But maybe Kristi Noem isn’t willing to defend Ukraine against Russia because the Ukrainian stand against Russian tyranny reflects so poorly on her politics. Like Noem and her sugar-daddy Donald Trump, Putin banks on bullying and dividing. He banks on luring Americans into infighting and the Trump/Coughlin isolationism that makes America look like an unreliable partner and thus clears the path for a tyrant to roll the tanks and gobble up weaker nations.
The American and global response to Ukraine so far has done the opposite of what people like Noem and Trump offer: uniting allies and showing intelligent, experienced, effective American leadership matters:
Vladimir Putin has attempted to crush Ukraine’s independence and “Westernness” while also demonstrating NATO’s fecklessness and free countries’ unwillingness to shoulder economic burdens in defense of our values. He has achieved the opposite of each. Endeavoring to destroy the liberal international order, he has been the architect of its revitalization.
Germany has long soft-pedaled policies targeting Russia, but its chancellor, Olaf Scholz, made a moving and extraordinary change, committing an additional $100 billion to defense spending immediately, shipping weapons to Ukraine, and ending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was constructed to bring gas to Germany from Russia. Hungary, thought to be the weakest link in the Western chain, has supported without question moves by the European Union and NATO to punish Moscow. Turkey, arguably the most Russia-friendly NATO country, having bought missile defense systems from Moscow, has invoked its responsibilities in the 1936 Montreux Convention and closed the Bosporus strait to Russian warships. NATO deployed its rapid-reaction force for the first time, and allies are rushing to send troops to reinforce frontline states. A cascade of places have closed their airspace to Russian craft. The United States has orchestrated action and gracefully let others have the stage, strengthening allies and institutions both [Kori Schake, “Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West’s Liberal Order,” The Atlantic, 2022.02.28].
Read that last sentence again: “The United States has orchestrated action and gracefully let others have the stage, strengthening allies and institutions both.” Such things were impossible under the previous White House; they are impossible in South Dakota under the current Governor.
Noem may also chafe at the fact that the global stand for Ukraine’s sovereignty further affirms liberalism’s call for the restoration of and respect for the victims of conquest and colonialism whose claims Governor Noem finds too divisive for discussion in school:
Nor is the liberal international order just a project of the transatlantic alliance. The UN may not have been able to prevent Russian aggression, but it served its purpose of forcing accountability onto governments for their positions. Kenya’s ambassador to the UN reminded us all that smaller powers, countries that suffered imperial conquest, are some of the biggest beneficiaries of a system that affirms “the sovereign equality of states, and states’ inviolable rights to territorial integrity and political independence.” Japan has joined many of the Western sanctions against Russia, while Southeast Asian nations such as Singapore and Indonesia have condemned the invasion [Schake, 2022.02.28].
Respecting sovereignty affirms the rights of minority peoples not just to govern themselves but to exist. The Ukrainians’ exercise of their sovereignty and identity chafes Putin as much as the Lakota exercise of tribal sovereignty and identity chafes Noem and her white state.
The world’s swift rise to Ukraine’s defense lays bare multiple failings of the Noem/Trump approach to politics. When things get real and bullets fly, Noem and Trump cannot advance beyond their cheap politics of image and division to rally their nation and our allies to concerted action against real threats to freedom and democracy. But President Joe Biden can.
Ironic that in a country that exports more weapons of mass destruction than all others combined Republicans remain averse to gun control at home as it assassinates children, women and men throughout the Muslim world.
Unlike most US presidents, Biden doesn’t seem to care who gets the credit for good outcomes on a world basis.
This shows a maturity and balance to US leadership that is uncommon, but healthy! Any of the GOP front-liners like DeSantos, Noem, or Abbot from Texas wouldn’t say a word until they figured out how to make themselves look the most scholarly or wise: to their base. Real leadership insn’t singing to the choir, its doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing.
Again, thank God and the wiser of the two types of American voters that we have Biden as POTUS, instead of the former guy; who says the other day that Putin is a genius-a very wise man. Still fawning over him today.
Maybe now Ukraine learned its lesson, when Trump asks for a “favor,” they had better deliver. (snark)
There are still stupidities out there. Steven Seagal for instance said ” I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge amounts of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other ”
How could Seagal know Soros did that? Only we in the coterie knew that, not a Putin boy.
Steven Seagull is alive? Damn, I thought that crappy actor had died already.
In Wisconsin we have our own brand of Putinism trying to destroy democracy. The Gabelman Inquisition (instigated by Republicans in our Legislature at the insistence of former Czar Trump) is this morning disclosing its recommendations to make it tougher for people to vote, especially in a health emergency as we experienced the last two years. But it goes even further in saying the Legislature needs to “look into” decertifying the 2020 election for President in Wisconsin, which even Republican legislative leaders are saying is Constitutionally impossible.
Seagal is a Russian citizen with Putie’s blessings.
I noted Mitt Romney’s statement of yesterday, when he said that Trump and his Party’s support of Putin “Borders on Treason>” Strong words from milk toast Mitt.
Labeling inaction within a crisis as “defending small government” and “promoting personal liberty” has run its course among the Big Lies one political party is now and will from this point in history forward, be known for.
NOem knows where the money comes from and it sure ain’t from the rubes of South Dakota.
As relevant today as when it was written, same playbook, same actors,
“As Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team probes deeper into potential collusion between Trump officials and representatives of the Russian government, investigators are taking a closer look at political contributions made by U.S. citizens with close ties to Russia.
Buried in the campaign finance reports available to the public are some troubling connections between a group of wealthy donors with ties to Russia and their political contributions to President Donald Trump and a number of top Republican leaders. And thanks to changes in campaign finance laws, the political contributions are legal. We have allowed our campaign finance laws to become a strategic threat to our country.” https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/05/08/how-putin-s-oligarchs-funneled-millions-into-gop-campaigns/
The republican party or duma, is fully bought and paid for by Russian corruption. In other words, we had better be like Ukrainians to deal with this bunch of terrorists as they try to take over democracy.
It’s so refreshing to see a President act presidential vs fawning over a “buddy” who is marching into a smaller country and being the bully on “the playground”… President Biden has made remarkable improvements in allowing other countries that are affected much more directly than the US to stand on their own feet and voice their dire warnings and concerns about the Ukrainian invasion. Mr. Biden has stood firm and been a leader in the world arena to protect democratic ideals and encourage allies to stand against the tyranny Putin is pushing. Thank God!
Just think if Noem copied Putin and rode a horse topless….. They both have motorcycle groups on their side too. The possibilities are endless.
How many Ukrainian refugees will find welcome in South Duhkota? Off the top of my head I’m guessing zeroooooo, just like Afghans to whom Noem pulled back the red carpet from. Magat big tent must have run out of buffalo hides.