To the Editor:
Second Opinion. Putin, Trump, Ukraine
In a radio interview with Travis/Sexton last week, former president Trump praised Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. He used the word ‘independent’ and we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace. You gotta say that’s pretty savvy…how smart is that? And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. Here's a guy who's very savvy.” Trump later clarified his statement: “The problem is not that Putin is smart, which of course he’s smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are dumb, dumb, so dumb.” (emphasis mine)
These are the words of our former Commander-in-Chief and wanna-be future CIC, congratulating a foreign despot for invading a sovereign country, and pronouncing the current President of United States incompetent in a time of war. Trump does not care about this country or maintaining the principles upon which it was founded. Everything is about his ego; he is clearly no “patriot.” And still, there are people who will vote for him in 2024.
Trump claims Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if HE were president because “he knows Putin.” More to the point, Putin knows Trump. Hanatee proclaimed that Putin was “afraid of Trump” and his “unpredictability,” (as if that were a good thing in a person of great power) and so, peace reigned. But in every picture of the two of them, Putin looked like the cat that munched the mouse, but let it live for further amusement. The mouse limped about, Rocky-style cocky, declaring that he had won a round.
Knowing well the kind of man Trump is, Putin played him countless times (when he asserted that Putin was more believable than that our own Intelligence Agencies, that NATO was useless, or when he couldn’t think of why Putin would lie about not spying on America). Trump detects that Putin is stronger than he, and that he likely has “information,” so where Putin is concerned he was, and still is, a very good boy.
President Biden has made significant progress in resuscitating NATO against Russian adversity. Former Bush 43 Secretary-of-State Condoleeza Rice observed that, “the global community would not be unified behind Trump the way they are with President Joe Biden.” The UN voted last week in a draft resolution to tell Moscow to cease the attack against Ukraine and “withdraw all troops immediately.” Russia was the lone “No” vote. The surprise was China, who joined India and the UAE in abstaining, but did not support Russia on the US-authored text.
Fox News and Tucky were instantly pro-Putin, and referred to the invasion as a “border dispute.” Carlson absolved Putin of being an enemy because he, among other things, did “not eat dogs.” (Google it) He is energetically seeking to interview Putin (as he did the despot of Turkey, Erdogan). These murderous despots somehow hold great emotional attraction for him.
Over the weekend, however, Fox News seemed to be reversing itself in its support of Putin, as major international corporations turn on Russia. It is clear that defending Ukraine is defending the future of Europe, particularly the NATO Balkan states.
The Russian people grow weary of Putin’s quest for historical stature by reconstituting the USSR. His crusade is not for the people of Russia, but for himself. Trump’s objectives are not for our country, but for Trump alone. This planet has been through so much in the last couple of years and there is still much to endure, particularly if this war extends on.
One great hope is that the despots and wanna-be’s will not arise victorious.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
As I write this, March 1, 2022, tonight President Biden will give his first State of the Union address. I don’t hold out hope that Biden will speak to the vast majority of the Americans he represents. He promised in his inaugural address to “repair”, “restore”, “heal”, and “build” America. He promised to do “great things,” to make America a “strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security,” and to answer “the call of history.” He also said, “To overcome these challenges – to restore the soul and to secure the future of America – requires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.”
As a reminder, here is the short list of his promises. He’d “shut down the virus, not the economy” and “I don’t think [vaccine mandates] should be mandatory”. Then “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness. It is time for us, for we, the people, to come together. And make no mistake, united we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America.”. He also said “No new taxes” for Americans making less than $400,000" and “We will not conduct a hasty rush to the exit [out of Afghanistan]. ... we’ll do it responsibly, deliberately, and safely.”. Or how about “I will notuse the Justice Department as my vehicle to insist that something happen.”. And finally, “I will make it clear to the Kremlin that it must end its aggression toward an occupation of Ukraine.”.
So how has he faired?
Biden mandated everyone get the vaccine or loose your job. He supported and pushed masks on those over two, yet the virus raged. More Americans died in 2021 from the virus than 2020. Then we learned we needed boosters, and in the end it turned out the vaccine was not fully effective in stopping it, only reduced its severity. Not that a small thing, but it wasn’t shut down.
As a country, we remain politically polarized. He pitted us against each other with his constant lament this is a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”. And it’s not just because of the pandemic. His divisive rhetoric has even polarized many in his own party.
American’s are anxious about the economy. Yes, there was record job growth in 2021 and many saw their wages go up. Yet with the inflation number above 7%, those wage increases were lost. I believe in his speech he will push for the tax and social spending portions of the Build Back Better Act. He’ll talk about housing, education and climate issues. But who will pay for the child tax credits for undocumented immigrants? And while families struggle with child care costs, the solution in the BBB was not the answer for most. Biden would also like to cap low-income families housing costs at 30% of their income. And preschool for 3 and 4-year olds, community college or training programs being tuition-free and for families making less than $125,000, college and university will be free.
I won’t dwell on the hasty rush on the exit of Afghanistan. You already know that was a colossal failure.
Biden and members of his administration have pushed the DOJ to go after states which enacted voting laws he disagrees with. He has the FBI targeting parents who speak up at school board meetings and targeted them as domestic terrorists.
And today, Russia is taking over Ukraine. For four years the Democrats and mainstream media accused former President Trump of being an agent for Russia. On his first day in office Biden opened the door to Russia to be a thorn in our side when he took away our ability to be energy sufficient and help to provide energy to European nations when he cancelled the Keystone Pipeline, which by the way left 11,000 people unemployed. In 2019, Biden stated, “Vladimir Putin doesn’t want me to be President, because I’m the only person in this field who’s ever gone toe to toe with him.” He was wrong. Biden’s foreign policies have allowed Russia, China, India and Iran to move in lock-step against the United States.
As Biden told us when he gave his address to Congress, “It’s time we remembered that ‘We the people’ are the government.” It’s not surprising 61% of American’s believe he’s on the wrong track. All we can do is wait and see what a year two has in store for us.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore