Chicago Tribune again lets its readership down with one sided opinions on Russo Ukraine war
Several weeks ago I took issue with the Trib’s letters policy for publishing 3 letters about this war, all of which opposed negotiating an end to the war which is a lost cause.
Today’s Wednesday, March 5 letters section continued this shameful approach to journalistic fairness, publishing 7 letters all of which opposed Trump’s peace initiative to end this 3 year long war.
‘President Donald Trump is letting us down in his approach to Ukraine’ claims Trump is not using diplomacy when the opposite is true. Trump ended 3 years of Biden refusing to meet, even talk with Putin, which is the essence of diplomacy. Trump immediately reached out to Putin beginning diplomatic negotiations which have a decent chance of ending this catastrophic war destroying Ukraine. We should be supporting this astonishing resumption of diplomacy which could end the dying.
‘Still time to act’ takes a shotgun approach to criticizing Trump’s character, including mischaracterizing his Ukraine war peace initiative, 3 years overdue, as “abandoning our Western allies and siding with Vladimir Putin” The reality is Trump recognizes the war is lost and must be ended on terms establishing peace in Europe. That includes recognizing Russia’s security concerns as well as Ukraine’s, including its Russian leaning citizens in the Donbas Kyiv warred against for 8 years prior to the Russian invasion.
‘Abandoning its role’ castigates Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for supporting the Trump peace initiative, not because his desire for peace is sensible, but because he dared say that “strong men make peace, weak men make war”, implying Orban is channeling tyrants like Hitler and Stalin. It then spreads the preposterous pro war meme Putin seeks to reestablish the Soviet Union
‘Editorial board mum’ criticizes the Trib for not editorializing against the Trump/Zelensky dustup last Friday. No issue there but alas, the Trib allowed the writer to falsely claim Trump “spouted Kremlin talking points and stabbed Ukraine in the back.” What Trump wisely did was publically break with the failed Biden proxy war policy that has largely destroyed Ukraine as a viable state. His peace initiative, if followed thru, will bring long overdue peace to the region while providing mutual security for Russia, Western Ukraine and the formerly beleaguered Donbas Ukrainians seeking protection from their former government.
‘We are a disgrace’ totally ignores the critical need to negotiate an end to the Russo Ukraine war, focusing instead on optics. What Trump did was publically inform Zelensky before the world that the war is lost (“you have no cards to play”) and must be ended forthwith. That was not “disgraceful, appalling, mortifying, dangerous”. It just may prevent the next hundred thousand Ukrainian deaths; even nuclear war.
‘Weakening our power’ mischaracterizes Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative as “weakening our power”. That ship sailed long ago when America began weakening its power by invading Iraq and Afghanistan, destabilizing Libya, weaponizing jihadists to overthrow Syria’s leader, enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and yes, provoking the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By all means “Lets’ have long term influence and prosperity.” We can begin that by sensibly and quickly ending the Russo Ukraine war.
‘I don’t support this’ was hyperbolic in its bizarre characterization of the public Trump/Zelensky dustup” as “from a gangster movie, leaving me with an overwhelming shock, embarrassment, sadness, alarm, anger and frustration, a disgraceful display of disrespect, arrogance and bullying”.
Whew. What transpired was the end to 3 years of Zelensky asking, begging, demanding endless billions in US weapons so he can continue his lost war to regain the Donbas and Crimea. More importantly, it signaled the US will no longer put the world at risk of nuclear war from a senseless proxy war to weaken Russia that should never have been undertaken.
Seven is considered a lucky number. But 7 letters in today’s Chicago Tribune, all bashing Trump for seeking peace in Ukraine was not lucky for Trib readers seeking both sides of this critical issue.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL