‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌[[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
John ,
We are coming up on the one-week mark since the invasion of Ukraine. A lot has happened, and so many lives have been impacted.
I have some grim news to share with you, and you know me – I am a straight shooter. I hate to be the one to say it, but this war is in only in its infancy stage. The Russians are just getting started, and the international community needs to be prepared for that.
Vladimir Putin has invaded a sovereign nation and put all his eggs in one basket. His ego can’t take the idea of walking away. I expect him to dig in and stay the course until he runs out of troops and bullets, or until his own people find him in whatever bunker he’s hiding in and tear him apart with their bare hands.
The Ukranian military and civilians alike are showing incredible bravery and sheer willpower as they defend their homeland with everything they have. But as someone who is well acquainted with war myself, I’ve gotta say, seeing the toll this is taking on President Zelenskyy is rough. He seems to have aged ten years in the last week.
I hope Zelenskyy is surrounded by good doctors and mental health professionals who can help him carry this load and make sure he gets some sleep now and then, because as brave as it is for him to stay in Kyiv and fight alongside his people, they need him to stay mentally sharp and emotionally strong so he can continue to lead them well.
Meanwhile, the international community is doing their part, led by the U.S. and President Biden. Choking Russia off from the international markets is having a real impact on Putin and his calculations. Putin did not expect this kind of blowback; more importantly, the Russian people didn’t expect it. Credit and debit cards are no longer working, the ruble is worth almost nothing, and Russia’s finance sector is so afraid of the impact of these sanctions on their stock market, they are refusing to even open it up for trading.
Russia started this war, and Russia must end it. Since Putin will never admit defeat or give up on his ambition to rule Ukraine on his own, that means it’s up to the Russian people to force his hand. It’s time for the Russian people to stand up and take back their country from the ruthless thug who has been dragging them down for decades.
Putin is worth an estimated $200 billion … how? He doesn’t come from money, so where did that insane fortune come from? He stole it from the Russian people, of course! You and I know that, and we need to make sure the Russian people know that, too.
This is not their war; nobody knows why Putin invaded in the first place. Maybe he told them they had weapons of mass destruction and that's why he needed to invade, that's what the Republicans did to us, remember?
Speaking of Republicans, the ones who aren’t singing Putin’s praises are beating the war drums against him instead. Some Republicans in Congress act like they’re hungrier for a shooting war with Putin then they are for an end to the fighting.
That’s what separates us from them – we Democrats want peace; the GQP is owned and operated by the military industrial complex, and they thrive on war and conflict.
Look, I am all in favor of helping the Ukrainian people, and I think so is the President, but we have to ask ourselves, what is the end game here?
As far as I’m concerned, the goal must be peace .
Speaking of peace, I also wanted to be sure to tell you that it’s okay to walk away from the news sometimes. In this hyper-connected world of ours, it’s easy to stay glued to our phones, scrolling and scrolling for the latest updates on all the scary things going on. I’m as guilty of it as anyone.
But just like President Zelenskyy needs to care a little more for his own well-being so he can continue to be the strong leader Ukraine needs, you and I need to take care of ourselves so we can be ready for the fight ahead of us.
The midterms are still 8 months away, and we have a lot of work to do. With everything that’s at stake this year, it’s true that we’ll have to work hard each day between now and the election in order to win, but it’s just as important to take a mental health break every now and again so we don’t burn out long before November.
So put down the phone, spend some time with loved ones, pet your cat or dog, go outside and breathe some fresh air – the problems of the world will still be here waiting for you when you get back. And I’ll be here, too, ready to continue the fight.
[link removed] [[link removed]]Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!
-- Richard
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