THE WARBIRD'S FORUM

Really, wouldn't we be better off without Russia?

Cleaning up after a Russian missile strike

As Putin's inept invasion goes on, and the Russian military continues its historical role of genocide, rape, torture, pillage, and destruction of anything it can reach, I become convinced that Moscow was a historical blunder. No matter who rules it (or its predecessor, St. Petersburg / Petrograd / Leningrad), and no matter if the ruler is called Tsar, Comrade, h74 Šor President-for-Life, nothing but butchery seems to come out of Russia. It is at present at war with the whole world, with the exception of China, India, and a few smaller nations that are terrified or corrupt or both. And Russia has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, which if words mean anything is supposed to nudge the world toward, um, security. Right? What a joke. It's bad enough that pirate regimes like Venezuela can sit on the UN Human Rights Council while there are no human rights in Caracas. But for Russia to have a permanent seat -- and a veto! -- on the Security Council while making war on its neighbors is a travesty for the ages.

I'm much heartened by the response. Kyiv's response above all, but also Warsaw's, and London's (the British Ministry of Defence is really a stand-up organizaton), and even that of Berlin and Washington. The last two have been slow to get off the dime, but they do seem to be coming around. This has of course been made possible by the incredible bravery of the Ukrainian people, their president, and their military. The Ukrainian army is much smaller and not as well-equipped as the Russians', but it's a far better fighting force. God bless the work!

Let the Tigers Fly Again -- in Ukraine?

I was amazed to read, in the Naval Institute Proceedings for April, an argument from Lt Taylor Buck USN that we "resurrect the American Volunteer Group in Ukraine." The notion of a new Flying Tigers group or wing has been kicking around for a while, usually being urged by Erik Prince, the founder of the Blackwater military contractors, first for Afghanistan and now for Ukraine. But it's fascinating to see it in such an august magazine as Proceedings, written by a US Navy officer. See the Annals of the Flying Tigers for more.

I am now blogging regularly. You can keep up to date at Daniel Ford's blog. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!) -- Dan

Use your credit card to suppport Ukraine's resistance! The first link may be tax deductible in the US: provide humanitarian aid through https://razomforukraine.org (a 501c3 charity) or fund the army through the National Bank of Ukraine: https://bank.gov.ua/en/about/support-the-armed-forces

And welcome to the forum!

Here are a thousand or so files on airplanes, pilots, and the wars of the past hundred years, grouped under these headings: