There are similarities.

Neither Donald John Trump nor Vladimir Putin know when to quit. It is not a joke, it is a fact.

Neither have a conscience. All they know is power. Putin is less absorbed with money, but, he doesn’t need to buy the presidency.

It is troubling to realize Russia hasn’t surrendered the Ukrainian land it occupies.  Ukraine is not a toy that wears out only to be used again and again as if a political volleyball.

It is time Russia recognize it is not a superpower simply based on a poorly understood nuclear capacity.

Trump just needs to stop being stupid and return to his Florida residence as soon as sea level rise has receded enough until the next supercell arrives. The American people are tired of the threat to their democracy. I would think that would be obvious.

Has he apologized to Speaker Pelosi for his hate speech that lead to violence against her and her husband?

What do you do with men that look in the mirror and don’t see the truth?

Good night.

 Is the Second Amendment to the USA Constitution moral as it is used today?

Sometimes it is difficult to get all parties on the same page for peace proposals taken seriously.

February 2016,  Estonian Journal of Military Studies (click here)

Rationalist theories (click here) have met with difficulties when used to establish credible security governance in multicultural environments for actors possessing a different sense of logic. The case of Ukraine serves as a perfect example of a Hobbesian challenge to a Kantian international system. The present research topic is influenced by the theoretical works of Alexander Wendt and Richard Lebow, and seeks to examine the cultural patterns that influence international systems and their security governance practises. In addition, it is also an attempt to produce contrasting conceptions for interpreting norms, perceptions, and motives. Motives impelled by a Kantian system are divergent from the motives of Hobbesian and Lockean systems. In Ukraine, the Hobbesian political culture, presented by Russia, challenges the Kantian principles of international organisations (UN, EU, OSCE, NATO), which are responsible for the security governance in the postmodern international system. Figuratively, ‘the world of Merkel’, which is influenced by Western liberal traditions, is opposition to ‘the world of Putin’, which corresponds to a Hobbesian and Lockean interpretation of international security. A determined Hobbesian actor can pose serious challenges, or even enact permanent changes, to a Kantian international system. With their intervention in the Ukrainan crisis Russian political elites successfully carried out neoconservative postulates of foreign policy, while international institutions (e.g. the UN, the OSCE) have met with serious difficulties in their attempts to introduce necessary measures of effective security governance.

First published Tue Feb 12, 2002; substantive revision Mon Sep 12, 2022

The 17th Century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (click here) is now widely regarded as one of a handful of truly great political philosophers, whose masterwork Leviathan rivals in significance the political writings of Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Rawls. Hobbes is famous for his early and elaborate development of what has come to be known as “social contract theory”, the method of justifying political principles or arrangements by appeal to the agreement that would be made among suitably situated rational, free, and equal persons. He is infamous for having used the social contract method to arrive at the astonishing conclusion that we ought to submit to the authority of an absolute—undivided and unlimited—sovereign power....

First published Mon Feb 23, 2004; substantive revision Fri Jan 21, 2022 (click here)

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) argued that the supreme principle of morality is a principle of practical rationality that he dubbed the “Categorical Imperative” (CI). Kant characterized the CI as an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must follow despite any natural desires we may have to the contrary. All specific moral requirements, according to Kant, are justified by this principle, which means that all immoral actions are irrational because they violate the CI. Other philosophers, such as Hobbes, Locke and Aquinas, had also argued that moral requirements are based on standards of rationality. However, these standards were either instrumental principles of rationality for satisfying one’s desires, as in Hobbes, or external rational principles that are discoverable by reason, as in Locke and Aquinas. Kant agreed with many of his predecessors that an analysis of practical reason reveals the requirement that rational agents must conform to instrumental principles....

I don't know who Putin is channeling to continue to commit genocide against innocent and peaceful people, but, it is my guess communists have less desire to talk than fight.

The peace prospects with Russia by any other country do not exist. Propaganda is immoral and Putin shines it on all the time.

International Law must be upheld as the supreme measure of morality. Enforcing it may be difficult, but, cannot be compromised. Allowing any act of genocide is not to be tolerated.

