Developing. We are publishing this article as it is being written. Please check back for updates

Dispatches

1) Lee Hockstader, “Murder, torture, rape: Russia’s crimes are a long-running horror show,” Washington Post, October 31, 2023 (1:08 p.m. EDT);

2) David Firestone, “Mike Johnson Just Confirmed How Unserious He Is,” New York Times, November 1, 2023;

3) Gregor Schwung, “Das ignorierte Trump-Risiko,” Die Welt, den 27. Oktober 2023;

UPDATES

4) Lee Hockstader, “For Putin, a very good October,” Washington Post,
November 2, 2023 (1:16 p.m. EDT);

5) George F. Will, “Is the House GOP about to give Putin a pat on the back for his barbarism?” Washington Post, November 3, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EDT;

Analysis

The authoritarian movement of Donald Trump has now taken over tbe position of Leader of the House of Representatives. The House Speaker has enormous power, including the power to bring or not bring a bill to the Floor for a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Donald Trump has exercised great influence over the selection of the Speaker of the House.

Let us recall: Trump has never criticized Vladimir Putin. Not once.

One of the first things the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-LA) has done is to separate the vote on aid to Israel from the vote to provide aid to Ukraine. David Firestone provides the details.

Dancing to the tune of Donald Trump, the new Speaker could never bring the Ukraine aid bill to the floor. That would serve Trump’s apparent purpose, and greatly please Vladimir Putin. Approval of the aid for Ukraine would in that case require a bipartisan discharge petition to be approved prior to approval of the aid itself. Because of the rules governing discharge petitions, that could involve considerable delay.

Ukraine’s fate may well depend on the results of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.

Gregor Schwung describes in detail how great the risk to Ukraine a Trump victory in 2024 would be, and the shocking degree to which the risk is not taken seriously in the West.

Voters must understand that if they vote for Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress in November 2024, they will be voting for a pro-Russian party which will curtail aid to Ukraine in its war of self-defense against Russian aggression.

To fully grasp what they would be voting for, voters need to understand the war crimes and human rights abuses Russia has been carrying our in areas under its occupation since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Lee Hockstader summarizes these atrocities in chilling fashion in his October 31 article. They include assassinations, forced disappearances, torture, rape, the abduction of tens of thousands of children and their forced transfer to Russia, and other war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We would all do well to recall the history of the Soviet Union in Eastern and Central Europe, and the more recent history of Russia in Chechnya and Syria, as well as in Ukraine.

Before the Republicans block or reduce aid to Ukraine, they and their voters should clearly understand the nature of the evil they are tacitly supporting.

UPDATES

In his November 2 article, Hockstader describes the grave challengers Ukraine faces given Republican opposition to further aid, and also developments in France and in Slovakia.

George F, Will, in his November 3 article, underlines the moral depravity of House Republicans who want to help Vladimir Putin and support the barbarism of his soldiers by denying further aid to Ukraine.

The Trenchant Observer

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