Why in the world is the GOP so PRO-Putin?
I get being anti-war. I get being blackmailed by Putin would make Trump pliable. But being adamantly pro-putin to the point of being anti-Ukraine, seems like a strange space for the GOP to occupy. So how did Republicans become the Party of Putin? LGM takes a look.
DeSantis’s strategy continues to be to out-Trump Trump, so consequently his proposed betrayal of Ukraine is even more brazen than Trump’s, who at least makes mouth noises about how NATO needs to pitch in more, and who hasn’t yet said anything as Orwellian as DeSantis’s claim that Russia’s invasion of another country is “a territorial dispute.”
Now obviously DeSantis is only doing this because it polls well with the Republican base, which raises the question of why it does.
The answer, I think, is:
(1) Joe Biden and the Democratic party support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. This is the biggest reason, and really quite sufficient by itself
(2) Russia is a reactionary ethno-nationalist authoritarian proto-theocratic regime, i.e., what the Republican base wants the USA to become.
(3) Isolationism has deep roots in the Republican party, although this was largely forgotten in the Reagan era. BTW Baker here is committing the classic Boomer mistake of not realizing that Reagan hasn’t been president now for almost 35 years, meaning there’s about the same time gap between the present and the Reagan presidency as there was between the beginning of that presidency and the end of World War II. Calling today’s GOP the party of Reagan makes about as much sense as calling the GOP in 1980 the party of Thomas Dewey or Robert Taft.
In any event, DeSantis is literally worse than Trump on pretty much every substantive issue. Probably the best outcome for the country would be for him to win the GOP nomination, as I think the odds of Trump not using all his immense influence within the Republican base to destroy a DeSantis presidential run are essentially zero, assuming Trump is alive in the fall of next year, which is extremely probable, although accidents will happen, especially when very powerful people are really hoping they will.
Democrats need to re-brand as the “DON’T DRINK BLEACH!” party.
I used to say it jokingly, but now I’m being serious. Democrats need to re-brand as the “DON’T DRINK BLEACH!” party.
I’ma guess it’s for the same reason that politicians of both parties are gung-ho neoliberals: For the money.
Occam’s razor.
mixed thoughts on this: Occam is probably right; russian largess finds its way into the GOP coffers more easily than the ukrainian. However, i’m also willing to consider another avenue in which the fate of ukraine is inconsequential in in the wider GOP world view, which has pivoted from islam to china as the great ggeopolitical boogeyman. In this sense, russia/ukraine is an expensive distraction for the US. For all the showmanship tied to the recent afghanistan withdrawal hearings, the GOP was psychically damaged by the failure to achieve a V-Day in either conflict.. The GOP is loathe to stake America’s reputation on the outcome of another conflict which is still highly uncertain.
LOL you almost had me until “The GOP is loathe to stake America’s reputation…”
laughable to us, but they hold all sorts of crazy beliefs.
Putin runs what is essentially a white, Christian nationalist, militaristic, jingoistic ethno-state. This shouldn’t be a mystery why the far-right loves the guy so much.
This is a compelling argument. So is “if Democrats are for it, I’m against it.” But in my experience they’re even more motivated by money, and are usually gung-ho for anything that involves military spending. It’s not like them to oppose bombing somewhere if it boosts military contractors’ stock prices. So I wonder.
” It’s not like them to oppose bombing somewhere if it boosts military contractors’ stock prices. So I wonder.”
The wealthy are an electoral minority. So in a democracy they can only control government by somehow making a coalition with the non-wealthy. They have done this by espousing the worst traits in human nature, which have a large constituency (but probably not an actual majority).
In the US their task is easier because of the anti-democratic loopholes in the Constitution that overweight the right in the Senate and Electoral College. They control enough states to block progressive action and therefore “prove” government doesn’t work.
If democracy can’t guarantee a far-right regime, democracy has to go.
That’s a corollary to: If democracy can’t guarantee that a minority of straight white men run everything, democracy is hopelessly broken and has to go.
Along these lines, $8 million in Russian loans to Trump’s Truth Social is being investigated as money laundering.
This clip of Tucker Carlson simply parroting Putin supports Alby’s follow the money theory.
https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1635766242911961092
Yay Military Industrial Complex!! HIMARS for everyone! Reapers and Global Hawks!
When you see the screen name like that, you know there is going to be some top quality commenting.
Yes, when people are rooting for a country that’s kidnapping children you know they’re on the right side.
I hadn’t tracked on it, but holy shit!
“…as of May 2, 181,000 children had been illegally transferred to Russia.”