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Putin plans to destroy America from within; Thomas Loxley; Beaver County Times; March 31, 2017.
Previous Thomas Loxley (TL) letters I reviewed were “Can Americans accept the challenge of democracy,” “Will GOP overreach destroy the party,” “Election interference demands a runoff” and “Cracker plant will turn Beaver into Stinkville.”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“Valery Gerasimov is the Russian general who devised their new geopolitical strategy of hybrid warfare. This is an integrated system of cyberattacks, subversion, espionage and propaganda aimed at undermining Russia’s adversaries without firing a single shot.”
[RWC] You’ll find much of this is a regurgitation of TL’s March 17thletter. I’m a little surprised the BCT published it.
“While Americans bankrupt themselves so as to re-fight the last war, it literally sneaks in the back door. It now seeks to use all of our own weaknesses, hypocrisies and momentum against us. Meanwhile, most Americans don’t seem to realize that such a war even exists.”
[RWC] Let’s go on a WABAC (Wayback) Machine trip to 2012. During that presidential campaign, Republican candidate Mitt Romney (MR) asserted, “Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe. They - they fight every cause for the world’s worst actors.”
You may remember how Mr. Obama (BHO) and his supporters mocked MR for his position. For example, BHO said, “The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because … the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.”
It was only a quick search, but I found no TL letters supporting MR on this topic.
“Honed in western Europe, its divisiveness is everywhere in our authoritarian age of President Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin’s goal is the political demise of our very democracy itself.”
[RWC] I don’t follow Europe’s politics closely so I don’t know what TL’s comment “Honed in western Europe, its divisiveness is everywhere …” is about.
As I noted in my comments about the previous letter, U.S. lefties have loved the Russkies since long before I was born.
As for “Vladimir Putin’s goal is the political demise of our very democracy itself,” what’s new? The demise of the U.S. has been Russia’s/USSR’s goal since WWII.
Consider this excerpt of a 1966 speech by Ezra Taft Benson, Agriculture Sec. for President Eisenhower:
“I have talked face to face with the godless communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Khrushchev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I’m proud of it. I opposed his coming then, and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor. But, according to President Eisenhower, Khrushchev had expressed a desire to learn something of American Agriculture — and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why. As we talked face to face, he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren will live under freedom he arrogantly declared in substance:
“‘You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you’ll fall like overripe fruit into our hands.’
“And they’re ahead of schedule in their devilish scheme.” – “Our Immediate Responsibility,” BYU Devotional, October 25, 1966. This quote begins just before 41 minutes into the linked mp3.
“The U.S. constitution was drafted by men who knew all the dark powers of authoritarianism, and the many challenges posed in building any real democracy. World history has documented the eagerness of leaders to impose their own beliefs as God’s law. Racial, social, economic and political history shows the eagerness of strong-willed groups to dominate their neighbors.”
[RWC] “The U.S. constitution was drafted by men who knew … the many challenges posed in building any real democracy?” No, no, no! Doesn’t TL know the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are nothing more than quaint, outdated pieces of parchment written by old, white, male slaveowners? TL must not be on the lefty mailing list yet.
“Democracy is a messy business that asks people to give others all possible room necessary to do their thing. It allows good ideas the opportunity to flourish by the power of their civic example, in a sort of cultural free enterprise.
“Many now question our own capacity to shoulder the citizenship responsibilities needed to perpetuate that democracy in America.”
[RWC] Blah, blah, blah.
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