On white privilege
On the one hand, there is the boorish, self-aggrandizing pathological liar that is Donald Trump and on the other the millions of people who accept as normal that the President of the United States be this deranged. The driving force behind this phenomenon, most simply put, is race. A large percentage of white America will never accept racial equality in any form. That Barack Obama could hold office with intelligence, dignity, and grace for eight years was too much to bear.
Immigration, voting rights and affirmative action in hiring and education are seen as threats to white privilege, wealth and power. Slavery may have been abolished but white supremacy is very much alive today.
Robert Porath/Boulder
It’s quite a stretch to say Ron Forthofer was implying Joel and David are willfully helping to start WWIII. He was merely warning against the dangers of demonization in foreign affairs. And, recounting history is important to demonstrate that Putin may be acting out of concern for Russia’s security.
One should recall, the U.S.and its allies have Russia (and China) surrounded by military bases, ground, naval and air forces fully capable of conventional and nuclear warfare. Show me a Russian base anywhere near the U.S. The U.S. has 95% of the world’s overseas military bases, many of them surrounding Eurasia. NATO armaments are stationed on Russia’s border and recently NATO military exercises have been conducted in several locations along that border. What leader wouldn’t be concerned about his or her security.
An important point not elaborated in Ron’s history was US abrogation of the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), which signaled to the Russians that the U.S. government is now intent on developing a nuclear first-strike capability, another reason to be worried about one’s security. Presently, the U.S. is placing anti-ballistic missile installations in Europe and Korea. This all seems quite threatening.
As for Russiagate, it is a diversion. After a year, no evidence. Looks like a leak not a hack. Compared to U.S. electoral meddling around the globe, anything the Russians may have done here seems rather paltry, especially since no evidence has yet been produced. Nonetheless, the leaker/hacker did us a favor by clearly revealing how utterly corrupt, inept and unfit the Democratic Party’s national leadership was and apparently still is.
Our main concern should be to avoid getting into a conflict with Russia, or any one else. We need to end wars not start new ones. The U.S should not dominate the world. A cooperative multi-polar world, where the power of others offsets that of the one, is a good alternative to Empire.