With just three days to go before the election, foreign policy is again in the news. The New York Times published this ominous story on Friday’s pages: Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East.
According to the newspaper, Russia made more territorial gains in October than in any month since July 2022. The paper of record made a remarkable admission that the Biden-Harris-GOP Uniparty strategy of spending over $200 billion on the Russia-Ukraine war has miserably failed, but not in as many words.
The mainstream media outlets have never once questioned Harris about her failed policies abroad other than doing lip service to the issue. Each time, they let her get away with standard speeches from the stump. If we had a chance, we would ask her:
You have consistently argued for more funding to defend Ukraine. What specific benefits have resulted to Ukraine as a result of America’s investment? (No, no, no word salad here, please. Don’t say things like you were protecting the rule of international law and a country’s sovereignty.)
We know you ignored our request and repeated the international law line anyway. Let’s step back a bit. Madam Vice President, would you please respond to our question with a simple yes or no? Think of it as a multiple-choice test.
Did you know that when Ukraine became independent in 1990, freeing itself from the Soviet Union, its Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, equivalent in stature to America’s Declaration of Independence, explicitly promised that Ukraine would remain neutral and eschew any attempts to engage in security partnerships? (Y/N)
For over 25 years, Russia has prized Ukraine’s neutral geopolitical status. Russia has argued that a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries ensures security for all sides, especially for a country with deep-rooted ties to Russian culture and history (most people in Ukraine are bilingual in Russian). Do you agree that this was United States policy, too? (Y/N)
Did you know that it was under Bush 43 that America, in 2008, began to push for Ukraine to join NATO, but France and Germany rebuked the idea? (Y/N)
Not to be outdone, your mentor, President Obama, continued to press for Ukraine to join the military alliance. Did you know that on June 3, 2010, under the leadership of then-President Viktor Yanukovich, the Ukrainian Parliament approved a bill barring the country from joining NATO and returning the nation to its professed goals in its Declaration of State Sovereignty? (Y/N)
Did you know that the Obama State Department and CIA operatives, along with help from your now favorite GOP senator, John McCain, openly supported the Kyiv Maidan Revolution, resulting in President Yanukovich’s ouster and his fleeing to Moscow? The date was February 21, 2014. (Y/N)
Are you aware of what your friend in the Senate, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said after the revolution? We will play the tape for you.
On February 25, 2014, Chris Murphy spoke to C-SPAN, where he was almost boastful about America’s interference in a foreign country:
“I think it was our role, including sanctions and threats of sanctions, that forced, in part, Yanukovych from office.” He went on: “If, ultimately, this is a peaceful transition to a new government in Ukraine, it will be the United States on the streets of Ukraine who will be seen as a great friend in helping make that transition happen.” (Y/N)
Did you know Petro Poroshenko, a former businessman, became Ukraine’s president on June 7, 2014, with significant American support? Six months later, Poroshenko pushed through a vote in Parliament that abandoned the country’s neutral “non-bloc” status and set a course for NATO membership, a move immediately denounced by Russia as “unfriendly.” (Y/N)
Based on this history, do you agree that Moscow has always considered NATO expansion into Ukraine as an existential threat to Russia? One other point before you answer: Putin’s position is similar to the one that the United States took under President JFK when the Soviets attempted to move nuclear weapons to Cuba, a Soviet client state. JFK then insisted that if those ships were to dock in Cuba, he would consider the move an act of war, and nuclear armageddon could ensue. (Y/N)
We have proved to you that arguing about international law is a two-edged sword. Regardless, we’re now at a point where Ukraine is losing, and hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost. Millions have been displaced. The world has become more dangerous as we are rolling towards nuclear conflict.
Would you at least now concede that your policy has been a failure and, if elected, you will promise to start peace talks with Russia?
I’m sorry, Madam Vice President. Please don’t respond with a word salad. Yes, we got it. We know you’re not going to change your approach.
Thanks for your time.
ICYMI – Featured Reads From TippInsights.com
TIPP Tracking Day 21 – Trump Edges Ahead With Two Days Until Decision Day -TIPP Insights
Electoral Showdown 2024: Latest Win Probabilities – November 3– TIPP Insights
Voters In Battleground Pennsylvania Flex Electoral Muscles In Early Voting – Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal
Jettison The Joy: Kamala Spends Final Days Hurling Vicious Slurs At Trump – Reagan Reese, Daily Caller News Foundation
What Would Harris And Trump Do Differently On Immigration? – Simon Hankinson, The Daily Signal
How Far Will The Left Go To Control The Supreme Court? – Frank Ricci, The Daily Caller News Foundation
Abortion Is Built On Fraud: A Response To The New York Times – Thomas Jipping & Sarah Parshall Perry, The Daily Signal
Voting Absentee? Return Your Ballot In Person, Don’t Mail It – Jonathon Hauenschild, The Daily Signal
Will Tuesday’s Vote Counts Be Another Sham Biden-Harris Statistic? – James Bovard, Mises Institute
As An Immigrant, I Ask My Fellow Christians To Vote – Christina Lewis, The Daily Signal
Former Democrats, First-Time Voters Flock To Trump Rally in Michigan – Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
The Post-Election Temper Tantrum – I & I Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Israeli Navy Captures Senior Hezbollah Member In Lebanon’s Batroun: Report – Al Arabiya
Israeli naval forces captured a senior Hezbollah official, Imad Amhaz, in an operation in northern Lebanon on Friday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X, citing an Israeli official.
