Trump MAGA vs. Western Democracy

By Deirdre Purdy

This writer does not represent the views and opinions of Ridgeview News.

Shut Down the Treason Caucus

The MAGA Republicans are playing a dangerous political game that threatens America’s place in the world and the precarious balance of world power.  In thrall to Donald Trump, they refuse to appropriate $60 billion to aid Ukraine’s defense.

If Ukraine falls, it would be a huge self-imposed strategic defeat for the US.  We would risk a larger and costlier war in Europe.  Our ability to deter other conflicts would be diminished.  We would normalize the atrocities of Russian aggression, war crimes and autocracy.  No country would trust us to be their ally.

Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty commits all allies to help any member who comes under attack.  

Last weekend at a campaign rally, Donald Trump recountedanother of his imaginary “Sir” conversations. A tell of his inventive storytelling is that people come up to him and they call him “Sir.”  This, Trump claimed, was the president of “a big country” who asked, “Sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?”

For Trump everything is transactional.  You pay to play.  So of course, his answer was, “You didn’t pay? . . . No, I would not protect you.  In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”

This is not new news.  Trump’s brain has a vast empty space where knowledge of WWII should be – how it started (Hitler’s aggression and Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement) or how it ended (the Soviet Union taking over eastern Europe and the formation of NATO).

Trump’s admiration of Putin and Russia knows no bounds.  Russian oligarchs bought lots of real estate from him at ridiculously inflated prices – also known as money laundering. Trump is awed by and jealous of dictators.  Putin first, but also China’s Xi Jinping, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

It’s not really about the money anyway because, with Trump, it’s always all about Trump.  If Congress appropriates funds for Ukraine to defend itself, when (Trump assumes) he is elected president, that will interfere with his plan to give Ukraine back to Putin.  (J.D. Vance actually said the quiet part out loud this week.)

What is news is a US presidential candidate encouraging Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to our allies. It’s a disgusting and terrifying escalation in Trump’s kowtowing to Putin and disdaining our allies while calling losing “winning” and appeasement “peace.” 

One problem is that Trump does not understand “allies.”  He recognizes only sycophants and enemies.   He is loyal to no one – except maybe Putin.

A second problem is that Republicans, who have somewhere lost their spines, their consciences, and their love for America, keep normalizing Trump’s outrageous and treasonous statements.  “It’s a joke” or “You know how Trump talks.”  

Yes, we know he talks treason and now encourages WWIII.  It’s not funny, it’s not normal, and if his rallygoers cheer that just shows they too have an empty space where 20^th century history should be.

Trump repeatedly boasts he would end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.  No details are available, but the obvious Trumpian solution would be to give Putin everything he now holds in Ukraine.

Like all Trump’s simple-minded solutions (“only I can do it”), he overlooks Putin’s stated goal to take all of Ukraine back into Russia. For Putin, Ukraine is just a breakaway part of Russia, like a runaway slave, that needs to be returned to its master. Putin intends to eliminate Ukraine.  

Reconstituting Russia and then the Soviet Union drives the war.It is Putin’s nativist Russian ideology, his worship of Great Russia fighting the western beast.  Putin explained that to Tucker Carlson, who remained clueless.

If Trump gives Putin part of Ukraine, he will say thank you and take the rest.

Would there then be peace?  NATO members bordering Russia don’t think so.  Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are now erecting joint fortifications against Russia.

Anxiety is high in NATO member Poland, which was controlled by Russia, partitioned by Russia, and eliminated by Russia – all in different eras over the last 600 years.  Ukraine is a hot war on Poland’s border and if Russia takes Ukraine, Poland fears it is next.

Russia has trashed international law through armed invasion of Ukraine.  In the zone of Ukraine that Russia now controls, it hasmassacred civilians, its soldiers rape and torture while Ukrainian children are forcibly abducted and prisoners of war are tortured and mutilated.   

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes.  Trump encourages Putin “to do whatever the hell he wants.” 

Even if it were about money, the US is getting a great deal.  Almost 90% of the money appropriated for Ukraine aid is spent in the US.  On 117 production lines in at least 31 states and 71 cities, American workers are producing major weapons systems for Ukraine.

Meanwhile it’s Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting and dying for western freedom and democracy – not Americans.  If wedon’t support Ukraine now, American soldiers could be fighting Russian, Chinese, Iranian, or N. Korean aggression.  And our oceans don’t protect us anymore.

President Biden has demonstrated American strength in pulling together the coalition supporting Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion.  Donald Trump weakens America and emboldens our enemies.  That is treason.

This week, the Senate passed a bill with $60 billion for Ukraine defense.  Trump has told his MAGAts in the House to kill it.  

America is in an existential fight for western democracy against internal enemies, led by Donald Trump.

Biden is old.  Trump is old and he’s a traitor.  Why are so many people having a hard time choosing?

Vote Biden in November and give him a Democratic House and Senate.  Shut down the treason caucus.