End of the Reagan Era

“Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow — if so, will he become my new best friend?” 

-Donald Trump 2013

A couple of American Presidents stood in front of the Berlin Wall and declared their support for freedom in Europe and our allies who were fighting for it.

And for my Republican friends, there was the same sentiment from a President 20 years later...

In fact, again for my Republican friends, I'll give you some more Reagan. This at the D-Day remembrance in 1984...

“The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge — and pray God we have not lost it — that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest … The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe’s democracies. We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.”

- Ronald Reagan at Pointe du Hoc, France on June 6, 1984.

Standing up for the beleaguered people of this world, and to, first Soviet and now simply Russian aggression, was a bipartisan matter. I'm not a particular fan of Ronald Reagan as my favorite Republicans are on Mt. Rushmore, Abe and TR. But let me repeat a line from that Reagan D-Day speech...

"It was the deep knowledge — and pray God we have not lost it — that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest."

It does appear though, we have indeed lost it.

I have many policy disagreements, mostly economic, with Reagan, but I never doubted his sincerity in the fight for freedom in the world. That took him down some unfortunate rabbit trails like Iran-Contra and Grenada, but it also meant his unwavering support for our allies in the fight. In 1984, although working to broker a settlement between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Reagan nonetheless gave Margaret Thatcher what she needed.

 On May 5, Weinberger met with British Defense Secretary John Nott to finalize arrangements for the fulfillment of British requests for military materiel as part of a broad range of political, diplomatic, and military measures undertaken by the United States in support of the Thatcher government.

Were the Falklands of any particular interest to the United States? Of course not. But an old ally asked for help, and we gave it.

Now, you might as well be talking about the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. Reagan once declared communism would be consigned to the dustbin of history. Who knew it would be a Republican President who would actually consign NATO there.

I am of the opinion that Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor like Reagan, will ultimately be remembered as as one of the great, courageous figures of this century. When the Russian invasion began, and for my MAGA friends, it was a Russian invasion, the US offered to take Zelensky and his family out of the country to safety. He replied...

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” 

And we gave it. Lots of it. But, President Trump has tossed out some absolute lies about who gave how much to support Ukraine. He claimed we've given $350 billion in support, far more than European allies. The reality? From Newsweek...

He said Tuesday: “I think Europe has given $100 billion and we’ve given, let’s say, $300-plus (billion).” He wrote Wednesday: “The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe.”

Neither of those statements are true.

In fact, according to the Kiel Institute’s data, Europe – the European Union plus individual European countries – had collectively committed far more total wartime military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine through December (about $258 billion) than the US committed (about $124 billion). Europe had also allocated more military, financial and humanitarian aid (about $138 billion) than the US allocated (about $119 billion).

Trump falsely claimed that Zelensky “admits that half of the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’” But Zelensky has made no such admission. Rather, he has taken issue with inflated claims about how much US cash Ukraine has received.

He called Zelenskyy a dictator and said his approval ratings, always the primary concern for Trump along with TV ratings, are at 4%. The latest survey from a leading Ukrainian pollster, conducted earlier this month, found that 57% of Ukrainians said they trusted Zelensky. That was up from 52% in December.

He said Zelensky hasn't held an election, in support of his "dictator" comment. The election to be held last spring was delayed because of, you know, the whole middle of a war thing.

"Cover me Natasha, I'm going to vote!"

In fact, though, Zelensky said this week that he would be happy to step down in return for peace and NATO membership. He is obviously pretty bad at the whole dictator thing.

So, has the President ever called Putin a dictator? He had a chance the other day.

But the answer is, no. He has not. And where is this Ukrainian dictator stuff coming from? I wrote a piece some time back about former Fox News host, and former actual carbon-based life form, Tucker Carlson. Here is an excerpt...

And then there is Ukraine, a hotbed of (Jewish?) Nazis that Putin had no choice but to try to decimate. In December the Fox News host declared with that lipless, stern visage of his, that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is a “dictator” and “a dangerous authoritarian” waging a war on Christianity. Seriously. This is after describing his military fatigues worn while visiting Washington, the garments of a “strip club manager,” though I have no idea what a strip club manager would wear.

Trump isn't even original in his insults. And of course, his insane declaration that Ukraine started this war is impossible for even the most spineless congressional sycophants to swallow. Well, most anyway.

Notice, even Sen. Cornpone can't buy that one. Of Course, Sen. Eric Schmitt, in a real profile in courage, avoids the question. When did these former Republican cold warriors develop such a taste for borscht?

And of course, Trump uses this illogic to justify excluding Ukraine from any peace talks, all the while asking them to swallow a business deal to pay back the fictional $350 billion by signing over half of all Ukrainian mineral rights to the US in perpetuity. One might ask if this is payback for Zelensky refusing to try to dig up dirt on Joe Biden.

Any deal, according to Defense Department spokesmodel Pete Hegseth, would not include the ultimate guarantee of Ukrainian security, NATO membership.

So, as the always readable conservative, Andrew Sullivan, summarizes...

"Zelensky is a monster but Putin is our friend. As for concessions from Russia for its unprovoked violation of an internationally recognized border? None that I can see, apart from stopping the war. Then the Russians get American sanctions lifted, re-entry to the G-7, vast new oil revenues, and a chance to take all of Ukraine next time."

Look, the one thing Trump is right about, and given the decimation of the US government ongoing, that is saying a lot, is that Ukraine probably can't win. They can conceivably bleed the Russians enough to get an Afghanistan-style retreat, but the odds are too great. But this deal in the making is a Putin fever dream. Actually, I wanted to describe it as another kind of dream but thought better of it. That may be a first for me, actually.

But there is no doubt Trump is taking the party in another direction altogether. Allies, NATO, Europe in general be damned. Putin, XI, and Kim are the new allies, which probably spells the end for Taiwan as well.

So I guess he got his wish for a "new best friend."

On the wall overlooking the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office is a portrait of Ronald Reagan. 

“Absolutely obscene,” said Tom Nichols, a self-described Reaganite and former Naval War College professor, “He ought to take that picture down.”

I suggest another.

Look him up.