I'm all for this, believe me, and I have already donated to United24. But there is another issue here, and it concerns the very belated and inadequate response of the West to Ukraine's pleas for air defense systems. You may recall that in the early days of the war, Poland offered Ukraine their MiG-29 fighters but the US vetoed that, ensuring that Ukraine would never achieve air superiority over the Muscovites. The present situation is part of the same story: we have been giving them anti-air weaponry so slowly and in such small numbers that the aggressors have been able to disable large portions of the Ukrainian infrastructure.
So I would suggest that in addition to donating to United24, we press our leaders in Congress and the White House (or as appropriate in other countries) to provide Ukraine with state of the art anti-air systems and provide those systems in quantity, NOW!!
This right here! I sent a new batch of letters to all of our politicians the other day just for that reason. This time I tried for eloquence instead of angry demands and threats of voting for better. I'll paste it here for you to read:
I want you to think about the War of 1812. That moment in history that we know so well, that we sing about from the time we can speak because our National Anthem was written to commemorate it. The war that is loosely referred to as our 'Second War of Independence' and the 'true test' of our resolve to remain free. Back then Great Britain was the bully of the world and we were the underdogs. That moment where maybe we didn't win the fighting, but we won so much more and triggered the decline of Great Britain so they would no longer be that bully.
Now imagine today. Ukraine is the country whose resolve to remain independent is being tested, while russia is the world's bully. Ukraine IS winning this fight, but they require more help. Like we did at Fort McHenry, Ukraine has stolidly withstood the bombardment, for months rather than hours. And still they fight on, still holding steady through catastrophic loss of civilian infrastructure, facing the coming winter with even more resolve now than they started with, knowing that every moment the fighting drags on, the more of their people will die.
Do not we, the United States of America, understand this struggle, maybe as much as it is possible to understand it? We are taught this history with our mothers' milk and we sing about it every chance we get. Does Ukraine not deserve to have us add OUR resolve to theirs, along with the power we have accumulated through all of the years of our own successful independence? Do they not also deserve to look up with pride to see their flag waving freely over their land? Are we REALLY the 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave' if we do not do everything we can, and must, to help them achieve it like we did? Or are we cowards, willing to bow to nuclear blackmail and negotiate with terrorists so the status quo can be maintained?
We MUST do more, we MUST do better. We MUST allow them the weapons they need to overcome this new world bully. We MUST give them the tools to allow them to maintain their independence.
Thank you for your comment. I write weekly to President Biden and my Senators and representatives. The provision of anti-missile technology is my primary topic. I watched scud missiles consistently being destroyed in the Gulf Wars in real time on CNN, so I know there is a way to destroy these weapons of terror before they complete their hellish purpose. Closing the skies of Ukraine must be our priority.
We need to be careful about lessons from prior wars. Scuds fly high, ballistic (i.e., nonmaneuvering) trajectories and so are relatively easy to shoot down (though the actual success rate against them in the Gulf War was not as advertized). The Russians are using cruise missiles, some of which are easy to shoot down, and also the so-called kamakazi drones, which are difficult. The difficulty comes as a result of the very low altitudes and small signatures of the drones. That's why in addition to pressuring Biden to provide Patriot missile systems, we also need to support the Ukrainian efforts to buy counter-drone systems. The latter can be done by going to the United24 web site: https://u24.gov.ua/ or to the special site referred to by Prof. Snyder in a prior post.
I will certainly add the importance of US support for counter-drone systems as I write to my elected representatives. “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.” Proverbs 15:32
Thanks for your reply. I’m 73 but I want my letters to be on track and as on point as possible!
Like Elizabeth, I can't run, either (severe asthma), but I can donate. When I posted this comment a few days ago, I got 35 likes, which I hope will translate into donations. Right afterwards, I redeemed all of the rewards $$ from my credit card and donated it to the Shahed Hunter fund. I'm going to repost it today in hopes that others will see it and spread the word! Here is the original comment:
After I finished reading this essay, I went to my credit card website to pay off the monthly balance. Years ago I signed up for rewards, and have been redeeming the dollar amount annually (at the end of the year) by adding it to my credit card balance. When I noticed that thus far I've accumulated $514 since Jan. 1, 2022, it occurred to me that instead of using it for a credit on my card, I could redeem it to my credit card as usual and then donate that amount to UNITED24 for a Shahed Hunter, using my credit card. I know that not everyone can afford to do this, but if you can, I urge you to do so, and to spread the word.
Signed up for the 10k, and a couple of tees. Wish I could afford more; it’s been a while since I ran that far, but they’re doing so much more over there—at least I can push myself
I am grateful for the skillful and helpful ways Timothy Snyder is responding to this terrible genocide, which is under my skin too. I have communicated with friends, politicians and just now donated. But I feel that we must keep repeating the message that Ukraine is in need, and why helping them is of crucial importance to a very large part of the world. This is a responsibility we can accept, and have the honor to do so!
From UNITED24's Newsletter today: In just a week, the famous historian collected almost $195,000. Please, support the fundraiser: https://u24.gov.ua/shahedhunter
I think you can get into a loop if you don't read Ukrainian :( There's a page that comes up after you start registration that says "check your email" in Ukrainian. If you try to continue without going to link you've had sent in your email you can get into a loop (as a friend did).
Here are tips I sent my friends after I went through the registration process that may help some folks: (1) You are registering for "online" - which is meant to be "remote/not in person in Kyiv"
(2) You will get a page after starting registration which means "check your email" - it's in Ukrainian only even if you were using the English language flow.
(3) You will need to create a Strava account as well to pay
(4) One person told me that they inadvertently registered for "offline" (meaning in person) but then they didn't have to create a Strava account.
Hope this is helpful for anyone who wants to run/walk.
Pr. Snyder. I have a question. Why are the bank details for the bank transfers the same for the Naval Drones & the Shahed Hunter? How are these transfers separated?
Today someone asked me if I was planning to attend the IATEFL (English Teachers International Association) conference in the UK in 2023. I said I'd rather give the conference fee to UNITED24. So I am donating USD 225.00 today to Ambassador Timothy Snyder's fund. In the coming weeks, I will donate the hotel costs and the price of the railway ticket as well. Finally, I will donate the money for food and incidentals. UNITED24 will do well on account of me keeping away and watching the Yale classes - for free!
You definitely know that something is seriously wrong with you when you put in "ukraine" as your password instead of the two-country combination (one in Latin America, one in Africa) that you have used for ages :-).
I'm all for this, believe me, and I have already donated to United24. But there is another issue here, and it concerns the very belated and inadequate response of the West to Ukraine's pleas for air defense systems. You may recall that in the early days of the war, Poland offered Ukraine their MiG-29 fighters but the US vetoed that, ensuring that Ukraine would never achieve air superiority over the Muscovites. The present situation is part of the same story: we have been giving them anti-air weaponry so slowly and in such small numbers that the aggressors have been able to disable large portions of the Ukrainian infrastructure.
So I would suggest that in addition to donating to United24, we press our leaders in Congress and the White House (or as appropriate in other countries) to provide Ukraine with state of the art anti-air systems and provide those systems in quantity, NOW!!
This right here! I sent a new batch of letters to all of our politicians the other day just for that reason. This time I tried for eloquence instead of angry demands and threats of voting for better. I'll paste it here for you to read:
I want you to think about the War of 1812. That moment in history that we know so well, that we sing about from the time we can speak because our National Anthem was written to commemorate it. The war that is loosely referred to as our 'Second War of Independence' and the 'true test' of our resolve to remain free. Back then Great Britain was the bully of the world and we were the underdogs. That moment where maybe we didn't win the fighting, but we won so much more and triggered the decline of Great Britain so they would no longer be that bully.
Now imagine today. Ukraine is the country whose resolve to remain independent is being tested, while russia is the world's bully. Ukraine IS winning this fight, but they require more help. Like we did at Fort McHenry, Ukraine has stolidly withstood the bombardment, for months rather than hours. And still they fight on, still holding steady through catastrophic loss of civilian infrastructure, facing the coming winter with even more resolve now than they started with, knowing that every moment the fighting drags on, the more of their people will die.
Do not we, the United States of America, understand this struggle, maybe as much as it is possible to understand it? We are taught this history with our mothers' milk and we sing about it every chance we get. Does Ukraine not deserve to have us add OUR resolve to theirs, along with the power we have accumulated through all of the years of our own successful independence? Do they not also deserve to look up with pride to see their flag waving freely over their land? Are we REALLY the 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave' if we do not do everything we can, and must, to help them achieve it like we did? Or are we cowards, willing to bow to nuclear blackmail and negotiate with terrorists so the status quo can be maintained?
We MUST do more, we MUST do better. We MUST allow them the weapons they need to overcome this new world bully. We MUST give them the tools to allow them to maintain their independence.
I use the contact The President form on the White House page to send notes to President Biden.
You need to aim high under the circumstances :-).
Elizabeth. I believe the messages are conveyed to the President
Rightly so.
Thank you for your comment. I write weekly to President Biden and my Senators and representatives. The provision of anti-missile technology is my primary topic. I watched scud missiles consistently being destroyed in the Gulf Wars in real time on CNN, so I know there is a way to destroy these weapons of terror before they complete their hellish purpose. Closing the skies of Ukraine must be our priority.
