Donald J. Trump has an uncanny ability to slow down time. Days seem to stretch into weeks and even months, while just a few months feels like years. Take what he said about ending the war in Ukraine while on the campaign trail. He repeatedly promised he could end that war within 24 hours. At one point he even declared he would end it before he was even inaugurated. He knew Vladimir Putin well, he told us, he knew Putin wanted peace and once a deal was struck the Russians would abide by it.
Somehow all that bloviating nonsense seems like it happened decades ago. It almost feels like ancient history. However, it has only been seven, or eight months. At the time, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told everyone who would listen that Trump's line was hokum. He said, in effect, "It will take me only an hour to explain to him why he won't be able to." Trump, his supporters, and his propaganda machine ignored Zelenskyy completely. Possibly because they believed the Ukrainians shouldn't be involved in stopping a war in Ukraine. You know--this was a job best suited to hot shots like Donald Trump and his close and personal friend, Vladimir Putin.
Indeed, some people simply become unreasonable when they get invaded, their cities are bombed, and their civilians murdered.
Although he missed that self imposed 24 hour deadline to end the war, last week Trump posted on social media that all parties were, "close to making a deal." When he wrote it he was either on his way to Rome, or already there for Pope Francis' funeral. Zelenskyy was also there, along with scores of other world leaders. Missing was Vlad Putin. It's a little tough for him to travel to Europe these days because there is a warrant out for his arrest. An international court has accused Trump's pal of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
On the day of the funeral Mr. Putin might have made the prosecutor's case a tad easier. Russian launched a strike carried out by an estimated 150 drones. Reports are saying at least four people were killed by the attack. According to Donald J. Trump the timing couldn't have been worse. Yeah, especially for those who were killed, Mr. President. Then he posted he was beginning to doubt if Vladimir Putin really wants peace.
Well over a half century ago at old Herbert Hoover Jr. High in Oklahoma City such a revelation would have been met with the response, "No shit, Sherlock?"
Yes, it would seem our man, Donald is shocked a guy who he admires for his ruthless accumulation of power and riches, not to mention land grabs, is--well--really ruthless. What did he expect, honor among thieves? That's right, Donnie. Vlad Putin isn't one of your merry band of corporate greed heads who spend their weeks making millions and their weekends on the golf course or the ski slopes. Vladimir Putin is a fully functioning expansionist dictator. The man is out to restore what was once an empire which encompassed not only the former Soviet states, but a big chunk of Eastern Europe. And while you're terrorizing immigrants, legal and otherwise, academics, journalists, fellow republicans, and the judicial, Vlad Putin is doing the same to an entire continent.
The brutal truth is, the only reason Donald Trump gives a rat's ass about peace in Ukraine is he is obsessed with winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He has to have it because Barrack Obama won it. Vladimir knows it and is using it to fulfill his, let's say, darker, ambitions. The longer Trump jabbers on about peace the better. The more he screws with Europe the better. It's a chess match and Trump, thanks to his ego, is playing checkers.
So, here we are, 100 days in. And while the current President of the United States thinks Americans are suckers and easy marks--and many of us are--the Russian President knows Donald John Trump is one.
4-27-25
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