VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The Crowded Road to Kyiv.

One of the oddest commentaries about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the boilerplate reaction that “borders can’t change in modern Europe” or “this does not happen in the 21st century.”

But why in the world should the 21st century be exempt from the pathologies of the past 20 centuries? Are we smarter than the Romans? More innovative than Florentines? Do we have more savvy leaders than Lincoln or Churchill? Are they more mellifluous than Demosthenes? Does anyone now remember that some 130,000 were slaughtered just 30 years ago in the former Yugoslavia, as NATO planes bombed Belgrade and nuclear America and Russia almost squared off?

Has globalization, the “rules-based order,” the Davos reset elite, the “international community” so improved the very way humans think that they have rendered obsolete the now ossified ancient idea of deterrence? Will the Kardashians and Beyoncé tweet our pathway to global peace?

How about transnational NGOs? NATO? WHO? The UN? Are all their recent records of service proof of our more exalted modern morality? Will some new engineered Wuhan virus alter human nature, end its innate ancient pathologies, and so eliminate war as we knew it? Are we not the League of Nations because Putin is now chair of the Security Council?

In truth, anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time—and has and will until the end of time.

So let us walk down the crowded road to Kiev.

Read the whole thing, of course.

EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY (RUSSIA EDITION):

CHANGE: Wyoming Senate Votes to Defund Women’s and Gender Studies.

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK: FEMA: If Faced With Nuclear Explosion, Wear a Mask and Maintain Social Distancing Recommendations. Perhaps troubling is that this page was just updated last week.

Related: The Unexpected Return of Duck and Cover.

MORE, PLEASE: The Javelin Is Wrecking Putin’s Army. Here’s How the Anti-Tank Weapon Works.

RUSSIA WAGES WAR, PENTAGON WAGES GENDER IDENTITY TRAINING: You really cannot make this stuff up. Adam Kredo has the story for the Washington Free Beacon.

HMM: Ukrainian pilots arrive in Poland to pick up donated fighter jets.

On the other hand, this report says it’s not happening. Fog of war. There was earlier reporting that Ukrainian fighters might actually operate from Polish bases, which would be very likely to bring Poland — and possibly NATO — into the war, which would be a bad idea. Then again, if that was happening, everyone would be denying it.

BIDEN WON’T TALK ABOUT THIS TONIGHT: The nation’s real national debt of $141 Trillion, nor the blistering GAO report that says the government’s books are all but useless.

SCIENCE! Mask Mandate for Congress Lifted Just in Time for…

#JOURNALISM: NY Times uses same misleading edit of Zimmerman’s 911 call that got two NBC journalists fired.

HE’S RIGHT, YOU KNOW: Manchin to Biden: Stop buying Russian oil and ramp up domestic production now.

KILLED BY THE OPPRESSIVE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT:

Matthew Lawrence Perna died on Feb. 25, 2022, of a broken heart. His community (which he loved), his country, and the justice system killed his spirit and his zest for life. Matt was an amazing man! In his 37 years, he experienced more than most people do their entire lives. He graduated from Sharpsville High School in 2002, then went on to graduate from Penn State University.

Matt loved to travel and lived in Thailand and South Korea during his life, teaching English to school children. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, South America, India, and the United States of America making lasting friendships everywhere he went. He went on a mission trip to Haiti, and also took many trips with his parents and brother Steve. Matt enjoyed conversing with all walks of life, especially the elderly. It was not unusual for him to strike up conversations with complete strangers, always eager to learn from others.

Matt enjoyed running long distance races and held medals from several states. He enjoyed reading every day and owned an extensive library of books. He loved music of all types and played piano and saxophone. He was an adventurer who loved trying different cuisines from all over the world and experiencing as many different cultures as he could.
Matt loved animals, especially dogs. But when a sickly kitten made her way onto Matt’s porch, he nurtured and cared for her and named her Hinoki. He loved her dearly and she was his roommate.

He attended the rally on Jan. 6, 2021, to peacefully stand up for his beliefs. After learning that the FBI was looking for him, he immediately turned himself in. He entered the Capitol through a previously opened door (he did not break in as was reported). He didn’t break, touch, or steal anything. He did not harm anyone, as he stayed within the velvet ropes taking pictures. For this act he has been persecuted by many members of his community, friends, relatives, and people who had never met him. Many people were quietly supportive, and Matt was truly grateful for them. The constant delays in hearings, and postponements dragged out for over a year. Because of this, Matt’s heart broke and his spirit died. Matt did not have a hateful bone in his body. He embraced people of all races, income brackets, and beliefs, never once berating anyone for having different views.

