Friday, January 20, 2017

So I Should Worry Trump Will Be Too Pro-Russian?

I appreciate Democratic concerns about  whether Trump will stand up to Russia. Their sudden conversion--from the very top--is welcome.

But I'm supposed to worry now?

When we had the Clinton-carried "reset" after Russia attacked Georgia?

After the Obama administration canceled the Bush missile defense plan in Eastern Europe on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939?

When the New START nuclear agreement gave Russia an advantage in intermediate range missiles and when the administration has been ignoring Russian cheating?

When the Obama administration invited Russia into Syria with the Kerry-Lavrov faux chemical deal--and Assad continues to use chemical arms?

When that invitation to enter Syria gave Russia openings to expand influence in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Libya?

When we have practically speaking allied with Russia to save Assad by hitting ISIL while Russia hammers other rebels?

When our president promised--on video--"flexibility" to Putin after our 2012 election?

When President Obama reduced American military strength in Europe until Russia invaded Ukraine?

When our president has done little to help Ukraine fight Russia to recover lost land in Crimea and the Donbas?

And Democrats are worried Trump will favor Russia?? Good grief, what more could Trump do to help Russia that hasn't already been done?

UPDATE: Heh:

Russia is giving Donald Trump the kind of fawning television coverage usually reserved for Vladimir Putin, with its most popular propagandist hailing the president-elect this week as “a man of his word.”

But inside the Kremlin, the initial euphoria over having a Putin admirer in the White House is giving way to skepticism that any meaningful detente with the U.S. can be achieved, according to four senior officials in Moscow.

So is the brilliant plan to prevent Hillary Clinton from being president falling apart even before Trump is sworn in? Is the vaunted Russian intelligence not as good as their image says?

Or is it more likely that Russia wanted a Clinton presidency all along? After all, if Hillary scared Putin so much, why didn't the Russians try to get Comrade Bernie the victory in the primary season when nobody gave Trump any hope at all of winning?

Seriously, if--as Democrats claim--Hillary Clinton scared the Russians so much that they helped Trump win, why did the Russians rely on Trump to win, when all the polling showed he would lose easily to Clinton? Why wouldn't the Russians have tried to stop Hillary earlier when Bernie--he who honeymooned in the Soviet Union, for Pete's sake!--was a real threat to Hillary's coronation?

Isn't it more likely that the Russians wanted to show a "rigged" American system conspiring to deny Trump the presidency; and then the Russians would have a politically damaged Clinton in office--a Clinton vulnerable to pressure from whatever emails the Russians have that they did not release to WikiLeaks?

But Russia got Trump who the Democrats say the Russians must be delighted to have. And the Russian people have to be prepared to have a President Trump not anywhere nearly as friendly to Putin as Russian propaganda had suggested he would be.

Oops.

UPDATE: Yeah:

Russia should part with the illusion that Western sanctions against the country will be lifted soon, Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

You never see Putin's lips move when Medvedev speaks! But now we know it is the official government line: Trump isn't going to help Russia.