“We understand that there's concern about the safety, security and sovereignty of Ukraine, but the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty.”
Words spoken by House Speaker Mike Johnson in response to a reporter's inquiry as to why he was holding up aid for Ukraine. The question was certainly a challenge to both his political legislative and Christian qualifications.
I would submit that even 100,000 Central American asylum seekers, mostly unarmed, including women and children along the US’ southern border, do not measure up to 150,000 Russian soldiers armed to the teeth with artillery backup at Ukraine's eastern border, as was the case on the eve of Russia's vicious full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Lest I should appear to agree on anything with the notorious extremist Steve Bannon, who is also not happy with Johnson and recently offered a rant against the Speaker for negotiating with the White House. He proceeded to attack Johnson's Christianity and suggested it be replaced with Islam, thus forming for the Speaker a backbone made of titanium. I will refrain from further criticism of the Speaker, despite his poor choice of metaphors and bizarre political reasoning.
President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos to a mostly cordial reception, including assurances that the EU, with its 27 members or 26 members if one excludes Hungary, will approve a €50 billion aid package to Ukraine on or about Feb. 1, 2024. NATO members the UK, France and Germany, along with new aspirant Sweden, have all stepped up recently to fill an obvious void caused by such political primitives as “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Republicans and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary.
More Than 160 Delegations Invited to Ukraine Peace Talks in Switzerland
With strengthening European support, the lack of US leadership will become much less a problem for Ukraine, even if the US reverts to a time not so long ago when Donald Trump was president. US global leadership was then lacking, much to the amusement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then US President Trump was ridiculed by most western allies, even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
So, the ball is now in the US court, not only to help Ukraine win a war where the sides are clearly marked as representative of good and evil. But the mantle of global leadership is moving away from the US, and this represents a more serious problem for Ukraine, the US and the wider world.
The problem of US exceptionalism
To a simple but isolated, even educated but normally selfish mind, the obligations and expenses of global leadership far exceed any perceived benefits. Prestige is a consideration, but to an isolated mind, prestige is only that which is recognized locally.
Much has been made of the fact that the MAGA Republicans cater to, and resultingly are overwhelmingly supported by, those who lack a college degree. This was displayed recently in Iowa. However, much would appear to depend not so much on the level of education as the field of studies. In fact, are so many examples of contradictions in this regard that a meaningful analysis is impossible.
The views of doctors, lawyers, political scientists, even clerics and divinity students, are varied. Consider such bizarre examples as former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee and his daughter and current governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders who as press secretary for President Trump lied at will.
Why are Evangelicals opposed to aid for Ukraine when the war in Ukraine is manifestly a struggle of good versus evil?
US exceptionalism and the US as the beacon of freedom and hope are simply intangibles. Being the land of opportunity is a well-deserved moniker but also the cause of the country’s problems along its southern border. The biggest impediment to a global perspective is that many Americans have never left the continent.
Isolationism was a malaise that afflicted Americans only several generations ago. The Japanese woke us up and suddenly we realized that we had interests all over the world. Then we recognized that we were a superpower and were treated as such by the rest of the world.
English became the universal language. If we travelled beyond our shores, we experienced an uplifting treatment, even somewhat undeserved. That treatment was appreciated by some of us. Other Americans took this as an opportunity to become ugly. Nevertheless, our interests beyond the continent compelled us to be involved. And then, of course, there was the moral component largely unknown to the MAGA contingent.
Ukraine continues to fight the good fight, often relying on US weapons previously provided. The role of Javelins, Patriots and Abrams (soon F-16s) among other weapons the US has manufactured and supplied cannot be overstated.
Still, our investment not only in Ukraine, but in global security and peace, may be wasted unless we protect our investment. These, along with the moral component, are just some of the reasons why the US should not relinquish its mantle of global leadership.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
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Comments (7)
Troll Jack,
Border destabilization is a form of hybrid war that russia's criminal leader employ against the USA. Putin is also known to have employed this technique since 2008 to both sow discord and destabilize nations: Finland, Estonia, Poland, Italy and Turkeye. Russia also foments forced migration as a prelude to steal territory from neighbours like Georgia, Ukraine, Chechnya and Moldova (transinista). They also directly support / orchestrate military coups in resource rich or strategically positioned nations.
A 9/25/23 report entitled "How China and Russia Have Helped Foment Coups" by the US Council of Foreign Relations states: "In the past decade in Asia, there have been coups in Myanmar and Thailand. In recent decades, coups and attempted coups have occurred in Austria, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Honduras, Moldova, Montenegro, Turkey, and many African states, most recently Niger and Gabon." Plus Marie, Sudan, Yemen Myanmar.
