I’ve got a bit of “history” with Russia.
When I served in the US Navy, I studied Russian at Defense Language Institute in Monterey for about a year, sitting in classrooms studying the language for a total of hours that exceeded what I would have spent learning the language over six or more years at a university, something I calculated when I was told after graduating that I could now get an undergraduate degree in Russian with no additional language credits.
Although this was during a time when many US military people were occupied with fighting a war in Vietnam, I spent the my time in the Navy occupied with activities related to the country that in 1991 changed its name but nothing much else.
With that as my personal backdrop, I am now watching with considerable distress, disgust, and disappointment as Russia continues its expansionist war of aggression against Ukraine—probably a prelude to greater expansion if they are not stopped—and is clearly committing war crimes.
And as this is going on, Trump and his merry band of sycophantic minions seem unwilling to attack or blame Russia, and they are effectively helping Russia in its information war and battlefield war efforts, while insulting and alienating vulnerable allies in Europe and elsewhere. The Democrats and most Americans appear to be paralyzed. What has gotten into people?
Both Trump and his friend in the Kremlin must be stopped. This time, we must finish the job and not allow a repeat of the failure of 1991, and 2025 must not be allowed to be a rerun of Munich in 1938.
