16 July 2018

The stark reality of where we are right now as a nation

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With the indulgence of my farflung correspondents, let's review some facts. Political considerations aside. Then I will draw a political inference of grave importance, relating to the greatest internal crisis our country has faced since the Civil War. I believe history will see the conclusions I draw as virtually undeniable and inevitable. 

As a result of a longstanding investigation, including counterintelligence considered valid by the entire intelligence community of our country, the United States, an indictment was set forth on Friday. It contains a tremendous amount of detail about exactly who, how, where, and when military intelligence and "direct action" agents of the Russian Federation, unquestionably acting under orders of the RF President Vladimir Putin, committed cybercrimes and acts of aggressive WAR against the United States in the run up to the 2016 election, with the intention of aiding the election campaign of Donald Trump. 

This is not an opinion, in any way. It is a fact. Even in the era before information technology, sabotage was deemed to be an act of war. The evidence of "cbyer sabotage" committed on a large scale by the Russian Federation is now overwhelming and undeniable. 

The House Intelligence Committee, headed by Devin Nunes, and against the objections of all the Democrats on the committee, has whitewashed the investigation into these matters, and simply refused to acknowledge the evidence. 

The president, Donald Trump, has repeatedly denied the facts uncovered by the intelligence community of our country, and preferred to stand with the very adversary who committed these acts of aggression against our country. Including, today, when, to the jaw-dropped amazement of most of the press pool covering the event, he stood next to Vladimir Putin and endorsed his version of what happened, without reference to any evidence, and in what most reasonable observers consider an obvious lie. Trump said this after having identified our closest allies since the end of WWII, the EU, as a "foe," and proceeding with a summit meeting with Putin without so much as minimal acknowledgement of the indictment or the actual facts which have obviously been briefed to him in detail. Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for dictators and autocrats, especially Putin, and trashed and insulted our longstanding allies and their leaders. He lies on literally a daily basis about the circumstances detailed here (among many other things). It is shocking and unprecedented. 

We are not at war with Russia; not formally. So this is not technically treason. But I just don't see how anyone can any longer stand with Trump and call him or herself a patriot. Trump stands with our principal adversary, which attacked our country, and against our own government and the best conclusions its counterintelligence services have arrived at about coordinated acts of aggression carried out by a foreign government against our most sacred of institutions: our elections. Had any Democratic president in  our history done this, there would have been immediate demands from the whole of the Republican party, and much of the Democratic party, for his impeachment, at least. 

But the tribal polarization in our country has reached such an extreme, among Trump's base of supporters, that he can literally stand with our enemy against our own government, and they continue to support him. The big lie propaganda that has become the standard fare of the Alt Right and its media fellow travelers has been amazingly effective in persuading millions of people to believe things which are demonstrably false. Jefferson foresaw that one way that American republican government could fail is if the citizenry failed to be "informed." Convincing a significant fraction of the public to discredit the actual facts about an ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY certainly qualifies. 

This is a serious crisis, irrespective of all policy considerations and whether one supports conservative or liberal policies. It is hard to see how this will not now devolve to the detriment of our nation and its place in the world. 

What must we infer from these facts and circumstances?

I believe it is high time for all Americans to choose.  We cannot just ignore this crisis any longer. Any politician, indeed any voter, who continues to stand with Trump, is complicit in the aiding and abetting of the aggressive actions of an adversary of the United States AGAINST OUR COUNTRY. If, as I do, you consider cyber attacks to be an act of war, a case for actual treason is even plausible. Read the applicable constitutional provision:  «Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.»  All that is missing is the applicability of the word enemy. Which is why I say, it is not technically treason. It is much like the situation in the cold war. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage, not treason, because we were not at war, formally; it was a "cold war." But I submit to you that the situation today is much the same: we are in a new, and very nasty, cold war with Russia. And our PRESIDENT is complicit in acts of giving our adversary in that Cold War aid and comfort (apparently in a quid pro quo for their aid to him, in ways that have yet to fully emerge from the ongoing investigation). If this isn't an impeachable offense, I really don't see why we even have impeachment as a supposed remedy. But more importantly, it is a crisis. We have never before had a president stand there and openly betray his country, in word and deed. But we do now. 

Even many Republicans and former Republicans (Malcolm Nance, Steve Schmidt, Mickey Edwards, George F. Will, Max Boot; many others)... have concluded that whatever your politics, if you are fundamentally patriotic and loyal to the United States, you must oppose this man and his party until Trump and Trumpism are defeated. The Republicans can and probably will regroup afterwards, but until Trump and Trumpism have been defeated, the Republican party is complicit. 

I firmly believe in the separation of Church and State, and don't believe in a personal god. So I won't say "God save the United States." But I will say, I love my country. Long live the United States. As a republic. Of the people, and, at least as an ideal, by and for the people. Down with autocracy. May Trump and Trumpism, which I truly believe stand in opposition to that ideal, be defeated. I will do my part to help make sure that happens. 

Thank you. 

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