Democracy in the United States of America will never be compromised by anything less than moral.

"Warsaw East European Review," Vol. 8, 2018 (click here)

Who is this guy?

He is iconic to the Federalist Society (click here). His profile is used for their purposes. I just was wondering who he is that he carries such emblematic clout.

Each month, (click here) a panel of experts convenes to discuss the Court’s upcoming docket sitting by sitting. The cases that will be covered are included below.

Do they utilize the Shadow Docket much? What is their interest in it? I mean they own so many Justices. And at least one wife.

Normally, there is a Mission Statement for an organization this size with as much private money to achieve their goals. But, I can't find one. There is only a list of stuff that includes in it the words "Mission Statement" (click here).

The Federalist Society has it's own "Case Archive." (click here)

Our Purpose (click here)

• Law schools and the legal profession are currently strongly dominated by a form of orthodox liberal ideology which advocates a centralized and uniform society.  While some members of the academic community have dissented from these views, by and large they are taught simultaneously with (and indeed as if they were) the law.

The Future of NEPA Reform (click here)

As a condition of his vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, Sen. Joe Manchin demanded space for his own permitting-reform package in the latest spending bill. While his proposed legislation was ultimately pulled over objections to aspects tangential to permitting, interest in permitting reform remains strong. The target of many reformers’ ire is the current interpretation of the National Environmental Policy Act: a 1970 statute (click here) designed to ensure that the government gives adequate consideration to environmental impacts before embarking on major actions. While this has had significant benefits for environmental quality, the review process is often long, costly, and subject to aggressive litigation that often stretches for years. Is it time to rewrite portions of NEPA? And, if so, what should those reforms look like?

The attack every aspect of the law regarding the natural world. And we are living on Earth that is on meltdown. The opening for complete reform of Greenhouse Gas POLLUTION into our atmospheres is less than nine years. What is the organization and political action committee even in existence for?

Joe Manchin is affiliated with The Federalist Society?

The LGBT community is safe in Oregon, are they in every other state? What will the Republican Supreme Court do next to thank the Federalist Society.

November 11, 2022
By Mariana Alfaro

Tina Kotek (click here) on her last day in office as the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, Jan. 20, 2022. Kotek, D-Portland, served as speaker from 2013-2022 and resigned to focus on her campaign for governor.

Democrat Tina Kotek (click here) is projected to win the tight race for Oregon governor.

The former speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives defeated Republican Christine Drazan, a former state lawmaker, and Betsy Johnson, a former Democratic state lawmaker who left the party and ran as an unaffiliated candidate....

...With the victory, Kotek is now one of two women — along with Maura Healey in Massachusetts (D) — who will become the country’s first openly lesbian governors.

During her nearly decade-long tenure in the state legislature, Kotek played a key role in expanding abortion access, increasing Oregon’s minimum wage, investing $50 million in clean energy and passing legislation that guarantees sick leave for all Oregon workers....

...“I ask my fellow Oregonians, no matter who you voted for, or even whether you voted at all, to believe in our state and our future,” she said. “Please, be engaged so we can all help solve problems togeth

Kotek said that, once she takes office, she will focus “on three things first”: Declaring a state of emergency over the state’s homeless crisis, expanding access to mental health and addiction treatment services and working to “bridge the divisions in our state.”...

I especially liked her approach to housing. It is vital for a healthy economy and successful schools. 

"Housing supply in Oregon has not kept pace with the population growth, and the state continues to fall behind every year. What is your plan to increase housing stock?

The housing supply crisis has been decades in the making and is being felt in every corner of our state. As House Speaker, I led the way to begin the arduous work of addressing our severe housing shortage, including investing over a billion dollars to build more affordable housing and maintain the current supply of affordable housing, removing barriers to housing development, allowing for more housing options, and more. But there is much more work to do. My priority on day one will be to start implementing my plan to tackle Oregon’s housing crisis.

We simply have to get more serious about building a lot more housing. The goal will be to build enough housing to meet the need for people currently experiencing homelessness, address the current shortage of housing, and keep pace with future housing demand over the next decade. I’ll start by issuing an executive order on Day One to create a long-term plan to build enough homes in urban, suburban, and rural communities to meet this goal."...