Many people are still imprisoned for similarly minor acts, simply to support a partisan narrative about a nonexistent insurrection. Vladimir Putin would approve. (Via Ann Althouse.)

EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY: Just 23% of Democrats choose Biden, who faces ‘landslide’ loss to Trump.

Just 23% of Democratic primary voters would choose President Joe Biden for a second term, a “shocking” sign of his unpopularity within liberal ranks, according to the latest look at the 2024 race.

Former first lady Michelle Obama, meanwhile, is surging as the only Democrat threatening Biden. Her support among Democratic primary voters is 19%, up from 16% in November.

Notably, support for 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who has stirred new reports that she’s eager to run again, came from just 4% of Democratic primary voters. And Vice President Kamala Harris is also an afterthought at 7%.

Bumpy ride ahead.

UKRAINE WAR: Belarus troops have invaded Ukraine, Kyiv claims, as 40-mile convoy of Putin’s artillery snakes towards the capital amid fears Russia will ‘use medieval tactics’ to bomb the city into submission as supermarket shelves run empty.

Putin’s “reformed” Russian Army — the one that was supposed to use speed and technology to score rapid victories — turns out to be just like the old Soviet Army: Slow and brutal.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEF: Oh God, Biden Is Going to Try and Use Words. “My friend and colleague VodkaPundit will be bringing back his legendary DrunkBlog for the State of the Union Address. I would like to thank him in advance for watching so I don’t have to. I don’t have the stomach to watch the drooling idiot Biden babble on about Corn Pop, and pandemics, and reasons.The guy can barely get through a five-sentence response to a simple question without eating his foot, I can’t watch him wrestle with a teleprompter.”

SPEAKING OF PHONEY COLLUSION NARRATIVES: Tech Guru Who Worked With Clinton Campaign Pleaded the Fifth in Durham Probe.

A prominent tech guru who worked with the Clinton campaign to investigate Donald Trump’s possible links to Russia pleaded the Fifth to avoid cooperating with Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation, according to court filings.

Rodney Joffe said in a deposition this month that he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in response to a grand jury subpoena by Durham. Joffe testified that he was contacted by the special counsel more than a year ago to provide testimony and documents, seemingly about his efforts to investigate Trump. Joffe has been identified as the tech executive who worked with Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann to investigate purportedly suspicious email server contacts between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank. The FBI investigated the allegations but ultimately found them baseless. Durham has released other evidence that casts doubt on the Trump-Alfa link.

Joffe’s interactions with the Durham team suggest the prosecutor is taking a hard look at Joffe’s work with the Clinton campaign to dig up dirt on Trump. While Joffe has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, Durham has alleged that he “exploited” web traffic data for the White House, Trump Tower, and Trump’s apartment building in order to find “derogatory” information on Trump. Durham alleged that Joffe provided the information to Sussmann, who in turn shared it with the CIA in February 2017. Responding to the revelation, Trump called for criminal prosecution for the people involved in the “spying operation” against him.

Durham indicted Sussmann in September on charges of lying to the FBI about his investigation into Trump. Durham has also accused Sussmann of withholding evidence from the CIA during the 2017 meeting that would have undercut the theory that Trump had secret contacts with Alfa Bank.

Durham’s inquiry into Joffe’s activities could reach the Biden White House. Clinton campaign lawyers briefed national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Joffe’s findings in September 2016, when Sullivan served as Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy adviser.

I assume someone will stop Durham before he gets to the bottom of this.

HMM: Putin’s ‘thugs for hire’ militia with orders to kill Zelensky: Shadowy Wagner mercenaries who have been flown in from Africa with 23-strong hit list including Ukraine’s president and the Klitschko brothers. “Sending the Wagner Group into Ukraine would fit in with its use by the Russian state elsewhere in the world. It has previously been deployed to Africa, where it has carried out black ops operations that the Kremlin wants done while avoiding direct responsibility.”

Whatever is actually going on in and around Ukraine, this bit has held up pretty well, even though it’s from a piece where I explained why I didn’t think Putin would pull the trigger: “Sending in the Russian Army risks too much, including perhaps showing for all the world to see his military’s real limitations.”

Deployments and initial operations certainly made it look like Putin thought he could get a quick and relatively easy victory. A week into this thing, and the one clear thing is that he didn’t get anything like that.

OF COURSE HE DOES. PUTIN IS HIS FREN AND STUFF:  Slow Joe digs in against opening up US energy production to checkmate Russia.

THEY WERE ALWAYS SOFT ON PUTIN, WHICH IS WHY THEY HAD TO MAKE UP PHONY “COLLUSION” CHARGES ABOUT TRUMP: Here’s the Thread That Shreds the Obama-Clinton ‘Tough on Russia’ Narrative.

