The Stan R. Mitchell report for 2/22/22.
Discover more from The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell.
The Stan R. Mitchell report for 2/22/22.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!
We’ll start with Ukraine today, for obvious reasons.
Russian troops have entered the two break-away areas held by Russian-backed separatists, but this is likely just the start. Almost certainly, more advances are going to happen. In fact, NATO says Russia is still planning a ‘full-scale’ attack on Ukraine.
The responses to this aggression have already begun.
Germany has already said it will halt the authorization of Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This in itself is huge news and will prove economically devastating for Russia.
Britain has also already begun dropping sanctions, placing them on five Russian banks and three Russian billionaires.
Things are already dicey, and they’re probably going to get dicier. My view is the conflict has just started and it’s going to get a whole lot worse.
As just one piece of evidence, take a look at this example of Russia continuing to escalate things:
What that tweet is saying (in shorthand for insiders) is that Russia is actually considering territory that Ukraine has already taken back from the separatists as territory that shouldn’t be Ukraine’s.
It’s important to note that on this very land that Putin is now claiming, Ukraine has plenty of troops dug in and defending it. So, this claim might be the basis Putin uses for declaring an all-out invasion, since it doesn't exactly mesh with the Minsk agreements.
Initially, the Biden Administration didn’t call the Russian moves an invasion. But that has since changed. (See below.)
Partly from fears of an all-out war, U.S. trainers have departed, as confirmed below.
So, what happens next?
Glad you asked.
This video below is an absolutely must-watch video, which covers many of the weapon systems, some of the military strategies that might occur, and even talks about the concept of a Russian “land bridge” to Crimea.
Now some are saying in the U.S., why should we care? And what would a war mean for most of us?
Just so happens we have that answer below, as well.
If an invasion happens, it’s going to be horrific. And it’s going to be mostly one-sided. Certainly at first.
But two potential counter points.
First, this, by General Hertling, about the lack of discipline by Russian soldiers.
Secondly, there was this incredible article below. (Hat tip, Louise Mensch.)
This article is certainly a must-read, as well. And we all know that troops (and citizens) fighting for their homeland almost always outperform those of invaders, who are mostly hoping to survive and return to their families.
To counter this disadvantage, Putin is likely planning absolute brutality and vengeance.
Think of how indiscriminate the bombings done by Russians in Syria were; there’s even strong evidence they purposefully targeted hospitals, schools, and aid workers. But I doubt I need to cite much evidence of that. I think most of my readers recognize the brutality of Putin and those he commands.
One final Ukraine note, I had mentioned above the two separatist areas. Here’s a great map of the land currently being discussed.
Moving along, in tech news, there were a few cool articles worth noting.
First this:
And also this:
And finally this:
For those who have missed my earlier newsletters (welcome, new subscribers!), the U.S. Navy has already accomplished a lot with unmanned ships. They’ve completed long “autonomous transits” of nearly 5,000 miles. Yes, 5,000 miles!
And the U.S. Navy made history by having an unmanned ship cross the Panama Canal – the first time any unmanned ship had crossed the locks of the canal.
All right, that was a lot in today’s edition. Hope you enjoyed it. Let’s wrap up with some motivation and wisdom.
That’s it for this edition. As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.
Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should.
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.
About me: I am a proud vet and moderate, who wants to unite this country. I’m also a proud independent author, who used to own a small weekly newspaper for nine years that was probably (in hindsight) too generous on pricing to my advertisers and too lenient on my collection terms (I’m honestly just almost too nice). I also sought to downplay controversy, understate headlines, and never create panic, all of which is a terrible way to sell newspapers (but a responsible way for a media outlet to act). Looking back, it’s clear I had (and have) a big heart and that I wasn’t made to be some kind of cut-throat business executive. It’s this same streak in me that prevents me from signing any book deals, even big ones. I just don’t trust ruthless business executives at the big publishers. And even if I did, that very same company that I trusted could be bought and purchased overnight. Sorry, but I’ll pass on that. The truth is that while I’ve relented and signed some distribution deals, such as the one I did with Audible for my Nick Woods series, I’m just not willing to be owned by any of the big publishing houses. If I want to speak out on China? I will. If I want to send free books to military members? I will. (And I have.) I don’t ever plan to be owned by some New York publishing house. (The only person I answer to on this earth is my wife and I plan to keep it that way.) My success to this point has been made by doing it the right way: gaining one new reader or one new subscriber at a time. So join me on my journey. Let’s build a community of like-minded Americans, who believe in this country and in our fellow citizens (even those on the other side of the aisle). People who believe in small businesses and independent dreamers on their own journey, whether it’s owning a small farm or staying autonomous in their creative fields. And when it comes to politics? No name calling. No screaming. Just honest discussion and a genuine search for the truth. In the end, we truly all want the same: good government, unity throughout our land, and ethical leadership.
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More about Stan R. Mitchell:
BACKGROUND
— Prior infantry Marine, who earned the rank of Sergeant and a Combat Action Ribbon in 1997.
— 10+ plus years in print journalism, 20+ years of creative writing.
— Super picky reader, who hates slow-moving books. Also super ambitious, with his sights set on the very top of the fiction world. (See this article: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.)
ACCLAIM
“Mitchell’s writing style is sharp, snappy, cinematic, and impacts with the trauma of a hollowpoint to the head.” — Author Mark Allen
SUCCESS
Mitchell tackles his writing with skill that will blow you away. He’s sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Plus, all of his books average 4+ stars on Amazon.