Ukraine, Part VI

To make matters worse, I think it was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who said that Ukraine will not get all their territory back, and will not be allowed to become a member of NATO.  Why would any of that ever be said out loud before the signing of a peace deal?  That does not sound like "peace through strength."  But it does sound like peace at any cost - in other words, appeasement of our enemy, Russia.  

When I first heard some of these comments by Trump, I thought of a post I wrote the first year of the blog, called "Fools, Liars and Thieves," written on 12/12/09.  I gave quotes from 2 former presidents about war.  First, Jimmy Carter:  "War may sometimes be a necessary evil.  But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good."  I strongly disagreed with Carter.  WWII was fought by the US and our Allies in order to defeat Nazism and totalitarianism - threats to the entire world.  It may be tragic that the war had to be fought, but it was definitely not evil.

Hitler was evil for starting that war, for invading other countries.  For causing the Holocaust.  But there was nothing evil about the Allies fighting back.  I contrasted Carter's remarks with those of Teddy Roosevelt.  Roosevelt:  "Peace is generally good in itself, but it is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaid of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy."

"To further the ends of despotism."  That is certainly what Trump's words have sounded like.  None of them sound like "peace through strength."  It sounded like peace at any cost; akin to Biden's exit from Afghanistan at any cost.  Trump's comments even sounded like Neville Chamberlain's "peace for our time," after he ceded the Sudetenland to Hitler in the Munich Agreement.  Chamberlain's actions probably constituted the most well known case of "appeasement" of a totalitarian dictatorship in the 20th century.  It was the opposite of "peace through strength."  Winston Churchill called it "a total and unmitigated defeat."  Of course, Churchill was correct, as after the Munich Agreement the Nazis very quickly continued their aggressive invasion of other countries.      

So what is going on?  Has Trump really given up on "peace through strength?"  Is he really willing to sell out Ukraine, a friend and ally of the US.  I wish that Zelenskyy had not publicly responded to Trump's comments.  Trump has proven on multiple occasions that he has somewhat of a thin skin.  If he is verbally attacked, he escalates.  

The Wall Street Journal's lead editorial of 2/20/25, about Ukraine, started with this sentence:  "One challenge in the Trump era is distinguishing when the President is popping off for attention from when his remarks indicate a real change in policy and priorities."  They expressed their concern that "President Trump's rhetorical assault on Ukraine in recent days appears to be the latter, and perhaps it is a sign of an ugly settlement to come."

Perhaps.  I suppose that cannot be ruled out.  But in discussing this issue with a friend, he reminded me that Trump often has something else at play.  Some plan, which may not be immediately apparent.  When he made his Gaza comments, did he really mean that the US would take over Gaza?  Or was it his way of telling the Arab world that they need to figure out how to get rid of Hamas, or Trump will let Israel level Gaza?

So, for now, I remain concerned.  I hope that Zelenskyy refrains from further negative comments about Trump.  And I hope that Trump realizes that Ukraine is a friend, and that Putin/Russia are mortal enemies.  And I hope that Trump has something up his proverbial sleeve, the likes of which I have not yet been able to ascertain.   

 

Ukraine, Part V

(Note.  After Russia's invasion of Ukraine three years ago, in February, 2022, I did a 4 part post simply titled "Ukraine."  The first 2 parts were "My Take," Part III was "A Reply To Some Of The Comments I Received," and Part IV was "Some Comments By The Media."  It was not the first time Russia invaded Ukraine - recall their invasion of the Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014.  Now, we have a war of words between President Trump and President Zelenskyy that I'm trying to understand.  Plus, my concern about some of the things Trump is saying.)

Douglas Murray had an interesting Op-Ed in the 2/20/25 New York Post, the conservative New York paper.  Murray is a Senior Fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute.  His article discusses "10 Ukraine-Russia war truths we ignore at our peril."  Lets take a look.

Trump:  "You've (Ukraine/Zelenskyy) been there for three years, you should have ended it three years - you should have never started it, you could have made a deal."  No, Russia - unprovoked - invaded Ukraine in February, 2022.  Ukraine did not start this war.  No deal could be made with Russia.  Russia has one goal in mind - Putin has even said so - the return of the USSR.  When the former Soviet Republics gained independence, Putin called it the worst catastrophe of the 20th century.  Ukraine also has one goal - it's survival as a free and independent country.  

Trump referred to Zelenskyy as "a dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left."  Zelenskyy is not a dictator.  Yes, elections were due to be held again last year, but with the country at war, and under martial law, the Ukrainian constitution allows for postponing elections.  As the WSJ pointed out, Churchill also postponed elections when England was fighting for its survival against Germany.  

Trump:  "...I hate to say it, but he's (Zelenskyy) down at 4% approval rating."  No, he's not.  The poll results I've seen have Zelenskyy's approval rating at either 52% or 57%.  And let's not forget one very important fact.  Ukraine is a friend of the United States.  Russia is a sworn enemy, making pacts with other enemies of the US, such as China and Iran.  Whatever Putin says or swears to cannot ever be trusted.  He lies.  He has had political opponents killed, or exiled to Siberia.  

