So, what would matter if somehow Rudy Giuliani “proved” that there’s someone in Ukraine who would say Joe Biden did something untoward in Ukraine when he was the Vice President. Here’s the reality of this – it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change the FACT individual 1 EXTORTED the newly elected president of Ukraine to announce a bogus investigation on Biden (really, anything on Biden would be illegal via the president’s request) in exchange for the ALREADY approved almost 400 BILLION dollars of aid which the Ukrainians desperately were in need of – they have citizens DYING every week as the Russians are attacking them and they (The Ukrainians) are dependent on this U.S. aid.
It’s almost a 100% guarantee that whatever Giuliani has gleaned from the Ukrainians will be something which is pushing the Russian narrative. Make no mistake, the nation of Ukraine in her fight for independence from Russia is in a fight for her life. And, additionally, it’s important to understand that individual 1 could care less about Ukraine. Going forward I believe they understand how vulnerable they are against the Russians with the likelihood individual 1 will turn on them. The question in my mind is whether or not Congress is going to make it clear that “we the people” will defend them – no matter what.
If you haven’t paid attention to recent world history – after the breakup of the Soviet Union -Ukraine was the “home” of HUNDREDS of nuclear weapons (And, I believe, something like 2000 warheads). They agreed to give up these weapons on the strength of the United States and some of our allies PROMISING to defend them against Russian aggression. I certainly don’t feel individual 1 feels any obligation to follow through on that PROMISE (He’s clearly in Vladimir Putin’s “pocket”) – but, the rest of us are OBLIGATED to FORCE our leaders to follow through on that PROMISE. We CAN’T allow the Russians to take over Ukraine – which is the country which keeps Russia from the edge of Europe.
If you haven’t been paying attention, Vladimir Putin is busy attempting to “Make Russia Great Again” and he’s got a willing “partner” in the American “White House.” Sadly, the other day as the IMPEACHMENT vote was taking place in the House Judiciary Committee, instead of giving the Oval Office meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine which he’s been requesting, individual 1, instead, invited the Russian Foreign minister to the “White House.” This was, at a minimum, bad optics from the standpoint of the Ukrainians. At its worst, it signifies the administration is supporting Russia over Ukraine! Simply put, it’s another reason why individual 1 SHOULD be IMPEACHED!
Individual 1 has been working to undermine the NATO alliance which has kept Russia from re-emerging into an autocratic dominance of Eastern Europe and other areas bordering Ukraine. He’s been a cheerleader in the Brexit situation in Great Britain which very well could lead to some weakness in NATO and he’s been encouraging the right wing neo-Nazi’s who are emerging in country after country across Europe. It should be no secret to the American public that we’re in a FIGHT for the soul of our nation – which I’ve been pointing out since the days of Bush/Cheney. This republican party has been tilting “right” since the election of Ronald Reagan back in 1980, but it LURCHED to the “right” after “we the people” chose a person of color to live in the “White House” with the so-called “Tea Party.” Now, it’s gone “over the cliff.”
And, for all of you (including people I know who identify with the “Tea Party”) who don’t believe the “Tea Party” was founded on racism, you can Google some of the posters people were carrying at their rallies and if that doesn’t convince you, well, you’re probably a Fox “news” person. Of course, individual 1 was leading the way with the so-called “birther” movement accusing Barack Obama of being born in Kenya and, therefore, not being an American citizen. Naturally, I don’t remember anyone asking to see individual 1’s birth certificate and we all know why, don’t we? Our so-called president is leading what amounts to a “white nationalist” movement in America.
Virtually every time I start ranting on this site, in my mind I’m reminded it almost seems unbelievable that it’s the republicans working in concert with Putin. When you think back to the “history” of the republicans, they’ve routinely boasted they’re the party of strong national defense and that would include standing strong against Russian aggression. Well, then along comes individual 1 and “all bets are off.” I have to add, I’ve always pointed out the republicans have clearly believed “the end justifies the means.” So, in today’s political environment – where the republican party has clearly chosen NOT to seek diversification – they are now willing to accept the help of the Russians to remain in power. Don’t be confused – the flood of Russian money into our political process goes well beyond individual 1 and, in almost every instance I’ve seen, it has “flowed” almost uniquely to various republicans. (Like “Moscow Mitch, Lindsey Graham, and others)
I don’t think I’ll ever forget watching President Obama, in one of his first State of the Union messages, pointing out the then recent Supreme Court Decision now known as “Citizens United” would open the floodgates of foreign money into our political process. This was the decision which led to Mitt Romney famously saying “Corporations are people my friends” back when he was the republican nominee in 2012. Clearly, the results of “Citizens United” have favored the republicans as they’ve been the recipients of MASSIVE amounts of what is now called “dark money.” That is money coming from sources which are unknown. (We do know that Russia funneled something like $30 MILLION into individual 1’s 2016 campaign via the NRA)
As President Obama was making his remarks about the danger of “Citizens United” and making the prescient point that foreign money was going to flow into campaign coffers the camera showed newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito shaking his hand and head as if to say “no, no” – because he and Justice Roberts – the two most recent members of the court who had been appointed by George W Bush – were key in this decision which overturned decades of campaign finance reform – and, as we’ve seen, opened the “floodgates” to massive (and unknown) amounts of foreign money into our political process. (Possibly the most extreme example of “legislating from the bench” in my lifetime.)
