By Thomas L. Friedman
From the outset of his administration, President Trump has responded to every novel combat of prove from the C.I.A., F.B.I. in addition to N.S.A. that Russian Federation intervened inwards our final election on his behalf past times either attacking Barack Obama or the Democrats for existence also lax — never President Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation for his unprecedented cyberhit on our democratic process. Such behavior past times an American president is thence perverse, thence reverse to American interests in addition to values, that it leads to solely ane conclusion: Donald Trump is either an property of Russian intelligence or truly enjoys playing ane on TV. Everything that happened inwards Helsinki today solely reinforces that conclusion. My swain Americans, nosotros are inwards problem in addition to nosotros receive got some big decisions to brand today. This was a historic minute inwards the entire history of the United States.
There is overwhelming prove that our president, for the foremost fourth dimension inwards our history, is deliberately or through gross negligence or because of his ain twisted personality engaged inwards treasonous behavior — behavior that violates his oath of utilization to “preserve, protect in addition to defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Trump vacated that oath today, in addition to Republicans tin post away no longer run in addition to enshroud from that fact. Every unmarried Republican lawmaker volition live on — in addition to should live on — asked on the election trail: Are you lot amongst Trump in addition to Putin or are you lot amongst the C.I.A., F.B.I. in addition to N.S.A.?
It started amongst the shocking tweet that Trump issued earlier he fifty-fifty sat downwards amongst Putin this morning: “Our human relationship amongst Russian Federation has NEVER been worse cheers to many years of U.S. foolishness in addition to stupidity in addition to now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!” The official Twitter problem organisation human relationship of the Russian unusual ministry building — recognizing a useful idiot when it saw ane — instantly “liked” Trump’s tweet in addition to subsequently added: “We agree.”
I’ll bet they do.
It solely got worse when, inwards his articulation tidings conference amongst Putin, Trump was asked explicitly if he believed the conclusion of his intelligence agencies that Russian Federation hacked our elections. The president of the USA basically threw his entire intelligence institution nether a bus, spell throwing out a cloud of dust almost Hillary Clinton’s server to disguise what he was doing.
Trump truly said on the enquiry of who hacked our election, “I don’t view whatever argue why it would be” Russia. And inwards a combat of shocking moral equivalence, Trump added of the USA in addition to Russia: “We are all to blame … both made some mistakes.” Trump said that it was truly the American probe into the Russian hacking that has “kept us apart.”
To sentry an American president dis his ain intelligence agencies, blame both sides for the Russian hacking of our election — in addition to deliberately endeavor to confuse the fact that in that place is withal no venture proof of collusion betwixt the Trump drive in addition to Russian Federation amongst the fact that Russian Federation had its ain involvement inwards trying to defeat the anti-Putin Hillary Clinton — truly made me sick to my stomach. I completely endorse the one-time C.I.A. managing director John O. Brennan’s tweet after the tidings conference:
“Donald Trump’s press conference functioning inwards Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was goose egg brusque of treasonous. Not solely were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly inwards the steal of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”
Donald Trump’s press conference functioning inwards Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was goose egg brusque of treasonous. Not solely were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly inwards the steal of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???
Trump is exactly insanely obsessed amongst what happened inwards the final election. But at nowadays he is president, in addition to the fact that he may non receive got colluded amongst the Russians doesn’t hateful he does not, equally president, receive got a responsibleness to ensure that the Russians live on punished for interfering inwards our final election on their ain in addition to live on effectively deterred from doing thence inwards the future. That is inwards his project description.
Listening to Trump, it was equally if Franklin Roosevelt had announced after Pearl Harbor: “Hey, both sides are to blame. Our battleships inwards Hawaii were a piddling provocative to Nihon — and, past times the way, I had goose egg to practise amongst the causes for their attack. So cool it.”
There is solely ane message Trump should receive got sent Putin inwards this coming together today: “You receive got attacked our democracy, equally good equally 2 marrow pillars of the global economical in addition to safety social club that receive got kept the peace in addition to promoted prosperity since World War II — the EU in addition to NATO. We are non interested inwards whatever of your poker-faced denials. Just know that if you lot run along doing it, nosotros volition consider it an human activeness of state of war in addition to nosotros volition non solely sanction you lot similar never before, but you’ll gustation every cyberweapon nosotros receive got inwards our arsenal — in addition to some of your most intimate personal secrets volition seem on the front end pages of every paper inwards the world. Is in that place whatever component subdivision of that judgement you lot practise non understand?
“So nosotros volition live on watching you lot betwixt at nowadays in addition to our midterm elections,” Trump should receive got added. “I’m certain you lot know the date. If you lot acquit well, we’ll discuss again inwards Dec 2018 almost anything you lot desire — Ukraine, Syria, Crimea or arms control. Until thence our C.I.A. in addition to N.S.A. are on to you lot in addition to your cyberspooks. And Vlad, equally you lot may receive got noticed from my Justice Department’s recent indictment of 12 of your agents, you lot are non equally skilful equally you lot think.”
That is what a existent American president, sworn to protect in addition to defend the Constitution, would receive got said to Putin today. He would receive got understood that this coming together had solely ane agenda exceptional — in addition to it was non developing an “extraordinary” relationship.
It was d-e-t-e-r-r-e-n-c-e — deterrence of a Russian Federation that has been increasingly reckless in addition to destabilizing.
In the past times few years what has Putin done to deserve an American president sucking upward to him for an “extraordinary” relationship? Putin has seized Crimea, covertly invaded Ukraine, provided the missiles that shot downwards a civilian Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, bombed tens of thousands of refugees out of Syrian Arab Republic into Europe, destabilizing Europe, been involved inwards the boot the bucket of a British adult woman who accidentally handled a Russian nervus agent deployed to kill ex-Russian agents inwards England in addition to deployed misinformation to assist tip the vote inwards United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland toward exiting in addition to fracturing the European Union.
Most of all, Putin unleashed a cyberattack on America’s electoral process, aimed at both electing Trump — amongst or without Trump’s collusion — in addition to sowing sectionalization amid American citizens.
Our intelligence agencies receive got no doubtfulness almost this: Last week, America’s managing director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, described Putin’s cybercampaign equally ane designed “to exploit America’s openness inwards social club to undermine our long-term competitive advantage.” Coats added that America’s digital infrastructure “is literally nether attack,” adding that in that place was “no question” that Russian Federation was the “most aggressive unusual actor.”
I am non given to conspiracy theories, but I cannot assist wondering if the foremost affair Trump said to Putin inwards their individual one-on-one coming together inwards Helsinki, earlier their aides were allowed to enter, was actually: “Vladimir, we’re withal good, right? You in addition to me, we’re withal good?”
And that Putin answered: “Donald, you lot receive got goose egg to worry about. Just run along existence yourself. We’re withal good.”
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
