Editor’s note: It is rare for Business In Society to post here on consecutive days. However, nothing less than a systemic, pervasive threat to American national security and democracy — Russian interference with the U.S. 2016 and, arguably, 2018 elections, coupled with the President ignoring US law and public opinion on the need for Russian sanctions — requires it. Please forward if you agree.]
The headline above introduces a must-read commentary in today’s edition of NEWSDAY https://nwsdy.li/2nUh5NK .
The author, William F.B. O’Reilly, a Long Island consultant to Republicans, has done a great service to all Americans. He has “shouted fire” in print where there are, indeed, historic national flames going unattended.
That is nor hyperbolic.
Vladimir Putin has demonstrated an ability to dramatically divide Americans and, many agree, has helped elect Donald Trump America’s 45th president. Russia should pay a high price for this technological, and perhaps collusive, attack. But Trump refuses to implement sanctions on Russia passed into U.S. law by a near-unanimous bipartisan vote of Congress last year.
The “quiet scandal” is that there isn’t outrage in America at this usurp of power by the president. Calls fcontempt of Congress? Immediate lawsuits? Demonstrations of strongly-held public opinion?
Nada
Because by design or fate, distractions — the “Nunes memo” nonsense, an ugly White House harassment case, the threat of a U.S. government shutdown, the president’s ludicrous call for a military parade, etc. — have virtually consumed the media. And, not surprisingly, the GOP-controlled Congress ignores it.
O’Reilly has put it well. Excerpt:
“President Trump fought tooth-and-nail against the sanctions bill last year… Now, it seems, Treasury is providing political cover, however preposterous, for the administration’s decision to ignore the will of Congress. A bi-partisan Congress should call bull-oney on Treasury, so to speak, and demand that the retaliatory will of the American people be delivered to Moscow post haste. We’ve waited long enough ..
“…. most of us could at least agree on one thing: Russia needs to pay a high price for trying to subvert our democracy in 2016. Sanctions would act as both punishment and deterrent. Are things so bad that we can’t even agree on that anymore? Is defending our nation from a historic and malevolent adversary less important than circling the wagons around a president who, inexplicably, and at every turn, coddles Russian leadership?”
The U.S. budget bill has passed and been signed. The government is re-opened. There is no longer justification for delay.
Call your senator and representative.