A Slap In The Face

Posted on by under Global Issues, Political commentary

Imagine that your best friend sends you a text message saying, “Help!!!  I am bleeding profusely and in so much pain I can hardly move.  Please come ASAP!  I need you!”  And you respond, “Sorry, I’m busy doing my nails right now.”  THAT is exactly what the United States has done to our friend and ally, Ukraine.  Speaker Mike Johnson and the House Republicans have refused to consider more aid to Ukraine, saying we have our own problems that must first be addressed, and effectively telling President Zelenskyy that we cannot be bothered to help him save the people of Ukraine or the sovereignty of his nation.  We the People of the United States of America have the blood of the people of Ukraine on our hands.

In addition to sending a “F-you” message to Ukraine, our lack of diligence also sends a message to every other nation on the globe, whether friend or foe.  To our friends/allies, it says, “Don’t count on the U.S. to come to your aid if you are attacked or otherwise need help.”  And to our enemies, it sends the message, “Heck, we can pretty much do what we want without having to worry about the U.S. interfering, for all they care about is ‘America First.’”

Friendship is something to be cherished, whether personal one-on-one, or global, nation-to-nation.  But friendship is a two-way street – in order to have a good friend, you must be a good friend.  Today, the United States is letting down our friend while we polish our nails.  There will come a day when we need our allies …

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70 thoughts on “A Slap In The Face”

  1. Jill, there is a reason retiring Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry is critical of Speaker Mike Johnson. At the heart of Johnson’s woes is the same thing at the heart of all oh these Republican campaign commercials who stand with Donald Trump on a retrenching America.

    The common themes are law and order and border security. Yet, Trump thumbs his nose and treats law and order officials with disdain and encourages threats when they dare suggest he comply with law and order. And, per the Wall Street Journal, last month he got Congressional Republicans to vote against their own border security bill as it would look good for Biden (so much for the importance of border security).

    Note, this is not the first time he voted against his own issue as he reneged on a deal to build his wall in trade off for making DACA law. The wall was his #1 issue.

    Keith

    Liked by 1 person

    • I am eternally puzzled by how little the people of this nation actually understand about governance. It seems that for far too many, the entertainment factor is of more value than the safety, security, and the very future of the nation and its people. Our system of education has obviously failed to actually educate people, to teach them to think for themselves. 

      Like

  2. MAGA Mike is a religious nut “rapture endtimer” and the republicans in Congress,via trump, use him to get what they want, which is to keep immigration at front and center for trumps campaign. So they don’t want to fund Ukraine and Johnson says to himself….hey… nuclear war, so what. My family and I will be in heaven with all the other correct believers.
    Please show me where in the Bible, Jesus taught his followers to set up razor wire to keep desperate people out of his country.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Agreed. He brings his religion to work with him and makes decisions for the whole based on HIS own beliefs, which I see as being in direct violation of the separation of church and state. I refuse to live in a “Christian nation” run by zealots who shove their mythology down everyone’s throats. Mike, like the rest of today’s Christians, have cherry-picked their bibles, keeping and enhancing the parts they like, and ignoring the parts they don’t like, such as the concept of “love thy neighbor”. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Baptised into the faith before I even took my first breath, I’ve been long prepped to bear the collective quilt. To the many who do not believe, how did you get this blood on your hands?

    Liked by 1 person

      • Interesting? If consciousness is an aspect of god in man then those without consciousness are without some part of god. God is wholeness. A god with missing parts,vary interesting.

        IMO collective quilt is an evil burden used to manipulate children. It is a great wrong. Whose agenda is served when God is portrayed as a vindictive bitch?

        Liked by 1 person

  5. It is a sad, painful, dispiriting and sometimes grimly comic fact of History that nations change their allies, friends and enemies like folk change their socks or underwear (although in the case of international relations often without washing them).
    If it is through policy or Realpolitik there is a certain jagged rationale along the unpleasant fact ‘That is how the game is played. Everyone does it’
    When it is a home driven policy simply based on the fact that ‘We are doing this because the Opposition who are full of liberals and woke (whatever the- redacted- that is) want the opposite, so we must be right’. Then that is just plain simple Terminal Stupidity writ large. You ignore The Long Game and Realpolitik and someone will sneak up on you and stamp you down.
    Russia is a nation born and forged out of harsher histories than the USA. Its folk can be warm and friends for life as individuals. When it comes to the governments ‘gratitude’ and ‘friendship’ never come into the lexicon. Only ‘Useful’ is the word with currency.
    Other meanwhile will wait.

