In politics it is said if you can put your opponent on the defensive, you are winning. If you are the target, it is better to ignore the accusations as they will have you dancing to the opposition’s tune. Occasionally, it is worthy of addressing one of these positions as is the case now with a reckless charge. Not only is it ridiculous to assert Republicans in any way favor Vladimir Putin but It is harmful to our country to make such charges while he is aggressively attacking his neighbor.
Let us address the comments about Putin as a leader. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made favorable comments about Putin’s abilities. Steve Schmidt, a deeply confused former Republican, stated Pompeo is “a self-dealing blusterer whose grift, vanity and ambition has twisted him into a smiling shill for Vladimir Putin.” The crime here is making statements like the ones Biden made in 2019 regarding Putin.
In a 45-minute interview discussing a wide-ranging analysis of the situation with Russia and China, Pompeo said about Putin “Very shrewd. Very capable. I have enormous respect for him. I have been criticized for saying that. No, I have enormous respect for him.” To say anything else would turn 1,500 years of political philosophy on its head. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu advised “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Otherwise, never underestimate your enemy. I advise you to read the book. I have twice.
Underestimating our enemy has gotten us into this situation. Making up baseless charges against other Americans is not only harmful, but it also reflects badly on the ones doing it.
Hillary Clinton, spoke on the subject in a desperate attempt to make herself relevant, and stated, “We have to also make sure that within our own country we are calling out those people who are giving aid and comfort to Vladimir Putin, who are talking about what a genius he is, what a smart move it is, who are unfortunately being broadcast by Russian media, not only inside Russia, but in Europe to demonstrate the division within our own country.” We can faithfully count on Hillary to divide the country at every opportunity. And exactly what did she do when she was Secretary of State? I seem to remember a big, red reset button offered to Putin. How did that work out for you, Madam Secretary?
Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect, a far-left publication (I suggest you get their Today on Tap and enlighten yourself on their thoughts) seems to think everyone on the Republican side has had a love for Putin since he took over Russia. He even stated Trump hated Ukraine because it would not back up his Hunter Biden charges.
As a Jew, I live by the creed that actions are more important than words. Trump crushed Russian revenues. When Trump was President oil went down to $39 a barrel. It is now over $100. The price of natural gas was cut in half and Trump directed the building on LNG storage to be able to ship to Europe. Trump shipped armaments to Ukraine while his predecessor shipped blankets. Trump put sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that Biden took off shortly after taking office and put back on when Putin invaded. They should have remained in place. No matter what stupid thing you may believe Trump has said or is now saying, his actions tell the story. When you crush the revenue source that is half of Russia’s economy and make the U.S. energy independent you are not playing “kissy, kissy” with Putin.
The Left’s current boogieman is Tucker Carlson. He has spoken frequently about Ukraine. I listened to every word. He does not speak favorably about Putin. He has questioned us setting such a priority on Ukraine and made clear we should not send troops. He has said Biden appears to be a lot more concerned about the sovereignty of the border of Ukraine than our own southern border.
He has also made clear what virtually every Republican has said including myself – China is a far more significant concern than Russia. As I have stated, China has ten times the people and ten times the economy. China knows how to make washing machines and cars while Russia can only make tanks. Russia has an economy the size of California. While Putin is dangerous as displayed by his recent actions in Ukraine, he is dwarfed by the madmen running China. He allows the Chinese to get away with mass murder while too many focus their hatred on Putin.
I do not agree with every position Tucker takes or has taken on this issue. His biggest problem is his use of sarcasm which people like Eric Wemple of the Washington Post do not understand because the Left does not have a sense of humor.
Republicans do not like Putin in any way, shape or form. If Republican elected officials curry favor with some authoritarians, that is because there are a great many throughout the world. The Democrats must likewise do so. We should focus, as a people, on mitigating the damage that Putin is doing to world peace. We should not be trying to one up each other on who speaks of Putin in a more pejorative manner. We should focus on how as a country we can help the people of Ukraine remain a free and sovereign nation.