Op-Ed: Our Own Worst Enemy

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Brian Parsons. Note: Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch. 

“I’m fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.” ― George McGovern

Joe Biden is easily the worst President that we’ve had since Jimmy Carter.  He very well may be the worst President in the history of the United States.  This is what happens when you install a President instead of legitimately electing them.  He wasn’t hired for the job based on his qualifications.  He is the equivalent of the company man’s son who was next up to tow the company line.  Since he built a lavish life on the company credit card, he is stuck until the debt is repaid.  If you are unaware, hit the dark web and search Burisma.  You’re sure to not get the full story in the leftist press.

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Republicans are sure to sweep the insane Democrats into oblivion in the Fall.  At least that’s what they have been teed up for.  You see, all they have to do is step up to the tee and swing.  It’s a sure thing. They’re playing with house money.  But when war calls, Republicans just can’t help themselves.

Historically, Republicans were the anti-War party up until George H.W. Bush.  Then the Uniparty took over.  Bill Clinton, George W., and even Barack Obama picked up the grenade and ran with it.  PNAC, NATO, and the warmakers had their heyday.  Offensive war after offensive war was fought, and it took the bad orange man to finally hit the brakes.  But I guess the Deep State can’t go more than a single administration without getting an itchy trigger finger?

War is unpopular.  You’d be hard-pressed to find a red-blooded American who wouldn’t answer the call in defense of the homeland, but Americans inherently understand the mistakes of the past 20 years and aren’t in a rush to repeat them.  As the American Conservative’s Rod Dreher put it, “I will not make war on my own memory of how these people — some of them the same damn people — did this before.”  And when these wars are fought, they’re not fought by the sons and daughters of the elite class.  Wars are fought by the plebs, like you and me.

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Here we are, a few weeks into a preventable conflict in Ukraine, fomented by NATO expansion for the past 20 years, and it’s all come home to roost in the nest built by the sitting Resident of the United States.  We admittedly installed an anti-Russian puppet regime in Ukraine. Zelenskyy is literally an actor who played the President of Ukraine on tv.  He is poorly equipped to challenge an autocrat like Vladimir Putin. No doubt we promised them we’d have their backs when the Kremlin came knocking.  That time has come.

When the Kremlin knocked, did Joe Biden answer?  No, he did not.  He probably couldn’t if he wanted to, because he’s too exposed in the region.  His best play is to lay low and hope it all blows over.  For once, the Biden retreat is probably the correct answer.  Putin has made three demands of Ukraine, and it’s in the interest of the United States and the world for them to concede.  This has been the position of the Biden Administration, and it is also the recommendation of foreign policy advisors like Col. Douglas MacGregor and the government of Israel.

The first demand that Putin has made is to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Pro-Russian separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine. They don’t speak Ukrainian.  They don’t wish to be Ukrainian.  This is a no-brainer. The second demand is to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, and this is also a no-brainer.  Russia has occupied this territory for the past 8 years after signing a 25-year lease with former President Viktor Yanukovich.  Russia has had its Black Sea naval port here for years.  So be it.  Finally, Russia has demanded that Ukraine take the position of a neutral buffer state and stay out of entangling alliances like NATO.  As Ukraine is one of the world’s most corrupt states, the United States has no business creating entangling alliances with them.  Should Ukraine make war with neighboring states, NATO membership commits the United States and all other members to their conflicts.  Not our clowns, not our circus.

Historically there was a place for diplomacy in the world, but when you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  That is the position of the 42 Senate Republicans who signed a letter encouraging the Biden Administration to send Ukraine some democracy planes and bombs.  Our own Senators Crapo and Risch were all too eager to slap their John Hancock on that baby too.  They never saw a war they didn’t like or an opportunity to squander electoral success they didn’t take.  All it took to convince them was an actor who plays a foreign president on television imploring them to charge in, and they’re ready to jack up some Ruskies. Merica!

Make no mistake, Vladimir Putin has violated the sovereignty of a neighboring country.  All the same, an argument can and should be made that NATO has violated the sovereignty of countless neighboring countries on Russia’s borders.  The best hope for rational heads to prevail is for the United States to encourage Zelenskyy to not make martyrs of his people.  Attempting to forecast the line in the sand between abetting and direct intervention is a luxury that cannot be made in hindsight.  As Albert Einstein put it, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”