DEMOCRATS SOUND LIKE RONALD REAGAN, REPUBLICANS LIKE NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

DEMOCRATS SOUND LIKE RONALD REAGAN, REPUBLICANS LIKE NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

The House and Senate approved a bill to continue the FISA program, which allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies to act quickly and quietly against terrorists. What makes this unusual is that it took the votes of Democrats to even advance the bill; normally, this is done solely by the votes of the majority party in support of the legislation. It appears the same Democratic support will be needed to pass military aid to our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

In past decades, political observers would have presumed any bills relating to national security and the military would enjoy full throated support among Republicans, imbued with the Reagan view of “peace through strength.” Similarly, it would be presumed that Democrats would focus more on civil liberties and opposition to military interventions and increasing military capabilities, as reckless and dangerous.

That was then, and this is now. In 2024, the Trump Cult that is the Republican Party is avowedly pro-Putin, supports the January 6 insurrectionists, favors Putin of Russia, Xi of China, Kim of North Korea, Orban of Hungary, and Erdogan of Turkey. Disfavored by today’s Trumpist cult are NATO, international law and human rights, military alliances with Asian nations, internal defenses against all terrorists, foreign and domestic, and support for law…