QAnon wacko Marjorie Taylor Greene admirer and MAGA 3rd Congressional District candidate Joe Kent continues his campaign to smear the 20th century. Kent argues it would be putting America first for the United States to withdraw to our pre-1940 position as a regional or western hemisphere power. It is a position Russian President Vladimir Putin heartily agrees with.
The presidency of Donald Trump offers us a clear view of a world without American leadership. Trump questioned and undermined Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty that pledges unconditional support in the event a member state is attacked. It was just the crack in western deterrence Putin needed to believe that NATO would crumble in the face of his murderous assault against Ukraine, which Kent is opposed to helping.
Kent's animosity toward “globalism” is typical of the MAGA party. They base that grievance on the fact it is mostly working class America that today fights our wars. There is truth in that, but does anyone really believe working class American kids would be safer if we withdraw from the world, leaving it to Putin or China's President Xi? The world is safer with American engagement.
Kent claims American “elitists” have sold out the working class to China and other countries, but Washington is an extremely trade-dependent state. Eastern Washington agriculture and Western Washington ports and manufacturing create thousands of trade originated jobs. Before Trump, Washington annually exported more to China than we imported from them.
Kent's argument for “realpolitik” is the same one advanced by aviator Charles Lindbergh who led the original America First movement of 1940-41.
“We can do business with Nazi Germany” was their belief. There was no need to antagonize Hitler. Kent argues that Ukraine should cede territory to Russia even though Ukrainians have no wish to be part of Putin's new empire. Likewise, Lindbergh and the America First of the time argued that, like the pigs in “Animal Farm,” Hitler was the most powerful and so had a right to rule Europe. “Realpolitik” is simply code for saying, “The powerful have a right to rule the weak.” World War II forever proved the folly of isolationism.
Like Ukraine, the United States has a border with Russia, and also like Ukraine, Alaska was once a part of the Russian Empire until purchased from them for $7.2 million in 1867 by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward. Since the invasion of Ukraine, several members of the Russian Duma (Parliament) have suggested they would also like to have Alaska back. Does Kent believe the United States should do as he believes Ukraine should do and cede Alaska back to Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin's nuclear blackmail and psychopathic imperial ambitions?
Like the MAGA and America First movement in general, Joe Kent is enraged and blinded by his anti-elitist grievances.
Marty Ansley
Cinebar
