Michael Ramirez Essay : America's New Lethal Weapon 10-22-23
From America's Premier Editorial Cartoonist
Supporting Ukraine degrades the Russian military, impedes Putin's expansionism, and is a deterrent to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan without putting American soldiers in harm's way.—Michael
UKRAINE DEMAGOGUERY
by Michael P. Ramirez, October 22, 2023
What if there was a weapon that could eviscerate and degrade the Russian military, stop Putin in his tracks, impede the expansion of a malevolent authoritarian Russian empire, deter China from invading Taiwan, and increase national weapons production without the single loss of an American soldier, for less than 5% of the Defense budget. Would it be worth it?
In normal times, the answer would resoundingly be yes. Most Republicans would embrace it. Some Democrats would rather divert that spending to domestic social programs or climate change, but there would be bipartisan support for something so clearly in our national interest.
But these are not normal times. Call it Ukraine funding, and suddenly, the political dynamics shift.
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A band of 93 myopic isolationist Republicans led by Matt Gaetz voted for an amendment to prohibit all military assistance to Ukraine. All 212 Democrats and 126 Republicans voted against it. I suppose these simpletons believe our judicial system and the FBI threaten America more than Russia.
These are strange days indeed. Have you ever felt like you were living through an episode of the Twilight Zone, and everything has twisted into an inverted reality?
Usually, it’s the Democrats who are doing a great job of self-destruction. These days, it’s the Republicans who are striving for the world championship title. A lack of principles and lack of fortitude among the leadership of Congress, and the gerrymandering of districts, which has allowed any dimwit to win elections, has a great deal to do with it. Conspiratorial populism that has managed to lower the average IQ of Congress to a significant level is another factor.
The current House Speaker debate is classic self-immolation. Republicans never fail to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Eight knuckleheads, led by vainglorious attention seeker Matt Gaetz, decided to vote with 208 Democrats to remove Representative Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker… and then called everyone else “Republicans in Name Only.”
Only in this new, crazy, upside-down world.
Those geniuses stated that their principal target in removing the Speaker was to prevent adding to our national debt.
That is a worthy cause, no doubt. I was never a big fan of Kevin McCarthy. But keep in mind that Republicans barely control the House with one of the narrowest majorities in history, and I use the term “control” very loosely; any legislation proposed would have to pass muster with a Democrat-controlled Senate and a Democrat President. There is a slight chance of that.
There are 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats, with two seats currently vacant. Democrat Rep. David Cicilline from Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, resigned at the end of May to become the CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, and Republican Rep. Chris Stewart from Utah’s 2nd Congressional District resigned on September 15th due to his wife’s illness, leaving two vacancies.
Passing inflexible, hardline legislation unilaterally and expecting it to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Biden is wishful thinking at best. It’s like the 25-67 Oakland A’s declaring themselves the MLB champs without a chance of making the playoffs or winning the World Series.
What was the plan? Let’s team up with Democrats and remove the Speaker, with no alternative candidate, no real plan to replace him, and no likely resolution in the near future. Reduce our national debt by grinding the government to a standstill, lowering our credit rating, raising our borrowing costs, and dramatically increasing our national debt.
Brilliant.
The same geniuses think that the United States can exist in a vacuum, withdraw from the global stage, and let world events unfold on their course without consequence.
What does Ukraine have to do with us? It’s not like America is the beacon of liberty.
The day of the deep-thinking isolationists is upon us. As deep as evidence of 2020 election fraud. They want to abandon Ukraine. They believe that siding with Russia is, now the prudent course. They cannot see beyond the end of their segments on the conspiracy networks and the “likes” on their social media pages.
Never mind that Russia invaded a sovereign nation for no reason, the first invasion of a European nation since WWII, targeted civilians, women and children, and civilian infrastructure, and committed crimes against humanity.
Never mind that it is a violation of the Budapest Memorandum that offered security assurances from Russia, the United States, and the UK in exchange for Ukraine relinquishing the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and will serve as a lesson to those who have and are developing nuclear arms never to surrender them.
