After scolding Ukraine’s Zelensky in the Oval Office and then punishing Ukraine by cutting off U.S. intelligence data, threatening to remove thousands of Ukrainians from the U.S., and stalling military assistance, Trump is now, just an hour ago, threatening Russia with sanctions for waging an aggressive bombing campaign.
Yesterday, he posted this on TruthSocial:
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
This stepped up aggression by Russia is a case of cause-effect based upon Trump’s own recent treatment of Ukraine, the literal cutting off of most aid to Ukraine following the February 28th Oval Office fiasco. Basically, Trump’s post-meeting abandonment of Ukraine made it possible for Russia to do the Ukrainian battlefield “pounding” by removing, for example, Ukraine’s access to U.S. military surveillance thereby allowing Russia to immediately lambaste Ukraine at will. Cause-Effect. When will his madcap foreign policies do the same, and how dangerous will be the result?
“Under Crooked Joe Biden, the world is in flames, our border is overrun, inflation is raging, Europe is in total chaos, the Middle East is exploding, Iran is emboldened, China is on the march, and the worst, most incompetent, most corrupt president in history is going to drag us into World War III.” Donald Trump, at a Racine, Wisconsin MAGA rally June 18, 2024
Donald Trump, Shut Up!
If anything presently on the horizon could ignite a “WWIII” it’s Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, an obvious observation unobserved in Trump’s quote above. If Trump is truly concerned about a worldwide conflict, and not just fear mongering, then a solution to the Ukrainian-Russian war is essential. In that vein, Trump might consider calling for (1) a Russian withdrawal, (2) a Ukrainian surrender, (3) meaningful peace talks, or (4) at the least, a ceasefire. After all, the task would be a snap. He brags about how one phone call to Putin and Zelensky would lead directly to a satisfactory ending based on (Trump’s idea) Ukraine simply surrendering half of its country. Because why? Zelensky will listen to him attentively because . . . Trump’s big brain. As for Putin, he’s a buddy and totally respects Trump’s, well, his big brain. Didn’t Vlad express that respect and bonhomie in 2023?
“We surely hear that Mr. Trump says he will resolve all burning issues within several days, including the Ukrainian crisis. We cannot help but feel happy about it.” Vladimir Putin remark at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, September 2023.
At the time, Trump – stupidly interpreting Putin’s cheekily ironic statement as something more than a glaringly obvious insult – jumped in with both paws, “I like that he said that, because that means what I’m saying is right. I would get him into a room. I’d get Zelensky into a room. Then I’d bring them together. And I’d have a deal worked out.” Zip, zap, zop. Just like that. After all, it’s essentially a real estate deal. Irony aside, in fact, Trump’s magical thinking, hyperbolic personality, and sense of omnipotence are dangerous threats to Ukraine’s survival, and if one needs a WWIII scenario, to the world’s survival.
And then there’s Tommy Tuberville . . .
Tommy Tuberville, Shut Up!
On another madcap front in the MAGA universe, the one where Putin is a good guy, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville threw in on this topic a few weeks ago. Appearing on the soon-to-be jailbird Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Tuberville, the nation’s stupidest senator, after referring to Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator,” spewed forth:
“Putin’s just kind of sitting back, watching what’s going on, wondering when y’all gonna come over and we’ll draw a line here. He doesn’t want Ukraine, he doesn’t want Europe. He’s got enough land of his own. He just wants to make sure that he does not have United States weapons in Ukraine pointing at Moscow.”
Of course, Tuberville is right that Russia doesn’t want “United States weapons in Ukraine pointing at Moscow.” Nonetheless, we can be safe in assuming that Putin knows he already has U.S. weapons pointed at him within Europe. As of April 2024, the United States had the largest number of active military personnel in NATO countries, with almost 1.33 million troops and their accompanying accoutrements like artillery, tanks, and other unpleasant things. Moreover, we have approximately 100 tactical nuclear weapons in NATO countries. And, of course, there are American “weapons pointed at him” in Ukraine because Putin invaded Ukraine, some billions of dollars worth soon to be supplemented by F-16 fighter jets. So, if Putin really doesn’t want weapons in Europe pointed at Moscow, then stop being such a juvenile delinquent; start that transformation by getting the hell out of Ukraine!
As for Tuberville’s comment that Putin “doesn’t want Ukraine, he doesn’t want Europe. He’s got enough land of his own,” the comment is belied by the fact that he has numerous soldiers, a Baltic fleet, and an air force there. So, Tuberville’s comment is not remotely reality based, it’s startlingly stupid, and other demeaning terms. Nevertheless, one part of his asinine comment bears examining, “He’s got enough land of his own.” That, too, is both incorrect and stupid, and also belied by his assault on, and occupation of, the second largest country in Europe. Apparently, Russia’s nearly seven million square miles is, Senator Tuberville, not “enough land.”
Putin desires and needs a geographical border, one that can threaten NATO, and provide an economic influx to aid Russia’s lagging economy. Economic theft was among Putin’s reasons for invading Ukraine, especially when he believed he would achieve an easy victory. Lacking that he seems stuck there for the long haul, between a rock and a hard place. Certainly, Ukraine can provide a significant economic input, for example, in 2014, he stole Crimea and grabbed its famous port city Sevastopol, a prize for his fleet. And certainly, should he own all Ukraine, his defense from NATO would be vastly strengthened, especially since, as a part of Russia, Ukraine would therefore never be a NATO country. In a strong sense, it is all about land, and wanting more, Senator Tuberville.
Trump’s Giant Brain Isn’t Up to the Task
Nevertheless, we ought to be wary of viewing Ukraine as simply a land grab by an empire-hungry Vladimir Putin. Certainly, that is a motivation; I believe his (very) long-term aim is to reform the soviet boundaries. That may, in fact, have been his initial objective, a beginning of the rebirth of a new Russian empire, modeled after the Soviet Union. If so, his failure to quickly defeat all of Ukraine has consequences, both militarily and macroeconomically, both strategically and tactically, both long term and short term. All this is a huge setback to his grand design.
Given the staggering human costs of the nearly two-year war thus far, one can see that Putin’s unmoved by the demand that he withdraw, and he will likely continue in this vein. Human and economic costs, it’s well known, are mammoth, and if the war – win, lose, or draw – were to end tomorrow, long term Russian macroeconomic costs in GDP terms are a huge concern, and these costs unabated by a swift victory, have already injured the welfare of the Russian people (an ongoing internally destabilizing event).
In December 2023, RAND Corporation reported, “As of September 2022, researchers estimated military costs reached $40 billion. Full-year 2022 gross domestic product losses amounted to between $81 billion and $104 billion and full-year financial capital destruction reached $322 billion. Direct military spending may amount to almost $132 billion through 2024.” Statista, on May 3, 2024, reported that Russia’s GDP dropped from $2.27 trillion (2022) to $1.99 trillion for 2023, a ten percent decline accounted for by both Ukraine invasion sanctions and war costs. That’s a very meaningful drop, and Russia, literally, cannot afford it given its lack of export product diversity and the many economic sanctions in place.
Of course, as far as the victim, Ukraine, is concerned, its costs are staggering, both ongoing and long term. Its 2021 its GDP dropped from $200 billion to $160 billion for 2022, a 20% decrease. It’s 2023 GDP, perhaps counterintuitively, increased due to a better harvest, additional government spending, increased defense spending, and improved electricity access (yet, recently, Russia has increased its targeting of Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure). Moreover, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), not surprisingly, “Ukraine, however, remains dependent on foreign assistance. According to the [International Monetary Fund] IMF, Ukraine requires in 2023 $3-4 billion in monthly financial assistance from international partners, including the [International Finance Institutions] IFIs, to maintain necessary government functions amidst the ongoing conflict. . . Other programs including the World Bank’s multi donor trust fund (MDTF) which facilitates channeling grant resources from donors. The United States is the largest donor to the MDTF, contributing $10.3 billion. Other donors are Germany ($50 million), Spain ($48 million), Finland ($21 million), Switzerland ($10.5 million), Belgium ($3 million), and Iceland ($1 million).” Foreign assistance enthusiasm may wane in a forever war, and already has in the U.S. given the GOP/MAGA warlike resistance to aiding Ukraine.
Moreover, for both combatants and the world economy, in the end, who will bear the costs of rebuilding a post-war Ukraine? Thus far, as of December 2023, the World Bank Group estimates reconstruction costs at $486 billion over the next ten years. Should Russia prevail or lose, those costs, in a legal and moral sense, ought fall to Russia, yet, if those costs continue for an extended time and reach a trillion dollars or more, Ukraine’s reconstruction will be a worldwide economic challenge, since a trillion dollars is roughly one-half Russia’s present GDP, an unsustainable drag on its economy. In any event, even should major financial institutions, countries, and non governmental organizations like the World Bank chip in, Russia’s economy will be facing large reconstruction costs that will stymie its GDP growth for an extended period. As we say, “It’s the economy, stupid!” and, despite its grievous fault, Russia cannot be allowed to sink into an economic depression, that would be destabilizing on a grand scale, i.e., a cornered bear, an existential threat to Russia, and, thereby, a certifiable World War III scenario.
So, in the end, if Trump does seek to avoid World War III, the war he accused Biden of courting, then his efforts ought to be directed at something he’s intellectually and constitutionally incapable of, for example, sensible solutions. But we know him, his diplomatic skills begin and end in this, “I would get him into a room. I’d get Zelensky into a room. Then I’d bring them together. And I’d have a deal worked out.” That is simply preposterous, the blathering of a dangerous psychopath with no conception of consequences.
Countries rejoicing in the news that Donald Trump will not be visiting anytime soon now that he’s a convicted felon include Australia, China, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, India, Iran, Israel, Mexico, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. There are exceptions, however, and Russia and Hungary, two of his favorite authoritarian vacation destinations, are among them. Also, in some countries, UK being one of them, after he (hopefully) serves his prison sentence and clears probation, he’ll be able to visit (except spoil-sport Canada where there a very few exceptions).
