By: Donald V. Watkins
© Copyrighted and Published on November 27, 2019
Let's make one thing clear: The United States has meddled with and interfered in the internal political affairs of sovereign nations around the globe for over one hundred years. We have done it in Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Haiti, many African nations, and various other countries throughout the Middle East and South America.
We have handpicked and propped up dictators and despots around the world. All of whom have been ruthless, brutal, and corrupt. We have also toppled world leaders of Third World countries.
Throughout it all, there was one thing Democratic and Republican Presidents made clear to every world leader: " Do not fuck with the American political system. It is sacred." Nobody dared to cross that bright line until President Donald J. Trump became President.
Trump is Russian President Vladimir Putin's "Manchurian Candidate." Trump owes his successful campaign to Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential election, as independently confirmed by sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies. With Trump's election, Putin was able to capture America without firing a shot.
As a pathological liar who is only loyal to himself, Trump wasted no time in erasing the line that bans foreign interference with U.S. elections. In Trump's mind, his self-interest is greater than America's national interest in protecting the integrity of U.S. elections.
Last week, Gordon Sondland, Trump's ambassador to the European Union, confirmed that the President used U.S. military aid in a "quid pro quo" demand to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to pressure Zelensky to announce an investigation of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Fortunately, Zelensky's situational ethics were higher than Trump's and he never honored Trump's request.
Everybody in Trump's inner circle was in the loop on this "quid pro quo" demand, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. None of them tried to stop it.
As expected, rabid Trump supporters see nothing wrong with trading the integrity of the U.S. Presidential elections to a foreign power for Trump's personal political gain. Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, a Trump support and Washington "Swamp Creature" who has survived every effort to "drain the swamp," defended Trump's "quid pro quo" demand to Zelensky.
Shelby is the U.S. senator who led the successful effort to deregulate the Federal Aviation Administration's flight certification standards for new aircraft. Now, aircraft manufacturers certify their own planes as safe to fly. As a result, 346 Boeing 737 MAX airplane passengers and crew members died in two recent plane crashes where Shelby's compromised version of flight safety ruled the day.
For Sen. Shelby, whose campaign mantra is, "Too much money ain’t never enough", democracy has always been "For Sale." Under Trump, Shelby is now free to publicly showcase his ethical lapses regarding fair elections without fear of political or law enforcement repercussions.
Thanks to President Trump, America has finally emerged as a nation that is willing to compromise its national interests as long as it personally benefits Donald J. Trump, in his individual capacity. For the first time ever, the biggest "bullshit artist" of all time has led America in joining Third World countries in what can only be described as Trump-style democracy -- the elevation of self-interest above national interest.
Welcome to Trump's America, as produced by Vladimir Putin.
