On the campaign trail back in 2016 Donald Trump said he would consider accepting Crimea as part of Russia, as well as lifting sanctions on the federation. For those waging a war of moderation on the neocons and far left in the west to pursue peace, the 360 degree turnabout by Trump means one of two things. Either the new president is batting for the same team as Senator John McCain and the neocons, or the neocon-neoliberal assault on his presidency has forced a conciliatory move.
In the former case, half of Donald Trump’s national and worldwide support will evaporate. In the latter case, America has a far bigger mountain to climb in order to regain her dignity than was previously considered. The resignation of now-former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn is a stunning setback for a new administration. But Flynn’s demise may run far deeper than anyone imagines. The subsequent media and political shark feeding of the last few days means there is a lot of blood in the water in Washington. Onlookers can see this in Donald Trump’s demeanor. I noticed his dire look, and the contrasting “glow” on Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when the two met this week. What possible reason could Canada’s socialist leader have to smile so? I remember thinking this watching the joint press conference in which Trump looked totally beaten. Something dire has happened, this is what I believe.
Before the smoke cleared from the General Flynn bomb blast, CNN and the other liberal media sent barrage after barrage of Trump-Russia bomblets flying. Allegations without substantiation being the flavor of the year in media, the anti-Trump hordes have launched their biggest and most effective assault on the White House since Trump too office. The administration simply seems to be reeling now, and the reversal of the Crimea position is a very bad sign indeed. For many people the America-Russia reset was the campaign promise that differentiated Clinton from Trump. Domestic issues were important, but America’s role in foreign affairs was and is the most crucial problem the US faces. America has lost status in the world since the Bush administration. And whether or not America adopts nationalistic and isolationist goals or not, what the world thinks matters a lot. Weakening his stance on Russia and Crimea will ruin Trump’s chances at being at all effective.
Never before in US history has a new president been assailed by foes at home on so many fronts at once. The forces that have run America for decades now, they are in a guerilla war on this administration, attacking from every dark corner, inflicting wound after wound. I have never witnessed anything like it. No president since Eisenhower, who I vaguely remember, not even ruined President Richard Nixon was so hated. But a devastating question looms large for those of us analyzing these events, “Is it all just great big dog and pony show?” Has Washington pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes and inserted a ringer from the same corner as the neocons? There is evidence now.
Since months now I have questioned Veterans Today’s vehement opposition to a Trump presidency. The go-to media source for the intelligence community, VT has been a “middle voice” offering good intelligence mixed with some far-flung theory these last few years. Now however, Senior Editor Gordon Duff’s analysis seems to be panning out. This report by Duff may well prove a great many of us deeply wrong about Donald Trump’s motivations as president. I for one have thrown a lot of positivity and hope in the new president’s direction, so digesting Duff’s apt analysis is not the easiest thing for me. If General Flynn is a sacrificial lamb in a bigger scheme – Duff labels it as “Rothschild” scheme. Again, there is ample evidence to at least revisit our ideas and assertions on Trump. Me and tens of millions others supported Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, even though his clear ties to the biggest money ever were readily apparent. The same holds true for Defense Secretary “Mad Dog” Mattis, who would as soon blast a hole in either a Russian or a Terrorist. The Dakota pipeline ramrod, the Iran turnabout, his Israel war cry, and most disturbingly the subtle moves toward a right-wing police state – Donald Trump is 50-50 today – either America’s salvation or her end. A month ago he was the great white hope of a once again great American society.
One executive order President Trump signed the day after Jeff Sessions was sworn in as attorney general peaked my interest. Among the three “anti-crime” orders Trump signed that day, the one opening the door for huge sentences for those “committing violence” against police was disturbing. There are already sufficient statues on the books for any judge to put away police killers and those who resist. So what sort of added prosecution means is the president talking about enacting? This reads a lot like building in a police immunity for me, or edging toward a police state if worse comes to worst. While no moderate human being would ever want the neo-liberals to take completely over, goose stepping brown shirts stomping through America is as bad a nightmare. Most Trump supporters voted for moderation and a reversal of course toward nationalism – Nazism was not our first thought on Trump.
Is President Trump crawfishing on his loyal constituents? All I can tell you at this point is that the “Fake News” outlets like CNN and the New York Times are hell bent on stamping “Russian spy” on everybody including Trump. What this tells me is that the Crimea comment, the whole “tough on Russia” dogma may well be a parry to fend off the attack. Then again Trump the businessman may be throwing Crimea and Ukraine in the pot to get a better America-Russia bargain at the détente table. The point for most of you out there is, there is no news that can be trusted now. Maybe this has been the point all along. If people are not genuinely informed, there is no democracy at all. What if this were the big picture all along? What if Clinton and Trump were good cop – bad cop? I gave this option a 10% chance of being true in 2016. Right now the odds are 50-50 unless Trump proves otherwise. It will be interesting to see Vladimir Putin’s reaction. This may give us the telltale signs.
Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.
