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John,
Earlier today, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, issued a series of threats aimed at us.
To summarize what that jackaloon said, he wants to pull out of the nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia and cut off all diplomatic ties with the West.
It’s time to take the gloves off.
The Russian government is controlled by the some of the most vile human beings on the planet. We have an opportunity to crush them right now, and we must do it. We have the most dominant military in the history of the world, but – and here is the beauty of America – we can and will crush Putin’s regime without firing a single bullet.
It’s time for us to exploit our technological dominance over Putin, break through the noise of his state-controlled propaganda outlets and speak directly to the Russian people. We must show them what their country – and the world – can look like if they oust Vladimir Putin.
Peace, human rights, diplomacy, cooperation – these are the building blocks of a bright future, not invasions, isolation, sanctions, and misery.
Economically and diplomatically speaking, we need to turn up the pressure even more. It’s not enough just to target Putin – we have to make it clear to the rest of the world that neutrality is not an option: Failure to condemn Putin’s aggression is the same thing as supporting it.
Last night, the UN Security council voted to condemn Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. Of course, Russia vetoed it, but not before China, India, and the UAE abstained from voting.
Here I was thinking the UAE were our allies, well, maybe I was wrong. For years Dubai has treated Filipino, Indian, and Sri Lankan workers hardly better than slaves, and we have regrettably stayed silent. Maybe it's time for us to call them out publicly, on the world stage. Saudi Arabia wants to be our ally? They need to get their house in order and reel in their little brother the UAE. As for India, perhaps we should re-examine our trade agreements and remind them who it is that purchases so many of their goods and employs so many of their workers.
And then there’s China … to be honest, at first I was surprised they abstained and did not join Russia in vetoing the measure. But then again, they’re shrewd operators. We know they have their sights set on Taiwan, so right now, they’re watching closely to see how the world reacts to a world power invading its neighbor over a territorial dispute. That means the way we handle Russia now will determine China's next steps.
Obviously, this is a must-win scenario for the U.S. and our allies, and believe me when I tell you that although President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken face herculean challenges, they can and will get us through this. I believe the defenders of freedom will ultimately be victorious.
The next few days will be critical. Russia's military assets outnumber Ukraine's by an average of 10 to 1. Take a look at this CNN graphic to see what I am talking about:
But despite that massive disadvantage, the Ukrainians are holding their own so far. After days of fighting to advance with the goal of taking Kyiv, Putin’s ground forces have yet to even enter the city. Many reports are saying that Ukrainians have killed more Russian invaders than the other way around. Defense experts have projected that if Ukraine can hold the Russians off for one more week, Putin will be forced to start negotiating.
But even if this initial invasion succeeds, once Putin takes over and installs his puppet leader, they’ll be on the defensive. That’s a dangerous place to be when you’re up against people who have nothing left to lose and are fighting for a righteous cause.
Shifting focus a bit to the situation here at home, I’m proud that the vast majority of Americans are supporting Ukraine with their words, prayers, money, and talent.
But I was absolutely disgusted last night to see that Marjorie Taylor Greene, a sitting congresswoman, spoke at the extreme far-right “America First” (AFPAC) conference, where the audience cheered on the Russian invasion and chanted “Putin! Putin!” right before she took the stage.
You know, I’ve called her Marjorie “Traitor” Greene for a while now, since she backed the January 6 coup attempt at the Capitol. But this is a new low even for her.
The worst part is, Marge wasn’t the only Republican elected official who appeared at AFPAC.
Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, a darling of the Q-Anon cult, was in attendance, as was Idaho Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin, who’s mounting a Trump-backed primary challenge against the Republican governor over COVID safety mandates. Meanwhile, Rep. Paul “The Nazi” Gosar, who appeared in person last year, spoke at the conference by video link.
This is the face of today’s Republican Party, folks. If you think I’m exaggerating, take it from one of their own – Liz Cheney took to Twitter this afternoon to condemn her party’s “deafening and enabling silence” when it comes to calling out the extremists in their ranks.
The bottom line is, in the face of this kind of evil, neutrality is not enough. Not for world leaders, and not for the leaders of the Republican Party. Failing to condemn it is the same thing as supporting it.
That’s why I’m going to bust my hump this election year to fight the GQP – because through both their actions and their silence, they’ve shown us who they really are – the party of authoritarian thugs … the party of Putin.
Want to help me take them down? Chip in at the link below. Together, let’s send a message that there’s no room for authoritarian thugs in American democracy.
