DeSantis accepted the Russian line that Putin’s occupation of Ukraine is a mere “territorial dispute.” - The Atlantic
What does history teach us about appeasing dictators? How do 'territorial disputes end if dictators aren't confronted? What do former Republican and Democratic presidents have to say about confronting Russian aggression? How many Americans have died in prior wars? Does peace and security come from American strength or weakness?
Appeasing dictators never works
DeSantis goes Pro-Putin
"DeSantis’s statement on Ukraine was everything that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his admirers could have wished for from a presumptive candidate for president.
- Listed America’s “vital interests” in a way that explicitly excluded NATO and the defense of Europe.
- Accepted the present Russian line that Putin’s occupation of Ukraine is a mere “territorial dispute"
- Endorsed “peace” as the objective without regard to the terms of that peace, another pro-Russian talking point
- Conceded the Russian argument that American aid to Ukraine amounts to direct involvement in the conflict
- Endorsed and propagated the fantasy—routinely advanced by pro-Putin guests on Fox talk shows—that the Biden administration is somehow plotting “regime change” in Moscow
- Denounced as futile the economic embargo against Russia
- Baselessly insinuated that Ukraine is squandering U.S. financial assistance
Betrayed a core U.S. national interest
"DeSantis has chosen to cast his lot with the crowd that admires Putin’s army as the antithesis of the supposedly “woke” U.S. military. In doing so, DeSantis has simultaneously flip-flopped on a major issue, betrayed a core U.S. national interest (in defending democratic allies against international aggression) and signaled that pro-Putin foreign policy rhetoric is an essential component of a MAGA candidate’s identity.
DeSantis, like Putin apologist Trump, might have misjudged the party whose nomination he might seek. The majority of Americans, more than 70 percent, favor our role in the defense of Ukraine, and more than 90 percent have a negative view of Russia." - Washington Post
American support for democracy
World War II. The Truman Doctrine is an American foreign policy that pledges American "support for democracies against authoritarian threats." The doctrine originated with the primary goal of containing Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War.
Pearl Harbor. On December 8, as America’s Pacific fleet lay in ruins at Pearl Harbor , President Franklin Roosevelt requests, and receives, a declaration of war against Japan. “December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy —the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” - FDR in the House of Representatives
Liberty. "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - President Kennedy
Vietnam. Senator McCain and I shared "a fidelity to something higher — the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed." - President Obama
Soviet aggression. Reagan's ' Tear Down This Wall ' reflected a shift that was underway as Soviet reforms and protests were pressuring the East German government to open barriers to the West.
Democracy is worth standing up for
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VoteVets Action Fund is a 501c(4) organization, whose primary purpose is to advocate for issues that impact troops, veterans, and their families. VoteVets Action Fund focuses on matters including, but not limited to, foreign policy (including war-making policy), veterans’ unemployment, robust investment in care for veterans, energy security, protecting the rights of those who serve, and upholding the Constitution and democracy that every military member swore to uphold and protect.
TakeAway: Stand up for democracy and Ukraine. Appeasing dictators from weakness isn't a winning strategy.
Deepak
DemLabs
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