Never mind that it will enable and empower Russia's expansionism beyond Ukraine.
The lack of a response when Russia invaded Moldova, Georgia, Crimea, and the Donbas was the impetus for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in the first place. If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, it will embolden Russia’s ambitions in the West and China’s ambitions in the Far East.
Moldova will be next, and then the Baltics, and then it will be a NATO affair with the price of their indifference being paid by the blood of American soldiers.
The world will see us through the lens of the abandonment of our Kurdish allies in Iraq, our disastrous withdrawal from Kabul, and the abandonment of 78,000 Afghan allies who fought with us. Not to mention relinquishing Bagram, a strategic base next to a breeding ground of terrorism, in close proximity to a nuclear Russia, China, Pakistan, and perhaps, a soon-to-be nuclear Iran.
If these short-sighted isolationists succeed in abandoning Ukraine, the world will view America as weak and unreliable. When our enemies sense weakness, it becomes a far more dangerous world.
Ronald Reagan was right. The best defense is a strong offense. Peace through strength. It’s even better when someone else is doing the fighting, and that fight is for liberty.
It is rare when I agree with President Biden on any issue. Those times are almost as rare as when Matt Gaetz has an intelligent thought. President Biden is right in supporting Ukraine.
There is no question that there should be accountability. The U.S. Ukraine Oversight Interagency was established four months after the war started. in June 2022. As Jim Geraghty wrote in an article that appeared in the National Review on September 18, 2023:
As of the end of March 2023, the federal government has more than 160 personnel from 20 U.S. oversight organizations tracking and auditing the weapons, ammunition, equipment, and money sent to Ukraine, personnel who are primarily pulled from the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. As of March, investigations “have not yet substantiated significant waste, fraud, or abuse,” although it’s proven difficult to monitor weapons at the final stages, near the front lines.
There is no question Ukraine should continue the reforms against corruption that began with the election of President Zelensky.
As for the charge that our Western counterparts are contributing much less than America, it is profoundly true when you only talk about the contribution of military hardware. But as Jim Geraghty points out, again in the same article in National Review, when you include all aid, the picture changes:
Updated numbers reveal that when you add up all the military, humanitarian, and financial aid sent to Ukraine, Europe collectively is sending $2.22 for every dollar the United States has sent — dispelling the myth that America is getting stuck with the check for helping Ukraine. The estimated value of U.S. military aid remains significantly larger than that of European military aid, but European allies have compensated with more humanitarian and financial aid, as well as a willingness to house more refugees.
In politics, people tend to look at issues through the lens of whatever party they are affiliated with. I disagree with that. I would rather support policies that support liberty, defend our constitution, and are in America's long-term best interests, regardless of where they come from. It just so happens that most of the ideas and policies that I agree with usually germinate from within the GOP.
But it is a strange new world.
The biggest threat to America remains Russia and China. Putin’s appearance last week in Beijing for the 10th anniversary of Xi’s Belt and Road initiative reinforced their strategic partnership against the West. This threat makes it more important for America to remain vigilant and maintain its leadership in the world by defending liberty. A Ukrainian victory discourages their worst intentions. A Ukrainian defeat will embolden them.
Have a great week.
Best wishes,
-m
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Your arguments are compelling, Mr. Ramirez. I have always considered being the world cop is an expensive and thankless gesture. You may be changing my mind. Why can't our politicians articulate this point as clearly as you have?
If I was convinced our motives were not internally corrupt, I could be convinced that the US becoming the arsenal of the freedom-loving world is a noble position. That is one of Biden's problems, along with his inability to articulate anything, IMO
Ukraine has been, and continues to be, a gigantic washing machine used to launder money back to the crooked politicians in this country. I speak of Democrats and Republicans with the percentage being 90-10 Democrats. Find a way to change that and Ukraine support would be 100%.