To Russia with Love
This week in Helsinki, it became clear for the very first time what’s happening in the Russian-American relationship: The U.S. is under attack from an extremely intelligent and focused enemy.
First, let’s review:
• Russia is insignificant economically; their GDP is about 10% the size of ours; it’s smaller than Italy’s, barely larger than Mexico’s.
• The only real global significance of Russia is its military, which they’ve doubled in size and strength over the last 10 years.
• Even accepting this, a war with guns and bombs still isn’t an option, so tack must be taken to take down the adversary. Since the enemy is a democracy, which means that the beliefs of the people determine the nature of the government in power, misleading the people makes possible any desired outcome.
• Putin has spent his entire adult life preparing him for the moment at which he could use his skills in deceit, manipulation and cruelty to crush the American republic.
• Every single one of the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies has concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections so that Trump would become U.S. president.
OK, now, let’s think.
First, why the verb “meddle?” We seem to want to make it sound as if Russia were an annoying old lady trying to insinuate herself into her son-in-law’s love life. The proper word is “attacked.”
Next, note that Helsinki reminded the world once again how smitten Trump is with Putin, and yet, still, no one knows precisely why. Popular wisdom suggests that Putin has compromising information on Trump, and, though that seems the most likely explanation, there are several possible others. One is that Trump clearly has a profound respect, a kind of hero worship, for all autocrats and wishes he could be one; maybe it’s as simple as that.
Maybe the answer lies in his tax returns. Trump himself says he has no business ties to Russia, though neither of his male kids is smart enough or sufficiently well trained to make similar denials; in fact, they assert the precise opposite, as shown to the right.
As problematic as all this is right here and now, it’s intractable as well; in fact, it’s not going to go away as long as the U.S. remains, even in some limited sense, a democracy. Russia leads the world in exactly one thing: deftness at information warfare, at the same time that the U.S. is powerless to prevent disinformation from flowing unimpeded onto the computers and smart phones of tens of millions of ignorant and gullible American voters.
I’ll be the first to admit that lots of this is speculation. Here’s something that isn’t, though: Trump’s popularity. His supporters may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they don’t approve of treason, and they are starting to see that their man is mysteriously but aggressively supporting the enemy power that’s been trying to take their country down for the last 100 years. Some are even old enough to remember the “duck and cover” drills of the Cold War, when nuclear annihilation seemed like it could happen any minute. In any case, Trump’s approval rating took a serious hit this week, and no one knows what’s next.
Craig,
Good grief, you really a losing yourself in a fantasy aren’t you, eh ? He can’t be an evil war monger, timid sycophant, megalomaniac, America first, traitor all at once !
The President is dealing with an aggrieved, suspicious leader of a nation which is a mere remnant of the powerful empire that existed when he was born. His people, by and large, blame the US for their much reduced state, and loss of power.
Putin has proved himself to be a tough, (brutal if needed), political survivor who rarely gives an inch or makes concessions. As Bill Clinton conceded, Putin’s one redeeming feature is although he rarely makes commitments, he keeps his word when he does.
So far, President Trump’s policies of containment, sanctions, expelling diplomats etc, have been ten times heavier than Obama. Although Russia is no longer powerful like the old USSR, nor is Russia really capable of mischief like the old communist regime, Russia is still powerful in its own bailiwick.
The US and President Trump need Putin’s cooperation on issues like global oil pricing, trade, UN support, support with Iran and the middle East. Most importantly, he needs Russian help containing an expansionist China.
It’s difficult to see what Trump’s critics want him to do? Give President Putin a condescending lecture ? Start another cold War ? Do they really think lecturing Putin like school boy about petty Russian influence in American affairs (something the US has been doing to every nation for over 100 years) will cement a new friendship ?
Trump’s method was very typical of President Trump style, first the stick, now the carrot.
President Trump, is the elected President. He and to a lesser extent Congress, has the sole responsibility for US diplomatic strategy. Not ex-CIA spy bosses, or the editors of NYT, CNN or Washington Post. Calling Russia and “enemy” is disgraceful, the US is not at war, (hot or cold with Russia).
The left and old establishment seem terrified Trump’s new order of ending the US role as playing world policeman while winding down US military adventures, might prove correct and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.
Today, I heard a comment on a radio show to which my driver is addicted. I only caught a snippet, but thought it worth sharing:
” The Mueller investigation is autogleipsimous activity, or in more simple terms, a self-perpetuating melodrama with no purpose other than to sustain itself.” !
I could help myself laughing at how accurate the sentence was in summing up the whole sorry saga.