Starmer, Macron, Merz…3 unwise leaders degrading their economies while destroying Ukraine

 Starmer, Macron, Merz…3 unwise leaders degrading their economies while destroying Ukraine

The UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz are wildly unpopular. Starmer has the best approval rating at 13% followed by Macron at 11%. Merz is nearly invisible at 5%.

There are several reasons but likely tops is their insistence on continuing the lost US/NATO proxy war against Russia destroying Ukraine for nearly 4 years.

President Trump has largely ceased supplying weapons directly to Ukraine. But he’s cool about goosing US weapons builders' profits by selling them to Europe’s Big 3 so they can take over squandering their treasure on an impossible, quixotic effort to defeat Russia. Trump, a realist on the war Biden made inevitable, wants out, not only on funding the war, but on endlessly funding Europe’s paranoia about a reconstituted Soviet empire. This is one foreign policy Trump is getting right.

Starmer, Macron and Merz are degrading their economies as they reduce critically needed social spending on the commons to fund a wildly unpopular war. No wonder far right, nationalistic political movements are nipping at their heels and may soon send them packing.

Europe has a pittance of America’s wealth to fund continuation of the war. Yet, the Starmer, Macron, Merz trio endlessly bleat that Ukraine can prevail, even get back its massive lost territory now forever part of Russia, if only they provide Ukraine more, more, more. They fear monger that Russia will come for them next unless they’re defeated in Ukraine. No responsible historian, political scientist or retired diplomat (without a job to protect) would support that delusional view.

Two things are certain. The economies and political stability of the UK, France, and Germany are being severely undermined by their leaders’ refusal to negotiate the war’s end, acknowledging Russia’s valid security concerns. Second, Ukraine descends deeper into failed state status, losing more cannon fodder and territory, every day the war grinds on.

What is not certain if Starmer, Macron and Merz do not come to their senses, is whether nuclear confrontation between Russia and NATO can be avoided. All 3 need to be forced to watch ‘Forrest Gump’ to learn that ‘Stupid is as stupid does.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL

Trump a shameful Double Ace in obliterating small unarmed boats on the high seas

Trump a shameful Double Ace in obliterating small unarmed boats on the high seas

WWI saw the elevation of intrepid fighter pilots to heroic heights as they fought for the skies in flimsy, wood and canvas death traps over the Front. Average life span about 3 weeks. To celebrate their status cheating death while bringing death to the enemy, they were exalted as an Ace if they downed 5 enemy planes. Achieving 10 kills made them a Double Ace.

A century plus later Donald J. Trump has forever besmirched the honored designation of Ace with his 10th kill of small unarmed boats on the high seas in the Caribbean and Pacific, sending several dozen unknown innocents to Davey Jones locker. Eddie Rickenbacker received the Congressional Medal of Honor as America’s Ace of Aces with 26 kills in WWI. Richard Bong received the Congressional Medal of Honor as America’s Ace of Aces with 40 kills in WWII.

Gleefully celebrating each of his first 10 kills on the high seas, Double Ace Donald J. Trump will only receive the everlasting condemnation of history for his ongoing, senseless destruction of human life from the safety of the now Trump desecrated Peoples House.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL

The MAGA mob railing against undocumented workers undermining social security are a tad off base

 The MAGA mob railing against undocumented workers undermining social security are a tad off base

In 2022 undocumented workers contributed $22.7 billion into Social Security, none of which went to the contributors.

How can this be?

2 ways

1. Using a fraudulent social Security Number (SSN): In these cases, payroll taxes are withheld from their paychecks and reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) using that number.

2. Paying with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN): The IRS issues an ITIN to people—Using a fraudulent or borrowed Social Security Number (SSN): In these cases, payroll taxes are withheld from their paychecks and reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) using that number. However, this is for income tax purposes, and an ITIN does not provide eligibility for Social Security benefits.

Impact on the Social Security system? The undocumented workers. by contributing to Social Security and Medicare but not receiving the benefits, their participation has a net positive effect on the financial status of the Social Security Trust Fund.

If undocumented are pouring tens of billions into the SS system, helping keep it solvent while pouring tens/hundreds billions into the economy with their purchasing, why arrest/deport a single one not caught committing a violent or property crime?

Political grandstanding using 21st century poorly trained ICE stormtroopers?

Inquiring humanitarians and democratic patriots would like to know.

Latest Chicago Tribune editorial on Ukraine war disconnected from war’s reality

Latest Chicago Tribune editorial on Ukraine war disconnected from war’s reality

The editorial ‘The Trump-Putin breakup and why it matters’ offers nothing of value regarding the nature of the war or the way forward to end it.

The Trib’s lack of historical perspective on the nature of the war is astonishing.

It presents as fact that Putin woke up in early 2022 and decided to conquer all of Ukraine as first step in recreating the Soviet Union. That ignores 23 years of NAT0 Expansion beginning in 1999, eight years after the Soviet Union dissolved. Fourteen nations were added with no strategic reason whatsoever except to weaken, isolate Russia from the European political economy.

In 2008 the US and NATO sought to add Ukraine, a step Russia declared was an existential threat to Russian security that would never be allowed. Ukraine NATO membership was always problematical due to Ukraine’s corrupt governance. But the US kept that goal percolating, especially by sponsoring the 2014 coup that ousted Russian friendly Ukraine President Victor Yanukovych.

The coup precipitated a separatist movement in the Donbas by Russian speaking Ukrainians whose Russian culture was being crushed violently by Kyiv. This began an 8 year effort by Russia requesting, pleading, begging the US and NATO to address its valid security concerns of both no NATO for Ukraine and peaceful autonomy for Russians in Donbas.

The US answer to Russia 3 months before the invasion was that Russia’s security concerns were not up for discussion…period. The US knew this would provoke a Russian invasion they foolishly believed could be crushed. All that accomplished was turn Ukraine into a failed state with no hope of prevailing.

That 14 year sorrowful saga of US/NATO provocations over Ukraine refutes the fantasy of unprovoked Russian aggression.

But it’s the Trib’s prescription for victory that truly astonishes: more sanctions and Tomahawk missiles. The Trib ignores reality that Russia has been swatting away draconian US sanctions like so many pesky files for over three and a half years without an iota of evidence they will ever work. The Trib ignores that Trump brushed aside President Zelensky request For Tomahawks this month for 2 very good reasons: they will not deter Ukraine’s collapse on the battlefield and they could lead to a US Russia nuclear confrontation

The Trib Editorial Board, by promoting a futile continuation of a war that is lost, only guarantees endless more Ukrainian casualties, lost territory, and more squandered US/NATO treasure better spent uplifting the domestic commons.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn, IL