Friends —
Last night Russia launched an invasion into Ukraine. Despite what people like Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump tell you, there are several reasons the U.S. faces the prospect of a major war in Europe, initiated by their idol, Vladimir Putin.
Here’s why:
For more than two decades, Putin has been trending authoritarian. He destroyed Russia’s fledgling democracy and has sown chaos in his neighborhood to reestablish Russian power. For Putin, this is a zero-sum game. Putin wins if his opponents lose. Russia views the U.S. as an enemy.
His increasing belligerence and efforts to upend the international order—an order that has enabled decades of US prosperity—have largely gone unchallenged. The West looked the other way in hopes of cooperation with Russia. This was misplaced because our interests and values never aligned.
We are at a crisis point because Russia understood the decades-long lack of consequences as a lack of resolve to protect our alliances, partnerships, and even democracy. The bill has come due. We failed to hold Putin accountable and failed to deter.
This is where people like Trump and Tucker Carlson come in. Putin has long wanted control over a rising Ukraine, and they offered him the opportunity. Trump, Tucker, and the like drive hyper-partisanship by attacking Americans and calling them the enemy.
They cheerlead for authoritarians. They pander to the most bellicose and belligerent authoritarian, Putin. Tucker Carlson and Trump are regularly played on Russian state-run media.
No one wants war. I have seen war and can envision the human toll and the subsequent geopolitical catastrophe that will ensue. The best way to prevent war is by defending U.S. interests and values. What Putin–and it seems Tucker, Trump, and others–don’t appreciate is that our country is wonderful. It is the greatest country in the world.
We need not be bullies, we just need to be confident and defend our interests. If we do that, Russia won’t dare challenge us directly.
Now that the attack is underway, we will be faced with a flood of lies and disinformation.
Lies and disinformation from Russia.
Lies and disinformation from Trump and Tucker Carlson.
Lies and disinformation from those who enable them.
VoteVets has a critical role in fighting back against that disinformation campaign, but we cannot do it alone. So I am asking:
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Thank you,
Alex Vindman
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