When you think it can’t get much worse, American diplomacy led by President Trump and Vice President Vance — implodes on national television.
Regardless of which side you’re on, most will agree that what happened this past Friday has severely harmed America’s reputation as a leader in the free world.
It’s worse than that. Without question, our world’s health, safety, and stability are much more at risk today than they were just one week ago.
When leadership was needed the most, these guys, intentionally or unintentionally, dropped the ball.
Berating and belittling an international “friend and ally” on a world stage, then shutting him down when he tries to defend himself – is not leadership.
President Donald Trump calling former President Joe Biden “stupid” on national television while sitting in the Oval Office are not the actions of a leader.
Telling the President of Ukraine, who’s fighting desperately to defend his country, essentially to “Take my deal, give me your minerals, take a knee, kiss the ring, and say thank you, or I’ll leave you and your people to Russia, and they can do with you as they like.” — is not leadership. It may demonstrate the presence of a powerful deal-making thug, but it’s not leadership.
I received an email a few days ago with the following short and to-the-point message: “I’ve been reading your stuff for a while. Can you help us on the national level? The manure pile building up has been flung into the windmill. Can you please direct me to the revolution?”
I’ve received more than a few of these notes recently, referring to “revolution” and/or expressing fear of a coming “civil war.”
As individuals living in a small community far from the global centers of power, what positive and tangible actions can we take, and what must we take?
I can only speak to what I am doing and encourage others who feel similarly to me to do so.
First of all, take a deep breath. Go for a walk. Turn off the news, get off the phone, and go outside. Throttle back the fear and anxiety. Perhaps take a dip in the ocean. Hug your family.
Next, consider your security and tighten up the loose ends. Consider “disaster preparedness” and get ready — flashlights, radio, batteries, water, etc. I’m serious. Hopefully, I’m wrong, and if so, at least you’re prepared for the next hurricane or tsunami.
Stay informed. Resist “doom scrolling” through the news, but stay informed.
Plant food. I’m cleaning my yard of overgrown greenery that feeds no one and replanting it with stuff I can eat.
While my budget may not allow me to “leave the grid,” I’m looking into it.
If disruption comes, we must be ready first in our own homes.
But what else must we do?
For starters, we must actively boycott those businesses supporting the anti-Ukraine, anti-diversity, anti-worker, and anti-environmental positions of President Trump and Elon Musk.
We must also continue contacting our members of Congress, as well as friends and relatives across the continent, to offer encouragement and support.
In addition, today I’m signing up for news/action alerts and sending in a little bit of money to Indivisible Hawaiʻi https://indivisiblehawaii.org
Indivisible Hawai‘i Statewide Network — Take Action / Protect Democracy / Move Forward
We are part of Indivisible, a national grassroots movement formed in December 2016 to defeat the Trump agenda of racism, misogyny, and authoritarianism. Indivisible boasts a nationwide network of thousands of local groups across the US, representing over a million people. The Indivisible Hawai‘i Statewide Network has eleven chapters spanning four islands, mobilizing thousands of residents.
indivisiblehawaii.org
AND we must continue to monitor and push our local government to support truly affordable housing, protect the disenfranchised communities now under attack, increase energy independence, and block efforts to dismantle environmental protections.
Remember, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised — “True change will not be brought by corporations, but rather through a change in one’s own mind and actions.” National Civil Rights Museum
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Gary Hooser served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Council. He presently writes on Hawai‘i Policy and Politics at www.garyhooser.blog.
“President Donald Trump calling former President Joe Biden “stupid” on national television while sitting in the Oval Office are not the actions of a leader.”
Biden did the very same thing calling Repubs stupid, etc. But only now Hooser finds it objectionable. And with a straight face….one of his two.
Gary’s “National manure pile hits the wind” puts on full display his completely vacuous grasp of world history and the catastrophic consequences of funding and advocating for war, rather than peace. He should be ashamed of himself for writing such nonsense for everyone to see. All fueled, of course, by his historical ignorance and abject hatred of one man.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict can be placed squarely on the doorstep of U.S. and Western policies that have been festering for decades. Gary’s hero, one Joseph Biden, has played a key role in the continuance of this destructive, tragic process and the resulting loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. We all know by now that Biden’s motives were the financial gain he and his family have garnered in the Ukrainian piggy bank, as well as the circular money laundering through the US arms manufacturers. Here’s a brief history of causes of the crisis for you Gary…you can verify it with a little objective research and reading.
NATO expansion: The US and NATO persistently violated verbal assurances (by Bush-1 and James Baker on February 9th 1990) to Russia (Mikhail Gorbachev) post-Cold War, that NATO would not expand one inch eastward from the wall that had divided West from East Berlin. This “promise” was quickly broken by the inclusion of former Soviet bloc nations and the 2008 pledge that Ukraine and Georgia would at some point join NATO. Naturally Russia saw this as an unacceptable threat to their security interests and provoked them, making the current situation a fait accompli.
The 2014 Maidan Coup was fostered by the US CIA and directed by the vicious Victoria Nuland. It resulted in the violent overthrow of the democratically elected, pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich. How would you expect the Russians to interpret such an outcome, Gary?
Couple these with the persistent US/Western ideological driven agenda to foster democracy and institutions with their habit of completely ignoring Russian historical norms and legitimate security concerns. The arrogance of the US and its Western Allies blinded them to the repeated warnings/red lines about Ukraine, NATO and the existential threat that the Russians perceived.
The entire conflict could have been avoided had the hubris of the US not stood in the way of pursuing a strategy of Ukrainian neutrality. Instead, it was always the drive to bring western integration for Ukraine (the piggy bank).
The United States established the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. This doctrine essentially told all European and foreign powers to stay out of the Western Hemisphere. It is the justification that President Kennedy used when he confronted the Soviet Union, then under the rule of Nikita Khrushchev, that was sending troops and nuclear armed missiles to Cuba which is only 90 miles off US shores. This sparked an intense 13 day political and military standoff in October 1962. This included Kennedy’s preparation to use a naval blockade and threat to the Soviets to use military force if necessary.
This outcome was avoided when Kennedy and Khrushchev made an agreement: Soviets would remove the missiles; Kennedy agreed not to invade Cuba. Kennedy also agreed to remove our missiles from Turkey…reflecting that he understood that the USSR had legitimate security concerns regarding NATO countries like Turkey, which is right across the Black Sea from Russia.
So, Gary, perhaps you can explain the difference between Putin and Kennedy’s actions in the face of threats on our respective borders? And don’t insult us by saying Putin actually went to war; Kennedy did not…with Kennedy the threat alone worked to stop the Soviets. Putin’s threats went unheeded by the arrogant, US backed west.
It seems that you and the other pro-Ukrainian types, prefer war and its accompanying death and destruction to peaceful negotiations which would end the violence and ensure the continued existence of Ukraine. Rational people are sick of the little tyrant, Zelenskyy, demanding that we fund his hopeless war with Russia. Trump and Vance simply communicated that to him…you just hate Trump so much you can’t see reality.
RSW