Putin says he will not agree to any peace deal unless there are new elections in Ukraine.  Why does he care about that?  Putin has held office as either President or Prime Minister since 1999.  So, let's not pretend that Putin has some interest in democracy.  No, I believe Putin sees a way to get a "puppet" of his elected, just as has done with Belarus.  And credit to the Ukrainian people for holding off the Russian military for 3 years now.  During that time, the Russian military has been degraded, which is a benefit to the USA and the Western world.

Trump claims the US "has spent $200 billion dollars more than Europe, and Europe's money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back."  According to Murray, the US has spent $183 billion in aid to Ukraine.  But $58 billion of that is money spent here in the USA in American industry.  It is akin to the many Congressional authorizations of money for Israel, often requiring Israel to spend that money here in the US by purchasing US manufactured planes and armaments.  

In their 2/18/25 editorial, the New York Post said that Trump wants Ukraine to sign over half of that country's revenue from natural resources, ports and infrastructure indefinitely.  As a payback to the US.  But that would be billions of dollars more than the US has spent.  Said the Post:  "it's a demand that a victor might make of a country that started and lost a war, to teach a lesson."  

So, what gives with all these comments from Trump?  That's Part VI.

The Bibas Family

Yesterday, the Jewish world received the devastating news that the Bibas boys and their Mom were likely dead.  The Dad, Yarden, the Mom, Shiri, 4 year old Ariel and 9 month old Kfir, were all abducted from their home in Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.  Those boys became the face of all the hostages - those adorable faces with their bright orange-red hair.  And the abduction of these boys, one a baby, proved to the world (at least those with even an ounce of moral clarity) just how evil Hamas is.  Hamas had already murdered the grandparents, and shot the family dog.  

The Dad, Yarden, was released alive on February 1.  Shiri's and the boys' bodies were to be released today.  Israel confirmed that the two boys' bodies were returned.  The third casket, however, did not have the Mom's body.  It was the body of an unknown individual.  A fourth body was also released - that of 83 year old Oded Lifshitz.  But remember, this is Hamas.  Who knows what cruel "joke" they think they're playing on the Dad, by not returning Shiri's body.  

If you think that Hamas presented a dignified transfer of these bodies, then you do not know Hamas.  The coffins were paraded through a cemetery, in front of a cheering crowd of civilians.  Imagine that - cheering civilians.  And it's worse.  With the coffins was a mock picture of Netanyahu, made up to look like a vampire.  And these words were on the picture:  "The war criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes."    

Is it "possible" that Israeli bombs killed any of the hostages?  Maybe.  But give me a break.  Which is more likely?  That Israel accidentally killed them?  Or that Hamas, which killed 1200 people on October 7, 2023, the same Hamas that tortured hostages and raped women, murdered Shiri and Ariel and Kfir?  I'm going with the murderous bastards of Hamas.  The same Hamas that has promised to repeat the events of October 7 "over and over and over" again.  

Hamas continues to bill themselves as the "resistance," and Israel as the "occupation."  The resistance to what?  Israel vacated Gaza in 2005.  They've had 20 years to build a modern society society, to prove themselves worthy of being a member of the international community.  Yet, they chose to build hundreds of miles of underground tunnels, so that they could sneak into Israel, and kidnap and kill Jews.  How is Israel the "occupation," when it hasn't occupied Gaza for 20 years?  Israel is the "occupation" to these bastards, because it exists anywhere, on any of the land.  

Yet, much of the world, including our so-called allies in Europe, don't get it.  Even some of my fellow Jews still don't get it.  This is not about land.  It never has been.  It has been about one thing only - the destruction of Israel and the killing of all the Jews.  If Hamas wanted a modern, prosperous society in Gaza, they could have had it.  They must have received billions in aid from Arab countries, Europe and even the US.  

Just today, 3 buses exploded simultaneously around Tel Aviv, in central Israel.  It appears the buses were not in operation at the time.  Clearly, this was a terrorist attack.  Was it meant as a warning of some kind, or were the timers on the bombs fortunately set at a time when the buses were parked?  We'll see.  

The idea, the suggestion, that Hamas can continue to play any role in the future of Gaza, is sick beyond words.  Perhaps Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, said it best:  "While Israel is forced to release convicted terrorists - many who have taken innocent lives - Hamas is returning bodies, including those of babies...Hamas is not a political movement.  It is not a resistance group.  It is a death cult, driven by a singular mission - annihilation of Jews."

As for me, I alternate between extreme sadness and extreme anger.  There are no words that can adequately express all of my feelings; at least none that I use in the blog.  But, I guess I can say that I hope that these new Nazis rot in hell forever alongside the Hitler Nazis.