Come what may, Trump is on the face of it barred from personally sullying the countries of approximately 2.5 billion souls. Finally, he’s a billionaire!!
Full list of countries that restrict visits from felons
The walking, talking, vacuum Marjorie Taylor Greene has again and again fashioned herself as the guardian-at-arms of her self-appointed House leadership office: Lady High Executioner of the Speaker of the House. She’s not yet met one she didn’t have her fangs out for, and she rarely shuts up about it, demanding attention. attention, and attention. In fact, she’s lately filed a so-called motion to vacate the chair, i.e., the Speaker’s chair, along with its ceremonial gavel. One suspects that she covets that prize – goodbye gavel, hello AR15. Nonetheless, yesterday, in her best dungeon speaking voice she laid down the law to House membership, especially to Mike Johnson, the present Speaker who was then trying to shepherd a group of military assistance bills through the House:
“I don’t care if the Speaker’s office becomes a revolving door. If that’s exactly what needs to happen, then let it be. But the days are over of the old Republican Party that wants to fund foreign wars and murder people in foreign lands, while they stab the American people in their face.”*
How’s that for high dudgeon? Though many in her own party wish she’d simply shut up and resign, they also know she’s a Trump favorite, perhaps on the short list of VP candidates. Of course, that’s ludicrous, but that’s where we are, isn’t it? Would you want an exceedingly bad tempered AR15 packing VP in your White House?
Although sentient beings criticize MTG for her magnetic attraction to conspiracy theories and for her abhorrence to what many for thousands of years have called facts, her indestructible armor has held up well. Media Matter’s Eric Hannoki, among other duties, seems tasked with keeping tabs on MTG’s various research endeavours, which resulted in what might be called a well worth reading citizen’s annotated guide to her disclosures on various murky matters, listing 28 areas where she has plenty to say. Here’s the kicker: his list is only complete through February 2, 2021! Imagine if, in the intervening years, she put her mind to it! And she did.
In 2022, she told supporters: “The government totally wants to provide surveillance on every part of your life. They want to know when you’re eating. They want to know if you’re eating a cheeseburger, which is very bad because Bill Gates wants you to eat his fake meat, which is grown in a peach tree dish. So you’ll probably get a little zap inside your body and that’s saying, ‘No no! Don’t eat a real cheeseburger, you need to eat the fake, the fake burger, the fake meat from Bill Gates.’”
I haven’t touched a cheeseburger since.
Also, in 2022, when criticizing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of spying on her colleagues, she confused the name of the Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, with a delicious Spanish chilled tomato soup, Gazpacho. With that, she sparked a boom in Gazpacho Police tee shirts, jewelry, and Nazi-themed soups, like Blitzkrieg Chili.
But Wait! There’s More!
Her conspiracy IQ, high as it is, is matched by her grasp of lawmaking, where one’s imagination needs some restraint if legislative proposals are to recognized, approved, and passed. And here, she’s covered herself in glory. In the present 118th Congress she’s sponsored some obviously essential proposals, including:
H.J.Res.95 – Declaring a state of war between certain cartels and the United States of America and making provision to prosecute the same.
H.Res.538 – Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. And, showcasing her principled and consistent stand on the concept and law of constitutional impeachment, she’s sponsored four eminently readable and well-thought out bills calling for the impeachment of President Biden, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Matthew M. Graves, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose Senate trial concluded with both charges dismissed on day one.
H.R.5636 – Protect Children’s Innocence Act, o prohibit gender affirming care of minors.
H.Res.829 – Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex.
But, Wait Again! There’s Still More!!
Continuing her Jewish space lasers crusade, MTG has offered this amendment to the Israel aid package, but not for Israel’s defense needs, but, rather, to build an anti-immigrant laser defense system on our southwest border in order to deep fry illegal border invaders. Some in Congress do not take her seriously.
Israel has some of the best unmanned defense systems in the world.
I’ve previously voted to fund space lasers for Israel’s defense.
America needs to take our national security seriously and deserves the same type of defense for our border that Israel has and proudly uses. pic.twitter.com/oDeDqTXvQQ
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 18, 2024
The White House today reported a new sanction affecting Vladimir Putin, perhaps the most crippling sanction to date. A State Department spokesperson read from a prepared document to assembled reporters:
“Our sanctions have not had the desired affect thus far as Russian forces continue on the offensive in Ukraine, particularly in the east. Economic sanctions take time to induce compliance, sanctions against individual oligarchs have had limited success, including those thus far levied against President Putin himself.
“Therefore, the Biden administration will end a concession that Mr. Putin received from President Trump as an incentive award. Starting today the United States will no longer permit Vladimir Putin to vote in our homeland’s elections. This sanction ends one of Mr. Putin’s most cherished privileges, as he has voted in more than 700 local, state, and federal elections since January 20, 2017, the date President Trump ascended to office. Moreover, we’ve learned recently that Mr. Putin voted six times in the 2020 presidential election.
The administration uses sanctions only in extraordinary circumstances. We only sparingly resort to such crippling sanctions as that today levied against President Putin. Our hope is that losing the cherished right to vote will move Mr. Putin to reconsider his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and withdraw immediately.”
