Is the United States going to let Putin win?
President Trump has been accused of being too palsy with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. However, Trump never gifted the Madman of Moscow with an entire independent democratic ally of the United States.
A Putin victory at any level is a serious threat to America in both prestige and world power. It sets the stage for the surrender of world leadership primarily to Russia’s Big Brother ally, China. If Putin takes all of Ukraine in the near future through an extended war – or one-third of Ukraine immediately as part of a ceasefire – the ramifications for the western alliance are catastrophic.
The United States and NATO will once again have proven themselves incapable of exerting leadership on the world stage. America will be less feared by adversaries and less trusted by allies. Thanks to a 75-year string of defeats and setbacks in Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, the United States has lost prestige and power – with one exception. That was the foreign policy of President Reagan that brought down the old Soviet Union – the very rogue evil empire that Putin is successfully rebuilding.
Any level of victory by Putin will embolden and energize every American adversary in the world –and shift the center of gravity among unaligned nations in favor of the evil axis currently led by China. We have already seen this with nations like India. Almost unnoticed has been the attack on the dollar as the world’s exchange currency, with a number of nations moving to other currencies.
A Putin victory will energize recruitment by such terrorist organizations as al Qaeda and ISIS, weaken American leverage in the Middle East (where Russia has been gaining) and Africa (where China is making substantial inroads). China is also increasing its influence in South America.
A victory in Ukraine would enable China to take a more aggressive approach to Taiwan and the South China Sea. It would have no incentive to reduce its military build-up … its spying … or its theft of intellectual property. Why would they fear a further retaliation from weakened America?
A Russian takeover of Ukraine means that Putin’s new Soviet Union will acquire enormous natural and agricultural resources. Putin will control all that grain that has been feeding Africa. Putin will gain important strategic geographic benefits – including virtual total control of the Black Sea and all its Ukrainian shoreline.
Any victory for Putin means future aggression. Once he takes over Ukraine and rebuilds his military, it would be foolish to believe that he will not look for the next piece of real estate to conquer.
Then there are the issues of international law and morality. Putin has broken international law with his invasion of a sovereign state – and he has conducted his aggression as an indicted war criminal by the international court. Allowing that to stand – or be successful – is a surrender to world tyranny. America surrenders its position as the beacon of democracy or a humanitarian nation.
The war in Ukraine creates an existential turning point for the United States. Up until now, the slow decline of America on the world stage has been slow – relatively unnoticed and unappreciated. The challenge to American leadership posed by Putin may be the point of no return.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, America under President Biden has pursued a policy of too little/too late in terms of meaningful support for the war effort. And a faction of the GOP has demonstrated irrational opposition to support for the war … period.
The recent Continuing Resolution that omitted funds for Ukraine was a psychological gift to Putin even if funds are restored in a later bill. In omitting the money even temporarily, we have given encouragement to Putin’s only hope – that the United States and western alliance will tire of the war.
Putin believes he can win in the long run – and he is right. We have already seen how hanging on has given him time to strengthen his position with the help of Iran, North Korea and China. The nations that might have thought twice before disregarding U.S. sanctions in the face of a formidable America.
Isolationism has never worked for America. It is the opposite of world leadership. Those who think we can walk away unscathed from Putin’s aggressions are fools. It is time to do what virtually every general has called for – maximum support and all the weapons necessary to really win the war. That means Russian troops removed from every inch of Ukraine – and that Putin pays reparations.
We must defeat Putin militarily and diplomatically. Unfortunately, those on both the right and the left seem unwilling to meet that challenge. On the right, they want to cower in an American bunker. On the left, they want a Chamberlain-like surrender – a defeat made to look like a victory.
It may not be morning in America. That light on the horizon may be a setting sun.
So, there ‘tis.
Hey, with Republican support, we can get Chamberlain off history’s hook with this move…..
Perhaps it has dragged on too long, but so did the Berlin Wall and that did not deter Ron. We know defeat is imminent as soon as our pipeline slows much less dries up.
But take the weekend off boys, dick around with picking your next weak Speaker…….
Nasty pussy got kicked out of her office. And the only thing strong about her is the smell
Wrong. With the Sudetenland, Hitler was in the right. Poland had been defeated by all the other nations of Europe around 1700 because the Old Polish Empire was so evil. It was wrong for the Treaty of Versailles to have stolen half of Germany and recreated the country of Poland. If not for the Allies deliberately starting WWI and making Germany surrender by illegally starving them, then WWII would never have been necessary.
Nonsense. The US cannot possibly win this war we planned to start in the Ukraine as far back as 2014 Maidan coup we bribed.
Russia is in the right because they only allowed the former USSR countries to leave, under treaty promises to never join alliances hostile to Russia. If Russia were to even remotely appear to be losing, then they would have no possible alternative to using nukes against the US.
This is nearly identical to the Cuban Missile Crisis, in that Russia can never allow the Ukraine to join NATO and put US “first strike” nukes on Russia’s border. This is a life or death point to them that they can NEVER back down on. While no one wants to launch nukes, it would be vastly preferable to launch firs than to be the one who launches second, after most of your capability has been blown up on the ground.
And the claim the Ukraine is an independent and sovereign nation that Russia has no interest in is false. Kyiv used to be the capital of Russia at one time, and half the Ukrainians in the east are still ethnic Russian natives, that the western ethnic Polish hate and have always been trying to murder. The western ethnic Polish sided with Hitler in WWII and ran his death camps. They are descendants of Vlad the Impaler, and have always been fanatically racist.
kirk: horist says: “We must defeat Putin militarily and diplomatically.”
kirk: horist says: “We must defeat Putin militarily and diplomatically.”
fyi: vlad was romania. that’s not poland.
