"The stunning episode in Washington had capped a week of what turned out to be largely futile efforts by U.S. allies to paper over differences between Washington and Kyiv and to try to steer Trump away from his flirtations with Moscow.
"...All the while, Trump was focused on securing a financial stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals to recoup the tens of billions the U.S. has given to Kyiv to defend itself. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, wanted more than Washington’s vague promises that the U.S. would work to preserve its economic interest in Ukraine under the agreement and pushed for more concrete security guarantees....But when the Ukrainian leader raised alarm about trusting any promises from Putin to end the fighting, Vice President JD Vance rebuked him for airing disagreements with Trump in public. It instantly shifted the tenor of the conversation. Zelenskyy grew defensive, and Trump and his vice president blasted him as ungrateful and “disrespectful” and issued stark warnings about future American support."
"...After the Oval Office dustup, Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers — scrapping plans for a lunch, a joint press conference and the signing of the economic agreement, even as the Ukrainian leader and his aides pushed for a “reset” on the meeting."
This is the most shameful moment in American diplomacy that I remember in my lifetime. Of course I know that the US had flaws, but up until the second Trump term, I felt that we were a work in progress, two steps forward and one step backward, and that we would do the right thing when there was no other alternative. That was before the US under Trump made about 180 steps backward. For the first time I am ashamed to be an American. (And don't even get me started on Trump's pet pit bull, JD Vance).
Where do we go from here? I don't know, but sometimes a hard fall from grace teaches a lesson. All of our former allies have spoken in favor of Ukraine and against the Trump Putin alliance. As a nation we need to climb out of the gutter and go through rehab.
I pretty much gave up on America during the 2016 election. A flicker of hope with Biden. But now it’s probably terminal.
ReplyDeleteThere may be a case to be made that it is not in US interests to continue supporting Ukraine with arms and money, and that a diplomatic solution is the best way to achieve stability.
ReplyDeleteBut yesterday's display did not make that case in any way, shape, or form.
It did demonstrate that JD Vance is a twerpy little sycophant. And that Trump's "art of the deal" is to shout down and tag team foreign leaders into submission. I kept waiting for him to tell Zelenskyy, "You're fired!"
There was a less publicized exchange with PM Starmer this week. Starmer badly miscalculated the effect of his charm offensive by hauling out an invite from King Charles to a rare second state dinner. Trump asked, "what, you want me to read it NOW?" Then he held the letter by the corner like it was used toilet paper, and commented that the king's signature was "very nice." Starmer made matters worse by trying to tell Trump how honored he should feel, which just made Trump smirk and shrug. Clearly Starmer does not understand that Trump thinks there is only one king of any importance, and that's him. I was embarrassed for both of them.
I sort of expected Trump to advocate an isolationist foreign policy, turtle withdrawing into its shell. I didn't expect that he would wholeheartedly embrace America's historic foes.
DeleteReally? He loved up Russia and North Korea pretty good last time around.
DeleteAccording to The Guardian today:
Delete"Trump saw the minerals deal as the first phase of a broader economic partnership and told aides it showed the US was effectively making a commitment on security guarantees, because the agreement deal would mean the US had a vested interest in Ukraine’s economic prosperity."
That may be true, and maybe is a smart way to justify intervention in Ukraine to isolationist MAGAs. But it can also be construed as colonization and exploitation of a desperate people.
The report says Zelenskyy was told to just sit in his golden chair and make nice, and to thank the US for its support. But he popped off and screwed up the plan, prompting Vance to become enraged. (Then a reporter stirred the pot by demanding to know why Z didn't show proper respect for the president by wearing a suit. Nobody asked why Musk showed up at the Cabinet meeting in a tee and idiot ball cap but whatever.)
The meeting yesterday also raises judgment problems and begs the question: how wise is it for Trump to usher foreign leaders into his throne room and force them to publicly kowtow to American largesse and power when they're stressed, don't speak English very well, and he's called them names ("dictator") on X.
Bret Stephens wrote a column in the New York Times titled A Day of American Infamy in which he said, "Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s embattled democratic leader, came to Washington prepared to sign away anything he could offer President Trump except his nation’s freedom, security and common sense. For that, he was rewarded with a lecture on manners from the most mendacious vulgarian and ungracious host ever to inhabit the White House.”
