All Zelensky had to do today was put on a tie, show up, smile, say ‘thank you,’ sign the papers, and have lunch. That’s all. And he couldn’t do that.
Scott Jennings (CNN)
The political class – at home and abroad – knew Joe Biden was mentally unfit, still let him bugger up the free world, and now complain about the people trying to fix Biden’s mess. To wit, President Trump’s trying to avert World War III, and Kaja Katlas declares the “free world needs a new leader.” Elon Musk is tackling America’s $2 trillion budget deficit, and Chuck Schumer grouses that he’s “an unelected shadow government.”
That’s tiny talk and all EU diplomats and Democrats have to offer. There is no “new leader” coming to Europe’s rescue, because Russia produces more weapons in three months than the entire European Union produces in a year. Democrats were “unelected” from Congress and the White House last November, and their voter approval is just 21% today (source: Quinnipiac).
Ending Biden’s Proxy War
True: Obama sent Ukraine blankets, and Trump sent Ukraine Javelin missiles. True: Putin invaded Ukraine after a meeting with Biden, and agreed to peace negotiations after a phone call from Trump. True: Zelensky had support for “as long as it takes” from Biden, and thrice refused to sign Trump’s minerals deal. Conclusion: Zelensky doesn’t know the difference between chicken sh*t and chicken salad.
Zelensky’s root problem is that he trusts the liberals in Washington and Brussels, who cannot help him save his country, and feels uncomfortable around MAGA Republicans, who can help him end the war. Thus, he completely “misread the room” last Friday, and behaved so badly that Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. (Oksana Markarova) could not watch the disaster, burying her face in her hands.
Zelensky’s “misread of the room” was on full display in the Oval Office. One, he was more interested in making his point (Russia is the aggressor) than making a deal. Two, he kept telling his American patron that he was a “partner” and “how partners” act. Three, he did not pivot to humility after hearing his hosts’ displeasure. Based on his Saturday tweet, Zelensky knows he screwed up…
…because he admitted it was “understandable the U.S. might look for dialogue with Putin,” confirmed he was “thankful to President Trump,” and said he would sign the minerals deal. Hallelujah! Because shared economic interests are the best remedy to political/territorial disputes. The Marshall Plan has kept Germany and Japan at peace for 80 years, while US military solutions are 0-3 (Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan).
Just like the US economy’s reliance on Saudi oil justified Desert Storm, a $500 billion interest in Ukraine’s minerals is strategic; beryllium for nuclear weapons and reactors, graphite and lithium for batteries, and titanium for aircraft – materials needed to counter China’s recent buying spree. If it’s not a deterrent to war, then why’s Russia offering the U.S. a strategic minerals deal?
Don’t let Putin’s barbarism hide the frightened cold warrior inside. He watched NATO add former Soviet states after Mikhail Gorbachev was told by James Baker that NATO would not move beyond the inner German border. Alas, there was no pact, but that myth stokes a man-with-nuclear-arms’ fear.
The “security assurances” are Russia and Ukraine caring more about making money off the USA than making war with each other, and the “lasting peace” looks like everybody – Russians and Ukrainians alike – doing vodka shots and taking family selfies at Ural Disneyland.
Down-Sizing Biden’s Bureaucracy
Federal outlays spiked from $4.45 trillion in 2019 to $6.94 trillion in 2024, resulting in 72% of voters now supporting a government agency focused on efficiency initiatives (source: The Hill). Standing in their way is a federal bureaucracy with long-established systems and unwritten rules to hold onto influence, jobs and power. Coming to their rescue is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Already, DOGE has provided evidence of inexplicable expenditures and money redirected without oversight. Already, bureaucrats have hidden paper trails, refused to follow lawful orders, and marched around singing Whose Side Are You On? (from the 60s). Four numbers from the U.S. National Debt Clock are all you need to know:
- 2024 federal receipts = $4,920,000,000,000
- 2024 federal outlays = $6,750,000,000,000
- 2024 federal budget deficit = $2,005,000,000,000
- DOGE savings found since January 20 = $150,385,000,000
In 30 days, DOGE identified $150 billion in waste that, if extrapolated over a full year, could reduce federal spending by $1.8 trillion. That’ll reduce annual expenditures to $4.95 trillion; $500 billion higher than 2019’s pre-COVID spending ($4.45 trillion). The executive branch under Biden was so clearly out of control that 59% of voters now support cuts to what’s already approved by Congress (source: Forbes).
But, rather than heed we the people, Rep. Jerry Connolly (D-VA) claims our “country is fed up with the wrecking ball Elon Musk.” Whoever hates the search for waste, fraud, and abuse is probably secretly engaged in it; so, the more Democrats attack DOGE and bureaucrats disparage Trump, the more I want to follow the money. How’d Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) amass $267.6 million on her congressional salary? How had Susan Rice “dramatically increased her wealth since her previous White House job” when she returned in 2021 (source: ABC News)?
Republicans are right to suspect fraud and grift, because clues are surfacing every day from DOGE. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) backed legislation that gave his wife’s NGO $6.9 million. The EPA funneled $2 billion to a fledgling nonprofit linked to Stacey Abrams (D-GA). I’m guessing the reason was trickle-into-my-pockets Bidenomics.
So…when Trump says Biden left us in a mess…he’s talking about one hell of a mess!
And…the folks criticizing the solution… are absolutely part of the problem!