Foreign Digest: Hungary, Slovakia, Lebanon and Venezuela

Hungary: The United States imposed economic sanctions last week on a senior Hungarian official for corruption. Hungary, though an American ally as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is led by an autocratic far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian leader, whose administration is corrupt. The European Union had also recently withheld funds to member Hungary for corruption, in addition to its backsling on liberty and representtaive government. Slovakia: Thousands of Slovakians yesterday protested against the pro-Russian far-left populist President. They oppose the Eastern European State turning back toward the Russian orbit and instead favor closer relations with the EU and defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. Slovakia, which as formerly part of Czechoslovakia had been a Soviet satellite state, is a member of both NATO and the EU. Lebanon: Lebanon elected a Maronite Christian last week, as required by the Arab State’s sectarian Constitution, as its President, thereby filling a vacancy in the office since 2022. The new President, a high-ranking general backed by the U.S. and its Western allies and other Arab States, is opposed to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite party that is also a terrorist organization. The fall of the Syrian Assad regime has weakened Hezbollah and Iran, its sponsor, which enabled the Lebanese presidential election to take place and for an opponent to be elected. Lebanon will be able to enjoy more political independence, after having been dominated by Syria and influenced by Iran. Venezuela: The Socialist dictator had himself sworn into a second 6-year term late last week, despite the lack of proof of his re-election in July and the evidence from polling place results that the center-right opposition nominee, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won by a landslide. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested and briefly detained after she came out of hiding to attend a rally in person for the first time in months, while Gonzalez, a former diplomat who has been exiled to Spain, plans a return to Venezuela soon to take office. He has been on a tour of Latin America for recognition of his election. Most Latin American States, along with the United States and its allies, do not recognize the re-election of the Socialist dictator and many of the them recognize Gonzalez as the legitimate President of Venezuela. The Socialists were elected in 2000 and then undermined liberty and representative government to retain power ever since. A record number of political prisoners are being held by the regime. Millions of Venezuelans have fled. Thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting against the dictatorship across the South American State.

United States Sanctions for Russian and Iranian Election Interference; Chief Justice Cites Threats to Judicial Independence

The United States imposed economic sanctions last week on Russian and Iranian government entities for election interference during the 2024 General Election. The U.S. noted hostile foreign actors seek to sow divisions and undermine confidence in elections. The Russia supported Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy again, while the Islamic Republic of Iran opposed him. Russia’s efforts, which were far more extensive and effective, included the generation of fake news (the posing as reporters working for phony news outlets with stories that are fabrications). As I have posted, Russia successfully interfered on Trump’s behalf in the 2016 Republican Primary and General Election, for which the U.S. sanctioned Russian government entities and private individuals affiliated with the Kremlin, and indicted many Russians. The success of Russia has inspired other hostile state actors, like Iran, to copy their methods to promote their own image and damage that of critics. Russia continued its interference on behalf of Trump in 2020 and again in 2024, although not quite to the same degree as in 2016 because it had already successfully altered enough of the opinions of Americans. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative Republican, as also cited the interference by “hostile foreign state actors” and “bots (robotic social media accounts that impersonate ordinary people) distort judicial decisions, using fake or exaggerated narrative to foment discord.” The Supreme Court appointee of Republican President George W. Bush also cited threats of violence and the calls by some on both the far left and the Trumpist far right to ignore court rulings as undermining judicial independence. Judicial independence, which is a fundamental principle of equal justice and the separation of powers, is undermined if the other Branches do not exercise their responsibility to enforce the Court’s decrees, as some have threatened to do. Roberts observed the Courts are frequently blamed for bias, which is an accusation amplified by foreign interference, instead of the recognition of reasonable differences of opinion, as demonstrated in the written opinions issued by judges, including those opinions issued in dissent. With the incoming Trump Administration threatened to persecute its critics, judicial independence is ever an essential principle and one that autocrats around the world always prioritize targeting for weakening.

Foreign Digest: Ukraine, Slovakia and Moldova; the European Union and Hungary

Ukraine, Slovakia and Moldova: Ukraine last week cut off the last flow of Russian natural gas to the rest of Europe that had transited through its pipelines, despite a threat from Slovakia’s populist leftwing pro-Russian President to cut off defensive aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression. The pipeline flowed from Ukraine to Slovakia. Meanwhile, Russia cut off Moldova from its supply of gas, but the former Soviet Republic will be able to purchase electricity from Ukraine, although the pro-Russian separatist Transnistria region, where Russia keeps troops against Moldova’s wishes, has been left in the cold. Europeans have been largely successful of weaning themselves off Russian energy, which Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin uses for extortion. The Transnistrian separatists, like Armenia and Syria’s Assad regime, have been let down by their alliance with Russia. The European Union and Hungary: The six-month duty presidency of the European Union’s European Commission (the body of the heads of government of each of the 27 members) is passing from the far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the center-right pro-American pro-Ukrainian Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. As I had posted, EU leaders had boycotted Orban’s official meetings and distanced the body from his personal diplomatic efforts of appeasement of Russia, which is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire Meanwhile, the EU cut off additional funds to Hungary for its backsliding on liberty and representative government.

Happy New Year 2025!

I wish you all a Happy New Year! This year, which has already been marred by an Islamist terrorist attack the night before in New Orleans, Louisiana, seems especially challenging, as it begins not only with the continued threat of Islamism and militancy from various ideologies, but with continued Russian aggression against Ukraine and with the prospect of an incoming United States administration that is populist, protectionist, nativist, isolationist and exhibits alarming authoritarian tendencies. Threats to peace, security, liberty and representative governemnt are dangerously present both without and within, which will necessitate even more vigilance than usual. But there are hopeful trends. To counter the growing menace of the Axis of Rogues, an ad hoc alliance of liberty-lovers has arisen to confront it. As Russia cooperates more with Communist China, North Korea, Iran, among the other members of the Axis, such as Belarus, Venzuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, not only are the U.S. and its allies opposing it with all the necessary means short of war, but the peoples directly threatened by this menace, particularly in Moldova, Syria, Romania and Georgia, have been courageously rising up to defeat it, often in solidarity for each other. Americans, who should be inspired by these brave foreign peoples, are again preparing to rely on the various checks and balances under the Constitution, States' rights, litigation, public pressure and elections to mitigate or defeat the most serious threats, as Americans will be called upon to fulfill their duty to defend the Republic, equality, liberty and representative government. I shall continue to post to this blog, as such means of jounarlism and expression are ever more necessary. Thank you for visiting it. Please visit regularly.

Merry Christmas, 2024!

Merry Christmas! On this Feast of the Nativity of Jesus, let us celebrate that God, Who became man, was born in a humble manner to be like us in all things but sin. As the Father sent His Son to be our Savior, Christ the King, who is above every kingdom, empire, or other earthly power, is the model of a lord who is the servant of His people, sacrificing Himself in love. May our leaders imitate Jesus in serving the people they are entrusted to serve, and may the people exercise holiness both in their entrustment of temporal power to their earthly leaders and toward one another as God’s children, and as the Holy Family had to seek refuge in another country, especially toward refugees. And may Christians around the world particularly fraternally support their Brothers in Christ in the Holy Land.

Foreign Digest: Ukraine, Romania, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia

Ukraine: The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution on the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine that cites Russian “aggression” for first time. It also condemns torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war, illegal detention of civilians, deportation of children, and discrimination against Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories. The resolution, supported by the United States, was approved by a vote of 81-14 with 80 abstentions. It won the votes of large majorities of members in Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, in addition to several States each in Africa and Asia. Even the abstentions were notable, as they included several States that Russia might have hoped for support from, including former Soviet Republics in Central Asia and even some Communist States. The 14 opponents were the usual oppressive and anti-Western regimes. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, in violation of its recognition of the former Soviet Republic’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. It seized Crimea and then fomented and backed pro-Russian separatists until its full-scale invasion in 2022. The U.N. resolution is demonstrating Russia’s diplomatic isolation. Russia is led by a tyrannical ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. The U.N. was formed after the Second World War to prevent aggression. Meanwhile, Hungary and Slovakia vetoed the latest European Union aid package for Ukraine. Such measures must have the unanimous support of all 27 member States. Romania: The European Union is investigating foreign interference in the Romanian presidential election last month, which Romania has overturned because of heavy Russian interference on behalf of a little-known far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian candidate with no party and who did not expend funds, but came in first. The presidential elections will take place next year, as I had posted. As I also posted, the pro-Western opposition parties on the center-left and center-right have formed a coalition after the parliamentary elections to elect a prime minster and govern Romania, and also to back a presidential candidate against the far right. Romania, a former Communist Soviet satellite state, is an ally of the U.S. as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Venezuela: The center-right Venezuelan opposition leader, Corina Machado, won the Andrei Sakharov prize for our courageous stand for liberty and representative government. The popular Machado was barred from being a presidential candidate, but the unified opposition’s last-minute substitute, former diplomatic Edmundo Gonzalez Urutia, won a large majority of the votes, which the Socialist dictatorship refused to accept and has clung to power, as I have posted. The prize is named for the Soviet nuclear scientist and dissident. Machado is in hiding from the regime’s persecution and Gonzales in exile in Spain, but he vows to return January 10 to be sworn in as President of the South American State. Nicaragua: A human rights organization reported that more than 800,000 Nicaraguans have fled the Central American State, which represents almost 12% of the population, because of the persecution by the Marxist Sandinista dictatorship. The refugees have fled to other Latin American States, Spain and America. The Nicaraguan regime has engaged in a policy of forced exile, confiscation, denationalization and persecution against any person who criticizes his human rights violations, including clergy. Bolivia: The opposition parties have united for the presidential elections in 2025 against the leftist ruling party. Center-left, centrist and center right parties will put forward a single candidate against the authoritarian leftists who have ruled the South American State for two decades.

The Isolationists on Both the Far Left and Right Have Been Proven Wrong to Oppose Overthrowing Syria’s Assad Regime

In my post earlier this month on the fall of the tyrannical Assad regime of Syria, I blamed isolationists on the left and far right for the continuation of the oppression of Syrians and the mass imprisonment, torture and murder over a 54-year span, as well as the international harm the regime caused by its state sponsorship of terrorism and production of illicit narcotics. When the Arab Spring protests against authoritarianism and in favor of liberty and representative government spread to the Syrian people in 2011, Bashar Assad responded with brutality, as his father had done to put down a revolt in 1982, starting the Syrian Civil War, which lasted 11 years and killed 600,000 people and caused millions to flee. The Butcher of Damascus targeted civilians with massive bombs and even chemical weapons, and his Russian allies also targeted civilians, hospitals and first responders. United States President Barack Obama declined to intervene to defend American interests against terrorism and against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which used Syria as a conduit to support terrorists in Lebanon and Gaza. Instead, the liberal Democrat, afraid to risk any losses and of opposition from the left wing of his party, opened the door for Russia to intervene to support Assad, while other Western leaders also failed to lead to defend their interests against the threat. But while the far left was opposing intervention, the far right was equally unable to recognize vital American interests in opposing tyranny and terrorism. These right wingers were thus supporting the leftist Ba’athist Socialist regime of Assad, which was anti-American, like the Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein of Iraq, and had been a Soviet client state. Like Assad and the Russians, whose propaganda and disinformation they tend to parrot because it is targeted to appeal to them, the far right mislabeled all opponents of Assad as Islamist “terrorists,” including those who only wanted liberty and even who were allies of the U.S., like the Kurds and others who formed the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The isolationists opposed even the minimal aid provided to the SDF. Furthermore, the fall of Assad means not only that there is no longer any Ba’athist regime in power in any Arab State for the first time since 1969, it also means a loss of a member of what I call the Axis of Rogues, which are those States that engage in various misbehavior against the West and others, such as aggression, sponsoring terrorism, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, etc. and that cooperate with each other with arms trafficking and commercial relations, as well as diplomatic support and that usually vote together at the United Nations. The loss of a member of the Axis and particularly a key ally of Iran and Russia is a major benefit to global security. Therefore, far-right isolationists, like those on the far left, are contrary to American interests, despite their rhetoric that they are motivated only by American interests. As I have observed about isolationists, they are usually incapable of recognizing those interests or the threats to them. In addition to the direct threats from Syria, there were also indirect threats the isolationists ignored. While the far right opposes migrants and refugees, they contradicted themselves by claiming the U.S. and the West had no interest in Syria, which produced a post-Second World War record number of refugees because of the Civil War, which caused the anti-migrant backlash in Europe that led to the rise of far-right nationalists and “sovereignist” parties. The excuse that anti-migrant xenophobic isolationists use against refugees is the prejudice that they were all Islamists, or even terrorists. But the Trump Administration’s Muslim travel ban barred entry even to Christian refugees, who faced tyranny, war and terrorism. The demagoguery not only exaggerated fears, but was dishonest because it was not about protecting the West from security threats, but using legitimate concerns to promote their general bigotry. Furthermore, the power vacuum in part of Syria caused by the Civil War led to the rise of the Islamic State, the Islamist terrorist offshoot of al-Qaeda, the organization that killed 3,000 people in the September 11, 2011 Terrorist Attacks against America. The Islamic State, which won allegiance from al-Qaeda affiliates around the Islamic world, declared a caliphate in northern Syria and Iraq, from which it launched attacks and threatened Europe and America until the U.S. led an international coalition to defeat it. As I have posted, the point is that instability and war are always threats to global security, contrary to isolationists’ arguments that they are not of international concern, if for no other reason that they cause refugee crises, lead to power vacuums exploited by malefactors, and disrupt travel and commerce. But isolationists were especially proven wrong to oppose overthrowing Assad, a leftist ally of Iran and Russia and state sponsor of terrorism who was thus clearly against American, Western and global interests. Isolationists on the left oppose national interests of America and the Western, and those on the far right always fail to recognize national interests, despite their rhetoric to the contrary, which leads them to the same positions as the far left they claim to oppose. The far-right isolationists always use the excuse of favoring stability of dictatorships versus their fear of a similar or worse replacement, which makes them complicit in the tyranny and other roguish behavior of such dictatorships and fails ever to allow even the opportunity for anything better. Even though isolationists are always discredited, they will continue to adhere to their ideologies, with left-wing ones blaming America and the West for every ill in the world and excusing the most heinous despots, while the right-wing ones will continue to promote xenophobia against all foreigners to avoid having to make a judgment about which side in a foreign conflict it is justifiable to support and naively relying on our own strength to protect us from threats they deny or minimize. And both types of isolationists will continue to appeal publicly to selfishness versus encouraging any willingness to make sacrifices, like even economic sanctions, let alone defensive aid or military intervention to defend vital interests. Although they will continue to insult patriots who favor supporting national interests and global security as “warmongers” and other such pejorative terms, like “neocons,” we ought to remain confident we are doing our duty for our country and the world.