A 7/2023 CSIS report russia has also incited "The outflow of refugees and migrants from Venezuela is the largest displacement crisis in the world, with almost 7.7 million migrants and refugees (mostly heading to USA) as of August 2023. ."
Thats why sane Americans understand that ending putin’s reign will help with their border crisis. Ukraine must be supported which is why the USA must thwart the stalling efforts of the MRGA / MAGA infil-traitors in the House and Senate.
@REDNECKS FOR FREEDOM, Exactly...."Go Haley".
She is the only remaining candidate who has voiced the need to increase military support for Ukraine. Trump would sell Ukraine out to his buddy putin in the blink of an eye.
As for that infamous wall remember this news 9/8/22 AP news story: "Former President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon surrendered Thursday to face state money laundering and conspiracy charges in New York alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors say that while Bannon promised donors all the money they gave would go to building the wall, he was involved in funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to two other people involved in the scheme.
The indictment didn’t identify those people by name, but the details match those of Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in April.”
Ukraine is fighting the good fight...with every thing they can muster. They should be supported to the maximum possible.
This is the fight against an oppressive and murderous authoritarian russian leader whose regime constantly talks about the next democracy they will attack and wipe out to rubble. They are supported by other regimes whose principle goal is to see the USA and other democracies collapse.
Does the USA wish to be the last democracy standing? Who will it trade with? What currency will they need to use? Who will its allies, based on shared principles, be in the new world where democratic principles are protected in only one country on a very large globe? Will the USA secure prosperity once its southern borders are physically protected by a wall to block unarmed immigrants they probably actually need to sustain their work force as like other democracies their baby boomers all retire? Are they even curious as to why all these immigrants are streaming towards their borders? Are they aware that authoritarian regimes use such tactics to destabilize democracies presently across the globe?
Do they feel they will be better off when the majority of the globe and all its resources have fallen to authoritarian leaders intent on displacing the USA as a world power? Will Americans find this future world one where they have greater or less security and freedoms?
Lots of questions.
Even though a huge number of Trump voters don´t understand what international policy is, mainly because they have never left not their state, but their county, for anyone with a single cell on his brain is cristal clear that US can´t do anything if it isolates itself fom the rest of the world. From the US debt, huge and financed by foreign money, to the energy or food, technology, weapons, etc. etc., US would make a huge mistake thinking Trump is right and the US is going to be better alone. From Canada to the EU, Japan, South Korea and the rest of present allies, to "neutral" countries like Brazil or India, with Trump at the White House the US will find close doors to its products, and huge happyness on China´s business that would take all those markets. Many countries, including the EU, are preparing for the disaster of Trump at the White House again. If that happens, less oil and gas from US and more from Saudis and Quatar, more weapons produced in the EU and not US, etc. etc. If that happens in EU, UK, Canada, Japan.... consider what is going to happen to US products in Africa, South America, Asia.....
There is good and bad. American apathy will spur Europe into action and cause it to put on their big boy pants and protect themselves against Russian adventurism. They have lots of experience: they have been fighting each other for almost two millennia.
When you stop and think about it, why is it the duty of North Americans to defend Europe? You have been bailed out twice, now it is time to fend for yourselves. Spend 4% of your GDP and become a man.
China is by far the biggest threat to the world, for their recent military growth is astonishing. The USA will have its hands full dealing with just them.
So Europe, stop wining and dining but most of all stop your whining.
Ukraine is fighting the good fight...with every thing they can muster. They should be supported to the maximum possible. This is the fight against a an oppressive and murderous authoritarian russian leader whose regime constantly talks about the next democracy they will attack and wipe out to rubble. They are supported by other regimes whose principle goal is to see the USA and other demo races collapse.
Does the USA wish to be the last democracy standing? Who will it trade with? What currency will they need to use? Who will its allies based on shared principles be in the new world where democratic principles are protecting in on one country in a very large globe. Will the USA secure prosperity once its southern borders are physically protected by a wall to block unarmed immigrants they probably actually need to sustain their work force as like other democracies their baby boomers all retire.
Are they even curious as to why all these immigrants are streaming towards their borders. Are they aware that authoritarian regimes use such tactics to destabilize democracies presently across the globe. Do they feel they will be better off when the majority of the globe and all its resources have fallen to authoritarian leaders intent on displacing the USA as a world power. Will Americans find this future world one where they have greater or less security and freedoms. Lots of questions.
The tone of arrogance by the author of this opinion piece is exactly why the Ukrainian is losing support. The Americans you are calling "primitive" saved your country by offering their tax dollars to help protect it. Those dollars are made by going to work everyday of the year. You should be thanking every American forever and whole heartedly. Instead you write insulting piece like this. Good luck with that attitude.