The rural communities in Oregon (click here) need to be addressed as well as the cities. The rural areas a primarily Republican, but, with an outreach by the Governor getting to know the farming community and smaller towns, their problems can be solved as well.

There is a difference in the election map from 2020 to 2022. The Republican influence in the rural counties has come under question. The strongly Republican counties are now only leaning Republican. The Democrats have primarily held their ground in Oregon. Governors like the Governor-Elect can continue to bring traditionally Republican counties into a clearer understanding of the Democratic Party by solving problems and making it real.

The LGBT community is important to Governor-Elect Tina Kotek. I believe when members of that community are elected to office it makes Clarence Thomas' ridicule of the USA Constitution where all citizens have rights all the more clear what a completely horrible Associate Justice he is. It only proves how religiously bigoted many of the Robert's Courts decisions are when it comes to the civil rights of American.

Welcome to 5G

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. (click here) It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.

Those are the same GRU hackers that were found by USA Intelligence and in the Mueller Report. This is what Russia has planned for the Free World.

November 10, 2022

...At the CyberwarCon security conference in Arlington, Virginia, (click here) today, analysts from the security firm Mandiant laid out a new set of tools and techniques that they say Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency is using against targets in Ukraine, where the GRU’s hackers have for years carried out many of the most aggressive and destructive cyberattacks in history. According to Mandiant analysts Gabby Roncone and John Wolfram, who say their findings are based on months of Mandiant’s Ukrainian incident response cases, the GRU has shifted in particular to what they call “living on the edge.” Instead of the phishing attacks that GRU hackers typically used in the past to steal victims’ credentials or plant backdoors on unwitting users’ computers inside target organizations, they're now targeting “edge” devices like firewalls, routers, and email servers, often exploiting vulnerabilities in those machines that give them more immediate access.

That shift, according to Roncone and Wolfram, has offered multiple advantages to the GRU. It's allowed the Russian military hackers to have far faster, more immediate effects, sometimes penetrating a target network, spreading their access to other machines on the network, and deploying data-destroying wiper malware just weeks later, compared to months in earlier operations. In some cases, it's enabled the hackers to penetrate the same small group of Ukrainian targets multiple times in quick succession for both wiper attacks and cyberespionage. And because the edge devices that give the GRU their footholds inside these networks aren't necessarily wiped in the agency's cyberattacks, hacking them has sometimes allowed the GRU to keep their access to a victim network even after carrying out a data-destroying operation....

Sorry, folks but there absolutely nothing normal about this map. That hurricane is enormous.

 

Previous to Nicole was a tornado outbreak in Texas. Among the many tornadoes that touched down and did damage was an EF 4 that sustained as an EF4 for one hour. 

ONE HOUR EF4 TORNADO. The satellite images show the straight and devastating path of an hour long tornado.

This is November. The heat within the troposphere is incredibly high. 

November 5, 2022

...Among (click here) the most severe was a strong EF4 tornado that touched down near Clarksville, Texas, at 6:15 p.m. local time and left a wide line of damage as it moved toward Idabel, Oklahoma, over the course of an hour. On November 5, 2022, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this natural-color image (right) showing the damage track in Red River County, Texas. For comparison, the OLI image on the left shows the same area on October 20, 2022, prior to the tornado. Signs of damage are most visible where the tornado tore through forests (dark green). The track is more difficult to see in pastures and farmland (light green)....

November 10, 2022

On Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, at least 29 tornadoes (click here) were recorded in northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana. The tornadoes varied in strength and intensity with four measuring EF-0, 15 were EF-1, six had an EF-2 rating, and two each were EF-3 and EF-4.

The severe thunderstorm systems that caused these tornadoes put 28 million people at risk throughout the region. In advance of the storms, there were concerns about tornadoes occurring at night because the risk of death with nighttime is 2.5 times higher than daytime tornadoes....

Nicole has plenty of water vapor and heat feeding that system. 