The Electoral College Should be Faithful to its Constitutional Duty by Not Electing Someone Unworthy of Trust

The presidential and vice-presidential Electors should be faithful to the United States Constitution in fulfilling their constitutional duties when they convene and vote on Tuesday. They have been appointed by the State Legislatures, after having been elected by the people, to elect the President and Vice President. In their role as representative of the States and the People, their duty is to exercise their best judgment in good conscience because the U.S. is a federal union that is representative, not democratic, meaning that representatives are chosen to exercise their judgement, instead of people ruling directly. The Electoral College was modeled on the College of Cardinals that elects the Catholic Bishop of Rome and intended by the Framers as a deliberative body of representatives, not as simply a form of proportional proxy voting by the people directly for their preferred candidates. The Electors were originally either appointed or, if elected, were elected directly in their own right, at a time when no one sought election and no names were printed on ballots, instead of under the name of candidates for President and Vice President and when there was not necessarily consensus among members of parties for candidates for both offices. Electors were expected to deliberate and choose which candidates were fit to be entrusted with high office. They should be more faithful to their constitutional role than to their party and its preferred candidates. Therefore, the Electoral College ought not to elect someone, namely Donald Trump, who dodged the military draft in wartime through fraud and never apologized for it, who was convicted of election fraud felonies and remains unrepentant, and who was impeached in the most bipartisan vote and who received the most bipartisan votes for conviction in American history for attempting to overturn his election loss by inciting a mob to insurrection based upon his lies, which delayed the congressional certification of the votes of the Electors, among the most serious examples of many of his poor character that would render him unable to pass even the lowest level of security clearance, without even considering his theft of secret documents and obstruction of the investigation, which earned him some of his numerous federal indictments. His obstruction of the federal probe of the successful foreign interference on behalf of his campaign that he welcomed and accepted, for which the Republican Special Counsel recommended he be impeached, ought to have been reason enough to keep him from any public office. By inciting a mob to violence to thwart the certification of the votes of the Electors, Trump demonstrated his contempt for the Electoral College, the Constitution, and the peaceful transfer of power that renders him unfit to serve as Commander in Chief and to hold the highest office and trust in America, which he betrayed. The Electoral College has been usurped by political parties who have sought to render it no more than a mechanism to prevent candidates from being elected by large States or only from some regions, instead of its intended purpose as a forum for the representatives of the States and People to render their judgment. Trumpist “conservatives” claim to support the Electoral College, but undermine its role when they expect the Electors to suspend their independent judgment and their consciences and instead to act in loyalty to an autocratic party leader around whom his party has established a cult of personality. The role of the Electors is not to submit to a party or a politician, but to be faithful to the Constitution and elect someone worthy of trust to the highest offices in the land that were created under it who can be a faithful steward of representative government and safeguard of liberty.

Foreign Digest: Syria, Romania and Cuba

Syria: The United States conducted a major round of airstrikes against Islamist al-Qaeda and Islamic State terrorists and also Iranian-backed militias in Syria after the tyrannical Assad regime’s fall last week. There are around 900 American troops in northeastern Syria, in the areas held by the Kurds and their allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces to assist against the Islamist terrorists. Israel conducted many raids in Syria, targeting chemical weapons and conventional weapons that pose a threat, destroying much of the Syrian armed forces’ remaining assets. The Turkish-backed Islamists who brought down Assad only control a small part of Syria, although it includes the capital and the three next largest cities. They are ending Syria’s status as a narco-state, having discovered several captagon factories that produce an illicit narcotic I posted about last month. In addition to removing the threat from drug abuse, the effects of the fall of the Assad regime that had oppressed Syrians for more than fifty years are profound for the region and the world. It was the last remaining Ba’ath Socialist party-led State. It will lead to more independence for Lebanon, which Syria had dominated for decades. It makes Israel safer, as it cuts off the Islamic Republic of Iran’s arms supply to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, and to the Mediterranean. And it deprives Russia of a key ally and undermines the Russian image as a strong and reliable ally, just as its failure to protect Armenia had suggested. The fall of Assad validated American and allied support for Ukraine, which weakened Russia, and U.S. support for Israel, which weakened Hezbollah and Iran, thereby reducing the threat from the two rogue States and their allies. It also proved the effectiveness of U.S. and allies' economic sanctions, that also weakened the regime. The Iranian and Russian support for Assad and the tyrant’s targeting bombing of civilians and his use of chemical weapons against them had caused millions of Syrians to flee, some of whom are already beginning to return. Moreover, the fall of yet another dictator, especially one that seemed secure for the last few years after appearing to have won the Syrian Civil War, gives hope to oppressed peoples around the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. indicted for torture and visa fraud the head of Syrian prisons who has resided in South Carolina since 2020. He had led Syria’s prisons from 2005 to 2008. It is hoped that that other Syrians responsible for atrocities and torture will be brought to justice, and that Syria will be peaceful, free, representative and inclusive of all ethnic and religious minorities, and prosperous, and no longer a military, terrorist or narcotics threat to its neighbors. Romania: After the Romanian parliamentary elections earlier this month, the pro-Western parties agreed to form a coalition government, including conservatives, to keep the far-right pro-Russian parties out of power. The ruling center-left party, which had received the most votes, the two main center-right parties (one Christian democrat and the other reformist), and a party that represents ethnic Hungarians, will comprise the grand coalition of pro-European parties. They also agreed to back a pro-European presidential candidate versus far-right pro-Russian parties in elections that will be rescheduled early next year after the results of the first round were annulled because of heavy Russian interference. As I had posted, a little-known far-right pro-Russian candidate with no party who had not made any campaign expenditures came in first. The candidate of the reformist center-right party came second. Cuba: The U.S. is keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism for harboring Colombian terrorists.

The Fall of the Ba’athist Terrorist-Sponsoring Tyrannical Assad Regime in Syria

I have been posting about the tyrannical, terrorist-sponsoring regime of Bashar Assad from early on since I launched this blog, especially since the popular uprising against his dictatorship began in 2011, as part of the Arab Spring. Syrians had been inspired by the movement across the Arab world for liberty and representative government, which was inspired to a significant degree by the Liberation of Iraq of the fellow Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein and the replacement of his brutal autocracy with a constitutional parliamentary republic with broad representation. I had remembered in my childhood how his father Hafez Assad’s regime, which had come to power in 1970, had put down a rebellion by shelling Homs and Hama, killing tens of thousands of civilians in 1982. I have been concerned how Syria, as Iran’s only Arab ally, was a conduit for Iranian arms to the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, Hezbollah and how Assad had undermined the United States in the War on Terrorism in Iraq by sending jihadists into it, although they were among those defeated by the American-led coalition. With the opposition to Assad from various ethnic, religious and political groups in Syria, it appeared that his regime might fall by the mid-2010s, despite support from Iran and Hezbollah and Assad’s brutality, which included targeting civilians with chemical weapons. But the support of Russia, which has a naval base in Syria, proved critical and propped the regime. Instead of focusing on targeting Islamist terrorists, like al-Qaeda and its offshoot, the Islamic State, as Russia had announced it would, the Russians and Assad focused their firepower on freedom-loving opponents and deliberately struck civilian residential areas and even hospitals and first responders. All the while, in addition to the usual far-left isolationists, far-right isolationists in the West opposed overthrowing Assad, claiming that supporting his non-Islamist opponents was supporting “terrorists,” like Assad and Russia claimed. The U.S. maintained sanctions on the regime and had backed the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which at least allowed the Kurds to exercise autonomy in their part of Syria, but they were abandoned by the Trump Administration and there was little subsequent international effort to free Syria, despite its sponsorship of terrorism. It appeared that Assad had won the 14-year Civil War that killed a half million people and displaced millions, except for failing to regain control over the Kurdish and Turkish-backed areas and a few areas held by Islamists, as fighting had decreased sharply over the last eight years, with little movement of the battlelines and Western focus mostly on the Islamist terrorists. The war had major global implications, as it gave rise to the Islamic State, which took advantage of the power vacuum and declared a caliphate with its capital in Syria before being destroyed by an American-led coalition, while the record 5 million external refugees provoked an anti-migrant backlash in Europe and the rise of right-wing authoritarian nationalists. Even while Syrian allies were being weakened, as Israel continued to devastate Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syrian and Iranian forces in Syria and even in Iran, and while Ukraine was weakening Russia by defending itself against Russian aggression, the Assad regime appeared stable outwardly. I nevertheless continued to post about Syria, both about anti-terrorism strikes by the U.S. and Israel, but also to remind readers about the regime’s tyranny and threat from its terrorism sponsorship and its alliance with Iran and Russia, in the hope of encouraging the overthrow of the Assad regime. I had last posted November 17 about Syria’s manufacturing of an illicit narcotic, captagon that funds the Assad regime and Hezbollah. I was planning another post about another round of U.S. strikes in Syria against an Iranian-backed militia in Syria. But starting on November 27, in a stunning 11-day blitz, a Turkish-backed coalition of Islamist and allied rebels began a drive simply to push back on Syrian regime forces who were shelling rebel-held towns in northwestern Syria. Assad’s troops put up little resistance while Russia bombed civilians, which was ineffective in stopping the rebel advance that turned into a major assault against the heart of the Ba’athist regime. While other rebels, including the SDF and ordinary Syrians rose up across Syria, the Turkish-backed forces drove into the Syrian capital, putting an end to the Assad regime after 54 years of oppression, with Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia. Although the takeover from the Assad regime of the Syrian government apparatus by Islamists is concerning, the end of the tyranny of the last remaining Ba’ath socialist party Arab government is good for Syria and the region in many ways and of such significance that I will post additional observations. It is glorious that Syrians have been liberated from a despotic regime after 54 years of oppression, and worth celebration that Hezbollah, Iran and Russia are deprived of a major ally.

Foreign Digest: Romania, Georgia, Russia, Cyprus, and Afghanistan

Romania: In a dramatic two weeks, there was a presidential election in Romania, followed by a parliamentary election, and then the annulment of the presidential election because of heavy Russian interference. In the presidential election two weeks ago, a little-known far-right fascist-sympathizing pro-Russian candidate with no party or platform came in first, thanks to Russian interference through a social media campaign. The Romanian authorities asked for a recount and a European Union investigation into the Chinese social media platform and blamed Russia. The President of Romania then declassified information and submitted it to the Supreme Court, which annulled the election in an unprecedented move to undo Russian interference that was sufficient to alter the election and thus render the results fraudulent. A reformist center-right party’s candidate came in second, edging out the ruling center-left Prime Minister and would thus have advanced to the run-off election between the top two candidates scheduled for today. Instead, a new election will be scheduled. The President of Romania is responsible for defense and foreign policy and appointments, while the Prime Minister leads the government. Meanwhile, last week in the parliamentary elections, the outcome of which will determine who will be the Prime Minister, the ruling center-left Premier’s party had the most votes of any individual party, while a Christian democratic party came in third and the center-right party whose presidential nominee came in second, did well, but three far-right parties combined for the largest amount of votes, including one that came in second overall, with none of these parties coming close to a majority, as various ethnic and other parties attracting many votes. None of these main parties ran together as a bloc, but even if they had, no coalition would have received a majority of votes and seats. Therefore, a coalition will have to be formed. Georgia: There were protests in Abkhazia against commercial measures adopted by the breakaway Russian puppet-state regarded as too favorable to Russia and thus undermining Abkhazia’s independence. Russia had invaded the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2008 and seized separatist Abkhazia and South Ossetia and then recognized their independence. But the largest protests in Georgia have been by Georgians against the ruling pro-Russian party after last month’s fraudulent election in which Russia heavily interfered, giving the oligarch-founded party a narrow win. The Georgian Government announced that it was suspending the application process for European Union membership, after the Prime Minister had promised to continue the application process. His government is trying to repress the protests with brute force and arrests of opposition figures. Russia: The McCain Prize was awarded to Russian freedom advocate Vladimir Kara-Murza for his advocacy for human rights in Russia. He was recently freed by the tyrannical regime of Vladimir Putin in a prisoner swap with the West and exiled. The prize for human rights advocacy is named for former United States Senator John McCain of Arizona, who had been tortured as a prisoner of war by the Communist Vietnamese during the Vietnamese War. Cyprus: Cyprus announced its intent to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a marked shift from its closeness with Russia, which is viewed with trepidation because of its imperialism, as Putin seeks to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. The U.S. approves Cyprus’ plan. Finland and Sweden abandoned their longtime neutrality to join NATO, the U.S.-led defensive pact, for the same reason. Afghanistan: There have been more frequent and lethal resistance attacks in Afghanistan against the Taliban militia that is the de facto ruler of the Central Asian State. There are now three armed resistance organizations in Afghanistan. In addition to the National Resistance Front (NRF), which operates in and around the Panjshir Vally, led by the son of the leading anti-Soviet guerilla commander and the former Vice President of Afghanistan before the Taliban militia takeover in 2021, which I have posted about, and a smaller force, a new force led by the most senior General in the Afghan armed forces has entered the fight. It maintains friendly relations with the NRF. It operates mostly in Kabul, where the NRF occasionally raids, while the NRF mostly operates in provinces north of Kabul. The Taliban, who had hosted the Islamist al-Qeada terrorists responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America that killed three thousand people, returned to power in 2021 after the U.S. and an inernational coalition and Afghan allies had overthrown them in 2002, but then abandoned Afghanistan, leaving its allied government to fall. No State in the world recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, but no State has backed the resistance. The Islamist Taliban again are repressive and maintain their cloes ties to terrorists.

Update on the 2024 General Election in America

Now that most of the results of the 2024 General Election in America have been certified, some additional observations can be made from those I had posted last month. There was not a majority of votes for the Trump-Vance/Republican United States presidential Electors and there were no coattails for Donald Trump. Although Republicans gained 4 seats in the Senate to regain the majority, partly from picking up open seats in GOP-leaning States, the ruling Republicans suffered a net loss of one seat in the House of Representatives, as each party flipped a handful of seats from the other party. The Trumpist Republican U.S. Senatorial candidate in Arizona, who had been a frequent candidate for statewide office and denied the results of her and Trump’s 2020 general election loss, was rejected by the voters. Thus, there was no popular mandate for Trump or Trumpism, only, as I had posted, the exploitation and exaggeration of grievances based on populist appeals and even demagoguery based on xenophobia, conducted with false or misleading statements by Trump and his supporters and amplified by continued Russian interference that had already altered public opinion. The overtly populist Republican presidential campaign for protectionism, nativism and isolationism marked a sharp transition away from the GOP’s conservative messaging of the last four decades. Although there was some relatively more conservative messaging in congressional races, even those federal elections were influenced heavily by populism. It is even clearer now that more center-right organizations, whether political action committees, caucuses, or even a new political party are necessary for conservatism to compete with and even prevail over far-right populism, as voters in many foreign States, particularly with parliamentary systems allow for such an alternative choice, which is attractive to the electorate, as I have posted. One other noteworthy aspect of the election of interest to conservatives is that while pro-abortion Democratic candidates did not fare as well as they had hoped, nearly every pro-life Democratic candidate was elected, in contrast to less success for pro-abortion Democrats.