ReplyDeleteIt seems more likely than not to me that American Democracy as we know it cannot survive four years with the mendacious vulgarian as president. I think the only hope is the courts, but I have little to no faith that SCOTUS, after inventing presidential immunity out of whole cloth, will do anything of significance to save the country.
People think impeachment is off the table for good, after it failed two attempts. However it isn't if Trump pisses off enough Republicans, especially it he hurts their bottom line. They'd have no problem getting the Democrats on board for that. But then we'd be stuck with Vance, and I'm not sure if that would be any better.
DeleteSCOTUS, Congress, Democrats, Republicans are useless. I think it will take filling the streets of the United States and a general strike. When things get bad, will the American sheeple stand up against their true enemies, the wealthy, or form a mutual firing squad?
DeleteMy two Dem senators are not responding to my letters. Raber's emails go unacknowledged, and their VM boxes are full.
DeleteSen. Slotkin is supposed to give a response to Trump's meeting with Congress on Tuesday. I doubt she'll agitate much. Michigan went for Trump. Our other senator says he's not running in 2026.
The GOP congressman is not responding to letters or emails. He has canceled town halls as "unproductive" and now has a crowd periodically forming outside his local office chanting "coward." Raber has been able to talk to his staff by phone, and they seem to be seriously listening to complaints about Musk. Republican legislators and some in the Cabinet may be able to get rid of or neuter him at some point.
I share David's pessimism about SCOTUS.
Overall, unless Congress or the courts curb the president's power to toss off EOs, to delegate powers to made-up entities like DOGE, put some teeth in court orders and rulings against the Prez, and prevent convicted felons from holding office, all this will keep happening no matter which party is in power.
Nebraska Republican member of Congress Don Bacon issued this statement yesterday: "A bad day for America's foreign policy. Ukraine wants independence, free markets, and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values.We should be clear that we stand for freedom."
DeleteBacon was formerly a Brigadier general in the Air Force.
I expect that Trump will try to intimidate him.
Happy St David's (Dewi Sant) Day. The Welsh can pack a church if you tell them there's a sing along and they can wear their daffodils. Fond memories of the St David's Day hymn sing at the Methodist Church many years ago with friend Dan Davis, who had a beautiful voice right to the end. Take a break from politics for a few minutes here: https://youtu.be/SkVT8O5E1rM?si=jfYvIS-LsprOH2vU
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean. Beautiful singing of the hymn Cwm Rhondda. The Welsh have given us so many beautiful hymns.
DeleteI used to wonder why King David of the Old Testament was the patron saint of Wales, until I looked up info on the Welsh David, sixth century bishop.
Belated thanks from me, too. Had not heard that hymn text nor tune before, that I can recall. It's always wonderful to hear an entire congregation singing from the heart, even when (as I suspect was the case here) the congregation was a choral festival or some similar gathering of folks who were more motivated than usual to sing. Or is that how the Welsh sing all their hymns?
DeleteThey tossed in a couple of lines of Welsh at the end. How should we understand spelling like "ddyddiau" (not sure I got that completely correct). I guess we do have double-d examples in standard English, like "middle", although now that I think about it, I don't think it would be pronounced any differently if it were spelled "midle". (Although, thinking just a bit more, "bridle" doesn't rhyme with "middle".) I am guessing that the spelling of Welsh words represents some sort of transliteration, but why would it be transliterated with the double-d's?
Celtic languages follow their own orthography rules. The Boy's middle name is Gryffydd, a Middle Welsh spelling of "Gruffydd," a mythological figure. It is often anglicized to "Griffith." It's a puzzle for him to unravel some day. Or not.
DeleteThe double d is a "th" as in "that," not "thin." The double f is an "f" while a single "f" is a "v." Then there's the double l. Put your tongue in the "l" position and blow while you say it.
My surname "Hughes" is the Anglo-French spelling of the Welsh "Huw."
Jim, I'll bet you are familiar with another Welsh hymn tune, Hyfrydol. They've retrofitted a bunch of lyrics to that, including Alleluia Sing to Jesus, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and Come Thou Long Expected Savior. Maybe there's more. Must be a versatile meter.
DeleteThe hymn tune Ash Grove also has Welsh origins, Llwyn Onn. We know it as Sent Forth by God's Blessing.