Kirk … In view of your defense of Hitler and hatred of Poles, I can understand your view on Putin and Ukraine. Heil Hitler.
AS a Polish-American, thank you for your response to Kirk. He has a very warped view of the history of the Polish state as well as Kiev.
Will someone please tell me when Ukraine became a friend of ours. Please. I can’t seem to find the exact date they became our friend,
And being part of NATO? North Atlantic Treaty? Organization. Huh???
JG
Julius … Ukraine moved in our direction following the fall of the Soviet Union.. There was still disturbing Russian influence .. but that essentially ended with the election of Zelenskyy as a reformer. The United States and all of NATO recognized the current government in Kyiv as an ally. that is why Ukraine could be a member of NATO in the future.
The current situation is not beyond fixing. Both major parties were taken over by extremists. We badly need a third party, unabashedly moderate and centrist, combining the best of John F. Kennedy’s Democrats and Ronald Reagan’s Republicans. We need a President who is young, vigorous, male and capable of commanding the world’s respect. Right now I don’t know who that man might be. I used to think De Santis could be him, but he’s too into book banning. Nor could our man be into science denial, and evolution is one of the strongest and most fructifying scientific theories. Is there anybody out there who can govern with the spirit of the Founders?
For the most part I agree with you Larry. For me, anyone opposing helping Ukraine is a non-starter at the voting booth.
With regard to your opening, “Trump never gifted the Madman of Moscow with an entire independent democratic ally of the United States.” I disagree with this statement. Putin considers Trump dismantling NATO to be a very good thing for Moscow, see *https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-welcomes-trump-nato-obsolete/28236452.html*”
I think you have forgotten just how pro-Russia the Trumpster and his team really were. Read at *https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties*
Thus I see your opening statement as in error. And this is the person that 25% of the GOP base want back in power? Sad.
Tom …I cannot believe you base you opinion on that piece of propaganda crap from Eric Swalwell. Maybe you have forgotten a few things Trump did against Russia and Putin. And this article does not include attacking a Russian used base in Syria …adding another nation to NATO … etc. Trump liked to talk nice nice … but I think his policy toward Russia was not as friendly as you allege. Trump did nothing to dismantle NATO — although he made threats to get the member nations to cough up more money — actually making NATO stronger. I think sending arms to Ukraine was a huge slap at Putin when Obama had refused. let’s be a little objective here.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-actions-against-russia-sanctions-2018-3#arms-sale-to-ukraine-4
Believing that Trump would like Putin to win, even if its just because most of (if not all) the loans he received from Deutsche Bank are probably now owned for repayment to Putin, it just furthers an outlook that Trump does not care about the US, its people, or the world – just his wealth and absolute control of this nation.
Peter Davis
Larry, If you want aid to Ukraine to continue, there is really only one way that will happen. Democrats must maintain the presidency and retake the house. Republicans are becoming more isolationist as time goes on (trying to avoid “unnecessary” expenditures). And these pressures will continue to increase until you retards realize that taxes are too low, and many of the modifications to the tax code made in 2017 need to go away. Republicans also need to stop complaining about additional funding for the IRS, so they can catch tax cheats-that is at least as big a problem as the ‘wasteful’ spending you were wailing about in an earlier post. Unfortunately, because of people like yourself that mislead the ignorant masses, I am not convinced any of this will happen..
MikeF, there’s an easier and faster way; just tell Republicans that the Democrats are against funding the war now. We are communists so why support a democracy. They will sell their mother’s soul to fund it then :>)
Speaking of which, it’s time to bring out FRIDAY FUNNIES and who’s funnier than Horist? Because, after all……
A Horist is a Horist, of course, of course
And no one can talk to Horist, of course
That is, of course, unless the Horist is the famous Mr. L.
and my submission is “My Way” as sung by Republicans, Democrats, and for Tom, I will speak as an Independent…
Republican
Not to say the things that he truly feels
And not the words of someone who kneels
Let the record show I took all the blows and did it my way
Democrat
Not to say the things that make the woke reel
Instead use words of the group that together kneels
Let the record shows we took all the blows and did our way
Independent
Not to say things until I’ve logically concluded with empirical evidence what I truly feel
And not the words of someone who party heels
The record shows who I blamed for the blows and did it the same way, as always, anyways
Libertarian
Defund it all, it’s what we truly feel
Don’t lend a hand, even if someone squeals
Let the record shows I took it all away, and said — your on your own, kiss my ass today……
Frank Stetson … My God, that is awful. LOL. You do not have a flair for satire. I tried, but I could not even make the words fit with the song. I can only suggest that you not give up your day job for stand-up comedy. Although I must concede that you did make me laugh ….lol
Hmm, no flair for satire…..maybe that’s because it’s parody….
The first two passages are spot on, the second two are forced. And the Mr. Ed is perfect.
More important —- there’s no room for Friday Funnies in Horist world. On to the bashing of Democrats, viva la retribution and revenge!!!
Frank Stetson … I stand corrected. You have no flair for parody. The Mr, Ed thing is too old to be funny …. even if it could have been a knee slapper 60 years ago.. But I am amazed by your self declaration of “perfect” — and your mental age.