We need to be careful about lessons from prior wars. Scuds fly high, ballistic (i.e., nonmaneuvering) trajectories and so are relatively easy to shoot down (though the actual success rate against them in the Gulf War was not as advertized). The Russians are using cruise missiles, some of which are easy to shoot down, and also the so-called kamakazi drones, which are difficult. The difficulty comes as a result of the very low altitudes and small signatures of the drones. That's why in addition to pressuring Biden to provide Patriot missile systems, we also need to support the Ukrainian efforts to buy counter-drone systems. The latter can be done by going to the United24 web site: https://u24.gov.ua/ or to the special site referred to by Prof. Snyder in a prior post.
I will certainly add the importance of US support for counter-drone systems as I write to my elected representatives. “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.” Proverbs 15:32
Thanks for your reply. I’m 73 but I want my letters to be on track and as on point as possible!
Hear, hear...
I cannot run, but I can donate. And I will, gladly.
Like Elizabeth, I can't run, either (severe asthma), but I can donate. When I posted this comment a few days ago, I got 35 likes, which I hope will translate into donations. Right afterwards, I redeemed all of the rewards $$ from my credit card and donated it to the Shahed Hunter fund. I'm going to repost it today in hopes that others will see it and spread the word! Here is the original comment:
After I finished reading this essay, I went to my credit card website to pay off the monthly balance. Years ago I signed up for rewards, and have been redeeming the dollar amount annually (at the end of the year) by adding it to my credit card balance. When I noticed that thus far I've accumulated $514 since Jan. 1, 2022, it occurred to me that instead of using it for a credit on my card, I could redeem it to my credit card as usual and then donate that amount to UNITED24 for a Shahed Hunter, using my credit card. I know that not everyone can afford to do this, but if you can, I urge you to do so, and to spread the word.
Signed up for the 10k, and a couple of tees. Wish I could afford more; it’s been a while since I ran that far, but they’re doing so much more over there—at least I can push myself
I am grateful for the skillful and helpful ways Timothy Snyder is responding to this terrible genocide, which is under my skin too. I have communicated with friends, politicians and just now donated. But I feel that we must keep repeating the message that Ukraine is in need, and why helping them is of crucial importance to a very large part of the world. This is a responsibility we can accept, and have the honor to do so!
I signed up and created a Facebook post. I am a walker and will happily be out there.
Done! I will be walking this time, but happy to put my feet to good cause!
From UNITED24's Newsletter today: In just a week, the famous historian collected almost $195,000. Please, support the fundraiser: https://u24.gov.ua/shahedhunter
A friend tried to donate to United24 a few days ago but kept getting a message that the page was unavailable. Was that a temporary glitch?
I think you can get into a loop if you don't read Ukrainian :( There's a page that comes up after you start registration that says "check your email" in Ukrainian. If you try to continue without going to link you've had sent in your email you can get into a loop (as a friend did).
Here are tips I sent my friends after I went through the registration process that may help some folks: (1) You are registering for "online" - which is meant to be "remote/not in person in Kyiv"
(2) You will get a page after starting registration which means "check your email" - it's in Ukrainian only even if you were using the English language flow.
(3) You will need to create a Strava account as well to pay
(4) One person told me that they inadvertently registered for "offline" (meaning in person) but then they didn't have to create a Strava account.
Hope this is helpful for anyone who wants to run/walk.
I think so. Perhaps try a day later. I managed to, several times.
It has just worked for me (22 Nov).
Shared!
The balance in the Shahed Hunter account on 2nd December:
"As of December 2, $555,665 has been raised." (UNITED24 Newsletter). What a fun number!
Pr. Snyder. I have a question. Why are the bank details for the bank transfers the same for the Naval Drones & the Shahed Hunter? How are these transfers separated?
Small note. My Twitter account has been locked, so I hope Dr Snyder will post things here so his tweets aren't missed when this sort of thing happens.
Today someone asked me if I was planning to attend the IATEFL (English Teachers International Association) conference in the UK in 2023. I said I'd rather give the conference fee to UNITED24. So I am donating USD 225.00 today to Ambassador Timothy Snyder's fund. In the coming weeks, I will donate the hotel costs and the price of the railway ticket as well. Finally, I will donate the money for food and incidentals. UNITED24 will do well on account of me keeping away and watching the Yale classes - for free!
The 1,000 page collection of Ulrainian writers / Executed Renaissance by Jerzy Giedroyc.... nowhere to be found, nothing in English.
Could it be true?
You definitely know that something is seriously wrong with you when you put in "ukraine" as your password instead of the two-country combination (one in Latin America, one in Africa) that you have used for ages :-).