After Trump learned Russian military intelligence had put a bounty on the heads of coalition forces in Afghanistan, it's not that Trump did nothing. He did the unthinkable. He offered up substantial diplomatic rewards to the Russians & the Taliban.
He went against our allies to push for Russian entry into the G7. He tried to engineer a deal in Afghanistan that would be a win for the Taliban. He actively sought to help and elevate and empower those he knew were working to target US troops and those of our allies.
This is not, as some have suggested, merely a sign of weakness. This is not simply stupidity or recklessness. There is a pattern here. He has consistently tried to help Russia ever since they attacked America, attacked our democracy, to help him win in 2016.
Anyone who does not see this as a dangerous betrayal, as clearly traitorous behavior that puts Americans at risk and benefits our enemies, is missing the point, is understating the threat Trump poses. He is an active aid to those most committed to weakening or destroying us.
He does this directly and openly. He does it indirectly as he has in his mismanagement of the pandemic, his destruction of our economy, his despoiling of our natural resources, his corruption of our government, his undercutting of our international standing.
He also does not do this alone. His VP, his cabinet, his staff, the GOP leadership on the Hill, the GOP rank and file all can see this, all know it is going on and all have made a decision, like Trump's, to weaken America in order to serve their narrow, selfish interests.
It is a sell out that, while not technically treason, is treasonous in nature and is treason in effect. They are traitors. They are corrupt. And they are now seeking to hold on to power by quashing free expression, suppressing fair elections, undermining the rule of law.
This is not politics as usual. This is not just Trump being Trump.This is not a politically motivated Democratic Party overstatement of GOP wrong-doing. This is as profound a threat as we have ever faced.The stakes in US politics now are not one election or a few high offices.
This is about survival. This is an existential threat to who we are. The coming election pits Joe Biden & Democrats who seek to preserve and save our nation against Republicans who have demonstrated they are willing to destroy it if it serves them, their friends & foreign allies.
If Biden loses, if Democrats do not regain the control of the Senate, if Democrats do not maintain control of the House, the corruption will remain, those who betrayed us will remain, the threat will remain. If, in addition, those responsible for these crimes and abuses...
...are not held to account, we will leave the door open to future abuses. We will set a precedent that American politics is not about preserving ideas, ideals, the country or American lives, but is instead merely a contest for power standing for nothing, putting millions at risk.
Rouse yourself from illusions of normalcy, shake off the day-to-day monotony of Trump's narcissism, stupidity, incompetence and corruption. Force yourself to see what this week yet again has revealed what is at stake. And the commit yourself to fighting back.
Commit yourself--your time, your money, your energy--not just to a political outcome in Nov, not just to restoring control of our government to those who would actually serve & protect the people--but to fighting to save that country and to defeat our enemies at home and abroad.
