Common Sense, Ep. 63: Stronger Women Part III, Lorien Clemens
Intro
Hello and welcome to episode sixty-three of Common Sense, I’m Dominick Bonny and in this episode, we’re going to sit down with Lorien Clemens, CEO of PetHub, which is a startup founded right here in Washington that is doing big things in the pet industry. In a nutshell, they help pet owners find lost pets, but they’re doing it in a way that is taking that industry by storm and has attracted the attention of one of the biggest and most historic food brands in the country. It’s actually the interview that I planned to kick off the month of March with, since it’s Women’s History Month, but Russia invaded Ukraine. And that unprovoked act of violence has thrown a wrench in all our plans, hasn’t it? I was actually at Disney World with my family the day Russia invaded, right before most of the Putin apologists in North America suddenly went silent, and when I looked at my phone and saw the news I said, “I don’t think people understand that no matter what happens now we’re all going to be paying for this war, somehow.” Over there they’re paying in blood, and here we’re paying at the pump. I don’t know about you but I know where I’d rather be, but my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, who are bearing the brunt of what has now become a war against civilians as well as soldiers. For instance, and this is just one “for instance,” Russian forces under dictator Vladimir Putin celebrated International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, by bombing a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol. Women and children, of course, were victims of the attack and at least three people were killed, according to ABC News. And as Ukrainian civilians die as victims of “war crimes” as some Western leaders and governments are calling them, President Biden and the Pentagon hem and haw on what can be done militarily. Meanwhile the liberal media intelligentsia in New York and Washington DC try to put the brakes on any more meaningful military intervention by writing think pieces forecasting nuclear apocalypse if the Poles give the Ukrainians some old jets, even though we’ve given the Ukrainians *javelin missiles. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, since both of things shoot down Russian airplanes and kill Russian pilots. Then you have the more hawkish left-wingers who are advocating a no-fly zone over Ukraine. This is an insane proposition that betrays the profound lack of knowledge about how military operations actually work. Establishing a no-fly zone isn’t like waving a magic wand. It would absolutely lead to a direct confrontation between the US-led NATO forces and Russia. NATO soldiers and pilots would have to kill Russians directly in the air and most likely on the ground too, and that is a sure path toward a full-on shooting war with Russia. The no-fly zone is a no-go, in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean the Ukrainian skies are lost. The Ukrainians have already asked for what they want, and it's not a **NATO-enforced no-fly zone. It’s some old Soviet-era MiG jets, which their neighbor Poland has volunteered to provide, yet the Pentagon has put the kibosh on. But while the Pentagon might have stymied the Biden administration’s support for the plan, Senator Mitt Romney gave his full-throated support for it. In a press conference on March tenth Romney said:
“I want to underscore the feelings in my heart and the feelings of every person I know in this great country of affection and concern and hope for the people of Ukraine, and admiration of President Zelenskyy in his effort to lead the world. He has asked us for aircraft—specifically MiGs. We need to get him those MiGs. It is a bipartisan message—not just us. We had a hearing this morning with the Foreign Relations Committee. Chairman Menendez said the same thing, Senator Shaheen said the same thing. Democrats are saying the same thing: Send these MiGs. And the question is, why aren’t they being sent? Because we’ve heard now for days that this is something that’s being discussed. Enough talk. People are dying. Send them the planes that they need. They say they need MiGs. People say, well maybe that’s not the ideal weapon for them. That is what they say they want. They are there. They have the eyes to determine what they want. They want MiGs. Get them the MiGs.”
But how do we get them these old Soviet jets without further escalating tensions? It’s a good question, and it could be a simple one to solve. The Poles fly them to our airbase in Germany, you know, the one we have strategically placed in case war in Europe kicks off again. But instead of American military personnel transporting those warplanes into an active war zone, we merely invite Ukrainian pilots who are qualified to fly those jets to stop by. We leave the keys in the ignition, clear them for take-off, and they go defend their country. If this is provocation enough for Putin to fire off nukes and start World War III then he was probably going to take that step in response to whatever anyone does to stop him. It’s a serious situation and even if everyone involved in the West makes the best possible decision we could still be facing a global disaster. If only there was a great leader who could solve this problem. Someone who has a great relationship with Putin. Maybe an ex-president who spent most of his time in office bragging about his great relationship with Putin could fly to Moscow, meet with Putin at the Kremlin and leverage his “clout” to save human lives and avert a major geopolitical catastrophe. I mean if Trump could do that he wouldn’t just have the 2024 presidential election on lockdown, there might also be a Nobel Peace Price in the cards for him. I’m not holding my breath for that scenario though. We’ll keep an eye on what’s happening in Ukraine, and what locals are doing to support Ukrainians who are suffering, in the coming weeks but now let’s go to PetHub’s Wenatchee offices speak with CEO Lorien Clemens about exciting new developments for that company and what’s it like being a female CEO in the tech industry. And full disclosure, my wife works for PetHub, which is how I first learned about their big announcement.
Interview segment I
Stay tuned for more after the break!
Commercial break
Welcome back to Common Sense, let’s get right back to my interview with Lorien Clemens, CEO of PetHub.
Interview segment II
I’d like to thank Lorien for joining me as my guest for this episode. It’s cool to get close up look at local startup making waves in the one of the fastest growing industries in America. Join me next time for an interview author and reporter David Neiwert, who has spent a large part of his decades-long career covering far right extremists here in the Pacific Northwest. We’re going to take a look at the history and growth of the extremist movement from the fall of the Aryan Nation in Hayden Lake, Idaho to the current activities of folks like the Bundy Family and disgraced former state representative Matt Shae from the Spokane Valley. I’m Dominick Bonny and that’s next time on Common Sense.
Corrections:
* Stinger missile systems are surface-to-air, not the javelin system, which is an anti-tank missile.
** Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking for a no-fly zone, and if that cannot be accomplished they want the Polish MiGs.
Sources
Ukrainian maternity ward moves to basement for shelter: https://bit.ly/3IiRUMc
Airstrike hits Ukraine maternity hospital, 17 reported hurt, Associated Press: https://bit.ly/3Jg4hcU
Russia struggles to explain hospital bombing amid outrage; massive convoy outside Kyiv breaks up: Live Ukraine updates, USA Today: https://bit.ly/3I7xKo1
Russia Struggles To Get Its Story Straight On Horrific Bombing Of Maternity Hospital, Vanity Fair: https://bit.ly/369A5Sr
Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up, ABC News: https://abcn.ws/3MHueo4
After Pentagon Rejects Poland’s Plan to Provide Fighter Jets, Romney, Ernst Call for Biden, NATO Allies to Expedite Aircraft and Defense Systems to Ukraine: https://bit.ly/36tGoA7
What is a war crime, and could Putin be prosecuted over Ukraine? BBC News: https://bbc.in/3I11LWQ
Opinion: Striking hospitals is vile. For Russia, it’s standard operating procedure, Washington Post: https://wapo.st/3we1jSP