Reminder: Russia Remains an Active Member of the UN's...Human Rights Council

Let's see. The Russian government ordered an invasion of a sovereign country, with the ludicrous stated goal of decapitating its allegedly 'Nazi' leadership. While the Russian campaign flails and fails, its military has turned to indiscriminately shelling, and even targeting, civilians. They've bombed multiple hospitals, taking hostages at another. The Russians struck a theater in the middle of a park, which was being used as a bomb shelter for women and children, ignoring the word for 'children' written in large letters on each side of the building. The Kremlin has loudly objected to President Biden labeling Vladimir Putin a war criminal, but what else would you call the man responsible for all of this (content warning)?

The last hospital in Mariupol, by @AP. All others were bombed out by Russia. People doctors can't save are lined up in the basement, including infants. It's the most heart wrenching footage of this war. pic.twitter.com/By1J2hW1wD
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) March 16, 2022

Image on the left was before. You can see where they wrote "kids" in Russian on both sides. Image on the bottom right is what it looks like now. pic.twitter.com/5bxqncxC5F
— AG?? (@AGHamilton29) March 17, 2022

This is a dispatch for history. About a mass grave of children. One killed on the soccer field. Another so young that an umbilical cord is still attached. By the last two international journalists in Mariupol, risking their lives to write. @ap https://t.co/T9eKWb6t2U
— Jodi Kantor (@jodikantor) March 16, 2022

This video, played by President Zelensky's team prior to his virtual address to Congress yesterday, is almost unbearable to watch. Is it wartime propaganda? Yes. Does that make it untrue? No. It's effective information warfare because it depicts the carnage of a reality being inflicted upon the people of Ukraine by an invading force:

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy showed this powerful video to Congress, depicting Ukraine before and during the invasion.

The video ends with a familiar call for a no-fly zone: "Close the sky over Ukraine." pic.twitter.com/8nG0w9sv4y
— The Recount (@therecount) March 16, 2022

Late last month, Russia used its status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to veto a resolution demanding an end to its war, instantly killing it. The debate within that body over Russia's flagrantly illegal and totally unjustified war was presided over by...the Russian ambassador. The wider UN's General Assembly -- best known for endless castigations of Israel -- followed up with an overwhelming denunciation of Russia's action. The vote was 141-5, with several dozen abstentions. We've seen Russian people, athletes, musicians and others 'canceled' in various contexts, even if they've condemned the war. Some of this scapegoating has gotten totally out of hand, and compelled speech litmus tests are quite creepy. Meanwhile, the Russian government retains its seat on the UN's...human rights council. In spite of everything rehearsed above, which barely scratches the surface of Moscow's atrocities. I noted this point last night:

We are canceling Russian athletes, musicians, etc. (including those who oppose Putin’s war)…

Yet *Russia’s government* holds a seat—right now!—on the United Nations *Human Rights* Council. As their troops bomb civilians, on purpose, in Ukraine.

What is the point of the UN?
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) March 17, 2022

Sure enough, here they are, listed as an active member in good standing of the world's 'human rights' body -- alongside colleague nations such as China, Cuba, Libya, Sudan, and Venezuela. The rules allow the General Assembly to expel members of the Human Rights Council by a two-thirds majority vote. Has this even been proposed, let alone attempted? The Biden administration rejoined this farce of a panel with great fanfare after the Trump administration rightly refused to legitimize it with continued US participation. Team Biden's justification for doing so was to get "back at the table" in order to pursue meaningful change, arguing that walking away from the hopeless group "created a vacuum of U.S. leadership." Okay, where's that leadership here, now that America is "back at the table"? Has the Biden administration moved to boot Russia out? Has anyone? I ask again: What is the point of the UN? Meanwhile, back in Russia, dissenters are being arrested and prosecuted more than ever, with Putin darkly hinting at much more internal repression to come. Russian soldiers are being killed at an extraordinary clip, too:

Holy crap. https://t.co/83uA0im6l0 pic.twitter.com/I4Wb76OvBP
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) March 17, 2022

NEW: Russia has established a new field hospital in the town of Naroulia in Belarus, miles from Ukraine's border, & put additional troops, helicopters & engineering equipment nearby.

Local residents said morgues in the town had filled with ???? troops killed in ????

??:@Maxar pic.twitter.com/bCDPZFyVAa
— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) March 16, 2022

Weapons from the United States and other Western nations, coupled with Ukrainians' extraordinary patriotism and ferocity, are packing a devastating punch. But this answer makes little sense:

JACQUI TIME: "Can you lay out for us why the administration sees MiGs as provocative and javelins and stingers as not provocative?"

Psaki: "Well... javelins and stingers are defensive weapons. MiGs are planes that are offensive weapons which are a different...military system." pic.twitter.com/0nMNppmJgH
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 16, 2022

Planes are, by definition, offensive weapons? They can be, of course, but does the White House believe the Ukrainians are going to fly these MiGs over to Moscow? C'mon. These planes would obviously be used to try to stop the bombing of Ukrainian civilians on Ukrainian soil. Textbook self-defense. Finally amid much discussion of possible "off ramps" from this nightmare, I'll leave you with this possible ray of hope: