Saturday February 12th, 2022
My Dear America:
It wasn't that many years ago when the name of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, struck both Fear and Disgust in the hearts of nearly all members of the Republican Party in America. Putin was a Russian Leader who spent much of his life in the shadowy darkness of the feared KGB Russian Intelligence agency. Putin was clearly a man who was diametrically opposed to the Freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, in the White House, in the State Department, the Pentagon, the FBI and the CIA were sure of one thing.
They were all sure that Vladimir Putin was bad news and could not be trusted.
But that was back before Donald Trump came on the scene in the Republican Party and captured the White House and along with it The Republican Party.
Trump made it clear to everyone that he and Vladimir were best buds and were going to be cooperating on every level throughout the Trump Administration.
Putin's Invasion and Annexation of Crimea, which was part of Ukraine prior to the Invasion of Ukraine, was on Obama's watch and President Donald Trump made it clear to Putin in his contacts with the Russian leader that the Russian annexation of Crimea, and Georgia before it, was not going to affect the close friendship that Donald Trump wanted to have with Vladimir Putin.
Clearly the politics related to Russia, Georgia, Crimea and the rest of Ukraine have been complex and difficult, if not impossible to understand, unless you are a historical scholar.
What is relatively easy to understand, however, as Russian Troops are gathered on the border of Ukraine is that Ukraine has become an intense hotspot of Russian and United States concern.
Certainly I do not understand all of the complexities of the Russian-Ukrainian difficulties with each other. But I do understand that when Donald Trump was in the White House Putin seemed to have free reign in Ukraine and in some respects he had Trump assisting Putin in his reckless Russian incursions into Ukraine.
For God's Sake, Trump was impeached and nearly driven from office for his improper handling of the Ukrainian situation. That certainly should have moved Republicans to recognize that not only was there something rotten in Ukraine but also there was also something rotten in the White House.
But once again, as happened over and over in the Trump Administration, Trump was not driven from office and instead of his reckless deeds insuring his ouster, Trump was saved from consequences by Republicans in Congress who continued supporting his illegal and immoral deeds.
While Vladimir Putin continues to threaten the Ukrainian border it seems to me that whether or not he does or does not invade his neighboring country there may be other motives regarding what he is doing.
Fox News Commentator, Tucker Carlson, seems to have made it his purpose to Fool Fox News Watchers into seeing Vladimir Putin in a new and softer light. Other Right Wing Commentators also seem to be following Carlson's lead and, in fact, the Republican Party which used to be a party of Hard Truths about Russia seem to have now become something of an "Uncle Vlad" fan club. His smiling face even appears on right wing magazines and Tucker Carlson's face even appears on Russian Television News Programs.
"What in the hell is going on here," we should all be asking ourselves.
Republicans drum Truth Tellers out of their party and believe Donald Trump's Vicious "Big Lie" that he really and truly won the 2020 Presidential Election when there is not a snowballs chance in hell that this is true.
While Joe Biden has been stymied by the Republican Party and a couple of members of his own party in his efforts to legislate Voting Rights Protections he is constantly disrespected and denigrated by Republicans who have accomplished nothing in Congress in several years except for tax breaks for the wealthy and Right Wing Supreme Court and Lower Court Judges. Oh yes, Republicans in Congress have managed to keep Trump from Impeachment Justice and they have managed to put the screws to almost all legislation presented by the Democrats.
So What in the Hell is Vladimir Putin up to in Ukraine? That is the question.
Clearly Putin is highly focused on the fact that the end of the Soviet Union back in the 90's was initially a sad time for him, although he certainly made the best of the situation and put himself in power for probably the rest of his life and made himself rich in the process.
What is also clear is that Putin would love to put a new Soviet Union together in which he might once again call the shots for a group of countries which no longer look to him for Guidance and Power. Putin has already taken back Georgia and the Crimean part of Ukraine. If he invades Ukraine he stands to lose a lot from it but he is rich enough that whatever sanctions the Free World puts on him he will be OK. His country may not be but he will still be rich enough to withstand the blows to his Empire.
Putin also seems very concerned about the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO. Since the Collapse of the Soviet Union many Ukrainians have pushed for Ukraine to join The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Ukraine currently has a leader in President Zelensky who seems to be genuinely interested in NATO membership. Vladimir Putin is genuinely interested in NATO membership never happening for Ukraine.
Indeed, the invasion of Georgia also seems to have been the result of Georgia leaders seriously exploring the prospect of NATO membership.
Another reason that Putin is on Ukraine's border is that it is getting a lot of attention for him from everywhere in the world including a push by China to renew ties with Putin.
Although Trump has cleverly not made his current feelings known about Putin's threatening behavior toward Ukraine it is not difficult to figure out where Trump stands on the situation. While Trump was in the White House he seemed to go out of his way to make the situation difficult for Ukraine and Zelensky and easier for his buddy, Vladimir Putin.
Certainly Putin is well aware that his Threatening Behavior toward Ukraine is not something that is helpful to the Biden Administration. Putin is well aware of Trump's efforts, with Republican assistance, to retake the White House in 2024 by any means necessary.
When Trump has in the past been nothing short of an Ass Kissing Lackey to Putin why wouldn't Putin want Trump back in the White House.
It is extremely difficult to genuinely figure out what Vladimir Putin is up to in Ukraine at the present time but one thing is for sure.
What Putin is up to is no good for Ukraine, for Joe Biden or for America.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
