Convergence

Everyone, including me, keeps wondering just what the hell Vladimir Putin is doing, or rather, why is he doing it? I mean, what is the big point behind laying waste to this country called Ukraine?  Ukraine wasn’t really doing anything especially threatening to Russia or Putin (the two are separate).  Putin strikes me as what you get were Donald Trump smart. He has a combination of a reasonably competent, functioning brain, and a brain that has somehow been corrupted by world events to enlarge the domain that makes it Evil, rather than Benign.  Yeah, Putin is intelligent and evil.  Now, I do not suggest that Putin is really smart, or even brilliant.  No, because were he that smart, he would never have invaded Ukraine.  See, he would have determined that invading Ukraine would provide some momentary pleasure (beating up someone is such fun), but that it would bring on likely disaster for Russia and maybe even for him personally, so he would have avoided doing something that stupid.

But I imagine that Putin has been paying attention to global affairs, especially those in the US of A.  See, something is going on globally, but especially in Russia and in America.  What do we see here in America? Well, first of course, we saw Donald Trump claim the Presidency in 2016. Now that may not seem like much, but consider. Donald Trump has the brain of an underdeveloped two year old. He has failed at virtually everything he ever attempted. What does he have—six bankruptcies, three failed marriages, disasters as children, and then a truly failed presidency. I mean, he ignored the worst pandemic since the 1918 flu epidemic, leading to thousands of Americans dying and hundreds of thousands seriously ill in hospitals.  He pulled away from our allies globally, thus weakening our international alliances.  He focused on his racist base via The Wall, thereby creating a world joke. Because he was himself abysmally ignorant, even stupid, he appointed a cabinet filled with incompetents—Think Betsy Devos as Education Secretary.  His only praise went out to Who?? Vladimir Putin and Kim Jung Un, two of the worst creatures on the planet.  And then he was the inspiration for groups such as The Proud Boys, and The Oathkeepers, twin NeoNazi organizations in America.

And meanwhile, back at the ranch, Vlad the Impaler is sitting there watching all this nonsense take place in America.  And maybe he was thinking, Hmmmm, maybe America is really failing, and perhaps I should consider moving to expand my empire.

And then came 2020 and with it the election that toppled Donald Trump. But Donald Trump wasn’t yet done with America. First he had to organize the January 6^th Insurrection, with those Proud Boys and Oathkeepers at the helm.  And so, the Great Denial—“The Election was Rigged. We need to take back America!” And that slogan triggered Donald Trump’s ego, stirring him to join a course aimed at reversing the election results of 2020, and re-electing Donald Trump in 2024.

Now, to be fair, he has lots of help. Think Mitch McConnell who spends all of his waking hours figuring out how to defeat any/all accomplishments of the Biden Administration.  And then think of Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Bohbert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, and those Proud Boys and Oathkeepers, all of whom are working hard to subvert democracy in America.

Now, Vlad is sitting in his office somewhere in the Kremlin, observing America turning itself into a Nation of Idiots foaming at the mouth.  And he begins thinking, “Maybe now is the time for me to assert myself permanently on the scene”.  Joe Biden is a bystander who may not be around that long, if America reasserts itself.  Maybe now I can act somewhere to demonstrate to the world that I am The Man. And he looks around and sees Ukraine mildly asserting its independence, and he thinks, “OK, I think it’s time to smack them in the head, and get them to pay obeisance to me.” And so he orders his troops into action.  And then the games begin, with innocent people dying, cities being destroyed, and threats of nuclear annihilation tossed onto the table. “So pay attention America. Stay out of our business, cuz we have nukes!” And our American neo-Nazi’s continue on their course, with truckers organizing marches and rallies across America, just to show who’s really in charge. Yeah America, way to go.  Oh and Texas??? You only threw out 30% of the vote by mail ballots. Got to get those other 70%. Can’t have Americans voting for God’s sake.