This is who they are: Republicans hurry to support Russian dictator and sneer at America

[Rogue Valley]

This is who they are: Republicans hurry to support Russian dictator and sneer at America

On Monday, Russian authoritarian ruler Vladimir Putin moved additional Russian forces into Ukraine, declaring that two regions in eastern Ukraine were now “independent republics.” On Tuesday, Putin expanded the scope of the new nations he peremptorily...

www.dailykos.com

2.23.22
On Monday, Russian authoritarian ruler Vladimir Putin moved additional Russian forces into Ukraine, declaring that two regions in eastern Ukraine were now “independent republics.” On Tuesday, Putin expanded the scope of the new nations he peremptorily formed out of the territory of a neighboring country, setting up an excuse to occupy a much larger area and engage in direct military conflict with Ukrainian government forces. But as the world unites in opposition to Russian aggression, there is one notable exception: Republicans. From Donald Trump to Mike Pompeo to Josh Hawley, the same people who were in a hurry to overthrow democracy in America are using this moment to support the destruction of a democratic ally. Genius. Wonderful. Smart. That’s what Donald Trump thinks of Putin’s open seizure of property from a U.S. ally. But Trump didn’t stop there. He expressed a wish that some of those Russian tanks should come here. It’s almost as if Trump believes that the puppet show Putin put on for his state-run media fooled everyone. Oh, gee, golly, we have to let Russia go in there and keep the peace for those poor independent republicans, yup, yup, yup. Putin’s attempt to excuse his actions is a sick joke. Much like Trump.

Also on Tuesday, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hustled out to sing his praises of Putin and undercut the U.S. position. In fact, he’s doing it so well that Pompeo is getting repeat play on Russian state TV. And then there was Hawley. A column from Feb. 3 called Hawley “Putin’s new favorite pet” for adopting Russian talking points and urging the nation to turn its back on Ukraine. Or, as The Kansas-City Star puts it: “Insurrection, racism, appeasement: Call it the Hawley Trinity.” Tucker Carlson, who has been carrying Putin’s water so long that he has almost (almost) developed a muscle, was reliably there for him on Tuesday, insisting that because Putin didn’t call him a racist or start the pandemic, there’s no reason to be mad at him. It’s not that Republicans don’t want a war. It’s that they’re already waging one—against democracy in the United States. This was what was on Steve Bannon’s mind on Tuesday as he grew concerned over how Russia’s invasion might interfere with issues of real importance.... “We have a chance, once in our lifetime, to destroy the Democratic Party as an institution. We cannot let this slip from our grasp .. That is everyone’s maniacal focus. We’re in a war.”

From the GOP who brought us the January 6 insurrection against our democracy, they're now cheering on dictator KGB Col. Vladimir Putin as he invades neighboring Ukraine.

They would sleep with any banana republic dictator if it helped them in any way to achieve an authoritarian government here in the United States.

 

[jotathought]

I'm a Republican and I'm not cheering Putin; however, Putin took his crappy hand of cards, bluffed about it and ended up getting what he wanted without giving up much .. and he put Biden to the test with his metaphorical "red lines." Do I like or support Putin .. hell no, but to say what he did wasn't sauve, even though we disagree with the outcome, is naive

All Biden is going to do with these sanctions is hurt other countries -- like Germany because Russia will just sell its gas to other countries, and with Biden's strict approach on the environmental front, fossil fuel prices will continue to rise -- something consumers will feel as we ramp up to midterms.

 

[maxparrish]

This is who they are: Republicans hurry to support Russian dictator and sneer at America

On Monday, Russian authoritarian ruler Vladimir Putin moved additional Russian forces into Ukraine, declaring that two regions in eastern Ukraine were now “independent republics.” On Tuesday, Putin expanded the scope of the new nations he peremptorily...

www.dailykos.com

From the GOP who brought us the January 6 insurrection against our democracy, they're now cheering on dictator KGB Col. Vladimir Putin as he invades neighboring Ukraine.

They would sleep with any banana republic dictator if it helped them in any way to achieve an authoritarian government here in the United States.

Painting all Republicans with a broad brush isn't wise on this issue. As a former Republican and lifetime conservative I assure you that there is a huge, likely majoritarian, number of Republicans that detest Putin and have not forgotten Russia/Soviet Union in the cold war.

There are three or four factions within the right. There are folks like me, unambiguous and aggressive towards Putin and a defender of Ukraine. There are folks that don't really care about Ukraine but want to make it partisan and bash Biden. Then there are folks who are truly isolationist and out to lunch on the realities of world politics. And finally there are those often-closeted admirers of Russia and Putin that actually identify with Russian imperialism as a good thing.

After listening to Pompeo, for example, he appears to support checking Putin but also seems equally interested in bashing Biden and inflating Trump.

Yet, there are also those Republican Senators that sponsored the Guard ACT in Dec, to vastly increase military aid to Ukraine and to sanction Nordstream - an act that apparently failed to pass because of Democratic opposition.

But a vocal GOP minority on and off Capitol Hill — represented by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance, among others — has taken a third path, actively arguing against any U.S. involvement in the region while still dinging Biden. They argue that expanding the U.S. commitment to NATO is a mistake, and that the president should instead focus on countering China and securing America’s southern border.

Republicans descend into foreign policy factionalism over Russia-Ukraine standoff

www.msn.com

For my part I have always been a "Not Trump" conservative - meaning I would not actively support a Democrat or Trump. However, Trump has been and would be at least as ineffective as Biden on this issue, and more likely an extremely untrustworthy enabler of Putin. Trump is not a solution; his political manipulations of his base have been a cancer to the Republican party.

So don't assume most Republicans, at least not those Republicans who were elected, buy into the Putin admiration society.

 

[maxparrish]

I want to add one thing, not directly related to Republican factionalism. I have found that if a person wants to know what it's like to be the target of a big power, to be a citizen in a country who has experienced the constant threat of war, I suggest a person make some friends in that country. When I was much younger, I spent months in Tiawan and weeks in South Korea. I became a friend and an admirer of their people and culture and got a good grounding on their previous experiences and fears regarding China, N.K., and communism.

Once you do that, all the propaganda spewed by those that wish to subjugate them sounds ludicrous. And as far as I am concerned, I know exactly how smaller and weaker Ukraine feels and fears Russia, as did these other nations regarding their stronger former oppressors.

I don't give a shit what the wounded pride imperialists of Russia or China think, I identify with their victims... as any decent human being should.

 

[Credence]