Navalny's Murder
His Supporters continue Unafraid. Would we be so brave?
Yesterday, our Opinion column declared, "Mixed Messages Risk National Security," adding that "Keeping our Nation's Word Keeps us Strong."
While Navalny's supporters brave Putin's murdering thugs, and Navalny's wife vows to carry on Navalny's battle for freedom, Putin adds to his record number of murders and imprisonments of people brave enough to speak up.
In the words of Navalny's Chief of Staff Leonid Volkov, all Navalny wanted was "for his beloved country to be a NORMAL country" where people could complain about the government, or Putin's war on Ukraine, or practically anything -- a pothole in the street, the lack of indoor toilets, the right to put flowers in honor of a friend ... anything! without fear of being arrested.
The Russians leaving flowers in honor of Alexi Navalny risk arrest, imprisonment, and maybe death. They know this. They prepare by taking their passports and their lawyers' phone numbers, and they bravely stand in line to leave the flowers.
I applaud the bravery of Navalny's supporters, but I worry.
We Americans must learn to stand strong.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R) turned tail and ran after he kowtowed to Trump's call to use the border as a campaign messaging tool. All but three House Republicans followed him, tail between their legs. They’re all on a two week vacation now. Johnson, who had repeatedly called our Southern Border challenges "a crisis," suddenly moved his so-called "crisis" down the line - no crisis, nothing worth fixing until either Biden is re-elected or Trump prevails. Everything can wait until January 20th, 2025!
But Johnson's missing backbone is chump change compared to Trump's off-message shouts that endanger our country.
Trump invited Putin to attack NATO countries which may or may not be behind on their investments for military weaponry. The weaponry is necessary to keep NATO, i.e., all the 30 NATO member countries well guarded in case Putin, or another evil dictator, attacks Europe. Putin has already threatened to do so.
Trump opposes aid to Ukraine. Rather, Trump has called for a negotiated settlement that would reward Putin with more Ukrainian land in return for Putin's unprovoked attacks on Ukraine.
First, Putin attacked and took over Ukraine's Crimea; not many spoke up; this was wrong. Putin considered it a blessing, so here we are, Putin wants more and Trump wants to give it to him. This is called “appeasement.”
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness.
Appeasement is not the route to our security. But Trump has long been for cozying up to dictators. Trump is pals with Putin, but Putin is not the only one. Trump declared he "loved" Kim Jon Un whose leadership has resulted in North Koreans suffering famine after famine. A “made in Korea” bomb just landed in Ukraine. The bomb was made with help from Russia and also contraband American goods. Remember the big Chinese "ag trade deal" negotiated by Trump?
The only thing that went well for that "deal" was Ivanka's trade protections; later, Congress had to pitch in to bail out farmers who had depended upon Trump’s failed trade "deal.”
Now Trump has compared Navalny’s death to the Civil Court cases he’s lost … about a Half Billion Dollars of loss that proves how Trump is a pretty “shitty” business man and also doesn’t know enough to stop calling someone names.
But — let’s be real: Trump’s losses in Court are nothing like what Putin and his thugs have done to Navalny and to many others who dared to open their mouths. See the list here.
Mixed messages have consequences. Appeasement is dangerous.
Now, recognizing that Trump is repeatedly standing with Putin, Trump must decide whose side he is on.
Valerie Hopkins, The New York Times: Arrested for Leaving Flowers, Navalny Mourners Fear Worse to Come
Natalia Arno, The Dallas Morning News: Navalny’s death must be new dawn of resistance against Putin’s tyranny. We must do more to help save Russians from a mafia state.
Jeremy Wilson, Taylor Ardrey, and Chris Panella, Business Insider: These are the prominent critics and enemies Putin is suspected of having killed
Bret Samuels, The Hill: Trump’s first remarks about Navalny compare Russian’s death to his legal situation
Doina Chiacu, Reuters: Trump breaks silence on Navalny, casts no blame on Putin