Accusations and Condemnations do not help the Ukrainians

 From recent headlines:

UN votes to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine
NATO accuses Russia of using cluster bombs
West condemns attack on nuclear plant

During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin and vowed that the United States is supportive of Ukraine.

That’s all great.  But condemnations and verbal support do not end the holocaust (I do not use that word lightly) that is occurring in Ukraine right now.

What is the West DOING?  What is President Biden DOING?

The West’s NATO refuses to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, despite pleas from Ukraine.  They say it was “a painful decision.”  Well, not nearly as painful as it is to the people of Ukraine who are dying.

President Biden keeps adding to his list of sanctions, all of which are ineffective.  Yet he continues to purchase Russian oil and gas, thus daily providing funds to the Russian war effort.  He does this while claiming he supports Ukraine, while that blood money he pays to Russia is used for the war effort that is destroying Ukraine and its people.

Talk is cheap.  The Ukrainians see the total ineffectiveness of talk as they realize they are nothing more than a disposable pawn in the power games of the West and Russia (and probably China too). 

We promised the emerging democracy of Ukraine that we would always have its back as we pushed it to join the West’s ever-expanding NATO power structure.  But where is that support now that the killing has begun?

Biden promised he knew what he was doing when he released Russian sanctions as part of his reverse everything Trump did policy.  When it was obvious to the world that Putin was likely planning an invasion, Biden continued to do nothing, saying sanctions would be better used after an invasion.  Now he says sanctions take months (if ever) to work.  If he knew what he was doing then he knew he was about to hang the Ukrainian people and their culture out to die.  If he had any remorse about doing so one would surely never know it.

Biden’s lies have put Ukraine in a no-win situation where they can continue to fight until all are dead and the country totally destroyed, or they can give up and let Putin have his way with them and their country.  As they continue to fight, their strength against Russia may be increasing the risk of nuclear and/or world war.  But how can anyone ask them to stand down and give up their country and who they are?

This is the no-win situation to which the accusations and condemnations without supportive action have led us.  Putin’s actions are clearly condemnable and criminal.  But simply saying that does not stop them.  What would have stopped them before they began would have been action in the form of sanctions and diplomacy.  That time has passed.  What might have caused Putin some pause would have been a better handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal by President Biden, but the lies and weakness and incompetence he showed there cannot be rescinded. 

Ukraine is being slaughtered.  Biden seems more concerned with not upsetting the Woke and Green wings of his party.  He will not lift his ban on oil and gas production in this country – a ban that is making us dependent upon Russian oil and gas such that we are indeed funding Putin’s war.  Biden is about to go forward with the Iran deal, adding nuclear capability to another country that is clearly not our friend and is a likely Russian ally.  He has shared our Russian intelligence and sanction strategy with China – yes, China!  And they of course shared it with Putin.

Biden is Putin’s ally and accomplice, no matter what his words may say.  We all know the phrase “actions speak louder than words,” and Biden’s actions directly contradict his words of support for Ukraine.  I don’t know if Biden’s actions and inactions rise to the level of war crimes, but they sure come close as being Putin’s enabler.

So what can we the people do? Make our voices heard. Write to the White House, write to Joe Biden, write to your representatives and senators in Congress.   Tell them to open U.S. oil/gas production.  Tell them that Ukraine needs weapons, not platitudes.  Tell them that the America that we all know and love would not allow Ukraine or any country to be a sacrificial lamb to a President’s political and power agenda. Take action with your votes in the upcoming midterms and future presidential elections.

It may very well be too late.  But perhaps not.  We owe it to the Ukrainians, whom our country urged to move toward democracy and Western values and promised support for doing so.  They kept their promise.  We need to keep ours.

Question 4 - Appearance or Substance? Talk or Action?

This is the 4^th in an intermittent series of questions to think about before casting your ballot in November.

Today I want to encourage everyone to really think about why they are voting for someone. 

