America Surrenders to Russia

Russia has conquered the United States without firing a shot. Donald Trump has surrendered the United States as surely as if he had raised a white flag on a battlefield.

Putin got everything he wanted and America got nothing in return. Trump gave in to every demand Putin has ever asked for, and the United States got nothing for this capitulation. The list of gifts Trump has given to Putin include:

• Stopping all aid to Ukraine and treating Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as an enemy while giving Putin respect.
• Telling Ukraine it must give up territory to Russia.
• Telling Ukraine it can never join NATO.
• Telling all members of NATO that the United States may not defend them if Russia attacks.
• Turning Americans against each other. Trump's policies have effectively split the United States into two separate groups - Red States and Blue States. Trump has made it abundantly clear that he only considers himself President of the Red States, and that all the Blue States and everyone in them are enemies. A divided America is exactly what Putin wanted.
• Politicizing the United States military and thereby weakening it. One of the greatest strengths of the United States military has always been that it is not political. Trump is actively trying to change this and put in top commanders who are loyal to him personally rather than the Constitution. Political conflict within America's military helps all enemies of the United States.

Why is Trump doing this? That is a question which will be debated by historians for many decades. Some people think that Putin knows some terrible secret with which he has been blackmailing Trump. Others believe that Trump just wants to make himself and his friends richer and will be rewarded with business contracts in Russia. However, let’s take Donald Trump at his word that he truly believes a deal with Putin will lead to peace. A quick review of history shows what a terrible and dangerous mistake this is.

Appeasing a dictator does not work. The picture at the top of this post is that of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on September 30, 1938. The paper he is so proudly holding in his hand is a peace treaty he had just signed with Adolf Hitler.

Surrendering to Hitler did not work. Chamberlain and French Prime minister Daladier met with Hitler and gave permission for the Nazis to attack and take over part of Czechoslovakia. France and the U.K. agreed they would not defend Czechoslovakia. No representatives from Czechoslovakia were invited to the meeting. This is eerily reminiscent of Trump’s representatives meeting with Russian representatives to discuss how to divide up Ukraine. If you remember, no one from Ukraine was invited to that meeting.

The World War II time shows exactly what happens when dictators are given what they want.

• September 1938 France and the U.K. agree to give the Nazis a part of Czechoslovakia. In return, Hitler agrees he will seek no further expansion. Neville Chamberlain declares “peace for our time.”
• March 1939 Hitler ignores the peach treaty. Nazi Forces attack and take control of the rest of Czechoslovakia.
• September 1939 Nazi Forces attack Poland and World War II officially begins.
• December 7, 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and the U.S. enters World War II.

America First has failed before. The phrase “America First” did not come from Donald Trump, but from Charles Lindbergh. The American First movement spearheaded by Lindbergh pushed to keep the United States completely out of World War II. As the Japanese troops were slaughtering civilians in China, and the Nazis were taking over Europe, the United State did nothing. This disastrous policy of ignoring atrocities overseas is the same policy followed by Donald Trump today. He is even using the same words and catchphrases. It will not lead to "peace for our time".

Covering our eyes to what is happening will not keep America safe now, any more than it did in the months leading up to America's entry into World War II. The weaker Trump makes America look, the less safe it is.

America cannot be trusted is the price the United States has already paid for Trump's weakness in dealing with Putin. Trump has demonstrated that the United States cannot be trusted to honor its military or economic agreements and that the U.S. can easily be bullied into turning on its own allies. No doubt other countries besides Russia are paying attention to this. Trump's actions have made it much more likely that China will attack Taiwan, or that North Korea or Iran will make aggressive moves. Neutral countries will also be more likely to sign trade deals with China or Russia instead of the United States. After all, what good is any sort of commitment from the United States when Trump may just decide to cancel that commitment on a whim?

History remembers Neville Chamberlain as a naive fool. Trump will be remembered the same way.