Unattended Baggage Podcast
Unattended Baggage Podcast
Episode #283 Hour 1: Puppet or Puppetmaster?
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Episode #283 Hour 1: Puppet or Puppetmaster?

As Trump and Putin carve up Ukraine, we go through the potential scenarios, and try to figure out whether Trump is a Russian asset, or he has just ensured Putin’s defeat in a brillant manipul...

Unattended Baggage Show Notes 02/22/2025

Episode #283: Puppet or Puppetmaster?

As Trump and Putin carve up Ukraine, we go through the potential scenarios, and try to figure out whether Trump is a Russian asset, or he has just ensured Putin’s defeat in a brillant manipulation…and if so, did he actually mean to do it. Warren Sapp knows his rights, prosecution screws up bigtime in the Luigi trial, and with the Prophecy of the Popes come true?

Hour 1: https://unattendedbaggage.podbean.com/e/episode-283-puppet-or-puppetmaster/

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Hour 2: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-283-hour-122866595

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US & Russia decide how to carve up Ukraine, without Ukraine - an eerie repeat of Czechoslovakia in 1938

US and Russia meet without Ukraine for first talks on ending war

‘Lil Marco gives Minister Nyet everything that Putin wants, and it’s likely going to force Europe into a war

Revealed: Trump's confidential plan to put Ukraine in a stranglehold

Trump blames Ukraine for starting war

Then says Zelensky has “a 4% approval rating.” Zelensky’s actual approval rating is 63% among Ukranians in the most recent February poll. Trump’s is 44% among Americans in a poll released Wednesday.

What would a Russian Asset do?

What Russia gets:

  • All currently-held Ukrainian territory

  • No NATO membership for Ukraine

  • No US troops in Ukraine

  • Withdrawal of US Troop from Eastern Europe

  • Possible US withdrawal from all of Europe

  • No security guarantee for Ukraine

What the US gets:

  • $500 billion in Ukrainian mineral rights

What Ukraine gets:

  • To Surrender

Trump's Justice Department ends Biden-era task force aimed at seizing assets of Russian oligarchs | AP News

In phone call with Putin, Trump abruptly ends U.S. efforts to isolate Russia | PBS News

Kremlin Message to Trump: There’s Money to Be Made in Russia - The New York Times

Donald Trump rips into Zelensky in unprecedented attack as US 'negotiating end of war'

Trump official says Zelenskyy will sign US minerals deal ‘in the very short term’ | CPAC | The Guardian

And perhaps the most bizarre: Zelensky’s best bet is to FLEE Ukraine ‘immediately’, Trump insiders warn - as Putin 'days away from declaring victory' | The US Sun

Even though the operational situation on the battlefield is deteriorating rapidly for Russia, their advances are mostly stalled and Ukraine is holding territory inside Russia.

Trump, AKA Codename Krasnov

Former Intelligence Officer Claims KGB Recruited Trump

Trump reportedly going to Moscow to celebrate Russia’s victory in WW2

Then again, there’s a very remote chance this could be part of a covert strategy – but I don’t think they’re that bright

Ukrainians rally around their president after Trump seeks to denigrate him

EU floats plan to boost arms supplies to Ukraine | Reuters

British boots on the ground: What could a UK-Europe force in Ukraine look like? | World News

In Private Remarks on Russia, Rubio Tries to Reassure Europeans - The New York Times

The US strategy will clearly escalate the war in Europe, but will enable the US to completely wash its hands from it. They have to know how Ukrainian and European leaders will respond. They will reject the deal, the EU has made that clear. They will fight, and they’re already drawing up battle plans.

If Trump is actually playing 3D chess, maybe this is a ploy to present such a one-sided deal that it will force European leaders to act. By doing this sham peace conference with Russia, and literally giving Putin everything he wants without the EU or Ukraine involved, the US has forced the EU into a corner. They can’t let Putin win, because they all believe, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and possibly Finland will be invaded next.

Brussels will likely be forced to hold an emergency meeting to make Ukraine part of the EU. They’ve already authorized huge increases in military budgets, and they’ve been pre-positioning forces in Eastern Europe. Once Ukraine is an EU member, they will engage Russia directly, either in Ukraine or potentially from other European nations.

Russia is barely able to handle Ukraine right now. They’re losing the war of attrition. The Russian army is decimated, their inventory is depleted, their ability to support combat operations is hanging by a thread. They’re on the verge of losing already. Add Europe’s forces to the board and it’s game over for Russia. Germany and Italy will probably sit this one out, and Hungary definitely will. France, UK, Poland, the Baltic and Nordic nations, and some of the Balkans will be all-in.

Maybe this is just another way to get Europe to pull their weight. It worked last time with their NATO budgets, maybe it will work again. But this time, the outcome will be a bigger war. Russia will be defeated militarily in Ukraine and possibly Kaliningrad. And, there is a legitimate risk of a nuclear exchange.

But, at least the US will be completely out of the fight. And with the US on the sidelines, the odds of a nuclear war decrease somewhat, because the threat to Russia is less existential. That is, as long as European forces don’t march on Moscow, which is unlikely. The deal might work in the long run, but we’re burning a lot of bridges to get there.

Trump threatens governor of Maine

Trump openly threatens an elected governor of a state and behaves like a fascist authoritarian on camera—how did this go largely underreported by the media?

OK, now you’re just being a dick

Trump to shut down all 8,000 EV charging ports at federal govt buildings | Electrek

The Last Pope?

Prophecy of the Popes - Wikipedia

Pope Francis Will Miss Mass on Sunday Because of Poor Health - The New York Times

Pope Warned Confidants He May Not Survive Health Scare

ACAB

Warren Sapp Speaks Out on $20 Million Lawsuit Due to Wrongful Arrest in Florida - Newsweek

Grand jury recommends Alabama police department be 'immediately abolished' - ABC News

Trump deletes nationwide database on police misconduct founded after George Floyd murder - The Mirror US

They won’t want to be turned off

r/singularity on Reddit: Google DeepMind's Anca Dragan: "We very much worry that for a misaligned system ... you get a lot of incentives to avoid - to turn off

Are Einstein, Hubble and Friedmann all wrong? The case for expanding gravitationally-bound and quantum spacetime.

Discussion…

Steve Bannon gets cheered at CPAC for Nazi salute…WTF is wrong with these people?

Steve Bannon Raises Eyebrows with Controversial Nazi Salute at CPAC Amidst Enthusiastic Crowd : r/worldnewsvideo

Does this mean that America is the 11th Canadian Province now?

Canada defeats USA in overtime to claim hockey's first 4 Nations Face-Off title

Booing the Canadian national anthem:

FFS, why?

United Healthcare: An Equal Opportunity Defrauder

DOJ Investigates Medicare Billing Practices at UnitedHealth

Elon should hire Luigi for DOGE, because he actually knows how to weed out corruption.

If Luigi doesn’t get acquitted, he’s got grounds for a mistrial

CEO 'killer' Luigi Mangione's sick fans beam at him in court and scream outside with disturbing 'Jesus mural' and merch | The US Sun

I find it funny that they put a bulletproof vest on him in court. He’s the least likely person to get shot in that courtroom.

Grounds for a mistrial: video

Discussion about this episode