A very necessary piece. I too want to see the international effort take shape; and see oligarchs’ assets seized. Given how Putin spreads his own assets among oligarchs, if we freeze theirs, we freeze his too.
"Is it a realization, from the U.S.'s brush with an autocratic-minded Donald Trump, of the danger corruption presents to democracy?"
Our response to Putin now vs 2014 is absolutely based upon our taste of Trump's nasty authoritarian impulses and its consequences to our quasi-democracy. We saw the danger of Trump selling his proto-fascism with success to 74 million voters. He convinced these people that they would be better off living in an authoritarian nation... and they bought it. The sad part is, that most didn't realize what they had bought! With their anger, victimhood, scapegoating and vengeance, they have badly disrupted this country. We saw the rise of authoritarianism at home and had to act globaly and take action in Ukraine
Excellent interview and education. Thank you Ruth, and expert Paul Massaro. May this evolving education drive us in our individual communities towards goodness and justice.
You commented about "South Dakota and Delaware, these hubs of offshore finance". Where can I find out more about these finance centers and what do they do? Thanks.
Wonderful and up lifting background information. My very profuse thanks to both Paul Massaro and, of course, Ruth Ben-Ghiat. I so admire the Ukranians .They deserve every possible support. Putin, by contract, deserves every possible opposition , leading to actions which will achieve the end of his influence for ever. My anger with Putin is such, that no threats from him, can deter me. My contention is, there are very many more decent and strong people in this World than there are utterly self interested criminals. It is time for them to pay a huge price which they so completely deserve. I have also had 'my eye' on Sergei Lavrov for many years as well.
Thank you, Ruth for sharing this information about the effects of Our Nation and the World’s sanctions. However, the GOP for the last decades have been attacking our Government. I remember how Reagan preached about “the Government”. Their messaging has always been about Division. God, guns and gays. And with the help of Putin and Trumpites, the GOP have been very successful in dividing us.
So this begs the question, how do we “sanction” the GOP billionaires and their minions, who have financed this attack on our democracy? I have sent messages to the Lincoln Project suggesting that they take out OpEd’s admitting their guilt. Sort of like the South African Truth Commissions.
This Nation is no longer “the home of the brave”nor “with liberty and justice for all.” I left out the “under God”. However, in my opinion, religions are another major reason for our divisions. They want to impose their “American” sharia laws.
I am happy to see the cooperation against Putin among Nations but feel that the direction of our Country is very much swaying in the winds.
The Republican party has come under the malign influence of corrupt oligarchs and powerful antidemocratic forces led by Vladimir Putin. The Russian financed GOP and Trump are the fifth column in American politics. President Joe Biden has made strengthening democracy at home and abroad the center piece of his Presidency. He recognizes, we are in an epic showdown of good vs. evil, democracy vs. autocracy, freedom vs. tyranny. It is being played out on the international stage in Ukraine as well as at home domestically. Strongman Putin has lifted the curtain on the brutality and evil of his aggression into Ukraine. He has laid bare for the world to see in stark terms what autocracy, corruption and tyranny look like in action.
The message is clear, the historical moment is clear; You're either for freedom and democracy or your not! The world thanks to Putin's actions is coming down hard and unified on the side of freedom and democracy!
Leif Wenar, Stanford Professor and author of "Blood Oil", has made a persuasive case for a principled boycott and international trade sanctions movement called "Clean Trade", and recent geopolitical events seem to prove his case.
Finally, we have a golden opportunity to live up to our normative principles by incorporating them into international trade rules. Let's not squander it.
