Beltway Insider: Biden/SOTU, Jobs, COVID/Vaccine Totals, Ukraine War, EU Crisis, Refugees

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Last Updated on Sunday, 13 March 2022 12:19; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden addressed the nation this week with his first full State of the Union address, where he furthered explained the resolve to support the Ukrainians, spoke on America's recovery plan, the pandemic, and affordable drug prices.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending March 6, 2022 increased by 2.2% to 42.6% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.9% to 52.4% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Biden/Russian Sanctions, Kyiv Under Siege, COVID/Vaccine Totals, SCOTUS, SOTU Speech

State of the Union

President Joseph Biden delivered his first full State of the Union address this week and as expected he delivered a strong statement at the top of his speech to the people of the Ukraine, and the Ambassador to the Ukraine, a guest of the First Lady, on the resolve of the United States, our allies, and all global entities stating "Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been."

On the Pandemic

As it was the State of the Union, Biden addressed the issues that Americans are experiencing.

The most prevailing are the lingering Coronavirus pandemic and the rising cost of living as Americans begin to see a possible light at the end of a very arduous, grueling, and exhausting two years stating, "We meet tonight in an America that has lived through two of the hardest years this nation has ever faced. The pandemic has been punishing. And so many families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and so much more."

On Prescription Drug Prices

Biden outlined his plan to lower the cost of medication to Americans explaining tenant of his plan. "First, cut the cost of prescription drugs. We pay more for the same drug produced by the same company in America than any other country in the world," he said.

He informed the world to the high cost of prescription drug by introducing his guest, ten-year-old Joshua Davis, who has Type 1 diabetes and needs Insulin daily. Insulin cost roughly $10 per vial to make and President Biden explained, "drug companies charge families like Joshua and his dad up to 30 times that amount."

He also stated, "let's let Medicare negotiate the price of prescription drugs. They already set the price for VA drugs. Look, the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families on Affordable Care Act plans to save them $2,400 a year on their health premiums. Let's close the coverage gap and make those savings permanent."

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On Build Back Better and America's Rescue Plan

He also spoke of the joint effort of America's Rescue Plan, one of the first legislations passed by his administration that has already paid dividends much greater than expected. His stalled legislation, Build Back Better, a key $2.2trillion, was mentioned, although not by name, as a needed Senatorial vote has continued to create angst in the house with his opposition of key components of the bill.

Biden has been able to initiate strategic elements of the plan including High Speed Internet projects across American to enable Americans even in the deepest of rural areas, and tribal communities to have access, and fixing infrastructure, bridges, and roads across America, as he stated, "And, folks, when we use taxpayers' dollars to rebuild America, we're going to do it by buying American. Buy American products. Support American jobs."

Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this week that the total American payroll had grown by 678,000 in February. President Biden spoke of the successes of his Administration in creating employment over the past year with the assistance of the America's Rescue Plan stating, "It worked and created jobs — lots of jobs. In fact, our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs in one year than ever before in the history of the United States of America."

The announcement by the BLS, after the President's State of the Union, rose job creation to more than 7million in the past 12 months.

As Americans remain challenged by the pandemic, rising cost of inflation, astronomical gas prices and many other ills, the state of the union remains strong and hopeful. To read the President's entire speech, access this link.

Vaccine Totals

Bloomberg.com has built a vaccine tracker which can be seen here. "In the U.S., 555 million doses have been given so far. During the last week, shots were administered at an average rate of 139,547 doses a day," Bloomberg.com reported.

Coronavirus Totals

The recent escalation that the United States has endured from the latest COVID-19 variant, Omicron, seems to have passed and as quickly as it blazed a trail across the nation, it has dissipated. Mask mandates have been altered or lifted in most urban areas with limited exceptions, and the population is encouraged to maintain personal protective practices. Masks are optional and tolerated. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

Unless 85% of the global population is vaccinated and regularly receiving booster shots the global population will never fully control the pandemic it will always control the population.

For the two-week period ending March 6, 2022, coronavirus cases globally increased by 10,881,730 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 445,055,592 people with a total worldwide death toll of 5,994,063 deaths, and a 7-day death rate increase of 51,191. (Data from The New York Times).

COVID US Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the seven-day period ending March 6, 2022, the total confirmed cases rose to 79,166,521 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 340,677 with a 7-day average of 46,668 cases per day. The coronavirus has claimed 957,215 total deaths, adding 10,529 more deaths over the 7-day period. (Data from The New York Times.)

Pentagon's Diary Gets Personal

Protecting for gain of function knowledge only aides those who initiated the constitutional violations. It does nothing to combat the homegrown terrorism or the narcissist above the law belief. The best obtainable version of the truth.

