Under Trump Russian appeasement in our foreign policy was clearly evident, from Afghanistan to Libya and into Africa. In Afghanistan, a legitimate claim of Russian support for the Taliban was ignored by the Trump Administration:
Further, the Trump Admin negotiations with the Taliban undermined our NATO, including the Afghans we were supporting and our NATO allies, by exclusion to the surrender negotiations.
In the Middle East, Russian influence, territory, arms sales, energy leverage, military bases, and long-term, strategic, military advantage increased expotenially. Trump conducted U.S. Foreign policy for his own benefit, without regard to our alliances or the long-term consequences. It started before Turkey, a NATO member, purchased Russian anti-missile systems, with Trump's assault on NATO and support of Brexit:
After both Turkey and the U.S. turned on NATO, Trump, in a late-night telephone call without any consultation with our allies or our Congress, decided firstly to reward Turkey, by betraying our Kurdish allies who had become our loyal & brave, frontline, fighting force in the ME defeating ISIS:
It is clear when the dust settles that Russia and Turkey, two autocratic leanders and former and current business partners of Trump, achieved what would have been impossible under former American foreign policy - Russian appeasement and a new role for, Russian, Syrian, Iranian, and Turkish allignment in the ME and a further assault on NATO and the longer-term interests of the U.S. and our allies:
Not the least of these concerns is these countries and the U.S. rely heavily on respective, politically entrenched fossil industries and oil dependence, while the planet is already experiencing a tipping climate point. Our fate and global influence are now challenged internally and externally. Trump's irresponsible Russian appeasement will haunt us for important decades to come:
I've never worked in a TV editorial department, but I would assume that there must be some guidance, some third rails, some management oversight. I just can't believe there isn't. The questions that really should be asked, then, is why are Rupert Murdoch and his board of directors in favor of this dangerous and divisive pro-Russia narrative? They can see what effect it has in America. Why are Rupert Murdoch and his board of directors in favor of totalitarianism for America, for surely this is where this leads. And how is such a destructive entity, Fox "news", allowed to have any permit or permission to operate in American markets as they do, spewing division and anti-American political propaganda?
I do understand the slippery slope of picking "acceptable" content - we need room and a space for dissenting views of all types. But Fox's franchise has gone beyond a dissenting view and is, for many maybe even most Americans, the dominant view. I would argue that Fox (very) effectively acts as an arm of the Republican party and perhaps should be viewed through that lens and thus required to be accountable and to make whatever disclosures that an overt political advertisement would have to make. That would be a start.
The ability of Fox News to continue spewing dangerous lies is a central element of the potential demise of democracy. One way or another, it has to be addressed.
The far-right-wing wants power at any cost, and as you rightly observe, FOX News is an integral part of the far-right-quasi governmental apparatus along with the Republican Party and a relatively few Billionaires who don't want to be part of the progressive taxation system and are able to buy political influence, including tax benefits, subsidies, and favorable, corporporate legislation disproportionately, and rule as a minority.
Greetings. Some posts go to everyone, paid or not—so you see the request. Some only go to paid subscribers—when there is no such request. Thanks for your support.
Read "Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956"
By Anne Applebaum
Thanks for the suggestion.
Under Trump Russian appeasement in our foreign policy was clearly evident, from Afghanistan to Libya and into Africa. In Afghanistan, a legitimate claim of Russian support for the Taliban was ignored by the Trump Administration:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/13/world/asia/russia-taliban-afghanistan.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43500299
Further, the Trump Admin negotiations with the Taliban undermined our NATO, including the Afghans we were supporting and our NATO allies, by exclusion to the surrender negotiations.
In the Middle East, Russian influence, territory, arms sales, energy leverage, military bases, and long-term, strategic, military advantage increased expotenially. Trump conducted U.S. Foreign policy for his own benefit, without regard to our alliances or the long-term consequences. It started before Turkey, a NATO member, purchased Russian anti-missile systems, with Trump's assault on NATO and support of Brexit:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/10/trump-europe-nato-transatlantic-push-back/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/at-nato-summit-trump-abuses-americas-closest-friends/602959/
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/trumps-attacks-on-nato-are-as-dangerous-as-they-are-wrongheaded.html
After both Turkey and the U.S. turned on NATO, Trump, in a late-night telephone call without any consultation with our allies or our Congress, decided firstly to reward Turkey, by betraying our Kurdish allies who had become our loyal & brave, frontline, fighting force in the ME defeating ISIS:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/07/trump-handing-syria-to-turkey-is-gift-to-russia-iran-isis-mcgu.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/trump-betrayed-kurds-whos-next/600004/
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/10/17/donald-trumps-betrayal-of-the-kurds-is-a-blow-to-americas-credibility
The reconfigured ME, also received criticism the rare, and apparently meaningless criticism from Trump's own party in Congress:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/disaster-betrayal-mistake-republicans-slam-trump-s-syria-pull-out-n1063251
It is clear when the dust settles that Russia and Turkey, two autocratic leanders and former and current business partners of Trump, achieved what would have been impossible under former American foreign policy - Russian appeasement and a new role for, Russian, Syrian, Iranian, and Turkish allignment in the ME and a further assault on NATO and the longer-term interests of the U.S. and our allies:
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/report-russia-middle-east-national-security-challenges-united-states-and-israel-biden
Not the least of these concerns is these countries and the U.S. rely heavily on respective, politically entrenched fossil industries and oil dependence, while the planet is already experiencing a tipping climate point. Our fate and global influence are now challenged internally and externally. Trump's irresponsible Russian appeasement will haunt us for important decades to come:
https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/05/27/russia-in-mediterranean-here-to-stay-pub-84605
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/russia-saudi-arabia-egypt-military-cooperation-increasing
I've never worked in a TV editorial department, but I would assume that there must be some guidance, some third rails, some management oversight. I just can't believe there isn't. The questions that really should be asked, then, is why are Rupert Murdoch and his board of directors in favor of this dangerous and divisive pro-Russia narrative? They can see what effect it has in America. Why are Rupert Murdoch and his board of directors in favor of totalitarianism for America, for surely this is where this leads. And how is such a destructive entity, Fox "news", allowed to have any permit or permission to operate in American markets as they do, spewing division and anti-American political propaganda?
I do understand the slippery slope of picking "acceptable" content - we need room and a space for dissenting views of all types. But Fox's franchise has gone beyond a dissenting view and is, for many maybe even most Americans, the dominant view. I would argue that Fox (very) effectively acts as an arm of the Republican party and perhaps should be viewed through that lens and thus required to be accountable and to make whatever disclosures that an overt political advertisement would have to make. That would be a start.
The ability of Fox News to continue spewing dangerous lies is a central element of the potential demise of democracy. One way or another, it has to be addressed.
The far-right-wing wants power at any cost, and as you rightly observe, FOX News is an integral part of the far-right-quasi governmental apparatus along with the Republican Party and a relatively few Billionaires who don't want to be part of the progressive taxation system and are able to buy political influence, including tax benefits, subsidies, and favorable, corporporate legislation disproportionately, and rule as a minority.
I have a paid subscription, why am I being asked to subscribe? It’s very confusing, I have the same issue with other substack newsletters.
Greetings. Some posts go to everyone, paid or not—so you see the request. Some only go to paid subscribers—when there is no such request. Thanks for your support.