    Reams have been written and hours spoken on the current ‘media worthy’ wars (there’s just no room for the others folk, we have to talk about celebrities too y’know). And a lot of it is not worth a cold half-eaten plate of fries.
    Suffice it to say.
    Republicans voting for Trump, when it comes to International Politics you are at best Korisne Budale. Serbian. Translates into something like ‘Innocent Fools’ ( known in some parts of the Western Commentary as ‘Useful Idiots’- Normally ascribed to parts of the Left, but seems to be in fashion on The Right too)

    Liked by 2 people

    • Therefore I say that it is a narrow policy to suppose that this country or that is to be marked out as the eternal ally or the perpetual enemy of England. We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow. 3rd Viscount Palmerston
      One of your “greatest”. Personally responsible for me being an American. The first point of the law is trustworthy. I don’t give something that valuable away without compensation or strict scrutiny. Kindness(IMO the greatest) is free to the thirsty.

      Liked by 2 people

      • The UK & The USA have held together though there have been rocky times too.
        The UK also keeps its politic faith with the European Nations, despite the efforts of the Brexit dreamers.
        It is likely because after what was effectively one world conflict (with pauses for breath) we realised in quarrelsome unity there is strength.
        This dross which Trump is spouting along with the hacks of his party, just to suit an ignorant grass-roots will be condemned by next generations sheer irresponsibility.
        If another generation of American soldiers have to die in Europe these shallow folk will be held to account for encouraging others to think they can get away it adventurism.
        And by one of those grim ironies Trump and the rest will be alongside section of the British Left.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Good assessment, Roger. It seems that there are far too many in this country who not only don’t understand foreign relations and global politics, but who don’t WANT to understand. Try explaining it and they put in their ear plugs and don their rosy-coloured glasses and start singing, “La la la la I can’t hear you!” We OWE Ukraine our assistance and we are turning our backs on them because … because one ex-president told Congress to do so and … consider it done. We will pay for this. In spades. I hope not to be around to see the day.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah….
        When it comes to Europe (and it’s hard to gauge a starting point when it all began) the lands west of the River Don are arguably per acreage, per population density, per year the most fought over on the planet. The further west you go and the more intense that gets.
        And despite the regional decline since the end of WWII still plays an important role in the world. If full scale war breaks out in this region the world is going to feel it and all bets are off.
        Currently we are in the middle stage of a war where things can go either way. The grim slogging match. Something which suits the Russian playbook, for Russia has a long track record of absorbing losses. However that requires The Kremlin to play carefully, any flank adventures and there will be consequences.
        If any fool in the USA thinks they can stand aside from that, well if their name isn’t Donald Trump, they are doing an impression of him. Be they on the Right or Left.

        Liked by 2 people

  6. That’s not the, only blood on U.S.’s, hands, the Israeli-Hamas, Conflict, that’s blood on, U.S.’s, hands too. The United States, is now, with, the reputation of, the, “innocent bystanders” of the wars of the worlds, with their, hands, folded, applying. Applying N.I.M.B.Y, as its, foreign affair, policies, like how the U.S., entered that period of, isloationism, post-Vietnam War, or, was it, post-Cold War??? I really, don’t know, because, I hadn’t, lived that long…the lessons of history, that, NO government learned, that’s why, history is stilll, repeating, itself.

    Liked by 3 people

    • When it comes to the Middle East, like several other regions, there is blood on everyone’s hands.
      Be they local or be they international; no one government who has trod those lands is clean of killing, duplicity, selective writing of history and hypocrisy. The pages now soaked with blood of the recent dead overlays the dried older stains.
      Only those individuals or groupings who tried over numerous battlefields to bring the varied parties together and stop the killing can uneasily look the dead and suffering and say with hopeless sincerity:
      ‘We tried’
      As for the rest, either:
      Go to the Histories of Humanity and see the ghastly evidence that what is taking place not just in Palestine or Ukraine has happened before, and at least be horrified, at best do something for peace and compassion even if it to contribute to a charity to help the survivors.
      Or if you are marching and gesturing. Put your banners away. Were you there for others in other lands in the past decades? Selective outrage only adds fuel.

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I know I posted an earlier reply but sure don’t see it now. Could the Idiot have a line in to your blog and the ability to erase anything that he doesn’t approve of? Of course, as I said earlier, if he is elected again he will give Russia the okay to do whatever they want to do anywhere in the world. So what will he do when Russia decided to invade the US? I wonder if we can put him on a ship bound for Siberia. If we make it a huge ship we can let his followers tag along with him. In earlier days people who committed lesser crimes than he has were banished to remote places and never allowed back in the country. I wonder?

    Liked by 2 people

        • I find them there every day, and some go all the way to Spam. Yes, WordPress is far more interested in developing new “themes” and trying to get people to monetize their blogs than they are in fixing what’s broken! It took them 3 weeks a while back to get my posts going to Reader … and that was only after about 15 email exchanges!

          Liked by 1 person

  8. Do you ever have that right! But it will be worse if the Turnip gets back in. He has said a few times he will let Russia do whatever they want with other countries without interference from USA. So when the day comes that Russia takes over this country I doubt we will have help from anyone in the world. Reason enough I think to keep that lunatic out of public office and even better banished from the US entirely. If he likes the way things are run in Russia maybe he can immigrate there. At least he might lose some weight there. I doubt they would give him the Big Macs once he arrives and starts trying to be the new Tzar there.

    Liked by 2 people

    • You’re so right … if we don’t help defend our allies, why should they be there for us? And this is one of the biggest reasons that Donald Trump can NEVER return to the Oval Office. He will be a global threat, not just a threat to the U.S. I would love to send him to Siberia … perhaps the prison Navalny took his last breath in … and see how the spoiled little rich boy survives!

      Liked by 2 people

      • Oooo. Great place for that.
        Saw a post on Newsbreak this morning from his niece saying he had an autocratic dad who let him know he was the favorite son and in order to keep the favorite son status he learned to admire and love strong male figures like Hitler, Putin, (and probably Satan if you ask me). Another article says when he met Putin he was acting like a 12 year old meeting the captain of the football team. Adoring and slobbering! Definitely someone to avoid.

        Liked by 2 people

        • I love Mary Trumps blog! She writes on Substack … you should subscribe for free! Yes, he was no doubt taught from the cradle and I’ve said more than once that I wish both his parents were still living for I’d like to give them a piece of my mind … and maybe a lawsuit, too!!!

          Liked by 1 person

    • If that becomes the case, I will no longer be a citizen of this country and hopefully will find another country to live in. But fortunately, I still have a smidge of hope that it won’t happen, that the people of this nation still have a collective conscience. Hopefully. Cwtch

      Liked by 2 people

  11. Jill, you nailed it with Trump’s GOP: “Friendship is something to be cherished, whether personal one-on-one, or global, nation-to-nation. But friendship is a two-way street – in order to have a good friend, you must be a good friend.”

    Trump has never demonstrated any loyalty to anyone but himself. He feeds his MAGA base with whatever is needed to keep them enthralled but don’t doubt that he’d turn if he got pissed at them. And the GOP takes his lead: no loyalty to anyone, anything, but him, with a few exceptions. This leader of the cult of personality says, “Piss on the world,” and they all get ready to pee. They have no regard for the consequences of their actions or the welfare of others.

    As for friendship, they’ve left that far behind. Their only friend is power, no matter how it’s achieved.

    Hugs, M

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thanks, Michael!!!

      No, Trump’s only loyalty is to himself, and in order to remain in his good graces, one must be willing to toss their conscience out the window and sign an oath of fealty to Trump and only Trump. Many have learned this the hard way … think of Jim Comey. The GOP has sold their collective soul/conscience to Trump and it will be the death of the Republican Party.

      Hugs ‘n cheers, my friend

      Liked by 2 people

  12. I hate war, see no reason to ever have one! But war is happening, and the quickest way to stop it is for every democratic nation in the world to send troops (those who like war) and crush Putin. He is taking advantage of the fear of starting another world war, one he has no chance of winning. The Russian people who know the truth about the war are against Putin. With a huge show of force the Russian army desert the battlefield. This would save a lot more lives than will be lost if the war is allowed to continue.
    It is time to stamp “PAID” on Putin’s forehead.
    WITH OR WITHOUT AMERICA, though better with.

    Liked by 5 people

    • I agree with all you say, rg. I was amazed at the turnout for Navalny’s funeral, by how many defied the order not to attend. It’s a good sigh, but far too little, far too late. Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if western nations send troops to Ukraine should earn him a bomb dropped right atop the Kremlin while he’s asleep there one night.