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Ukraine War

Eleven days ago, Russia military under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, initiated an expected military operation after amassing troops near the Ukraine border for nearly a month. Even as diplomatic efforts continued it became apparent Putin was negotiating bad faith, with no intention of suspending his planned invasion.

The latest updates in the Ukraine War show deaths nearing 10,000, with more than 1.5million people displaced.

Limits in Weapons, Strategy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 44, the democratically elected president has governed the breakaway Russian Slavic nation since 2019, with no prior military or political experience. He quickly moved to shore up the alliances initiated by his predecessor Petro Poroshenko.

His limited military experience, combined with his relatively young age, and a belief in modernism can be seen as possible reasons behind he is not using his military the allied strength of the European Union to his best advantage.

To better serve his nation the Ukrainian President should request a war strategist from the European Union to assist with his military push to defend its nation. A war strategist, military general could provide key oversight in engagement operations that could slow Putin's military operation. Zelenskyy's recent call to allies and support for air support, which should have been at the ready, amplifies the need for a military strategist.

Key Targets Ukraine Must Hit

Key targets that have yet to be considered, and as war is war, the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Strait Bridge, a multi-car transportation bridge which allows for trucks, cars, and rail use, was once considered to be named the Reunification Bridge. The idea of this transportation span allowed Putin to move military equipment into Crimean without issue.

A key military strategist would see this as a potential and necessary target to disrupt Putin's free access into Crimea. Another target would be all Russian communication towers located near the borders of Ukraine. In a war, that shows no evidence of ceasing, critical decisions must be made. As this is a war initiated by Putin, without concern for his citizens, his country, or his standing in the world, there are only two options available for the global community in dealing with his tyranny.

Of course, the first is the continued economic sanctions which will bankrupt his nations, and squeeze his people, who may revolt due to the trickle-down economic hardships, this could result in his inner circle staging a coup, which would result in his death or escape to China. The only other option is a military operation that stops him before he decides to expand his military operation across Europe.

Putin's Ultimate Goal

It's doubtful his full intention is to roll across Europe reminiscent of Adolf Hitler, however his quest to reunify that former Soviet Union is clear. And it has been clear since 2007, when Putin spoke of the New Russia at the Munich Security Conference.

He has shown the West repeatedly since then of his plans and they have fallen on deaf ears, essentially hoping time would force him to come to his senses. Global disruptions including the 2009 Economic Great Recession, followed by the recovery, the global coalition on the Islamic State, and finally the COVID-19 pandemic, all contributed to the delay of Putin's complete plan and like many he was unable to see the signs as fail stops.

His partial move after the 2014 Sochi Olympic were a test of the resolve of the global community. The minor inconveniences resulting, including the suspension from the G8, the unified body leaders from the eight largest global economies that meets twice annually, did little to destroy his confidence that a full reunification could only result in similar ostracizing of his nation.

Although it is doubtful, he anticipated the full weight of the world's economic powers and sanctions across every unified body within the global structure to come against his strategy.

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EU Strength and The Future of Europe

With European Union President Ursula von der Leyen, announcing the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is aligned and partnered with Putin, the possibility of a further partnership, or a return to his former 1991 state of Belorussia, one of the three Slavic states which comprised the former Soviet Union, the other two being Russia and Ukraine.

Putin will easily acquire Belarus; the Ukraine, however, is more challenging and doubtful that Putin will ever return this nation to Soviet rule. He may destroy the land, force the people to flee their homes, leave them with nothing to return to, cost his own people their economic security, destroy himself, his legacy, become a pariah within his own nation, and in the end, he will leave the Ukraine, a stubborn and determined nation, who will be rebuilt by the west and eventually join NATO.

To force Putin into a position of withdrawal or cessation NATO or EU forces must initiate bombings on border held strongholds to create a cease fire platform.

Evacuations, Refugees

As Putin has shown his word is not to be trusted, the military operation in the Ukraine must be reevaluated to stop the honor code that Zelensky hopes will cause Putin to cease his attacks. An experienced military general or war strategist could be extremely beneficial to assist the youthful and hopeful give peace a chance Zelensky.

The European Union has continued to instruct the nations closest to the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, to open its borders to the influx of refugees who are fleeing their homeland.

"More than 1.45 million people have left Ukraine since Russia invaded the country nine days ago, the International Organization for Migration said on Saturday, sparking what the United Nations agency described as the fastest and largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II," reported The Wall Street Journal.

As Ukraine President Zelenskyy has so blatantly witnessed Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted. Evacuations of Ukraine had to be halted, after Putin had given his word to allow the people to leave the country, when his army was ordered to continuing shelling.

The rising death toll on both sides should be enough of a casualty to move Putin and the Russian leadership to a cease fire, and yet like many, there are causalities in any war, this one included.

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.