Please take this moment to learn about it, and join the movement. Perhaps it might be possible to do a citizen ballot initiative for Clean Trade in California or Massachusetts, for instance:
Also, Garry Kasparov, the Russian dissident and brilliant world chess champion, has argued for maximum trade sanctions against Russia since Putin's takeover in about 2000:
"Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped"
How do we maintain the current momentum, not only in the US, but across the democratic world? Populists movements have arisen throughout the world, initially because of lazy democracies that allowed greed and corruption to flourish. How do we make it clear that the enemies of democracy are corruption and autocracy vs immigrants and LGBTQ? People feel helpless to stem the former and turn their anger toward the latter. Russian corruption is now viewed as toxic, and this dynamic will likely increase as images of Ukraine devastation continue. How do we stem the tide of home-grown corruption? How do we turn the current disgust with Russian blood money toward regulation and monopoly busting in the US? How do we turn current anti-Russian (Putin) moral outrage into actionable demand to finally move from our dependence on fossil fuels (and dictators in Saudi Arabia as well)? Can we use this moment to create a NATO Marshall Plan to focus on creative renewable technologies? This is an inflection point in history, but only if it is seized.
Sadly we can be sure that any meaningful legislation to crack down on home grown corruption will be blocked by Republicans will assistance from Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. That will leave it up to federal and state regulatory authorities...and the press to handle. While most of the domestic enablers of the oligarchs are immune to shame and criticism, many are not and exposure might have some impact. That said, who else hopes for a James Bond like figure who will go to the Maldives and help to sink a few yachts? I find it so helpful that the Russian oligarchs are making it so easy to find their pirate ships.
Paul Massaro is a pretentious loud mouthed American Obligarch himself.
He is a Vicious Warmongerer and inhumane disgrace to Humanity.
Here's the Greg Palast article I mentioned earlier: https://mailchi.mp/gregpalast/venezuela-can-bring-putin-to-his-knees?e=49ee146577&fbclid=IwAR3K2xf62qIk_sX6gAF3bHuWtK2m1uDzUfCw5RCMQCok7ZtALGzPv9juBgA
A very necessary piece. I too want to see the international effort take shape; and see oligarchs’ assets seized. Given how Putin spreads his own assets among oligarchs, if we freeze theirs, we freeze his too.
"Is it a realization, from the U.S.'s brush with an autocratic-minded Donald Trump, of the danger corruption presents to democracy?"
Our response to Putin now vs 2014 is absolutely based upon our taste of Trump's nasty authoritarian impulses and its consequences to our quasi-democracy. We saw the danger of Trump selling his proto-fascism with success to 74 million voters. He convinced these people that they would be better off living in an authoritarian nation... and they bought it. The sad part is, that most didn't realize what they had bought! With their anger, victimhood, scapegoating and vengeance, they have badly disrupted this country. We saw the rise of authoritarianism at home and had to act globaly and take action in Ukraine
Excellent interview and education. Thank you Ruth, and expert Paul Massaro. May this evolving education drive us in our individual communities towards goodness and justice.
You commented about "South Dakota and Delaware, these hubs of offshore finance". Where can I find out more about these finance centers and what do they do? Thanks.
What about applying sanctions, it's called TRUTH, on Ron DeSantis?
Wonderful and up lifting background information. My very profuse thanks to both Paul Massaro and, of course, Ruth Ben-Ghiat. I so admire the Ukranians .They deserve every possible support. Putin, by contract, deserves every possible opposition , leading to actions which will achieve the end of his influence for ever. My anger with Putin is such, that no threats from him, can deter me. My contention is, there are very many more decent and strong people in this World than there are utterly self interested criminals. It is time for them to pay a huge price which they so completely deserve. I have also had 'my eye' on Sergei Lavrov for many years as well.
Here is a very cogent option to sanctions. This is how we defeat Putin and other petrostates.
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2022%2Ffeb%2F25%2Fthis-is-how-we-defeat-putin-and-other-petrostate-autocrats&data=04%7C01%7C%7C1f9f382ac2044a31277208d9fc7968d4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637818420642377623%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=KbfZ5PDNW3Yzba1NNRJLPT19Ie9AWfi50kFTPhhxiV4%3D&reserved=0
Thank you, Ruth for sharing this information about the effects of Our Nation and the World’s sanctions. However, the GOP for the last decades have been attacking our Government. I remember how Reagan preached about “the Government”. Their messaging has always been about Division. God, guns and gays. And with the help of Putin and Trumpites, the GOP have been very successful in dividing us.
