other.

[MBS]

13. It's the cynicism that drives me absolutely nuts.

I'm sure also there are trolls in there, too, but even the "real" posters there can be maddening , for their cynicism, their unrelenting negativity about Obama, Kerry and others, and also for their naivete. How/why these qualities can all go together, I can't explain, but it seems to me that somehow they do.

[YvonneCa]

15. Same here. There seems to be...

...a lack of alternative, hopeful vision for the direction of world/US events and policies. I am one who thinks there is always hope so long as you don't give up and quit. I love that story about getting up every time you fall...and one only loses by failing to get up. Joe Biden told that story well. And it's one of the reasons I admire Sec. Kerry. He just keeps pushing forward toward a positive outcome even though he is attacked by the ignorant for the work he does. He never stops.

I think debate and discussion here and in GD could clarify issues and remove some of the cynicism of posters. But...while that is my goal/hope...I think some posters want to shut down the debate. That's probably why they are so fast to attack.

Thanks,MBS, for helping us stay up to date on JK.

[wisteria]

22. So true, and instead of an intelligent discussion, you often get ridiculed

because you do not agree with them. I often wonder if these people get along with anyone.

[Mass]

20. Extremely frustrating in general.

I have stopped posting except for the purpose of bashing some GOPers. Even then, this morning, I posted an article about House leadership and suggested that we should do something to avoid that to happen again.

Somehow, this was seen by people as a way to create a climate of fear to push people to vote (as if I had this power).

Frankly, it becomes harder and harder to be an independent thinker and not really belong to a click or another. So, I guess I will continue to lurk.

[YvonneCa]

21. Lurking can be...

...good. I do that a lot more myself these days.

[mylye2222]

6. yes. that is awful

They trash people they elected . As well as they trash DUers who dont share their point of wiew. I was their target a few times ago for having criticized the Clinton behavior mostly because of their djiscusting attitude toward JK back until 2007 .they joked like kids about my so called " pour english"

[JI7]

7. i'm pretty sure a good number of them never voted for these people they attack

[karynnj]

9. Yet your English is head and shoulders better than any foreign language

spoken by the vast majority of Americans. Myself included. Although I took a lot of French in both high school and college, I found it hard to speak even very simple sentences when we were in parts of Guadeloupe where people spoke only French.

[mylye2222]

10. Thanks, Karinnj!

[politicasista]

14. Kick.

Last edited Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:41 AM - Edit history (1)

Very complicated missions (in the Middle East) and yep do be safe Mr. Secretary.

And thanks to everyone for the warnings. Haven't posted since the Syria crisis (letting the more knowledgeable people do their thing), but still find some good stuff here in JKG and the BOG.

Hang in there. Peace.










edit to add "do" rather than "to"

[YvonneCa]

16. Peace to you, too...

...politicasista!

[politicasista]

17. Thank you

for also keeping up the good fight.

[karynnj]

18. Nice to see you - hope all is well with you nt

[politicasista]

19. You too

All is great. Been lurking around weekly/monthly to see what Sec. Kerry and Pres. Obama are up to. Music, learning, and sports have been a blessing.

Also, Happy Belated New Year too and hang in there.