What Kind of American Roots for Putin?
I’m not sure what to call the Republicans and faux Democrats who’ve decided to align themselves with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. I’ve checked my dictionary and thesaurus and the WWII term Quisling seems to fit the best.
One of the world’s oldest continuous democracies is now haunted by men who glorify the memories of a war of succession and praise the actions of an authoritarian leader, one who would seek to eliminate any of the country’s founding fathers if they were alive today.
The hybrid mafia plus Eastern Orthodox mentality dominating the Russian economic picture has attracted a certain class of American business types, who are apparently willing to trade overt interventions for covert manipulations when it comes to regulating commerce.
I thought I understood the lure of fabulous wealth driven by flexible government defined parameters (aka corruption), but never foresaw the day when suit and tie business-types would openly be stooges for an authoritarian madman.
Former President Donald Trump’s reaction to the prospects of war wasn’t surprising, given that he thinks so highly of himself and historically has shown a certain “flexibility” when it came to the Russian leader.
Via the Washington Post, reporting on an appearance by the former President on a right-wing radio program.
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius,’ ” Trump continued. “Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force … We could use that on our southern border.”
“Here’s a guy that says, you know, ‘I’m gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent’ — he used the word ‘independent’ — ‘and we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace,’ ” Trump said. “You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response.”
Here’s a look back at 2016, via Forbes Magazine:
According to multiple accounts, the Trump campaign has successfully worked behind the scenes to make sure the new Republican platform would not pledge the lethal defensive weapons Ukraine has been pleading for from the United States. Trump’s forces have tabled a platform amendment that would call for maintaining or increasing sanctions against Russia, and have substituted “appropriate assistance” for “providing lethal defensive weapons” to Ukraine’s military. Removing sanctions and blocking lethal military assistance to Ukraine are the two primary goals of Putin’s foreign policy. The Republican platform is handing those goals to Putin on a golden platter.
This is just sad….
There’s a chorus of mealy-mouthed appreciation for what Russia is doing coming from a bunch of characters who’ve been described as “left” in the past, mostly by observers too lazy to question them.
Dr. Jill Stein, the 2016 Green Party Presidential candidate who dined with Putin and assorted members of Congress, wants the world to know that what we’re hearing about Russia and Ukraine are the same sort of lies we’ve heard prior to every U.S intervention.
Authors Matt Tiabbi and Glenn Greenwald, who made bank supposedly debunking evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, are all-in for Putin, as are wackadoodles Caitlin Johnstone, Tara Reade, and Tulsi Gabbard.
To show just how bizarre this thinking is, journalist Ken Stone points out that the Peace and Freedom candidate for Congress in the East County has a position remarkably similar to what we should expect from incumbent Darrell Issa. (I’m sure Issa phrases it differently, but still…)
Speaking of wingnuts, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has shown her support for Putin by claiming (falsely) that Ukraine was the top donor to Hillary Clinton.
Then there are the distractionists like Fox’s Tucker Carlson, Ohio Senatorial candidate JD Vance, Rep. Lauren Boebert and others who say Democrats care more about Ukraine's border than our own.
Here’s Greg Sargent at the Washington Post on that thought process:
Buried underneath this smarmy formulation is a real argument, and it’s a repulsive one. There’s a reason Vance and others keep linking our border to that of Ukraine: Drawing this connection treats immigration to the United States as a species of invasion on a par with what Russia is threatening.
The “mainstream” GOP position seems to now be that the Ukraine invasion is Biden’s fault because America isn’t great like it was during Trump’s term. Oh, and gas prices will probably go up, so it would be better to kiss some Russian ass.
Here’s Mark Sumner at Daily Kos:
As Fox News and the Republican Party are coming together around the message that Putin is only invading because Biden “gave him the ‘green light,’” even The New York Times recognizes the enormous effort Biden has put into trying to piece together an alliance desperately wounded by the actions of Donald Trump. As The Washington Post declares, “With Biden standing firm, Putin must wonder: Where’s Trump when I need him?”
Trump may not be there to hold Putin’s hand as he crosses into Ukraine, but every single Republican and conservative commentator who is choosing this moment to throw the blame on President Biden and further divide the nation is absolutely the payoff that Putin received for his investment in Trump.
As I’ve said in the past, you can decry decades of U.S. intervention in the affairs of other countries AND recognize an injustice is in progress in Ukraine. They’re not mutually exclusive.
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com