Happy Thanksgiving! 16th Anniversary of this Blog, Blog Visit Report

Happy Thanksgiving! On this day, Americans are called by the United States and by each State in the Union, as they have since President George Washington first instituted the federal holiday, to give thanks to God for their blessings. The holiday was inspired by the thanksgiving meal celebrated by the English Puritan colonists in Massachusetts in the Seventeenth Century for the bounty they were able to enjoy thanks to their friendship with the Indigenous Americans, who taught them vital agricultural skills, after a period of famine. Americans thank God for their many personal blessings, both spiritual and material, as well as for their liberty and representative government. This year, we particularly can be thankful for the Constitution and its system of checks and balances, upon which we shall become reliant again in the new year. One particular blessing of liberty to be thankful for is the freedom of the printing press, which can now be exercised with technology electronically, as on this blog, which allows ordinary citizens to act as journalists and to engage in discourse in an electronic form of printing that can be published through the Internet. It was 16 years ago that I launched this blog with these goals, and over 1,500 posts later, I am grateful to be able to continue, at a time when there is a great need. Alas, the glitch that prevents indentation and line spacing continues, but I try to work around it to share important information and my perspective as a historian, former party and elected official, and public servant. But I am pleased that according to the blog host, Blogger, there continue to be thousands of visits each month to this blog from America and around the world. Thank you for visiting. Please visit regularly to stay updated.

The Center-Right Resurgence Around the World

Conservatives, who are on the center-right part of the political spectrum, lead many governments around the world, as usual, especially in Europe, including the European Union, and in Latin America, as well as other States around the world. But even with a surge of support for the authoritarian far right and a trend toward populists and authoritarians around the globe, and a few conservative parties have included the far right in their governing coalitions, the center right has been resurgent lately against both extremes. A center-right party defeated the authoritarian far-right in Poland earlier this year. The center right leads governments in Austria and France that kept both the anti-migrant far right and the left from power, despite electoral gains by both extremes in parliamentary elections. In other States, center-right parties are at least part of a governing coalition, usually as the main junior partner. The leading center-right party and other allied conservatives joined a governing coalition with the ruling leftists for the first time since the mid-1990s in South Africa, which kept Marxists out of power. In Italy, the center-right party keeps the governing right-wing coalition anchored to its pro-European, pro-American roots versus anti-migrant nationalism and appeasement of Russian imperialism. Even where conservatives have been unsuccessful in elections because of fraud by authoritarian regimes, their center-right parties appeal most to voters. The opposition coalition in Venezuela that won the presidential elections for which the ruling Socialist dictatorship refuses to accept the results, is led by the center right and a center-right party has emerged as the leading opposition party against the unpopular autocratic anti-migrant party in Hungary. Just as conservatism is appealing to voters and capable of governing abroad, the center right can be resurgent in America again versus both the Trumpist (populist and xenophobic protectionism, nativism and isolationism, with authoritarianism) far right and the left. Voters around the world prefer conservatism versus these radical poles, based on equality, liberty and representative government, especially when it delivers honest government that is fiscally responsible and is dynamic enough to offer reforms for current problems. The center-right resurgence around the globe suggests that similar American conservative parties and candidates who expressly reject far-right Trumpism should also be appealing to American voters. Candidates, whether from major or minor political parties of independent, who are from the center right can appeal more broadly to the electorate than those from the radical poles. Electoral coalitions based on a shared platform of common principles or even parliamentary-style power-sharing agreements might also be favored by voters opposed to both the far left and far right and who prefer a clear and safer choice.

International Observers’ Report on the 2024 General Election in America

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Europe sends election observers to America, as per reciprocal agreements between the United States and foreign States. The 2024 General Election across America “demonstrated the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions,” followed “a well-run process” and proceeded in a generally “peaceful and orderly atmosphere,” the OECD’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said in its initial report released the day after. But the vote “was marked by disinformation and instances of violence, including harsh and intolerant language against women and immigrants by one candidate,” the delegation warned, while “claims by Mr. Trump of widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 elections, dismissed by state and federal courts, have eroded public trust in democratic processes.” The OECD’s International Election Observer Mission observers went on to observe “incidents of election violence, including . . . threats of violence or aggressive behavior targeting voters, including minorities, election administrators, officials, campaigners, and media representatives.” The leader of the mission, a historian, noted a decline in civility and return to the harsh and violent politics typical before the early Twentieth Century. The harsher, more violent and more personal rhetoric not only polarizes society extremely, but “that polarization is something which makes ordinary governing very difficult in most countries if it happens," he said. I note how this polarization, which is exacerbated by campaign marketing messages that foster fear and anger about the other side to justify support for their candidates and to increase turnout of their own base of voters, instead of trying to persuade voters to their side through reason. This polarization makes voters vulnerable to the populism, demagoguery and foreign interference in the form of disinformation that I have noted have been influencing recent elections in America.