      Liked by 1 person

    • I hear you talking my good friend.
      It is a rule in the grim lexicon of war ‘Don’t invade Russia. It is big, and governments can rally most of the population to defend ‘Holy Mother Russia’ soil’. No one invades Russia and wins the Long War. (And it will be a long war)
      If push comes to shove it is best to meet the Russian forces on a western border and grind them down by all means (short of NCB & nuclear, please!), then play for a greater dissatisfaction to grow. And this version of Czarist Russia government topples

      Liked by 2 people

      • I was only suggesting getting them out of Ukraine, not invading Russua. But in truth, with modern war weapons, Russia is now as vulnerable as anyone. You don’t need long supply chains.
        My only wish is to stop Russian forces going outside their borders. I have no need to ,illRussian civilians

        Liked by 3 people

        • No we don’t need to kill civilians.
          The drawback with Ukraine since The Kremlin court insists it is part of Russia (and has been doing for a long time) as far as they are concerned any NATO troops in Ukraine means intervention on Russian soil.
          Of course if someone in the Kremlin decides it would be a great idea to launch a distraction flank attack on a NATO nation (Poland, a Baltic State for example), then the whole business ratchets up.
          And if that spoiled brat Trumps gets back into the Whitehouse The Kremlin might think it is literally worth a shot.
          This is a time which challenges even grown-ups something the Republican Party of the US seems very short of.

          Liked by 2 people

          • Now you are moving to a totally different problem.
            But going back in History, did not the Unrainian Empire once include Western Russia? I mean, there wrre so many empires in that area of the world, including the Mogolian Empire, almost anyone vould make a claim on any nation’s territory. Putin has no rights in Ukraine, and anyone who accepts his claims aa legitimate needsca history lesson.
            Grown-ups in the Republican Party? What kind of weed you smo,ing, man? (Is Cannibus even kegal in Btitain yet?)

            Liked by 3 people

            • Hi there rawgod. Sorry for the delay in replying.
              From the European perspective and history it is one huge long problem with one war linked to another, and different actors taking the place of others until you have the same plot with a new cast.
              The empire was the Kievan Rus which lasted from the late 800 to sometime in 1200s. Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia all claim they are the true cultural descendants (it’s the only thing Belorussia will argue with Russia over).
              Then came the Mongol invasion and then there were the Teutonic Knights, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Swedish Empire, The Hapsburg Empire, The Ottoman Empire, and The Cossacks. This was before the Napoleonic Era and onwards.
              That’s Europe, you try and find the start of one war and you have to link it up with a previous one and so forth.
              Then you get to the question of territory and minorities (and the minorities who live within the regions where the larger minorities live).
              Yes, Putin is living in the dream that was ‘Holy’ Mother Russia and everything east of the River Order is Russian.
              The problem is he and his Kremlin court are trying to turn this dream- no nightmare .
              Do you know there are western excuse makers and ‘Useful Idiots’ who are still saying Russia was ok to hold countries like Poland and the old Czechoslovakia under their sway to act as buffers to Russia’ borders.
              Europe eh? Bomb you -then trade with you. Trade with you – then bomb you. !945 to !992 was the longest stretch of peace (sort of)

              Liked by 1 person

              • Yep. It was a very volatile region that not even the Romans could conquer all of.Genghis Kahn and Atilla were probably the most successful invaders, but their empires were too big to hold control of once the founding leaders were gone.
                Biut what did any of those wars accompli0sh in the long run. Beating the hell out of each other prevented them from ruling the world. Germany tried, and failed. Russia has often tried, and they are still failing. I cannot speak intelligently to the Europesn Union, but I think they are saving a lot of lives from wanton slaughter. That cannot be s bad thing.

                Liked by 2 people

                • Quite so. The EU is one of better and most sane achievements of Europe.
                  And was does a large portion of the UK do. Think it is a splendid idea to leave it because a bunch of malcontents with some help from the racist side of the population and hopelessly naïve left wingers (it’s all a capitalist plot y’see) have got into their heads the UK is better by itself.
                  Apparently many seemed to have forgotten we don’t have an Empire any more and ‘Britannia’ does not even rule the Channel between Britain and France never mind anything else!

                  Liked by 1 person

                  • I mean this with no disrespect to anyone, but more than half of Americsns still believe they live in the grestest nation on eartn, bar none. Nationslism is a huge road block in ever moving forward towards world peace.
                    “My country is best!”
                    One thing I know for sure, Canada has a long way to go. We may not be worst, but we are certainly not best. But then, neither is snyone else.

