There are no words.

February 25, 2022

[Audio version here]

          Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is a war crime. Donald Trump reduced it to a business transaction, saying, “Putin is smart. He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.”

          There are no words.

          Trump said that the Russian invasion was caused by “a rigged election” in the U.S. in 2020.

          There are no words.

          There are no words to capture the ignorance of man who cannot comprehend the damage to global security caused by Putin’s unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation in the heart of Europe.

          There are no words to describe the heartlessness of man who ignores the innocent lives that will be lost as Ukrainians huddle in subway tunnels to escape cruise missiles and mortar fire.

          There are no words to describe a man who engages in hero worship of a murderous thug known for assassinating opponents, journalists, and human rights advocates.

          There are no words to describe a man whose ego is so monstrous that he believes global events hinge on imagined slights to his fragile ego.

           In fact, there are words to describe Donald Trump: He is the undisputed leader of the Republican Party and their presumptive nominee in 2024.

          Some Republicans in Congress are finally finding their voices to condemn Putin. That is a positive development as far as it goes. But in this brief moment of stiffened backbones and pricked consciences, they should tell their Dear Leader that his professions of love for Vladimir Putin are encouraging a war criminal. Sadly, they will not—because they fear Donald Trump more than they fear Vladimir Putin. Even if every Republican in Congress condemns Putin, until the leader of the Republican Party joins in, their words ring hollow.

          Putin’s brutal aggression has already killed at least 137 Ukrainians and injured hundreds more. Ukrainians young and old crowded into military recruitment centers to volunteer to fight a brutal aggressor. Putin misjudged both the resolve of the Ukrainian people and his support among the Russian people. Despite warnings from Russian police that every protest would be treated as a riot, tens of thousands of Russians staged protests in 54 cities, resulting in more than 1,700 arrests.

          As the Russian attack was unfolding on Thursday, President Biden announced a new round of sanctions against Russia. See NYTimes, Biden Hits Russia With Broad Sanctions for Putin’s War in Ukraine. Per the Times, the sanctions “include harsh penalties against the two largest Russian financial institutions, which together account for more than half of the country’s banking assets.”

          The sanctions are likely to inflict financial pain across broad swaths of the Russian economy. The Russian stock market plunged 30% on Thursday, and the ruble fell against the dollar to a five-year low. Biden also excluded 13 major Russian companies from Western capital markets. The sanctions also targeted oligarchs close to Putin.

          The sanctions are significant (and historic), but the media and Biden’s critics immediately hectored Biden about the absence of a particular sanction: excluding Russia from SWIFT, a system that allows banks to send funds globally. The U.S. and E.U. rejected that option in January because it would cause worldwide disruption of financial markets. Removing Russia from SWIFT would disrupt exports of oil from Russia to Europe, increasing scarcity in mid-winter and driving up prices. See Bloomberg (1/17/2022), U.S., EU Drop Idea of Removing Russia From Swift.

          Biden continues to take strong but measured steps in a rapidly changing crisis. He refuses to alter his decisions to placate impatient journalists and cynical politicians. Good. That is what is demanded from a world leader who must rise above the madding crowd to see collateral and long-term consequences that do not fit neatly into 15-second soundbites.

The Ohio Supreme Court threatens to hold re-districting commission in contempt.

          There is more possible good news in the redistricting fights. Ohio voters amended their constitution to establish a redistricting commission—in the hope that a commission would generate fairer maps. The commission consists of designated elected officials, which means that it is currently dominated by Republicans. Not surprisingly, the Republican-dominated commission has repeatedly presented unfair maps that favor Republicans.  

          The Ohio Supreme Court has finally lost its patience and ordered the commission members to appear before the Court next week to explain why they should not be held in contempt of court. See Talking Points Memo, Ohio Supreme Court Orders GOP-Led Redistricting Commission To Hearing. This development bodes well for a map that distributes seats fairly between Republicans and Democrats. Good!

Update on Greg Abbott’s demand that professionals report parents of transgender students for child abuse.

          I wrote yesterday about Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s demand that professionals report parents of transgender students for child abuse. Jessica Craven at Chop Wood, Carry Water has created an email list of Texas corporations and a word script for an email expressing outrage over Abbott’s proposal. Here is a portion of the script:

          Please, speak up forcefully against this policy. Threaten to leave the state. Do whatever it takes. You can’t claim to be pro-LGBTQ and let something this awful stand.

          Please take the time to write to these Texas corporations. State-sponsored discrimination against transgender youth encourages others to do so. Indeed, a recent call for violence to oppose transgender people by Marjorie Taylor Greene makes the point. She was interviewed on Alex Jones’ “Info Wars.” Greene discussed a camp counselor who allowed a transgender youth into a summer camp. Greene said that her husband would have “beat him into the ground”—referring to the camp counselor. See Newsweek, Marjorie Taylor Greene Claims Violence Needed To ‘Stand Up’ To Trans People.

          It is up to us to defend transgender people who are now the objects of state-sanctioned discrimination. Do your part, please!

Join Today’s Edition Podcast on Saturday, February 26th

          On Saturday at 2:00 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM Pacific, I will interview Maxim Thorne, the CEO of Civic Influencers. This organization is dedicated to organizing and educating youth, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Disabled, and Youth of Color. Civic Influencers provides on-campus programs for voter registration, education, and “get out the vote” efforts. The organization also provides stipends for on-campus “civic influencers” who organize voting engagement activities. Increasing voter participation among young voters is critical to Democratic success in the future. Listen live if you can, or check out Monday’s newsletter for a report!

Concluding Thoughts.

          It is difficult to watch the coverage of the war in Ukraine. The lawlessness of Putin’s actions is maddening, and NATO’s limited ability to respond is frustrating. Putin’s dark threats of “unimaginable” retaliation against any nation that intervenes are anxiety producing. Putin’s irrational behavior is worrisome. The desire to look away is understandable, as is the urge to confront Russia on the battlefield with the full might of the U.S. military. Neither option is possible.

          We cannot ignore what is happening, and the U.S. cannot risk a conflagration over the invasion of Ukraine. More difficult choices may present themselves in the future, but we can avoid those choices by imposing devastating sanctions now that will turn the Russian people against Putin.  

          I find the non-stop coverage difficult to watch because commentators inevitably try to turn every development into a referendum on Joe Biden’s prospects in 2024. The patter goes something like this: “As Russian troops advance on Kyiv, how will that affect Biden’s favorability ratings?” Such analysis is demeaning and superficial. The tragedy on the ground in Ukraine is real. People are dying, and families are fleeing. Homes are being destroyed. Those facts should not be reduced to a filter for partisan politics in the U.S. In moments like this, Biden must do what is right—without regard to the impact on his political prospects.

          Thankfully, in a moment of global crisis, Biden has proven to be a selfless leader who has been steadfast in doing what is right without regard to partisan politics in the U.S. Stay the course, Joe Biden. We are with you!  

          Talk to you on Monday!