Water Vapor Satellite (click here)

November 10, 2022

Nicole (click here) is continuing its destructive journey across the southeastern United States with multiple fatalities and significant damage reported across the region. Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane before sunrise on Thursday and has since returned to tropical storm status as the storm churns over Florida. Its destructive winds and heavy rains toppled homes and piers along the coast into the ocean and created widespread damage across the state.

An unresponsive man was pronounced dead Thursday morning after being shocked by a downed power line in Conway, Florida, which is just outside of Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). A woman traveling with the man was also electrocuted and later died at a hospital.

“We are urging all of our residents and visitors to use extreme caution if they are outside in the wake of the storm today,” the office wrote in a social media post. “Never touch a downed power line. If you are driving and see a downed power line, change directions immediately.”

Authorities in Orange County, Florida, said that two more people have been killed in a storm-related incident. Florida Highway Patrol said a pickup truck driving on the turnpike around 5:30 a.m. swerved toward the shoulder of Florida's Turnpike after losing control and struck a driver of a tow truck who was standing behind his parked truck. Both drivers were killed. The crash remains under investigation....

In case any American is wondering if the Climate Crisis is bad and dangerous to human life, the answer is "yes." It is very dangerous and deadly. 

Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: (click here) Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days

Tomorrow is Veterans Day.

November 9, 2022 (click here)

Veterans Day parade

The annual Veterans Day parade will start at 11 a.m. Friday on Austin Avenue at 12th Street. The parade route will end at Third Street.

The parade is sponsored by the McLennan County Veterans Association and the Stan C. Parker Foundation.

Flag retirement ceremony

The 21st annual McLennan County Veterans Association Flag Retirement and Disposal Ceremony will start at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Carleen Bright Arboretum in Woodway. The event is hosted by the city of Woodway and the Elizabeth Gordon Bradley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Following an indoor program "Women in the Military" at the Pavilion, disposal of unserviceable U.S., Texas, POW/MIA and military service flags as prescribed by the Flag Code will occur at Woodway Family Center, with entry at City Hall, 922 Estates Drive.

Congratulations to every Democrat who worked to be elected and a special congrats to those that were elected at all levels of government.

November 10, 2022
By Erica Meltzer

Democrats (click here) will maintain control of the Colorado State Board of Education and might expand their majority in an election that many education observers called one of the most important on the ballot.

Democrat Kathy Plomer, a former Adams 12 school board president, won decisively in the election for a new statewide at-large seat on the Colorado State Board of Education. She was running against Dan Maloit, a St. Vrain Valley parent who organized others in support of in-person school.

Incumbent Democrat Rebecca McClellan, who represents Arapahoe County and southeast Denver suburbs, won her re-election bid.

The closest race is for the new 8th Congressional District in Adams and Weld counties. Rhonda Solis, a former Greeley-Evans school board member and Latina community activist, still leads Republican Peggy Propst, an educator and former State Board member, but the race tightened significantly as more voters were counted Wednesday and Thursday....

I think Mike said it best through the election season.

It’s 6am and I haven’t gone to bed. (click here) The headlines are already popping up on my screen:

“No Signs of ‘Red Wave’ as Race for Congress Remains Tight” (New York Times)

“Congress hangs in balance as Democrats defy expectations” (Washington Post)

“‘Red wave’ fails to materialise as Fetterman clinches crucial Senate seat for Democrats” (The Guardian)

“Control of Congress Remains at Stake as Democrats Fend Off Anticipated ‘Red Wave’” (The Wall Street Journal)

I’ve checked my inbox and so many of you have written to me through the night. So many of you who worked hard over these last months to prevent the bloodbath. A fascist takeover by a full slate of election deniers and voting suppressors. 

And now we know there will be no bloodbath. Not today. And it’s because we and millions of others erected a force field around the haters and bigots to stop them in their tracks. And that is what has happened. Sometimes you have to lose a battle or two in order to win the war. 

I love how you all knew that if for some reason we couldn’t create a blue tsunami on Election Day, our second best choice was to make sure there would be no red wave....

Americans know there is trouble and they love their democracy.

Voting Day

 It should be a national holiday with free bus service!

More genocide and no escape by boat.