Reuters said another source confirmed the incident but did not say who was responsible.
2. Officials And Intel Signal That Iran Is Postured To Attack Israel Again – Al Arabiya
Iran has positioned itself to retaliate for last month’s first-ever publicly acknowledged attack by Israel, officials and sources familiar with the matter tell Al Arabiya English.
Iran’s supreme leader earlier in the day vowed to deliver a “crushing response” against the U.S. and “the Zionist regime” for previous attacks on Iran and the so-called axis of resistance, which is comprised of several Iran-backed proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
3. Final Phase For Polio Vaccinations Resumes In Northern Gaza – UPI Health
The third and final phase of polio vaccinations resumed Saturday in the northern Gaza Strip after being postponed due to a lack of access and safety concerns.
The vaccinations were to get underway on Oct. 23. Still, intense bombardment and mass evacuation orders “made it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination and for vaccination teams to perform their duties,” UNICEF officials said in an online announcement.
4. Russia’s Medvedev Warns The U.S.: Avoid World War Three – Reuters
Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian security official who served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012, warned the United States to take Russia’s nuclear warnings seriously to avoid World War Three.
Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s powerful security council, told RT broadcaster that top U.S. officials did not want World War Three but for some reason they believe “that the Russians will never cross a certain line.”
5. Russia Says Ukraine Is Sabotaging Prisoner Of War Exchanges – Reuters
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Ukraine was essentially sabotaging the process of exchanging prisoners of war.
Zakharova said that Russia’s defense ministry had offered Kyiv to hand over 935 Ukrainian prisoners of war but that Ukraine had taken only 279.
6. Zelensky Wants Ukraine To Attack North Korean Troops In Russia – UPI
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants Western nations to support Ukraine preemptively striking North Korean troops in Russia instead of waiting for those troops to attack Ukraine.
Western nations have banned Ukraine from making long-range missile strikes inside Russia, but Zelensky said attacks against North Korean troops inside Russia should be permitted.
7. Russia Shows Off Purported U.S. National Snatched From Ukraine Spy Work – RFE/RL
Russian media said that Russia removed a U.S. citizen “from territory controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces” who it alleged had been aiding Russian forces by transmitting coordinates of Ukrainian military facilities for two years. However, it provided no evidence of such activities.
A man who appeared on RIA Novosti the same day, identifying himself as Daniel Martindale and displaying a U.S. passport, said he was in Moscow of his own will and wanted to obtain Russian citizenship. He was quoted as saying he had “done everything I could to save the lives of Russian soldiers” and wanted to continue.
8. China Says “Unexpected Obstruction” Led To Aug. Japan Airspace Breach – Kyodo News
Chinese diplomatic sources said that China informed Japan that an “unexpected obstruction” caused one of its military planes to breach Japanese airspace in August, seemingly attributing the blame to the Japanese defense force’s activities prior to the unprecedented intrusion.
The sources said Beijing has not acknowledged any wrongdoing or outlined measures to prevent a recurrence. The “obstruction” may refer to the tracking of Chinese military planes by Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft. This marks the first time China’s explanation for the airspace breach has been disclosed.
9. China’s People’s Liberation Army Weaponizing Meta’s AI – Asia Times
Last month, Reuters reported that according to three academic papers, top Chinese research institutions linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have adapted Meta’s Llama AI model for military applications.
Six researchers from three institutions, including two under the PLA’s Academy of Military Science, used an early version of Meta’s Llama to create “ChatBIT,” an AI tool optimized for military intelligence and decision-making.
10. Spain Sends Thousands More Troops To Flood Zone – The Manila Times
Spain is deploying 10,000 more troops and police officers to the eastern Valencia region devastated by historic floods that have killed 213 people, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Hopes of finding survivors ebbed four days after torrents of muddy water wrecked towns and infrastructure in the European country’s worst such disaster in decades. Authorities have come under fire over the warning systems before the floods, and some stricken residents have complained the response to the disaster is too slow.
11. Argentina’s Milei Fires Foreign Minister Over Vote To End U.S. Embargo On Cuba – France 24
Argentina’s President Javier Milei dismissed Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after the country voted at the UN in favor of lifting the six-decade U.S. embargo on Cuba, the presidency said.
This marks the first time under Milei’s leadership that Argentina diverged from U.S. and Israeli positions, with only these two nations who opposed the resolution. Argentina has traditionally voted against the embargo on Cuba.
Local media quoted foreign ministry sources as saying that while it was awkward diplomatically for Argentina to have opposed the U.S. and Israel, the votes of Cuba and its allies would be needed in any future resolutions on Argentina’s claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British territory.
12. Quitting Smoking After Cancer Diagnosis May Boost Survival Up To 26% – HealthDay News
Smokers diagnosed with cancer often shrug and keep lighting up, figuring a few more butts won’t make much difference. They’re very mistaken, according to a new study.
Smokers are 22% to 26% less likely to die if they quit following a cancer diagnosis, researchers found. The best outcomes occurred in patients who quit within six months of their cancer diagnosis and remained off the butts for at least three months, researchers reported in the journal JAMA Oncology.
13. Money, Education Help Determine Risk Of Dementia – HealthDay News
Folks with more money and better education are at less risk for developing dementia as they grow older, a new study shows.
People with advantaged backgrounds are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, and to progress from there to dementia, researchers found. They also have a better chance of fending off mild cognitive impairment and returning to healthy brain function, according to the study published Friday in the journal Scientific Reports.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