EUGENE VOLOKH QUOTES TOM MCTAGUE IN THE ATLANTIC: “In standing up to [Putin], Ukraine is articulating a certain idea of itself that is righteous and dignified and heroic: virtues we long ago dismissed as old-fashioned. How tragic it is that Zelensky’s idea has to be attacked for us to be reminded of ours.”

We were encouraged to dismiss those virtues by people who want to destroy us.

SURE, OKAY, I’M SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS PROMO POST FOR INDIE AUTHORS ON SUNDAY:  But you’re completely disregarding the fact that the post went on foot through the most dangerous areas of the web, while being attacked by vicious internet hamsters!* No wonder it was delayed:  Book Promo And Vignettes by Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike.

*Okay fine. I was busy and away from the computer most of the weekend. (Also known as my husband saying “You’re reading the news and gnashing your teeth again. Turn the computer off and let’s go take care of stuff we’ve delayed too long.” He’s zany like that.)  Anyway, that promo post also has a vignette challenge which has launched a half a dozen novels, and also some very rude doggerel about the Biden Junta. (One of the many reasons I love my fans.)

PJ MEDIA VIP ROUNDUP: Don’t forget that VODKAPUNDIT promo code if you’ve been thinking of joining us.

Kevin Downey Jr: How Far Can You Push Americans Before They Start Using Firearms to Fight Fascism? “We would be idiots to think that fascism and state-sponsored violence can’t come here. However, the difference between the Australians and Canadians, and we Americans, would be the 2nd Amendment.”

Rick Moran: Illinois Gov. Pritzker Abandons Mask Mandate, but Chicago Teachers’ Union Has Other Ideas. “The Chicago Teachers’ Union has a separate, binding agreement with the city that forces kids to mask up. The teachers have already come close to walking out on the issue, so it’s not likely the city will want to poke the bear and try to end the mask mandate to bring Chicago schools in line with the rest of the country.”

Yours Truly: Has Joe Biden Been Sniffing His Own Gaslight Fumes? “Americans, God bless us, aren’t buying it. Joe’s polls are in that crapper he sometimes doesn’t reach in time, and it isn’t because of some imaginary COVID hangover.”

MAGIC BULLET: Unprecedented Western sanctions strangling Russian economy.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin wages war against Ukraine, his country’s economy has begun to collapse under the weight of unprecedented penalties from the Biden administration, United Kingdom, European Union and other major economic players.

“Everyone in the economic sphere, the banking sphere, knows we’re in new territory here—a coordinated shutdown of a country’s economy with the strongest arrow being in the heart of the banking sector,” said George Lopez, expert on economic sanctions at University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs.

The value of the ruble plunged Monday after the U.S and its allies took action to cut the Russian government off from roughly $600 billion in reserves held by the Central Bank of Russia and further cut Russia’s ties to the global financial system.

The Western bloc banned most transactions with the Russian central bank — along with Russia’s finance ministry and foreign investment fund — blocking Putin from funds he stowed away for years to cushion the blow of sanctions. The sanctions also cut off Russian access to the U.S. dollar, the linchpin of the global financial system, as its value climbs amid global tumult.

The U.S. and EU are also barring certain Russian banks from access to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a messaging system used by banks to conduct transactions.

Roughly $300 billion of Russia’s reserves are now locked away from Putin in the U.S., Europe, and other allied countries. While Russia still holds billions of dollars worth of gold within its borders, experts say Moscow will find few willing buyers with its banks under their own crushing sanctions.

Prediction: China is carefully watching this and will work hard to insulate itself from similar actions in the future.

UPDATE: Oh my: Bank of China cuts off Russian oil trades?

THIS. ABSOLUTELY THIS SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSE TO THE INVASION OF THE UKRAINE:  It’s Time For US To Re-Establish Energy Dominance.

I mean, it was time long long before this. But now, it’s imperative.

This is the way to make Putin squeal. (And why Biden will never do it.)

LIKE SARGENT MOM, I AM RESOLUTELY AGAINST US INVOLVEMENT:  The Bodyguard of Lies.

We have problems right here to deal with.  Foreign policy? Well, if I had the power to set that (and we should all be very glad I don’t) my policy for the US would be “Don’t start none, won’t be none.” It would be followed up closely by “F*ck around and find out.” I.e. attack the US in any way shape or form, and we just might assemble a committee of bored Americans and they might just say “Hey, hold my beer and watch this.”  And the beer would have a nuclear tip. (Which is why we should all be very glad I don’t have the power to set foreign policy. I mean, really, how much blue glass does the world need?)