Satellite image shows the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River near Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine, October 18, 2022.

November 6. 2022

Ukraine’s army (click here) accused Russia on Sunday of the large-scale destruction of civilian vessels moored on the banks of the Dnipro River in the occupied southern region of Kherson that Kyiv’s forces are trying to capture.

Ukrainian forces have been piling pressure on Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnipro that bisects Ukraine, fueling speculation that Moscow’s troops are preparing to retreat to the other side.

The Ukrainian General Staff’s spokesperson said in a statement that the fuel from the destroyed vessels had leaked into the river’s delta and also accused Moscow’s forces of appropriating the vessels’ engines and other equipment.

The Ukrainian General Staff gave no explanation for Moscow’s actions. Destroying civilian vessels would prevent Ukrainian forces from using them should they decide to cross to the eastern side in the event of any Russian withdrawal....

November 5, 2022
By Gaspard Sebag and Stephanie Baker

A Spanish court (click here) moved to seize a superyacht valued at $140 million that’s linked to a senior executive at a Russian defense conglomerate, after the owner stopped paying maintenance fees in June.

The court order to seize the 85 meter (279 feet) Meridian A — formerly called Valerie — was handed down by a Barcelona judge on Wednesday, according to the Spanish maritime authorities.

The vessel, linked to Rostec State Corp.’s chief executive officer, Sergey Chemezov, was immobilized in mid-March by Spanish authorities while it was at a Barcelona shipyard for repairs. The European Union considers the vessel is formally owned by the stepdaughter of Chemezov.

The court decision comes after the MB92 shipyard lodged a complaint when the vessel’s maintenance fees went unpaid.

Yachts owned by sanctioned businessmen have been immobilized in ports or naval yards across Europe in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That includes the blocking in Germany of Dilbar — tied to billionaire Alisher Usmanov — and French authorities’ move to prevent a possible swift departure of the Amore Vero.

A luxury yacht once owned by sanctioned billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky was sold for $37.5 million at auction in Gibraltar....

Political violence are hate crimes.

A hate crime is, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.

November 7, 2022
by Clare Foran

...The violent attack on Paul Pelosi (click here) has raised fresh concerns over threats of political violence driven by partisan animosity and increasingly hostile political rhetoric – and highlighted the potential vulnerability of lawmakers and their families in the current political climate....

The Republicans are tossing out their own ballots. NICK is voting absentee and most likely Republican.

November 7, 2022
By Amy Gardner and Emma Brown

The lawsuits (click here) coincide with a systemic effort by GOP leaders to persuade voters to cast ballots in person, not absentee

Republican officials and candidates in at least three battleground states are pushing to disqualify thousands of mail ballots after urging their own supporters to vote on Election Day, in what critics are calling a concerted attempt at partisan voter suppression....

What makes Republicans think people listen to the instructions they provide? That is extremely narcissistic to think voters are actually listening to voters. Nick isn't listening to anyone. He completely goes by how his life is rolling out and if he doesn't like it he votes for the opposite party. He is voting by absentee ballot.

Those Republicans that want the party members to vote in person is a form of oppression. It is a strategy that is very illegal. Carrying out ballot purges while advocating only one day of voting is oppressing the vote. The voting is open only a limited number of hours to vote on election day. By demanding people only cast their vote in person is really oppressing the electorate. If this is Republicans that are following those rules, there is a chance there simply won't be enough votes cast.

Limiting votes to one day and in only polling places will eliminate voters that are fully engaged in the process, but, find the one particular day very inconvenient. That is especially true of 2 to 3 income families. They simply are unable to wait in long lines to vote. It is not only unethical and irresponsible, it is a deliberate strategy to eliminate the opportunity to vote for low and lower middle income families. 

Those running for office should be encouraging all voters to exercise their rights and in a way that is easiest for them. Any other message is completely unethical. No candidate should give the impression elections can be rigged. 

I am quite certain this is a philosophy not frequently heard. Perhaps it is more Republican in nature.

In speaking to my homeless veteran friend yesterday I found out he isn't destitute. I don't know why he prefers living in his car, but, evidently it is a life he enjoys. Maybe it is all the fresh air.

