It keeps getting more bizarre, more incredulous, more unbelievable, I don’t know how to put it, but if republicans continue to be complicit in Trump’s PARTNERSHIP with Vladimir Putin the DAMAGE could soon be unimaginable. Tonight, the New York Times is reporting that our so-called president is planning to “pull America out of NATO.” Obviously, I’m not the expert I sometimes portray myself to be, but suffice it to say that I can’t believe Trump can do this unilaterally – meaning without the approval of Congress. This would be cause for IMMEDIATE impeachment, in my view – despite the FACT Mike Pense is sitting “in the wings” should Trump be impeached. As disgusting as Pense comes across to me, I can’t believe he’d be STUPID enough to follow this incredible path. (Although Pense has been a wiling conspirator in the OBSTRUCTION)

Trump continues to be the greatest benefactor to Vladimir Putin in the WORLD and this is just further confirmation of recent articles claiming Trump is an asset, to some degree, of Putin and the Russians. Just today, in Great Britain, the issue of Brexit boiled over once again, threatening the government of Theresa May – a vote of no-confidence scheduled for tomorrow (possibly yesterday by the time I publish this) – the original Brexit vote being the work of Putin and right wingers like Trump and Steve Bannon. So, Putin’s been busy for the past few years in his quest to undermine the “Western democracies” and, of course, the United States and Great Britain would be the two most prized targets.

And, the evidence Trump is a Russian asset continues to mount and it appears Trump, himself, is oblivious to the “optics” of even the suggestion that might be true. Of course, Trump FINALLY, today, denied he’s “working for Russia” but then, tonight, we hear a report he’s planning to pull the United States out of NATO. What’s the old saying? “He’s not dumb, he’s STUPID.” Of course, I’ve heard previously, after a Trump fiasco at NATO last year, the Senate voted to FORCE Trump to get Senate approval (or Congressional approval, I don’t remember) to be able to withdraw the U.S. from NATO – what shocked me was that they had to vote to ensure this. With a bit further thought, it dawned on me, until Trump NO ONE would have even considered an American president would stoop to that level.

NATO has been the “glue” which has bound the Western alliances together in a bond to preserve the PEACE since the second World War which followed the first World War by about twenty years. At the time, it was the Soviet Union who was the immediate adversary of the countries in Western Europe and they (the Soviets) were able to “lay claim” to the countries of Eastern Europe and significant portions of the “Balkans.” After the fall of the Soviet Union, many of the former Soviet States have joined NATO much to the chagrin of Vladimir Putin – who seems to be trying to put “humpty dumpty back together again” – of course, meaning the Soviet Union.

What would be the necessary steps for Putin to succeed in his mission. Well, destabilizing Western democracies would be a necessary first step – focusing on the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and others and just as significantly destroying NATO. Well, how would you destroy NATO? OK, I know you’re one step ahead of me, but I’ll say it anyway – get the United States to pull out of NATO. “Icing on the cake” would be getting the United States to pull out of the United Nations and I’m half expecting to hear that’s on Trump’s “wish list” any day now. The biggest surprise in all this to me is I thought the republicans would have called “no mas” long ago on this rogue (so-called) president. It’s really well past the point where I stop scratching my head and start pulling out my hair.

Of course, I’m 71, I’m “white,” I’ve benefited from the “American dream” my entire life – which is likely closing in on its final stages – so, why do I care? Well, for starters, I have three children and three grandchildren – not to mention the other young members of my extended family. Of course, just thinking of them would be the height of selfishness – which, by the way, I believe is a real issue with Americans – selfishness, that is. Thankfully, I was privileged to spend the last 23 years of my working life in (mostly) a sixth grade classroom and I feel a direct connection to the THOUSANDS of students who I taught directly or indirectly – plus, having the privilege to be a public school teacher – at least in my case – causes one to feel some kind of connection to young people of all ages and all nationalities and creeds. In fact, it’s likely MANY of my former students are part of the DACA program which Trump upended early in his term.

“We the people” should be focused on giving something BETTER to the young people who come after us, not something far worse – and, if you think what Trump is pushing is “better” than what we’ve enjoyed since the days of WW II you have a poor grasp on history. There can be no doubt America has her issues – she always has and, likely, always will – that’s the nature of the “contract” we were born into OR we IMMIGRATED into and accepted as our own “way of life.” Some of these “issues” – clearly – are hard to “shake.” For example, racism is a “black mark” that has been with this nation since her founding. But, I would suggest there’s been slow – sometimes “less slow” – improvement over the course of our history.

To me, racism continues to be a “plague” on the nation, but when you look at human nature it’s likely to NEVER be totally expunged. But, periodically, there are obvious signs “we the people” are progressing – for example, prior to our present (so-called) president we had our first African American president (actually, multi racial – but, I guess in America we focus on the “African” side) – maybe it would be more accurate to say our first president of “color” – I honestly did not think I’d live long enough to see that happen. That being said, the election of Barack Obama brought out a racist backlash that was surprising to me. (Of course, my Black friends – who’ve spent their lives putting up with discrimination in virtually all avenues of their lives – were not so surprised at the backlash.) In fact, it was the “Tea Party” – which was led the racist backlash to Obama’s election – the movement which “paved” the way for Trump.

