Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky was elected this past May. He was a fresh face in Ukraine government, being a non-politician, young, and running on an anti-corruption platform.
The Ukraine administration before Zelensky was corrupt. In 2014, Ukraine rejected moving toward the European Union and began aligning with Russia, but the people protested. Russia has had its sights on clutching Ukraine again, ever since the end of the Soviet Union, and they invaded a few years ago. The hot war wages on now. Ukrainian soldiers are dying daily.
Ukraine is the one thing standing between Russia and Europe, and Russia needs Ukraine to become a powerhouse global force. Russia without Ukraine is a country; Russia with Ukraine is an empire. Ukraine wants desperately to be a part of free Europe. The people are fighting to grow their new democracy and they are eager. They need the support of established, strong democracies, like the United States. Ukraine is now traveling a path toward freedom and democracy. And as such, the new government needed U.S. support to both give it legitimacy to its own people as well as show Russia that it had the backing of the strongest, most powerful nation on the planet. It's in our best national interest, as well as in the interest of the world, that we foster Ukraine's democracy.
The new president Zelensky brought a new commitment to anti-corruption, helped along by United States diplomats like Maria Yovanovitch. You saw her testimony in front of Congress. She was a tough warrior against corruption. So tough that U.S. corrupt forces needed to remove her. Her removal caused a hiccup in Ukraine's path toward democracy.
President Zelensky was vulnerable when the most powerful leader on the planet asked for "a favor." And though he publicly stated that he didn't feel pressure from 45, the very ask from the President* of the United States of America was pressure. The power discrepancy is huge, and Zelensky was put into a situation where he had no choice. He needed the prestige that a White House meeting would give him, and his country desperately needed the $400 in military aid that Congress had promised. They are fighting a war against a very powerful Russia. They need help.
Russia is not only a formidable military adversary, but they are masters of propaganda and manipulation. A large part of the Russia propaganda campaign is to cast Ukraine as an instigator of U.S. election interference. Russia's aim is to throw the United States in to disarray; to create doubts about its own democracy; to pit citizen against citizen. And we are playing right into their hands. Dr. Fiona Hill stated this very plainly to Congress and We the People a few weeks ago.
For the small picture, TЯUMP's actions in Ukraine were illegal and immoral. In the big picture, his actions cost us some national security and may be the start of something much more nefarious, especially when you add in all the other strings Russia is pulling with regard to our elections and our president*. When Republican members of Congress are absolutely and unabashedly party to that, it's maddening, frightening, and dangerous.
Babyman, in his short-sighted, selfish ways, had no interest in looking at the big picture when he decided to demand a political favor.
45 doesn't care about corruption. He didn't mention corruption more broadly, just the "corruption" (read: made-up Biden dirt) with regard to Burisma. As Ambassador Sondland testified, 45 wanted the announcement of investigations, not the actual initiation nor completion of investigations. His only mention of "corruption" was in reference to the Bidens. Again, up is down and cold is hot. The sad irony that the president* himself is deeply corrupt. In fact, United States presidential corruption was the only corruptive force in this whole situation.
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| Joel Pett |
In the meantime, U.S. Senators like John Kennedy (R-LA), continue to feed the false narrative. Dr. Fiona Hill was explicit when she talked about the Russian propaganda machine working to shift blame to Ukraine. It's working -- right before our very eyes; U.S. lawmakers are falling under Putin's spell!
Kennedy is not the only one in Congress to buy into the false Russia narrative. The highest ranking Repug on the Intelligence Committee Rep Devin Nunes (R-CA) – my most despised U.S. Representative – actually has his fingers in the pie as well. It's obvious now that he is deeply involved in the scheme to dig up dirt on Biden.
He's absolutely odious.
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| John Cole |
Could this Ukraine/Russia fiasco be the birth of another cold war, or even an eventual hot war with Russia for the United States? I think its possible. It's scary to think about. But what's scarier is the alternative: that our leaders don't consider Russia to be an enemy. Sadly, that is exactly what's happening with Putin's Bitch running the Executive Branch. With the addition of Russian moles seeming to be in the Senate and the House of Representatives, it's a very scary scenario indeed.
The Democrats MUST win all three 2020 elections – Presidency, House, and Senate – so that we can perhaps start to right this ship. The Republicans aren't just impeding the solutions; they are a big part of the problem. What message do we want to send to Russia? Every action with regard to Ukraine telegraphs our willingness to be manipulated by Putin. It's important that we don't become accustomed to the corruption and toxicity, that we mobilize to bring back our government and our democracy!
The message must be clear. Let's impeach, and then let's vote.
#RESIST
Next up: Digesting the Intelligence Committee Report and the next phase of impeachment proceedings...
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