Honest Mike

 

Garnering little attention, The Washington Post obtained a secret Kremlin document. Containing plans to destabilize the West, especially the US, it proposes to do so by “continuing to facilitate the coming to power of isolationist right-wing forces in America” [Ed. note: MAGA?] and “to escalate the situation in the Middle East around Israel, Iran, and Syria to distract the U.S. with the problems of this region.”

The plans entail an “offensive information campaign” and other measures including “the military-political, economic and trade and informational psychological spheres.” As described by the Washington Post, part of the goal is to “leverage the Ukraine war to forge a global order free from what it sees as American dominance.”

This ought not be news. Excepting the Gorbachev/Yeltsin eras, Russia’s place on America’s enemies list has been obvious since the end of WWII. Remember Reagan? Remember Khrushchev’s “We will bury you”? No surprise to people paying attention, which excludes most Fox-watchers, Putin has aggressively picked up the baton. The document proves it.

Here’s the point: cluelessness alone, of which there’s a surfeit within the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, doesn’t explain the Putin-love we see among so many Republican politicians and their mouthing media. Even without the aforementioned document, the clarity of Russia’s intentions means their support for Putin against Ukraine can be understood only as willing collaboration with a dangerous adversary. Sedition, by definition. What Putin has on them or what they expect from him remains clouded.

Whatever it is, though, Ms. Greene’s fact-free proclamations about Russia and Ukraine have pushed her higher even than Tucker Carson in the estimation of Russian media. “She believes that Americans should help Putin win,” gushed Russian TV host Evgeny Popov. “... To help him win in Ukraine.” How proud she must be. Considering themselves patriots, Georgia voters chose her to represent them. Will again, no doubt. Making America great.

Then there’s Elise Stefanik (R-NY), full-time groveller for Trump’s VP spot. Having once said, “Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and deranged thug. We must stand with democracies under assault,” she’s now among over half of House Republicans voting against aid to Ukraine. What happened? Trump happened.

Not a single Democrat voted “nay.” Knowing Putin’s intentions, which party, then, is making America great?

Holy Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, deserves the credit he’s getting for “bravely” risking his job by cooperating with Democrats to get the aid packages passed. Being called “brave” for doing the right thing, however, is reminiscent of a favorite W.C. Fields bit, explaining why his character was called “Honest John.”

Moreover, reporting suggests his change of heart was less about patriotism than being convinced, by a group of Evangelicals with whom he was praying, of the need to save Christians. Here's a link to an impressively deep dive into that dynamic, from an unnecessarily NSFW-titled but well-researched source.

Putting himself first, per usual, as when he demanded killing the bipartisan border security bill, Trump made it clear that he didn’t want the Ukraine and Israel bills to pass before the election. For the same reason: no wins for President Biden. Plus, in the case of Ukraine, whatever it is that binds him to Putin. It’s safe to say Trump couldn’t care less about saving Ukraine’s Christians. For crossing him, what retribution will he exact from His Holiness?

But there’s other news, too. Trump, in court, unused to being held accountable for his life of transgressions, muttering, glaring, dozing, and, according to several accounts, making life unpleasant for the macrosmatic seated within his olfactory aura. The gagged and the gagging.

And the gaslighting. Daily, Trump emerges from court to bemoan being required to sit there while his crimes are exposed; freely speeching that gag orders violate his right to free speech. Nope. He’s an indicted criminal, out on bail. Within that category of American illegals, free speech has always had limitations. The lifelong escaper of consequences is finally facing some.

Certain that MAGAs will neither understand nor accept that particular truth, gassiest of all gaslighters, grandfather of the Republican devolution into nastiness as policy, Newt Gingrich analogized Trump’s plight: “This is literally like some of the civil rights workers in Mississippi in the 1960s.” (“Literally” is Newt’s favorite word.)

That’s only the most ridiculously phrased and unhistorical claim made by Foxian talkers. All of them share Newt’s rejection of the rule of American law, making Trump the victim, rather than those he’s victimized, which, whether they know it or not, includes his ardent, rally-going devotees. Jesse Waters gave us next-level mind-blow. Very much worth a view.

The trial and the pro-Ukraine votes show what can happen when reactionary, enemy-adoring Trumpists are (temporarily, anyway) outnumbered in Congress. For the good of all Americans, and of the world, November is when we can – must! -- make it permanent.