So this begs the question, how do we “sanction” the GOP billionaires and their minions, who have financed this attack on our democracy? I have sent messages to the Lincoln Project suggesting that they take out OpEd’s admitting their guilt. Sort of like the South African Truth Commissions.
This Nation is no longer “the home of the brave”nor “with liberty and justice for all.” I left out the “under God”. However, in my opinion, religions are another major reason for our divisions. They want to impose their “American” sharia laws.
I am happy to see the cooperation against Putin among Nations but feel that the direction of our Country is very much swaying in the winds.
Thanks, Ruth, it is good to know this man's point of view.
The Republican party has come under the malign influence of corrupt oligarchs and powerful antidemocratic forces led by Vladimir Putin. The Russian financed GOP and Trump are the fifth column in American politics. President Joe Biden has made strengthening democracy at home and abroad the center piece of his Presidency. He recognizes, we are in an epic showdown of good vs. evil, democracy vs. autocracy, freedom vs. tyranny. It is being played out on the international stage in Ukraine as well as at home domestically. Strongman Putin has lifted the curtain on the brutality and evil of his aggression into Ukraine. He has laid bare for the world to see in stark terms what autocracy, corruption and tyranny look like in action.
The message is clear, the historical moment is clear; You're either for freedom and democracy or your not! The world thanks to Putin's actions is coming down hard and unified on the side of freedom and democracy!
Leif Wenar, Stanford Professor and author of "Blood Oil", has made a persuasive case for a principled boycott and international trade sanctions movement called "Clean Trade", and recent geopolitical events seem to prove his case.
Finally, we have a golden opportunity to live up to our normative principles by incorporating them into international trade rules. Let's not squander it.
Please take this moment to learn about it, and join the movement. Perhaps it might be possible to do a citizen ballot initiative for Clean Trade in California or Massachusetts, for instance:
Clean Trade
http://www.cleantrade.org
"Blood Oil: Tyrants, Violence, and the Rules that Run the World"
by Leif Wenar, 2016.
https://a.co/5BUJxbz
Also, Garry Kasparov, the Russian dissident and brilliant world chess champion, has argued for maximum trade sanctions against Russia since Putin's takeover in about 2000:
"Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped"
by Garry Kasparov, 2015.
https://a.co/dE6ULyg
Powerful post. This must be amplified through all channels to spread the alarm and map the possible responses.
How do we maintain the current momentum, not only in the US, but across the democratic world? Populists movements have arisen throughout the world, initially because of lazy democracies that allowed greed and corruption to flourish. How do we make it clear that the enemies of democracy are corruption and autocracy vs immigrants and LGBTQ? People feel helpless to stem the former and turn their anger toward the latter. Russian corruption is now viewed as toxic, and this dynamic will likely increase as images of Ukraine devastation continue. How do we stem the tide of home-grown corruption? How do we turn the current disgust with Russian blood money toward regulation and monopoly busting in the US? How do we turn current anti-Russian (Putin) moral outrage into actionable demand to finally move from our dependence on fossil fuels (and dictators in Saudi Arabia as well)? Can we use this moment to create a NATO Marshall Plan to focus on creative renewable technologies? This is an inflection point in history, but only if it is seized.
Sadly we can be sure that any meaningful legislation to crack down on home grown corruption will be blocked by Republicans will assistance from Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. That will leave it up to federal and state regulatory authorities...and the press to handle. While most of the domestic enablers of the oligarchs are immune to shame and criticism, many are not and exposure might have some impact. That said, who else hopes for a James Bond like figure who will go to the Maldives and help to sink a few yachts? I find it so helpful that the Russian oligarchs are making it so easy to find their pirate ships.