But, at any rate I asked if he had voted yet. He stated, "No. But, I have read all the issue votes and there are three out of four I will vote "no." He stated he did his homework and read every word of the proposals and there are some aspects of the issues he didn't like and will not see them pass with his vote.

But, as to voting for candidates this is what he said, "I don't really worry about the particular candidate. They are all alike. Voting is like flushing a toilet. If you don't like the current officials or the programs, just don't vote for them, vote for the other party. If they are worse then vote the other guys back in the next time." 

I stated that is not any way to run a country. That candidates can be honest or corrupt. The particular candidates do matter and it is the choice of one candidate that brings on responsible government.

He said, "Nope. They are all alike. They are all corrupt. It is just a matter of whether or not we can live with them in office. It is just like flushing the toilet. Out with the stinkers and onto new menus."

If that is the way Americans vote, no wonder the country has issues.

VOTE!

Stop looking for reasons to trust Republicans.

Vote Democrat if you love this country.

...Americans (click here) are increasingly talking about civil war. In August, after the FBI raided Donald Trump’s Florida home, Twitter references to “civil war” jumped 3,000%. Trump supporters immediately went online, tweeting threats that a civil war would start if Trump was indicted. One account wrote: “Is it Civil-War-O’clock yet?”; another said, “get ready for an uprising”. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, said there would be “riots in the streets” if Trump was indicted. Trump himself predicted that “terrible things are going to happen” if the temperature wasn’t brought down in the country. Perhaps most troubling, Americans on both sides of the political divide increasingly state that violence is justified. In January 2022, 34% of Americans surveyed said that it was sometimes OK to use violence against the government. Seven months later, more than 40% said that they believed civil war was at least somewhat likely in the next 10 years. Two years ago, no one was talking about a second American civil war. Today it is common....

Americans love their 401ks too much to be involved with a civil war. There is no practicality to it besides complete chaos. I don't buy it.

But, I do believe the Republican elite will try to undermine every aspect of civil rights they can. I sincerely believe Trump wants a kingship out of his next election. He wants to destroy this country and bring comfort to his own life. That is all he has ever wanted and did little to contribute to society or the country most of his adult life.

Coney-Barrett…

 …wanted to know when affirmative action ends. That was an actual question she asked. 

I have a question for her. “Are there still under served minorities in the USA?” If she answers no, it means living in Cloud City actually prohibits reality. If she answers yes, she is a bigot. I don’t care if she has adopted minority children. That is not an exoneration of her bad judgement.

The current percentages of minorities in Ivy League schools are African-American 8 percent, Hispanic Latino 9 percent, Asian-Americans 20 percent, Multi-racial (Non-Hispanic) 5 percent, Native-Americans 5 percent. The rest are Caucasian. 

USA Demographics 2021

Caucasian 59.3 percent, Hispanic/Latino 18.9 percent, African-American 12.6 percent, Asian-American 5.9 percent, Multi-racial (Non-Hispanic) 2.3 percent, Native American 0.7 percent. Pacific Islander 0.2 percent. 

Poverty in USA 2020

African Americans 19.8 percent, Hispanic 17 percent, Caucasian 10.1 percent, Asian American 8.1 percent, and Multi-racial (Non-Hispanic) 8.2 percent. 

Higher levels of poverty reflect a lack of opportunity. There are still disparaging circumstances for some Americans and Mississippi leads the country.

Appeasing Russia by Ukraine only increased the danger to the people.

25 February 2022

While on mission in Bangladesh, (click here) I have been closely following recent developments in and around Ukraine with increasing concern.

I remind all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine that pursuant to the declaration lodged on 8 September 2015, accepting jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or the "Court"), my Office may exercise its jurisdiction over and investigate any act of genocide, crime against humanity or war crime committed within the territory of Ukraine since 20 February 2014 onwards.