Of course, Roberts and Alito (and the other right wing judges on the Court) went one step further in 2013 when they obliterated Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – a bill that people like John Lewis (and, of course, Martin Luther King Jr.) risked their lives to get passed – opening further “floodgates” from the “end justifies the means” republicans to win at any cost as they were laying in wait with voter suppression bills which were introduced virtually days after the Court did the “dirty work.” Republicans understand they are a diminishing percentage of the American populace, so they intend to find “creative” ways to “win” – likely why they are lining up behind individual 1 despite KNOWING he’s likely the MOST corrupt (so-called) president in history – because they recognize he has a cult like hold on the republican “base.”
After all, he took advantage of the voter suppression tactics in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania – to name a few instances – along with the help of the Russians to pull off a “victory” in the Electoral College. Of course, he was short almost 3 MILLION votes in the “popular vote” – but, by now, all Americans know the votes of people in rural areas carry more weight than that of those in the industrialized American cities which seem to be located near the east and west coasts of this great nation. So, these two Supreme Court decisions have made republican “wins” with support of around 40% of the nation very possible.
For people like me, who believe in American traditions which are being toppled with regularity, who believe in the rule of law and the constitution, who believe in the foundation of the middle class which was created during the Great Depression by the administration of FDR, and who are direct descendants of the “Greatest Generation” but haven’t been deluded by Fox “news,” Rush Limbaugh, or the other right wing propagandists who’ve turned America almost upside down, the vote in 2020 holds the greatest threat to this nation in our lifetimes. (This morning my son, who is a “millennial” informed that online his peers are referring to “boomers” as stupid. Sadly, I have to agree – and, of course, I’m a “boomer”)
I can’t even bring myself to imagine what another four years of individual 1 would do to America – off the top of my head I feel confident in saying our traditional relationships around the world will be destroyed. Individual 1 has a vision of the United States working with Russia to “rule the world.” We’re talking about a surreptitious attempt for a fascist takeover of our nation and other nations around the world. I’ve suggested many times here that people should be reading “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet in order to understand this surreptitious movement around the world by the rich and powerful that seems to be “flying under the radar” of our “liberal media.”
Our media is easily manipulated and it’s the right wingers who are the experts at doing so. Individual 1 has most of us “chasing our tails” as considerable DAMAGE is being caused while no one is looking – and, America’s corporate interests are usurping more and more of her wealth – I’m assuming this is a phenomenon happening in many other Western countries as well. By the time History gets a full view of what is going on in today’s political environment I have a sickening feeling the DAMAGE will be close to irreversible.
Final Thought: As the day approaches when democrats will IMPEACH individual 1 it’s important to keep our focus on the reality William Barr may be nearly as dangerous as our so-called president himself. His continual accusation that the FBI “spied” on the individual 1 campaign, by all accounts, is absurd. There have been numerous investigations which would refute that claim, but he continues to make it – apparently to keep the viewers of Fox “news” in line with the “Big Lie.”
Here’s the real irony with this attack on the FBI coming from the man who’s supposed to be defending it – Barr, after all, is the head of the Justice Department. If the FBI screwed up during the 2016 campaign it was at the expense of Hillary Clinton. The announcement made by James Comey re-opening the “email investigation” just 11 days prior to the election – which violated ALL norms of the FBI – by most accounts, along with the Russian “interference,” was what allowed individual 1 to “win” with nearly 3 MILLION fewer votes than Mrs. Clinton.
All of the REAL evidence relating to what actually happened in 2016 makes it clear the actions of individual 1 which are leading to his impeachment – that would be his fantasy the Ukrainians were the ones interfering in our election – are further indication our so-called president has mental deficiencies. His narcissism is almost beyond belief and coupled with the reality he’s a pathological LIAR and seems to be without conscience it becomes a bit more easy to understand the terrible DAMAGE he’s willing to inflict on America.
It actually appears to me people like Rudy Giuliani and Vladimir Putin have figured out how to get what they want via manipulating individual 1. It appears that just as individual 1 seems to be a master manipulator of the press he’s vulnerable to people willing to flatter him in order to get what they want. Of course, Putin is at the top of that list and Russian TV is actually mocking our so-called president and the American system which is so vulnerable to their cyber attacks. If Putin succeeds in “making Russia Great again” it will likely be due to his success in undermining the democratic voting process in the United States! Stay tuned………..