Tucker Carlson recently asked Republican Party candidates (and several potential ones) questions about what they believed about American policy towards the war in Ukraine. He revealed these answers earlier this week. Donald Trump’s responses were solid, but here I want to home in on what Ron DeSantis said.
Mr. DeSantis is beginning to frighten the Washington elite (both parties), and his answer gave them the willies:
“While the U.S. has many vital national interests—securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the Chinese Communist Party—becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”
I support that statement 100%.
Let me make it plain, immediately, that I am in no way endorsing Mr. DeSantis for Republican Party presidential nominee. He hasn’t even declared his intention to run yet, though that declaration probably isn’t far away. There are still a lot of things I do not know about DeSantis, and I want to hear him in the primaries and see how he performs. He is a long way away from receiving my endorsement.
But, I do agree with his statement on Ukraine. It isn’t our war, it’s really none of our business, frankly; we simply cannot afford to get involved in every—yes, territorial dispute—around the world. It is generally suspected that Biden dragged America into that conflict because he was sore at Putin for (supposedly) helping Trump win in 2016, and, of course, to cover for his (Biden’s) miserable performance so far in office. Things are bad at home? Distract the public with a war. It isn’t the first time in American history a president followed that trail.
DeSantis’ list of priorities is right on the mark. We MUST take care of things at home first—secure our border, preparing our military to be ready for any potential danger to OUR country, achieving energy security and independence, showing backbone against our real enemy, Communist China. Every one of these issues are matters Biden is totally ignoring in order to pursue some chimera in the Ukraine, supporting one godless, thug dictator against another. Ukraine is Ukraine’s problem, and maybe Europe’s. It isn’t anywhere near our problem yet. And it almost surely never will be. Don’t go looking for trouble. Biden has done that, and it is costing Americans untold billions of dollars, plus is depleting our military resources in the event we need them in a real war. Do you think Xi Jinping isn’t watching and salivating a bit?
My support for Mr. DeSantis’ statement is further bolstered by the people who opposed him. If this isn’t a list of useless, blind RINOs, I don’t know what is:
Adam Kinzinger: “Whelp DeSantis just threw in with the crazies. Talk about a misread.” Maybe Kamala will resign and Kinzinger can run as VP on the Democratic Party ticket next year.
Liz Cheney: “DeSantis is wrong and seems to have forgotten the lessons of Ronald Reagan.” I wonder what “lessons of Ronald Reagan” DeSantis has forgotten. That we should get involved in any war against a dictator we don’t like? Did Reagan do that? It was a different era as well. Reagan was president fighting (and ending) the Cold War; a whole different set of issues and priorities existed. I can’t imagine Ronald Reagan, a man of peace and intelligence, deliberately antagonizing Russia instead of seeking a peaceful resolution.
Senator Lindsey Graham: “To those who believe that Russia’s unprovoked and barbaric invasion of Ukraine is not a priority for the United States—you are missing a lot.” Yeah, we are missing a lot of our money and military equipment, wasting it helping one monster, King Kong, fight another, Godzilla. If there is one man in Washington, D.C., who needs to shut up, it is Lindsey Graham.
There are others of like mind who condemned DeSantis. The general gist of their attacks was, if we don’t support Ukraine, we are pro-Putin. Such drivel should be beneath intelligent thought. They can give no vital national interest for America that is being threatened by the war in Ukraine. Does not giving money and military supplies to India in its “border dispute” with China mean we support Xi Jinping?
There are at least a dozen other wars going on in countries around the world; why aren’t we helping our favored dictator in those? (We could start by assisting Mexico against the drug cartels.) We can’t help everybody. We watch. We prioritize American vital national interests. That is what the American government is supposed to do, and sending money to Ukraine doesn’t solve OUR border crisis or energy or inflation or education or crime or any other of a myriad of problems Joe Biden is ignoring because he thinks it is more important to send your money halfway across the world than to help his own people. We solve our problems FIRST. If we are threatened, we kick butt. But Vladimir Putin’s armies are in Ukraine, not Maine, and are not menacing the United States. Mr. DeSantis is saying, “Prioritize!” And he is exactly right.
Vladimir Putin is a horse’s backside, but so is Zelensky. We need to keep an eye on both of them. But hatred of Putin is not a solid foundation to build a foreign policy on. When he becomes a direct threat to America, and not to his neighbors, we’ll have to act. But, currently, we need to take care of our own multiple disorders before we start squandering countless billions supposedly protecting against events that MIGHT (or might not) happen sometime in the future. Wise people prioritize. And that lack of wisdom in Washington is what is destroying and bankrupting America.
My western novels are still on sale, Whitewater and River Bend, and are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Eliva.com. A third western, Allie’s Dilemma, is available for Kindle only. Also search YouTube “mark kevin lewis” for some of my Bible commentary videos. And my blog at thailandlewis.blogspot.com for other articles.