Can you vote for someone you don’t like as a person if their policies benefit you and your country (or, can you vote for someone whose policies will likely hurt you/your country just because you like their personality/dislike the personality of their opponent?

This is a critical question this year.  First because the perceptions of the two men running for president differ at the superficial (likability) level.  Secondly, the reality of the actions that each will take as president are substantially different and would have significantly different consequences for this country and the individuals living within it.

I understand that many people do not like Donald Trump’s rough-hewn nature; they do not like his “tell it like it is” way of talking – no couching things in niceties, no euphemisms, no  politically correct terms, etc.  I also understand that many folks like Joe Biden’s “nice guy” image, his big smile, his ability to say what his audience likes to hear. 

I also know that some people object to Donald Trump, saying they cannot vote for him, because they claim to be offended by his “character flaws.”  I don’t believe this excuse because if one is going to be offended by the idea of character flaws  then they would certainly be equally offended by those of Joe Biden:  rape charges against him; verified unwanted touching and hair sniffing of innumerable women and young girls; verified use of his government position for personal and family gain; lying about when he met and began a relationship with his current wife; proven repeated acts of plagiarism to name just a few. 

So, what is it?  Many people say they want their president to act “presidential.”  But what does it really mean to be “presidential?”

We live in an age of appearances.  For many it seems to be all about playing the part, not about who you really are or what you really stand for.  Most of our presidents have been politicians before taking the office;  certainly that is true in the recent past.  Politicians have learned the rules of politi-speak, of how to sound like you are saying something when actually you say nothing, how to talk big but accomplish little.

Donald Trump entered this political world of appearances as an outsider.  He doesn’t fit the mold.  But does that mean that he is not presidential?

Personally, I am far more concerned with actions and accomplishments than with whether someone fits the mold of the stereotypical politician.   What someone does will tell me much more about both the individual’s character as well as what sort of a president he or she might be.  So, with that in mind, let’s look at some of the actions and accomplishments of likeable Joe and rough-hewn Trump.

● Prison Reform:  Biden talked about the need for it for 40+ years, but despite his political influence as senator and vice-president, nothing was done.  Trump got it done – maybe not everything that everyone would like, but a huge step forward.

● Veterans and the VA:  Biden talked about it, Trump got it done.

● Poor economic status and joblessness of minorities:  Biden talked about it, but it was Trump who raised the unemployment status of Blacks and other minorities to the lowest ever in the nation’s history while providing a positive job climate that raised minority economic status to heights not seen before.  While Biden continues to say he will do something, Trump says he will continue to act as he has, continuing to improve the situation.

● Peace in the Middle East:  Biden may have talked about it, Trump just negotiated an historic peace accord between Arab nations and Israel.

● Trade:  Trade deals, including those supported by Biden, were hurting our small businesses, our farmers, and Americans generally.  Trump renegotiated trade deals that are favorable to the U.S.

● Foreign policy:  Biden as part of the Obama administration spoke from a position of apology and weakness whereas Trump speaks from a position of strength.  Trump is fully funding our military and is actually ending the years of foreign wars and bringing our troops home.  He also opened relations with North Korea and likely averted nuclear conflict there.  Meanwhile, Joe Biden was and is using foreign relationships for his own and his family’s personal and financial gain.

● Middle East:  Biden opposed the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden.  Trump sent successful missions against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Qasem Soleimani.  The Trump administration has effectively eliminated ISIS.  

● American Embassy in Israel:  Biden talked about moving it to the capital, Jerusalem.  Trump actually moved the embassy to Jerusalem, leading the way for some other nations to do the same.

