Mr. Zelenskyy Goes to Washington (Via Zoom)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Washington today via a Zoom connection from Kyiv. In a moment that only can be described as pure Churchillian he called upon the United States not only to supply his beleagered country with arms, but also to act like a great power. His video presentation showing the horrors of the Russian bombardment of Ukraine was reminiscent of the Joris Ivens 1937 film "The Spanish Earth" that was made in support of the Spanish Republican fight against fascism. To be sure, President Biden offered up a host of arms, but he remains understandably reluctant, but wrong, to put U.S. forces into the conflict.

There have been several suggestions short of a no-fly zone that can be done by the Administration if it only had the will. The first would be a limited no fly zone in western Ukraine that could be enfored by anti-aircraft missiles based in Poland and Romania. The second would be a humanitarian airlift flying in food and medical supplies to Kyiv, a move analagous to the 1948 Berlin Airlift. Remember in the 1990's President Clinton declared we wouldn't get involved in the Bosnian War until the horrific news coverage forced him to directly act militarily.

The most unfortunate thing about this whole episode is that it was totally predictable. Reprinted below, typos and all, is my blog posted on May 7, 2014.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

Reliving the 1930s

According to aphorism attributed to Mark Twain, “history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.” I am afraid our generation is reliving some of the horrible experiences of the 1930s. The Great Recession of 2008-09 was our version of the Great Depression. The recent experience certainly was not as bad, but after many decades of plenty, it certainly felt that way.

As the 1930s progressed concerns shifted from the still depressed economy to the rise of fascism and a series of foreign policy crises in Europe and Asia. Instead of Hitler fascism we are now witnessing the rise of Vlad, “The Impaler,” Putin’s version of it. In the 1930s Germany was the revisionist power seeking to undo the strictures of the post- world War One settlements. Today Putin is attempting to revise the post-Cold War settlement established from 1991-1994. His seizure of the Crimea and his attempts to further dismember Ukraine are part and parcel with his strategy to restore the past greatness of Russia. Just like Hitler, he is succeeding.

Why? The West is doing its best to rhyme the failed policies of the 1930s of vacillation and appeasement. Both the United States and Europe want the world go away so they can hide in cocoon of isolation. This is true of factions of both the left and the right of the political spectrum. Unfortunately this policy is a luxury we cannot afford. To paraphrase the Russian revolutionary Trotsky, the U.S. and Europe might not be interested in the world, but the world is interested in them.

Instead of making speeches, our vacillating President should act by imposing real sanctions on Russia, providing direct military aid to the Ukrainian government, increasing rather than decreasing the military budget, moving NATO forces into the front line states on a more permanent basis and take the energy infrastructure steps necessary to wean Europe off of Russian gas. Will President Obama act? The stakes are high! 

My Amazon Review of A.J.Baime's "Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America's Soul"

Never Give Up, Never Sit on a Lead

Political journalist A.J. Baime tells the often told story of Truman’s come from behind victory over Dewey with great insight and drama, no easy feat. Simply put President Harry Truman never gave up and New York Governor Thomas Dewey sat on a lead. Further Truman was handicapped by having Progressive Henry Wallace run to his left and Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond run well to the right thereby splitting the Democratic Party.

Of interest is that contrary to the title the election was not about America’s soul. Dewey and Truman agreed on international affairs, expanding social security, supporting a federal role in housing and on civil rights. As governor of New York Dewey pushed through the first major civil rights legislation in country. To be sure during the campaign Truman was far more full-throated in his support for civil rights. Dewey along with his running mate California Governor Earl Warren were perhaps the two best governors in America at the time. Had they won, my guess is that it would have been a successful administration.

What Truman understood is that there was a fundamental split between liberal Dewey and the largely conservative congress. Truman was not running against Dewey, per se, but rather on cross country whistle stop tour he lambasted the do nothing Republican Congress while begging for cash to keep the campaign going. While Truman was outlining specific programs, Dewey was mouthing the platitude of “unity.”

Truman had more on his mind than winning re-election. He was running the Berlin Airlift, negotiating with the Russians in Paris and dealing with the Arab-Israel War. He also found the time to order the integration of the armed forces.

Baime is especially good on his discussion of the Wallace campaign, a campaign largely run by a Communist Party cell. Wallace praised Stalin and attacked the Marshall Plan with great vehemence. Along the way he attracted a coterie of celebrities who objectively acted as, in Lenin’s term, “useful idiots.”

Then why did Truman win against all odds and with 90% of the newspapers against him including The New York Times. Baime suggests it was a combination of broad prosperity, strong labor union support, the Black vote in the great urban centers, technical changes in farm legislation that made it hard for farmers to profitably store their 1948 bumper crop and perhaps most important, the American people admired Truman’s spunk. It makes for a great read.

For the full Amazon URL see:https://www.amazon.com/review/R1J52ZAO05J9HG/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv