Washington in the Grip of Growing Political Turmoil
With a rerun of the 2020 election underway between the same two candidates, whom polls show are widely disliked, it is no surprise that the U.S. is facing intense political turmoil seven months before voters go to the polls. There are deepening splits within both parties, driven by the growing recognition that the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is lost, and that U.S. backing for Israel’s ethnic cleansing in Gaza makes America complicit in what jurists have declared is a plausible case of genocide.
The most immediate battle is over President Biden’s supplemental funding bill which would back Ukraine with $60+ billion in aid, and Israel with $14+ billion, with smaller amounts to go to Taiwan and border protection at home. Republicans allied with Donald Trump and his MAGA movement have blocked the Ukraine funding, and have threatened to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, also a Republican, if he caves into pressure from neocons in both parties to support the bill. Those who back the bill point to the collapse of Ukraine’s defenses, due to lack of manpower, weapons and money, arguing that if President Putin is not stopped now, he will continue to move westward against NATO countries.
Johnson, who is reported to be considering a compromise, of turning the funding into a “loan-lease package”, has aroused deep anger among Republicans, even though the idea originally came from Donald Trump! Opponents of this maneuver argue that Ukraine will never be able to pay back the loan. Johnson’s other proposal has been to introduce separate funding bills for Ukraine and Israel, as there is strong support for the latter. However, among the general voting population, there is growing opposition to both conflicts. Polls have found that nearly three-fourths of Republican voters oppose spending more on Ukraine, while there are burgeoning protests among Democrats against President Biden’s support for Israel.
Adding to the volatility within the electorate is the deepening concern that these conflicts will blow up into a full world war. Israel’s deadly missile attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria and the subsequent Iranian retaliation show just how real that concern is.
Meanwhile, the convening of the first of the Trump trials in a Manhattan courtroom on April 15 is expected to add to the chaos. Charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged payoff to porn actress Stormy Daniels to cover an affair she had with Trump, the former President is required to be in court four days a week, during the trial, which could last six weeks. Three other felony trials are scheduled, allowing Trump to make a reasonable claim that he is the victim of a Biden administration/Department of Justice witch-hunt.
In such a charged emotional environment, expectations are low for any serious debate between the leading presidential candidates,leaving voters to choose between competing narratives concocted by brainwashers working for the mainstream media — not a hopeful sign to the rest of the world.
