As far back as his initial provocations in the Donbas and his invasion of Crimea, the Marxist, ex-KGB operative, dictator of Russia has counted on the political divide in the United States to prevent any significant consequences from coming out of the United States. He has been laying the groundwork for softening the impact of any American reaction to his aggression for a long time. All of this is on the record, something that can be seen with just a few clicks on a search engine.
Russia has launched cyber attacks on infrastructure in multiple locations around the world, including in the United States, and also, specifically, in former Soviet provinces and republics, especially Ukraine. They've been increasing their aggression incrementally, gauging both world opinion and possible United States actions opposing their expansionist plans.
Putin's Loyal American Ally, "President Pushover"
There's no argument that can be made against the claim that the former President of the United States was a loyal Putin ally and supporter. Public pressure forced the former President's signing of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which actually contained provisions that prevented the former President from lifting sanctions already imposed. But the administration's actions all through that entire Presidential term are a record of foot dragging, walking back and even reprimanding UN Ambassador Nicky Haley when she announced sanctions in opposition to Kremlin support of Syrian President al-Assad's use of chemical weapons. The former President claimed Haley was "momentarily confused".
The fact that the former President is on the record with statements that clearly demonstrate his support for, and admiration of the Marxist, ex-KGB dictator is unfathomable. With a mountain of evidence that even hard line, hard core conservatives had to agree pointed to direct interference in the 2016 election by Russia, the former President, incredibly and unbelievably sided with Putin against his own intelligence agencies in claiming that he didn't see why the obvious meddling would be Russia. I believe that's one of many reasons why he lost his re-election bid in 2020. The political division in the United States that prevented his removal after impeachment was Putin's confirmation that he would have plenty of political support in the United States, enough to create division and confusion, if he decided to invade Ukraine.
It was Republican Senator Bob Corker, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who said the former President's words and actions when it came to Putin's interference in the 2016 election, and to the soft-pedaling of sanctions made the country "look like a pushover." I think that's an apt description of the former President when it comes to anything having to do with foreign policy, period, but especially anything having to do with Putin. His claim that he was "tougher on Russia than any other President has been" is an outright lie. If he had been, Putin would not now be invading the Ukraine.
President Pushover's Foreign Policy Legacy
For a President who was elected with the help of a Marxist, former KGB-agent, Russian Autocrat, the former President's foreign policy ran right along with Putin's expectations. For the first time since the NATO alliance was formed, the United States was not a reliable partner. In fact, the former President pushed the whole alliance aside, met with the leaders fewer times than any of his predecessors, and left the European side of the alliance to conclude that, at least as long as he was in office, they were on their own. That was probably far more than even Putin expected.
Then there was the North Korean debacle. With all the hype over the first meeting ever between the US President and the world's most notorious and brutal Communist dictator, nothing ever came of it except that the US withdrew from joint military exercises with another loyal ally, South Korea, while North Korea was obligated to do....nothing. Just to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of President Pushover, they fired off another missile test just a few days after the dictator returned home from Singapore. The US alliance with South Korea is still strained as a result of that incompetent, inexcusable move.
Then there is Afghanistan. In just four short years, President Pushover completely undid all of his prior fellow Republican President's "nation-building" policies, which were widely supported by Republicans in Congress back then, in his haste to gain favor by getting out of Afghanistan. His record of Islamophobia didn't prevent him from directly negotiating with the Taliban. He wanted to invite them to Camp David, but fortunately, his military advisors prevented that disaster from happening. But the die was cast. The failure of his administration to fully equip and maintain the Afghan army, and his undermining the legitimate government, doomed them. Biden had to bail the US out, which he did.
And don't forget, former President 45 was the one who was originally impeached for trying to bribe the Ukrainian government to tell lies about Joe Biden.
Putin Has What He Wanted
Helping the former President get into the White House, and then getting away with it, was quite a coup, accomplished with little in the way of expense and no military operation required. We still don't know for certain exactly what it was that the ex-KGB agent dangled over the former President's orange head to get his full cooperation but I'm pretty sure it involved some inside deal for property and investment opportunities in Russia. Maybe it is some deep, dark moral secret, but the former President built his personal reputation on immorality, vice, bribery, fraud and corruption and then bragged that that's the best pathway to success. He cares about making money, not his moral reputation.
A Republican Political Disaster Unfolding
As if January 6th wasn't enough, Republicans and their Fox News propaganda outlet are openly siding with Putin. That's because their savior and idol, the former President, is dictating their conscience. Republicans haven't had much respect for either the Constitution or representative democracy as the minority party and that's becoming crystal clear as the threat of this invasion has brought to the surface. The fact that we have anyone in Congress who is not fully supporting a free, independent, democratic Ukraine against a Marxist, autocratic Russian dictatorship is a sign of exactly how successful Putin has been in dividing this country, and how far away from American patriotism the Republican party has fallen.
The Republicans can't seem to fathom how much political damage this will do to them. Many of my neighbors, who emigrated here from Eastern Europe, and who have been fairly reliable Republican voters seem to have a much better perspective of who Putin is, how bad he is, and how unAmerican he is than many members of the Republican party do. The GOP is losing this constituency.
This is one of those times when I am absolutely grateful that an experienced leader with a real foreign policy record is in charge, and is relying on individuals like Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a real American patriot who understands what's going on better than just about anyone else.
Ironic, isn't it, that the political party which loves to take credit for having a President in office when the Soviet Union fell apart is now supporting the Marxist dictator who wants to bring it back.
Author's Note: It could not be any better for the United States at this moment that President Joe Biden has been providentially placed in the Presidency, and yes, I do mean thank God. There are few people in our national government better equipped with the kind of experience and knowledge necessary for handling a situation just like this one, and the others who do have all that have been called in as advisors or were already there working on our behalf.
And yes, it was providential. "For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God--The Apostle Paul, Romans 13:1.
And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?--Queen Esther, Esther 4:14
When the World Trade Center was attacked, and the United States was about to invade Iraq, there was a Republican in the White House. Even though the invasion was directed at the wrong country, for the wrong reasons, when the Republicans asked for unity, they got it. We are now facing a crisis, perpetrated by a dictator whose values are the polar opposite of American idealism. Though we are not being invaded, nor are we invading another country, we still need unity. If the Republicans really are patriots, then they'll step up and get behind the President. If they don't then that will tell us just how far they have departed from being true American patriots.
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