Dan Lipka Web Log

The longer Russia waits on the Ukrainian boarder, the richer they are getting. Oil and gas are responsible for more than 60% of Russia's exports and provide more than 30% of the country's gross domestic product and those prices are skyrocketing. It is the highest its been in 8 years and up 40% of the pre-covid levels. And they can bargain for even better deals, as they have a lot of leverage now. Whatever they get is a bonus, and they can move their troops off and blame the war-crazy, corrupt Americans for trying to start a war. Than they can come back in six months and do this again. Or maybe just wait until there is a different US President, who might not care as much about NATO or protecting foreign democracies (and perhaps keeping oil prices high will increase the likelihood of a different US president in just two years). 

When Donald Trump is re-elected President in two years, Barack Obama is going to think to himself, "maybe I should have done more". Yes, of course he should be doing more. He is literally the only likeable Democrat on the national stage. Sure he is raising money, but is he changing minds? He needs a highly promoted monthly, 30-minute TV show to talk about a very specific issue. Keep it simple. Have last month's episode only about the people who are in hospitals for COVID and if they are vaccinated or not. This month, try to explain why inflation happens, what can be done about it and what can't. Have a episode on why its important to have an organized person as President, and not just someone who shares your ideas. One episode, on primetime, on every streaming service. I don't know if it will be enough to stop Trump, but at least he will be able to live with himself after 2024.

Republican elected officials are blatantly lying. Democrats may also be blatantly lying, but they should trade both sides telling the truth vs the status quo. All Democrats should be pushing for a law that makes anything that an elected officials says (in their capacity as an elected official or on any government property) as a statement made under oath. Lying would be perjury. It is simple at that. Of course, they have to know they are lying so it will be up to the public to provide their elected officials with documentation disproving what they say (or would say). Would this new regulation ever pass? Probably not, but it would look terrible for anyone opposing it.  Right now people are faced with differing accounts of reality and it is almost impossible to convince someone to accept a view different from the one they have. They only way to achieve this is by bringing back objective facts. And the only way to do that is to punish those who lie. How would this hurt Democrats to be the