And in other news…

Trump isn’t all that matters

Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash

To put it simply: There is a lot of news these days. And most of it has nothing to do with Donald Trump. The big issues are:

Ukraine -- Low on ammunition, if not morale, Ukraine is hanging on for dear life against Russian invaders who enjoy a 1 million-fighter advantage in it ranks, a ten-to-one advantage in total aircraft, and a 7.5-to-one advantage at sea. If they are to survive they must get the aid that has been held-up in Congress for months. Positive movement here.

Israel – The Israeli government is contemplating its response to a massive, and massively ineffective aerial assault carried out by Iran. Although almost every incoming missile and/or drone was downed by Israel’s sophisticated defenses, no nation can be expected to let such an attack go unanswered.

Congress -- In the House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, eager to put aid to Israel and Ukraine to a vote, faces a recall vote backed by Trump extremists like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who acts as if she’s taking direction from Vladimir Putin himself.

Russia -- Speaking of Putin, Russia’s foreign ministry has developed a plan to use disinformation to undermine America and its allies. The Russians are also planning to create closer relationships with China, North Korea, and Iran. And Moscow is considering using psychological warfare against American citizens.

Immigration -- The immigration crisis continues and is becoming the top political issue in states far from the U.S/Mexico border. In a recent poll done in New Hampshire, where undocumented immigrants are few in number, border security emerged as the top issue among all voters.

If you are hazy on the issues you’re to be forgiven. Turn on the news and it’s often wall-to-wall Trump trial news. However, I think we all need to take some time to consider what else is going on and, more importantly, we need to assess what our members of Congress, the president, and the candidates who want their jobs, are saying and doing about these issues.

In general, we should expect that the people who are supposed to address the big problems of the day demonstrate their familiarity with the facts and the ability to seek intelligent responses that reflect our values. When they act it should be in the American interest, and in the interest of our allies. Sometimes the choice is a no-brainer. In other cases, there’s no simple way to solve a complex problem. But there is no excuse for inaction.

Let’s take the hard ones first:

Immigration -- No one should argue that undocumented immigrants, most of whom cross the Southern border from  Mexico, are putting a strain on the cities and towns where they settle and need expensive social services. With cases backlogged for years, the system for judging their claims to asylum is broken. But despite what alarmist politicians say, these migrants commit less crime than the rest of us. Employers say they need these people to fill jobs that others won’t. And those who do work contribute billions of dollars to the economy.  The answer? We need a rational system for controlling the border, funneling workers to where they are needed, and resolving the legal status of applicants for work permits, residency, and citizenship. This can be done.

Russian interference – The problem here is that too many in Congress have become isolationists who refuse to call out Russia’s attacks on our society. Fortunately, the corps of denialists is not yet capable of derailing policy, which leaves room for us to develop more ways to block the Russians with technology, diplomacy, and public awareness. We can, and should, expect a bipartisan effort to identify Moscow’s propaganda and manipulation and shout the news from the rooftops.

Israel/Iran – Two dangers are present here. One is the threat to Israel posed by an extremist Iranian regime that has attacked it. No country should be expected to absorb such an assault and Israel’s peace-through-strength policy is essential. Still, no one wants an escalation of the current crisis, which could set the region afire. The solution? Perhaps Israel should, like Iran, announce its counterattack, which could be aimed at military targets, which would limit civilian casualties. This is the response we should expect.

Ukraine aid – No brainer. Give them what they need to defend themselves. Period.

Congress – Here we see what happens when extremists are given too much power. In this case, House Republicans decided that any single member can demand the House vote to remove the speaker. This ridiculous rule has made it impossible for the House to function. The solution? Democrats and sensible Republicans should band together to stop the insanity.      

These are challenging problems. However, the people who have to address them signed up for this duty. And even in this time of intense Trump distraction, we need to demand they do their jobs.