The Brew: When Propaganda Goes Bad, and Biden’s Not Happy With Putin’s Invasion of ‘Russia’
Plus, the National Anthem-hating WNBA star who got busted in Russia.,
Happy Monday!
Today is World Math Day. Fitting, since so much is not adding up.
Putin Invaded Where?
In case you missed it, Putin invaded Russia. Well, at least according to the U.S. Commander-in-Chief. And he’d be the one to know, right?
Biden has lost all grasp of reality. He says Putin invaded Russia. pic.twitter.com/Ej4GObOYL5
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 5, 2022
“How do we get to the point Putin decides he’s, you know, going to invade Russia?”
This latest astonishing mental error came just three days after Biden boasted at his State of the Union how Putin would not break the resolve of the “Iranian” people.
But no worries. The White House has this. They’re sending Kamala Harris back over to Eastern Europe later this week.
Stream Executive Editor and all around smart guy Jay Richards noted that Biden also messed up the history. Biden said “nothing like this has happened since World War II.” The Soviet Union invaded Hungary in 1956. Czechoslovakia in 1968. And Afghanistan in 1979.
Ukraine President Insists Invasion Could Have Been Stopped Had Biden Slapped Sanctions on Before Invasion
Had the Biden Administration “started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war.” That’s what Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told U.S. Senators in a conference call Saturday, Senate sources told the New York Post.
Zelensky also stressed the importance of sanctioning Russian oil and natural gas, a move the Biden Administration is resisting.
Meanwhile, NATO has given the ‘green light’ for Poland to send fighter jets to Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced Sunday. The jets would supposedly be piloted by Ukrainians. The U.S. would backfill Poland with new jets.
But you can forget a “no fly” zone, the administration tells us. That, we’re told, would start World War III. So NATO planes patrolling the skies to deter Russia = world war. NATO planes piloted by Ukrainians aiming to shoot down Russians = peace in our time. Does Putin see things that way?
Newsflash: Apparently Poland doesn’t even see it that way. Poland’s Prime Minister calls Blinken’s assertion Poland will be sending jets to Ukraine “Fake News.”
‼️FAKE NEWS‼️
Unfortunately you are spreading misinformation with quotation from 27/02/22.Poland won't send its fighter jets to #Ukraine as well as allow to use its airports. We significantly help in many other areas.https://t.co/wjNOgh97JT
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) March 6, 2022
Don’t Believe the Hype: Propaganda Flying in All Directions
Have you seen this video going around? Supposedly showing 57 Ukrainians killed by Russian military action … except, whoops! One of those corpses is ALIVE! It’s all fake!
https://twitter.com/LouieKerr8/status/1500486894190215173?s=20&t=f81_Exipnn2Q8rJWHi1zDw
Except for one problem. The footage is from an Austrian climate change protest.
We’re watching a fake of a fake. So is it Ukraine propaganda gone astray? Or someone trying to make it look like Ukrainian propaganda gone astray?
While we wrestle with that, we can still enjoy the poor protester struggling to keep his body bag on.
“People’s Convoy” Circles Washington
Washington’s Beltway was jammed Sunday with The People’s Convoy — a caravan of trucks and other vehicles that began in California. Inspired by the Canadian Freedom Convoy, the truckers are protesting remaining COVID-related restrictions. Restrictions that, thankfully, began dropping like flies before the State of the Union.
The Convoy coordinated with local officials and agreed to do two slow laps around the Beltway. The hundreds of truckers then returned to Hagerstown, MD Speedway.
The big question: Will the People’s Convoy head into the Nation’s Capital itself today?
My question: Why bother heading to the White House? Wouldn’t Delaware be more appropriate?
The other question: Do you know what they call traffic in DC coming to a complete standstill? “Rush Hour.”
“Whenever I See Your Smilin’ Face” … Mask Mandates Dropping Even in Blue States This Week
From New York City to Los Angeles, mask mandates are being removed as a result of the upcoming midterms…I mean, new CDC guidelines. The blue states say it has to with the guidelines.
However, as The Blaze reports:
[C]ritics have pointed out that no new research has been conducted showing that masks are any more or less efficacious than they ever have been, and circumstantial evidence suggests that the CDC may have been subjected to political pressure by Democrats who are concerned that continuing COVID restrictions would cost them at the ballot box in 2022.
However, masks are still recommended if you’re planning to rob a bank.
Speaking of robbers …
The Clintons Restart Clinton Global Initiative …
Bill Clinton has announced he’s relaunching the Clinton Global Initiative as a result of the Ukraine-Russian war and the COVID pandemic.
The Clinton Global Initiative is Clinton-speak for “campaign slush fund.” Hillary must seriously be considering a run. The organization all but shut down in 2017 after Hillary’s failed presidential bid.
So if you want to curry favor with the potential Democratic nominee while pretending to care for the world’s suffering, the Clinton Global Initiative is again open for business.
Russia Holds WNBA Star Brittney Griner for Cannabis Oil
WNBA star Brittney Griner is being held in Russia after being arrested three weeks ago at Sheremetyevo International Airport for allegedly possessing a vape of cannabis oil. She potentially faces 5-10 years in prison.
Griner was spending her off-season playing in Russia to make some extra dough.
The fear is Putin will use Griner as a “high profile hostage” during the current showdown over Ukraine.
“If we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms,’ Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine Evelyn Farkas told Yahoo Sports. ‘It could be a prisoner swap. They also could use it as an implicit threat or blackmail to get us to do something or not do something. Either way, they find it useful.”
If Griner’s name sounds familiar, even to non-WNBA fans, it’s because two years ago she declared the National Anthem had no place at WNBA games. And as long as the league played the National Anthem, she would stay in the locker room.
“I’m going to protest regardless,” she said. “I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that’s fine. It will be all season long, I’ll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself.”
Griner was protesting the police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Ironically, the only officer charged in the Taylor case was acquitted Thursday by a jury of his peers. Meanwhile, Griner gets to learn the Russian justice system from the inside.
Along The Stream
Must read from Stream contributor Jason Jones, who’s currently helping Ukrainians escape the ravages of Putin’s war. “Both Russia and the West are Sacrificing Ukraine’s People Like Pawns.”
Here’s more info on his rescue organization The Vulnerable People’s Project, specifically the campaign to help Ukrainians.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and real soon at TRUTH Social.