● Health care:  Biden of course was part of the Obama-Biden healthcare plan that resulted in Obamacare.  The mandates (taxes) under that plan were untenable for many.  Penalties required those who did not want insurance to pay anyway, often outrageous amounts for insurance they did not want or need.  People lost the ability to choose or keep their doctors (despite promises to the contrary).   Biden has said he favors national healthcare and has also said he doesn’t, but it seems clear that he is likely to support at a minimum an Obamacare type plan, a plan administered by government bureaucracy.  President Trump has managed to remove some of the most burdensome parts of Obamacare and expand options and quality of affordable healthcare.  He indicates a desire to do more to provide more affordable choice to Americans.

● Prescription Drugs:  Biden talked about problems of cost and availability.  Trump has reduced the cost of prescription drugs, made them more available, and has given terminal patients the Right to Try Act.

● Immigration:  Obama-Biden actually did put kids in cages but did not even-handedly enforce immigration laws.  Trump enforces the laws on the books (his duty as president), is clear about the distinctions between legal and illegal immigration, has taken many actions (including the wall) to reduce illegal border activity such as child and drug trafficking, and is working to improve access to immigration based on merit.

● Black colleges:  Biden talks about the importance of Black education.  Trump restored funding to Black colleges. 

● Race relations:  Biden believes in identity politics and their divisive effect.   Like many on the Left he likes to make promises and even throw money at minorities, but he rarely shows respect for them as individuals.  Trump’s policies do not pick winner and loser identity groups; instead they equally apply to all Americans. 

This list could go on and on.   I suspect that since the media is more concerned with providing superficial pictures of a likable Biden and an unlikable Trump that some of the above may come as a surprise. 

There are indeed many more that suggest how busy our President is and how much he has gotten done for this country and its people in just 3 ½ years.  His actions have angered some, but, not being a typical politician, he is not in it to be liked, he does not play political games, he just gets things done.  He has kept just about all of his campaign promises. 

Beyond actions, the policies supported by each candidate and his party are important and, in this election year, if not polar opposites, they certainly reflect vastly different views of this country and what it will become.

President Trump’s actions suggest that he believes in the capitalist system, he believes in America and its Constitution, and is generally a conservative.  He supports policies that provide equal opportunity to all Americans, he believes in individual responsibility and choice, he is pro-life, he believes in small government and follows the Constitutional limits on the federal government respecting the rights of the states and their governors to make decisions about such things as using the national guard to quell riots or mandating masks. 

Joe Biden’s actions in the past have suggested that he believes in big government and is willing to accept significant government control over the lives of the populace.  He believes less in individual responsibility and choice and more in government regulation and direction over individual lives.  Like many on the Left he believes that he knows what is good for you and that you should simply leave it up to government to both provide for you and decide what you should say, believe, and think. 

If not a socialist, many of Biden’s handlers are.  There is little doubt that what he now has referred to as the Harris administration will heavily lean socialist.

In a capitalist democratic republic, one is free to make their own choices and to become the person they were meant to be.  In a socialist world, the government makes the choices and the individual will only become the person that they are allowed to be.  It is a significant difference.

So, back to today’s question.  It is unlikely that you are ever going to actually meet Joe Biden or Donald Trump, let alone sit down with them as friends.  So why does it matter whether you like one or dislike one as a person?  Shouldn’t it be more important to look at the actions of each, not what they say or how they charm you?  Wouldn’t it be better to make your choice based on the America that each foresees for your future? 

Joe Biden is a charming talker.   But in 40 plus years of public service he has done little to better the life of Americans or to further the stature of America itself. 

Donald Trump does what he says he is going to do.  In the process he may not be the likable charmer that most politicians are.  But he is direct and honest, whether you like what he says or how he says it.  And his actions in the short time he has been in office have done enormous good for the country and its people. 

As I have said previously, I am not registered with any party, but as an independent thinker and voter I truly believe that this may be one of the most important elections of our lifetime.  So, for me it is about substance, not superficial appearance when I consider what makes someone “presidential.”  

Superficial Appearance or Substance.  While for many Joe Biden may win the superficiality contest, when I look at the substance the scale tips heavily in favor of President Trump.  He has my vote for another 4 years.