                    Liked by 2 people

                    • I hear you.
                      Do you remember the old one from the Cold War days:
                      ‘My Country. Right or Wrong’.
                      That worked out so well for Germany by 1945.
                      Maybe not exactly that fate. but a few more bad steps and the USA is on the road to tearing itself apart and with that many guns loose in the population it’s not going to be harsh language.

                      Liked by 1 person

                    • That is our fear up here in Canada. Some asshat is going to suggest attacking us as a way to put America back together. Trump is already talking invading Mexico, invading Canada is not far behind!

                      Liked by 2 people

                    • Well now since Canada is a member of NATO and an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all that would mean the US armed forces would have to consider Trump or whatever other asshat suggested it a danger to the alliance.
                      Anyway the triumphalists and expansionists sitting in Congress and the Whitehouse tried that between 1812-1815. Didn’t work out so well. The British who considered it a distraction- Napoleon and France were the main threat held the Americans off, captured Detroit for a while, burnt down the Whitehouse, and gasp…..4,000 slaves escaped. Native Americans got some payback on both sides.

                      Oh yeah and Trump wants to march into a nation which has its own highly armed and motivated militias in the drug cartels who know the country like the back of their hands. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?????

                      Liked by 1 person

                    • Yeah, but will any of that stop the insanity. For the US to invade anyone is insane, but what is happening in America right now is insane. The only meaning history has to Republucahs is that they want to have slaves again, and they want White Christian Steaight males in charge again. But the fact they lost the 1812 War, though they say they won it, is meaningless to them. That was 200 years ago and does not predict what would happen today. If Trump wins they will probably pull out of NATO anyway!
                      There is little sanity in the world right now. It is bound to get worse before it gets better, if it does get better…

                      Liked by 2 people

                    • If it were not for the fact that I have three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, whose futures concern me I have admit old friend, I would be sitting back to see just where all these extremists and irrational hystericals would be taking us.
                      Yes the spolit brat would try and do something like pull out of NATO, just because his supporters are bawling at him to do so. They pull the strings and he dances for them.
                      That would a large part of Europe into an arms race of all sorts of weaponry, and the closer to Russia the larger number of reserve troops as well as un-regulated militias.
                      Coupled with the propensity for Americans who can trace some their ancestries back a few generations to get very irate.
                      And all the while The Kremlin chances another adventure, and one reaction leads to another.
                      Which in turn will raise the temperature on the US streets, as if it needed that.
                      Which in turn cranks up the Middle East and Iran.
                      And China takes advantage with Taiwan and maybe Japan.
                      And then individual nations start to suffer political and social seismic shocks.
                      Yes, it is likely to get worse before it gets better.

                      Liked by 1 person

  13. Pingback: A Slap In The Face | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  14. I’m not sure I’d classify Ukraine as our bestie (UK, France, Germany, etc would come before Ukraine), but yeah, I agree. The Republican party’s obsequiousness to The Vladerator is a global embarrassment.

    Liked by 4 people

    • the Ukraine has had trade deals with the US since 2002…and never once defaulted on any year…not even during this mess with Russia. If you read the treaty you will see Ukraine sends food, metals, etc to the US…there are over 100 categories in the list. Ukraine is actually a BETTER partner than Germany OR Great Britain so far as imports are concerned. Articles of iron or steel $237.50M 2022
      Vegetable, fruit, nut food preparations $72.34M 2022
      Animal, vegetable fats and oils, cleavage products $60.81M 2022
      Electrical, electronic equipment $23.09M 2022
      just a tiny example of what Ukraine has sent to US, and only ONE year. There were 99 other listings but I did not write them for brevities sake.

      Liked by 4 people

      • I’m not asserting Ukraine is in any shape form or fashion inconsequential to the US. As you have just noted they are a valuable trading partner, and I would consider them an ally.
        At issue is — are they our bestie

        Liked by 3 people

    • When a nation is being brutally attacked, its civilians murdered by the thousands, we don’t ask where they rank on our friendship list, we just go help. At least, that’s my view. I fully agree … Putin seems to have bought and paid for ownership of the GOP today!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Back in 2019 a man was parking is car in an Atlanta suburb. Sometimes in the middle of the night he would move his car. Was this man famous? Why was where his car parked important? How did they know? Why would they know. Five years later we were to learn that, a now in the spotlight prosecutor, lived in that same neighborhood. If they don’t know who the “useful idiots” and the true traitors (orange’s people) are, it is malpractice or malfeasance. Or machines have become “smart”. Who are they working for? Everytime I get into P’s car it asks for my cell phone. Seems like Americans are never really lost.🤔

        Liked by 1 person

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