DeleteNope, Jim, the Welsh always belt it right out wherever they are. Here some old geezers welcome a buddy back from cancer treatment. In harmony. And they don't stop with one verse. https://youtu.be/lgReVDmUM6g?si=kjP43uvNSX4-YVOT
DeleteAnd then there's this guy, stuck at a Wales v France soccer in the French section who has clearly had a couple snorts and prob money on the game and isn't gonna hold back: https://youtu.be/BRZQ_KQV6jo?si=B-pvwKlEC-81pFyv
DeleteAnother Welsh hymn is Aberstwyth. Not sure if this is in the Catholic hymnal, but popular for funerals. This was fun. For me, anyway. I think I'll sing (sadly croaking these days; chemo throat) a hymn a day for Lent. Got today covered! https://youtu.be/XFaiiPv-Q6I?si=8f-3EHY0py93sTh_
DeleteAberystwyth, Jesus, Lover of my Soul. Unfortunately it isn't in our OCP music edition. Too bad, it's pretty. It's in my grandma's Baptist hymnal though.
DeleteOne reason I don't like hymns projected on the wall. Besides being tacky, you can't leaf through the hymnal for entertainment (I know I'm weird).
SNL put this sketch together at the last minute. Many appreciative comments from Ukrainians. Not a huge fan of SNL, but glad they gave voice to those of us disgusted by Trump:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/CUpOMSJ1MdU?si=AoFF_D839eArrBEp
We had a lot of loud thunder and lightning last night, and I didn't sleep well. When I don't sleep well, I think too much. I see that a bunch of tariffs take place today. The bad thought that occurred to me was, what if Trump is trying to tank the economy on purpose, and what if it is because Putin wants him to? I am by no means an economic savant, but it seems like everything he is doing, and letting Musk do, is going to lead to a recession, if not worse. No big secret why Putin would want that. The biggest question is what kind of a Faustian bargain might Trump have made with him?
ReplyDeleteFaustian bargain? That Trump Tower in Moscow, a cut of Ukraine's mineral deposits, and assurances not to mess with his Riviera in Gaza wet dream.
DeletePlus he and Musk like excitement, attention, confrontation, and thrills, and the people in Trump's think-tank have found the perfect idiots to slash the national debt toot sweet while enjoying the ensuing chaos and ignoring the catastrophic fallout.
Our measly SNAP benefits will undoubtedly be cut at the same time that Mexican produce goes up because of tariffs, and America's farms cannot suddenly switch from 500 acres of soybeans to tomatoes, sweet peppers, or cabbage.
Most American generic drugs come from abroad, specifically India and China. In the past tariffs have led to higher prices and punitive shortages, especially on drugs for rare diseases like my chemo. This occurred in the last Trump administration, but I was still able to work, I could manage a small garden, we had a few bucks put by and we could pick up the diff.
This time, savings is gone, the car is old, the roof is in bad shape, I'm late on the property taxes, and I got a husband in early dementia with a bad heart. Lots of elderly in this boat beset by poverty, stress, and illness. States will not be willing or able to pick up the slack. Not all of us will make it thru the next four years.
But, hey, you can't get an abortion in Texas, the trans girls won't be on the track team, and in Oklahoma you can send yr kids to Catholic school on the public dime. So Jesus is happy! YAY!!
The Faustian part is that now Putin owns him.
DeleteWas reading abt the history of democracy, which is a very recent thing in human history, not widespread until late 19th/early 20th century, esp democracies that allowed universal suffrage and equal treatment under the law. Democracies require an engaged and educated electorate to be successful. The trend is moving back toward authoritarianism. Bye bye, American exceptionalism. Trump is just making things happen faster. There's no Faustian bargain. Putin's just giving Trump dictator lessons.
DeleteI wonder how much, in spite of revolutions, cultures persist in their original evolved forms. Putin is basically a Tsar. The Communist Party in the PRC is a Confucian bureaucracy whose main goal is order. Democracy in America, I’ve come to believe, was always a side hobby masking the main goal of rich people getting obscenely rich. Trump is just the brazen cartoon version of what was always there pulling the strings. Although I now think we were never really what we thought we were, what we thought we were is still a worthwhile goal. Sad to say, we are beyond getting fixed by this political system. When I read all the nicey nice talk in America Magazine, I start to glaze over. Interestingly, my posts on the America Forum, on permanent review before posting, are no longer being posted at all. I guess I sound too nutty. But I’m convinced we’re starting from zero or worse.
Delete