“We the people” have also put up with nearly 40 years of the republicans’ attack on the middle class with their endless “tax scams” which have ballooned the national debt, their fight to prevent any kind of national health insurance plus their support for a health care system becoming more and more un-affordable by those in the middle class, their war mongering – especially that of the Bush/Cheney regime, their support for Wall Street’s making shareholders more important than workers, and their willingness to use the infrastructure of this nation built on the backs and with the blood of “the greatest generation” with NO plan to rebuild it. (In other words, TAKERS) And, trust me, on the infrastructure “front,” if they do attempt to do something – corporations instead of workers will be the main benefactors. The “list” just keeps going on.

And, our “liberal media” continues to put forward this false equivalency which would suggest the fault in all of this is “bi-partisan.” Of course, for the past 30+ years in America, virtually NOTHING has actually been bi-partisan. Sadly, republicans have figured out how to dominate the “messaging” in America and democrats have proven to be woeful in responding to the right wing assault on all the democratic party was founded on during the New Deal. I’ve said many times here, my biggest disappointment with democrats – why I’ve always been an independent – is they haven’t proven to me they have the conviction of their own fundamental beliefs. The term I’ve often used is “spineless.” In the 2014 mid-terms one democrat after another in Congressional elections was unwilling to defend their own signature legislation – the Affordable Care Act. President Obama was persona non grata in way too many “races” and they got what they deserved – and that was a good butt whipping!

Unfortunately, “we the people” didn’t deserve that and Donald Trump is the result of this timid unwillingness to defend their own fundamental beliefs by democrats. In fact, changing that was the most exciting part of the mid term election of 2018 – even though I felt it was the most significant election in my lifetime strictly because stopping Trump was the imperative of imperatives, in my view. The “good news” of it all, to me, was/is there’s a BUNCH of young, eager, courageous, democrats who I believe are a totally different “breed.”

For example, had the democrats not retaken control of the House (with this eager group of young, idealistic, and patriotic young legislatures) we’d already be accepting that Trump was getting the BILLIONS of money for his “wall” that’s NEVER going to be built. The Senate would clearly have caved by now. (And, Mueller would be “gone”) But, they CAN’T “cave” because this group in the HOUSE will NEVER go along with them doing so. So, these young (many of them women – possibly MOST of them) exciting new members in the democratic caucus in the House are causing a bunch of “veteran” democrats to all of a sudden seem “courageous” themselves. There’s some really exciting young LEADERS now in the democratic caucus in the House and things are definitely looking a bit “up.” (Whether it be by republican president or democratic, the Congress MUST NEVER legislate based on hostage taking – in this case, “give me my wall or else.” That is a precedent which might work for an authoritarian, but can NEVER work in America)

And, these young leaders happened just in time – because, as I’ve said, the EVIDENCE Trump has been compromised to “whatever” degree by the Russians is mounting to the point where soon even republicans will have to take notice – and, I believe there are republicans who, when the evidence becomes overwhelming, will find the “stones” to put country over party. There are many in the democratic caucus ready to “pull the plug on Trump’s days in the “White House” right now. It’s likely there’s going to have to be a revolt in the Senate against Mitch McConnell to get him “on board,” because I’m beginning to think he’s possibly been compromised himself. Trump MUST be stopped sooner rather than later – despite the FACT the vice president is the disgusting, sad, pathetic Mike Pense – because preserving the NATO Alliance is more important than waiting out Trump’s two years to prevent a second disaster – meaning Pense as the next “so-called” president.

Final Thought: As I mentioned in my last post, one of my questions which came up repeatedly during this Trump disaster – as the EVIDENCE has been mounting – AND republicans have been trying to suppress the EVIDENCE – has been “are members of Congress immune from OBSTRUCTING justice?” Another thing that tells me things may be looking “up” is the report that Mueller is investigating Devon Nunes – who was CLEARLY and OPENLY attempting to OBSTRUCT Mueller’s investigation – as has Rudy Giuliani. (and others – Jim Jordan was the first name that came to my mind) My hope is that when all is said and done with this investigation there will be final CLARITY that in America NO ONE is above the law. That would include the president and anyone defending him along with anyone in Congress who wants to impede on ongoing investigation. If “we the people” lose faith in our justice System – which is EXACTLY what Trump and his surrogates are attempting to cause – our nation, as it has existed for over 200 years will be “finished.” I continue to believe Robert Mueller will find himself in the history books in the section titled “heroes” and Trump, Giuliani, Nunes, Jordan, McConnell, Paul Ryan, and others will be in the section headed up by Benedict Arnold (yes, if you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ve seen that claim multiple times)