Any person who commits such crimes, including by ordering, inciting, or contributing in another manner to the commission of these crimes, may be liable to prosecution before the Court, with full respect for the principle of complementarity. It is imperative that all parties to the conflict respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

My Office has also received multiple queries on the amendments to the Rome Statute with respect to the crime of aggression, which came into force in 2018, and the application of those amendments to the present situation. Given that neither Ukraine nor the Russian Federation are State Parties to the Rome Statute, the Court cannot exercise jurisdiction over this alleged crime in this situation.

My Office will continue to closely monitor the Situation in Ukraine. In the independent and impartial exercise of its mandate, the Office remains fully committed to the prevention of atrocity crimes and to ensuring that anyone responsible for such crimes is held accountable.

Following my return to The Hague, I intend to issue a more detailed statement regarding the Situation in Ukraine, providing clarity on my assessment and the next steps I envisage in relation to this file.

28 February 2022

Last Friday, (click here) I expressed my increasing concern, echoing those of world leaders and citizens of the world alike, over the events unfolding in Ukraine.

Today, I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the Situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible.

Ukraine is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or the "Court"), so cannot itself refer the situation to my Office. But it has twice exercised its prerogatives to legally accept the Court's jurisdiction over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory, should the Court choose to exercise it. The first declaration lodged by the Government of Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. The second declaration extended this time period on an open-ended basis to encompass ongoing alleged crimes committed throughout the territory of Ukraine from 20 February 2014 onwards.

I have reviewed the Office's conclusions arising from the preliminary examination of the Situation in Ukraine, and have confirmed that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation. In particular, I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine in relation to the events already assessed during the preliminary examination by the Office. Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my Office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine....

November 2, 2022

This handout picture taken and released on July 27, 2022 by Ukrainian Presidential press service shows Andriy Kostin during the hearing in the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv.

Political will is needed to establish a Special Tribunal (click here) to hold Russia accountable for crimes of aggression in Ukraine, and the number of countries supporting the creation of the tribunal is growing, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin has said.

“Due to legal restrictions, the International Criminal Court cannot consider the case of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and I consider this a primary international crime, without which all other horrors against the civilian population would be impossible. And we cannot afford to leave this act of violence against the whole country unpunished,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

Kostin specified that it is about creating a tribunal from a very wide range of participants.

“It cannot consist of only five to seven countries, it should include all [countries], and I mention this at every meeting. It is important that, first of all, these are countries that are important from the point of view of the perception of the legitimacy of the results of this tribunal,” Kostin said.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General drew attention to the fact that the main thing for the creation of a tribunal is political will.
“Speaking about the need to create this institution, I always emphasize to foreign partners, ‘If you have already voted at the level of the General Assembly, PACE, the European Parliament and confirmed that there was a fact of armed aggression, then you should take the next step’,” he said....

The heinous crimes against humanity by Russia are well documented and witnessed. The reason that Russia nor Ukraine belonged to the International Criminal Court was appeasement for peace with Russia by Ukraine and now it presents some obstacles in the way of prosecutions of those guilty of these crimes.

Early on the International Criminal Court definitely stated the actions by Russia were genocide. The definitions of the crime are clear and the action of Russia more clear. Because these two countries were outside the abiding authority of the ICC there was an imbalance in thinking about human life. Russia believed Russian speaking people were a Russian commodity to be used and disposed of as Russia saw fit. The Free World, with an interest in humanity, witnessed the atrocities and began to take refugees by the millions while assessing the Ukraine military and it's ability to take and hold ground to protect Ukraine borders. 

The atrocities are real. There are Ukrainians dead today, including children and babies, that should be alive. The Free World as well as others need to provide a strict understanding that such atrocities will not be tolerated and there is a peaceful way of making such a statement in a court of justice.

This court must go forward. It must make the statement that every crime against humanity will require justice. To allow such brutality in the world is only asking for it to happen again. The war Russia chose to carry out is nothing short of heinous and illegal in every definition of war. 

If a tribunal is all the world has to remedy this level of self-righteous killing by Russia then it must be held and those responsible for Ukrainian deaths must face the world in their acts of violence that killed the innocent.

Clearly, no desperate act of appeasement will work in facing war with Russia.

John Roberts does it again.

Politics. If Trump’s tax records are released to Congress at all, it will be after the elections. Amazing the gall.