Memorial Day Thoughts on Sacrificing Life for Liberty

The purpose of the observation of the federal and state holiday of Memorial Day is to remember with gratitude the sacrifice of United States military servicemen of their lives in wartime service to America. Note this commemoration is an observation, not a “celebration,” despite, as I have posted, its popular treatment as a typical holiday, but instead is intended as a day of mourning and appreciation. Those who gave the ultimate sacrifice loved not only their country, i.e. the land and its people, but especially the freedom upon which America is based. There are two thoughts that arise, therefore, on this day. The first is that there are currently serious threats to liberty and the second is that there is a disturbing contradiction in too many Americans’ appreciation of sacrificing, or at least risking, life for liberty. A growing autocracy, threats to the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary and to the rule of law directly threaten the freedom of everyone. But if anyone’s liberty is threatened, then everyone’s is. The current harsh policies toward migrants and especially toward refugees seeking asylum from persecution abroad are an example, because U.S. citizens, legal residents and those with protected status have been arrested and detained or even faced deportations without adequate due process. This violation of the human rights of migrants and refugees exposes the contradictory attitude of nativism and xenophobia in the name of American patriotism, not only because it violates the American Creed that holds that every human is created equal and thus has a birthright of freedom, but because of a broader hostility toward those who migrate to America, even as refugees fleeing persecution and death. Those who do are regarded with suspicion, if not prejudged as criminals, terrorists, or subversives. Even when they are obviously fleeing oppression, many Americans scold them for risking their lives for liberty, despite the slogan from the American Revolutionary period of “Give me Liberty or give me Death,” and the purpose of Memorial Day to remember gratefully those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Parents who risk their lives and even die while bringing their families to safety and liberty, for example, should be no less regarded. Although it is prudent to encourage safer means of migration and to make such means more accessible, it is immoral and un-American to raise a wall to people who have no other means of escape from persecution. If Americans truly believe that liberty is worth risking or sacrificing life for, then they should admire, instead of despise, refugees who are proving by their flight from tyranny their belief in freedom and the American Creed. Let us recall and be grateful to those servicemen who gave their lives to America, without resentment to others who similarly demonstrate similar willingness. May God bless America.

Foreign Digest: Afghanistan, South Africa, Lebanon, and Venezuela

Afghanistan: The Trump Administration announced last week that it is conducting a comprehensive review of the “catastrophic” Trump-Biden withdrawal of United States-led coalition forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 that led to the collapse of the Afghan Government and the return to power of the Taliban Islamist regime that the coalition had overthrown in 2022. The Taliban had harbored the Islamist terrorist organization al-Qaeda, responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America that killed nearly 3,000 people, the most in history. The Trump Administration will re-review the withdrawal likely to place maximum political blame on then-President Joe Biden, a liberal Democrat, and minimize the responsibility of Donald Trump. As I have posted, Trump legitimized the Taliban militia by negotiating with them, undermined the Afghan Government by excluding them from the negotiations, released 5,000 Taliban prisoners, and concluded a deal with the Taliban that promised a U.S. withdrawal in exchange for a Taliban pledge not to harbor terrorists again. By the time Biden took office, the Taliban controlled more territory than they had since 2001. Biden was constrained by Trump’s agreement with the Taliban from resisting the Islamist militia’s military takeover while it had destroyed the morale of the Afghan Government forces, though, like Trump, Biden favored withdrawal from Afghanistan, even though there were only 2,500 American troops stationed there in a non-combat role and there had been no U.S. fatalities since February 2020. The Taliban are intertwined with terrorists, as I have posted. I had posted that al-Qaeda’s leader then took residence in the Afghan capital, where he was better able to communicate with the terrorist organization’s operatives, but the U.S. under Biden conducted missile strikes and killed him after the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The withdrawal was disastrous, as the Taliban supplanted an ally in the War on Terrorism and the withdrawal was a loss of prestige, even though the U.S. had succeeded in its main goal of preventing another al-Qaeda attack on the scale of September 11, but not “catastrophic,” as American forces were withdrawn safely, except for one attack by the Islamic State terrorist organization, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, and some Afghans were evacuated, including some who had worked for the coalition, and some material was also evacuated or destroyed before the Taliban seized it, but the Taliban did regain power and seized much material, and have oppressed Afghans and targeted many who worked for the Government or coalition with persecution and death. As I have posted, Trump made it difficult for Afghans to be obtain U.S. visas by undermining the visa program in a number of ways. In his second Administration, he has stripped Afghan refugees of protections and even decline refuge to Afghan Christians. South Africa: The American Episcopal Church announced last week it is ending its 40-year partnership with the federal government for resettling refugees because it is immoral that the Trump Administration lets in white (Afrikaner) South Africans on exaggerated claims of persecution, but not people of other races, ethnicities or religions. As I mentioned earlier in this post, Trump denies protection to Afghans at risk of persecution or death by the Taliban regime that are the de facto rulers of Afghanistan, including those who worked for the U.S. in the War on Terrorism, and even Christians, or Venezuelans persecuted by the Socialist regime, among others. Lebanon: The Lebanese President, a Christian, as required by the Arab State’s Constitution, announced last week that Lebanon would disarm Palestinian militia and terrorist organizations in Lebanon. The President had already announced a policy against Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization and political party that is sponsored by Iran. Venezuela: The center-right opposition to the Socialist dictatorship is urging a boycott of today’s parliamentary and gubernatorial elections as a “farse.” The Socialists, who were elected 25 years ago and became increasingly authoritarian, lost the presidential election in July 2024, but refused to publish the details of the results and declared themselves the winners to remain in power. The United States and many of its allies and many Latin American States across the political spectrum at least did not recognize the results or even recognized the opposition candidate as the President-elect. Venezuela is also attempting to conduct elections in Essequibo, the part of Guyana claimed by the Venezuelan regime, despite international rulings in favor of Guyanese sovereignty over the oil-rich area. Guyana has banned voting by its residents in the Venezuelan election.

The Center-Right Candidate Has Defeated the Far-Right Pro-Russian Trumpist in the Romanian Presidential Election

The independent reformist Mayor of Bucharest, a center-right pro-European candidate, has won the Romanian presidential runoff election today, defeating a far-right Trumpist pro-Russian candidate, despite Russian interference on behalf of the latter. The mayor the former Soviet satellite’s capital and largest city, Nicosur Dan, had placed second in the first round two weeks ago, but because the Russian-backed candidate had not won a majority of votes, a runoff election was necessary among the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In the first round, there had been some unity around the center-left ruling party candidate, who was supported by some conservative parties, but Romanians preferred Dan, who has a record of opposing corruption, because Romania is among the more corrupt States in Eastern Europe, a region that has a high rate of corruption, instead of the usual parties that have governed Romania since the fall of Communism in 1989. As I had posted since December, the first-round presidential election results that month were annulled by the Romanian Supreme Court because of evidence of heavy Russian interference that boosted an unknown candidate with no party and no campaign spending into first place. That Russian-backed candidate, who was charged with election law violations and banned from standing for office, was promoted by the pro-Russian candidate in today’s election as a possible prime minister. The powerful Romanian President, as the Head of State, has responsibility for foreign policy and certain other matters, but is not the head of government. Pro-European parties had won the majority in the parliamentary elections, as I had posted. But because Romania is a member of the European Union, the Romanian President could have blocked EU support for Ukraine, as the pro-Russian candidate had promised to do, as the 27-member organization requires unanimity among its council of Heads of State. Dan opposes Russian aggression and supports continued aid to Ukraine. He favors closer ties with Europe and the West. Most Romanians preferred not to return to being under Russian influence, like most other Eastern Europeans also prefer, including Ukrainians and Georgians. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin is a former Soviet intelligence officer trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. The Russian-backed presidential candidate admired both Putin and Donald Trump. Isolationist or pro-Russian Trumpist Americans, including J.D. Vance, had criticized the anullment of the December election. Romania, which has demonstrated how to thwart Russian interference effectively, has now joined Poland, Austria and Germany within the last year in voting for center-right candidates versus far-right candidates, who are usually anti-migrant and often pro-Russian.

Pennsylvania 2025 Primary Election

Pennsylvania holds its primary elections on Tuesday, May 20. On the ballot are nominations by the Republican and Democratic parties for satewide judicial offices, and for nominations for county, district judge, constable, municipal and school district offices, as well as nominations for precinct election officials. Nominations will be made for one seat each on the two state appeals courts, the Superior and Commonwealth Courts. Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, but no-excuse mail-in voting and absentee ballot voting are available, if the deadline for applying has been met. In some districts, voters will be voting on ballot questions. As the Keystone State’s primaries are closed, only members of each party may vote in their own party’s primary, but all voters may vote on ballot questions. Since the rise of Donald Trump and Trumpism in the Republican Party, many Republicans and conservatives have left the GOP, registering in Pennsylvania as non-partisan, as third party members, or even as Democrats, while some of us have remained Republicans so we can vote against Trumpist candidates, because Trumpism is not conservative, but a populist mix of protectionism, nativism, and isolationism. Whether in the Republican or Democratic party primary, conservatives should either vote for the least Trumpist or least liberal candidates, respectively, or if there are not any such acceptable candidates, write in the names of principled conservative, qualified candidates of good character, instead of acquiescing to candidates whose views are anathema to conservatism and thereby encouraging more populist candidates or candidates of poor moral character. Unless election reforms like jungle primaries, ranked choice voting or approval voting are adopted in Pennsylvania, as they have been elsewhere, principled conservatives should seriously contemplate founding a center-right party, like the pre-Trump Republican Party, or as exists in many foreign States, where it is often successful in parliamentary elections against both the far-left and the far-right/Trumpist populist parties.

Germany Has a New Center-Right Chancellor

The conservative Friedrich Merz was sworn in last week as Germany’s Chancellor, after his center-right bloc of parties formed a coalition government with the leading center-left party that had led the previous government. Merz’s Christian Democrats and their conservative Bavarian allies had won the most votes and seats in the parliamentary elections a month ago, but were short of a majority. By forming a coalition with the center-left, the conservatives thereby are keeping the main far-right (neo-Nazi) anti-migrant pro-Russian party out of power. The new Chancellor is pro-European Union and pro-Ukrainian. After long favoring the transatlantic alliance with the United States, Merz advocates for greater European self-reliance and stronger security, particularly through the EU, for which Germany has the largest economy and thus to which the central European State is its largest contributor, because of the unreliability of the Trump Administration. Germany is an ally of the U.S. as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Germany joins Poland, Austria and the EU in being governed by a center-right party leading a coalition that kept out both the far right and far left, despite gains in votes for their populist candidates, as the majority of voters opposes the two extremes.

Foreign Digest: China, Canada, Australia, Romania, and Nicaragua

China: Communist China recently seized a Vietnamese-claimed island in the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea. The islands are contested by several Asian States. China, which illegally claims the South China Sea, has been assertive in its territorial claims to the Spratleys. It had already seized the Paracel Islands, which were claimed by Vietnam. Chinese forces yesterday also violated the airspace and territorial waters of Senkaku, a Japanese island claimed by China, even surveilling it with a helicopter, to which Japan issued a diplomatic protest. Canada: Canada’s conservative party lost the Canadian parliamentary elections a week ago, after having led the polls at the start of the election campaign a few weeks ago because of Donald Trump’s disrespectful pressure to force Canada to join the American Union and his unnecessary imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports to America. The ruling center-left party, which won the most votes and seats, will continue to govern Canada, likely in again coalition, as it is slightly short of the necessary majority to govern alone. They were seen by Canadians as more capable of standing up to Trump than the conservative leadership, unlike some of the conservative provincial premiers. The conservative party leader, a Trumpist who broke with the American tycoon over sovereignty and tariffs even lost his own seat. Canada, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has been a strong ally of the United States. Australia: The ruling center-left party easily won the most votes and a majority of seats in the Australian parliamentary elections, as Trump’s tariffs weighed heavily against the conservatives, as in Canada. Similarly, the center-right party leader even lost his own seat. Australia is a non-NATO American ally and a member of other pacts with the U.S. Romania: Today, as Romanians began voting in the first round of the rescheduled presidential elections, Russians hacked the election system, causing a temporary delay. As I had posted, a little-known independent pro-Russian candidate won the first round in December without having spent much in campaign funds because of heavy Russian interference. The result was overturned because of the Russian interference and campaign expense irregularities, for which he was charged and banned from running for the presidency, as I had posted. A center-right party’s candidate had come in second, but that party and other conservative parties formed an electoral bloc with the ruling center-left party behind the Prime Minister, whom it is supporting in today’s vote. A different pro-Russian anti-European anti-NATO candidate is expected to win the most votes, but not nearly enough for a majority, thereby necessitating a run-off election among the top two candidates. The run-off is scheduled for May 18. Romania is a NATO ally of the U.S. Nicaragua: Nicaragua’s Marxist Sandinista dictatorship is withdrawing from UNESCO because of a freedom of the press prize awarded to the main opposition newspaper, La Prensa (the Press), published in exile. I have posted on the increased repression in the Central American State.

The Trump Administration’s Shameful UN Vote Against Condemning Russian Aggression

A resolution condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine passed the United Nations General Assembly last month with overwhelming support, despite a vote by the United States against it. The resolution, sponsored by Lithuania and Luxembourg , passed 105-9, with 33 abstentions. There was significant support from every continent, especially Europe, the Americas and Western allies generally, and especially from former Soviet Republics and satellites in Europe and other former Communist States. Even pro-Russian Georgia, Hungary, Slovakia voted in favor and even Communist Vietnam and Laos and Marxist Angola, as well as formerly pro-Russian States that have recently turned away from Russia, namely Armenia and Cyprus. There was also significant support from Arab and Muslim States. The abstentions of Communist China and Cuba, Marxist Mozambique and the Central Asian former Soviet Republics were even a noteworthy departure from previous voting patterns. The Trump Administration’s vote against was joined only by a rogue’s gallery: Russia; Belarus, a dictatorship complicit in Russian aggression; Communist North Korea, which has sent arms and troops to Russia; Marxist Nicaragua; Eritrea, one of the most repressive States in the world; and Sudan, Mali and Niger, all led by military juntas that seized power in coups, the latter two of which are pro-Russian. Trump’s excuse for the shameful vote against a resolution upholding the most fundamental aspect of the UN Charter defending independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity against aggression, was to avoid being seen as favoring the Ukrainians while trying to mediate peace with Russia. But the excuse is contradicted by its strong diplomatic support of Israel at the UN while trying to mediate peace in the Holy Land. The Trump Administration, though not favoring Russian aggression, has been unable clearly to articulate opposition to it as a matter of principle and longstanding U.S. foreign policy. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, a former Soviet intelligence officer, is trying to restore the Soviet Union, which was split up in 1991 when its Republics, including Ukraine, became independent, and the Russian Empire. Russia had recognized Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, but invaded in 2014, seizing Crimea and fomenting a separatist rebellion in easter Ukraine and then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.