Trump/Putin Meeting

The following is my take on both the Indictments and the Trump-Putin meeting. It is guaranteed to make nobody happy but I could be wrong (inside joke for fellow Deists).

1. The evidence that Russia meddled in the 2016 election is pretty strong. A House Committee of Republicans already showed this some time in 2017. The Report remains redacted. Trump has declined to reclassify it as he wants Mueller investigation to run its course.

2. The meddling (hacking/phishing) occurred under the Obama watch and should have been dealt with more harshly at the time. The Mueller 12 indictments supported by Rosenstein are a reflection of this. They are not essentially new.

3. This is extremely problematic but hardly surprising. Russian cyber attacks on the US go back for some time now. I expect that the reverse is true as well.

4. Both the DNC and RNC were hacked. RNC hacks on new domains were foiled. Several Old RNC Domains (including one by Colin Powell who advised Hillary Clinton on her e-mail server policy) was breached but no significant information was obtained.Hacks did reveal systemic problems within Democratic Party that are disturbing.

5. The DNC hack reflects poor internet security (downright stupidity in some cases) as well as Russian malevolence.

6. It is incumbent on Trump though as the sitting POTUS to take Putin to task on this. Apparently a great deal of the two hour meeting between the two did focus on the topic. It didn't go anywhere as Putin continued to deny such action. Extraditions are unlikely to happen. Not much of note though was achieved in the Helsinki meeting in other key areas – Gas Pipeline, Syria, Iran, Ukraine etc. However there does seem to be working momentum for the future.

7. Despite the problems associated with the various US intelligence agencies (and there are many..only the most close minded would deny this) Trump should not be going after these organizations in public (certainly not with tweets). Nor should he be extolling Russia’s ‘virtues’ at the expense of the US. Conservatives didn’t like this with Obama’s Cairo speech they should be equally critical of Trump.

8. Putin is no friend of the West and no ally to the US. Trump is correct in sitting down with Putin but he needs to show as much of the iron fist as the velvet glove in both word and deed.

9. Cancelling Helsinki was a possibility but I would rather see ongoing dialogue then tit-for-tat snubbing. One can be tough and still talk.

10. The US can approach Russia from a position of strength. The cards are very much in America’s favour. I realize that Trump likes to butter up the other side (not a fan of this myself...however its part of his deal making style) but I don’t believe it is necessary here. Putin can see bullshit right away.

11. The fact that Russia meddled in the 2016 election does not mean that they colluded with Trump in their meddling. There is no evidence in this regard. There is also no evidence that Russian meddling changed the 2016 results. Democrats need to grow up and own this defeat.

12. The notion that Trump is a puppet of Putin is ridiculous. Indeed if you look at Trump’s action (not his words) a great deal of what he has carried out goes against Russian political orthodoxy – this includes his break from the Iran Deal, his movement of the US embassy to Jerusalem, his improved relations with the Saudis, his action in Syria (fight against Russian mercenaries, bombing run), his arming of Ukrainian separatists. None of these are out of the Russian playbook. The fact that he wants NATO (a front against Russia) to spend MORE not less also rubbishes this idea that he is acting in Russia’s best interests.

13. Repeating myself...It is important to realize that there is a big disconnect between what Trump says and what he does (actions). His actions on a foreign policy level reflect an agenda that does serve the US well. ISIS for one has been defeated and Islamism, which looked on the up and up during the Obama years, seems to be stalling (although I am far from writing off this toxicity). Avoiding all out war with Russia and ensuring a workable relationship with the largest nuclear power other than the US seems reasonable to me. Hysteria must not reign.
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14. The Treason charge is ridiculous. It also poisons the debate further. By such standards Nancy Pelosi should be up for treason for speaking to Assad in Syria (during the Bush years) or indeed Obama should be indicted for offering the Russians (off mike) flexibility with respect to the missile shield. You can't do this. Discussion is part of the political process. Let us stop the overreaction. It achieves nothing.