Update on Syria: Drug Production; U.S. and Israel Strikes against Terrorists

Drug Production: The United States recently sanctioned some Syrians for the production and trafficking of the drug captagon, an illicit amphetamine-like drug, most of the production of which is in Syria, mostly by the Syrian regime itself. Captagon abuse props up the regime of tyrant Bashar Assad with billions of dollars’ worth of drug sales and funds militants and terrorists. There is also some production in Lebanon, after it had moved to a Hezbollah stronghold there from Europe after it had been banned, after having been developed for health purposes. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization that has been defending the Assad regime in the Syrian Civil War, is complicit in the trafficking of the drug. Captagon is a threat to stability in neighboring Jordan, where it and other drugs are smuggled across the border from Syria. Jordan deploys a third of its army there in anti-smuggling operations. There was a Jordanian airstrikes on Syria several months ago, supported by American arms and training. Saudi Arabia and Iraq also have implemented policies against the drug. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year and Jordan and other Arab States diplomatically recognized the Assad regime, in exchange for a promise to crack down on the drug, which Syria has broken. Western Europe is a major market for captagon. U.S. and Israeli Strikes on Terrorists: The United States struck Islamist terrorists in Syria again recently. It has continued to strike against the Islamic State, the offshoot of al-Qaeda, which was responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America, the deadliest in history, as well as against Iranian-backed terrorists. Meanwhile, Israel also continues to strike Iranian-backed terrorists based in Syria, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Measles Cases Rise 20% Globally as Vaccination Rates Have Dropped

The number of cases of measles globally increased 20% worldwide from 2022 to 2023 to over 10 million with over 100,000 deaths, while the number of countries with cases rose from 36 to 57, with an increase in every region of the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Vaccine use declined from 86% in 2019 to 83% last year, with represents a slight recovery from pandemic-era lows. Around three million lives per year were saved in the prior two decades of increased global immunization rates that had drastically reduced the number of cases and deaths globally. The pandemic and certain security challenges in some countries are factors, as is vaccine hesitancy because of baseless fears about vaccine safety. I had posted earlier this month about the rise of pertussis in America because of the rise of vaccine hesitancy in America. Vaccine hesitancy has increased in America, as it has in Europe, because of debunked conspiracy theories on the far left and far right about vaccine safety and effectiveness that are contrary to abundant scientific studies, libertarian opposition to vaccine mandates, and Russian disinformation about vaccines to weaken America and Europe, where there have also been outbreaks of contagious and deadly diseases that are preventable with safe and effective vaccines. Donald Trump, whose campaign was again helped by Russian interference, has announced his intention to nominate a leftwing, pro-abortion anti-vax Democrat, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who believes in various conspiracy theories, as Secretary of Health and Human Services. American conservatives should defend public health and support moral responsibility by asking their Senators to oppose this nomination.

Center Right Account Launched on Bluesky

I have launched a social media account on Bluesky, the social media platform created by the same creator of Twitter (now "X," which was taken over by a Trumpist emerging oligarch), called The Center Right: https://bsky.app/profile/thecenterright.bsky.social. It will be the new social media home of the center right, versus both lliberalism and far right Trumpism (protectionism, nativism, isolationism and authoritarianism). The center right stands for equality, liberty, representative government and the Constitution and for traditional conservative principles, such as the free market, free trade, fiscal conservatism, virtue, a strong defense and American leadership in the world. The center right must stand on its own and can no longer rely only on trying to work within the Republican Party or on the liberal Democrats. It must form its own organizations, factions or even political party, while working with anyone to advance conservative goals.

Foreign Digest: Moldova and Georgia

Moldova: The pro-Western President of Moldova was reelected over the pro-Russian Socialist candidate in the presidential runoff election November 3. Moldova is a former Soviet Republic in which the Russian Federation stations troops against Moldova’s wishes along the border with Ukraine in a secessionist Russian-speaking area. Moldovans had approved a referendum last month to join the European Union, as I had posted. Like most Georgians and Ukrainians, they prefer integration with the West, instead of being forced into the orbit of Russia. Georgia: There were mass protests last week by Georgians against the Russian-influenced election last month, in which the pro-Russian Government claims reelection amidst widespread claims of fraud. The pro-Western President also claimed the results were fraudulent. A coalition of centrist and center-left pro-European opposition parties vows not to recognize the illegitimate results and will not take its seats in Parliament. A pro-Western and anti-Russian center-right coalition of parties is asking Western governments not to recognize the result. The opposition in general is advocating for a new election under international supervision and an investigation of last month’s election. The Russian Federation had invaded the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2008, seizing two breakaway territories and establishing puppet-states that claimed independence that are only recognized by Russia and a handful of its allies. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer, is trying to restore the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire.

Pertussis Cases Have Quintupled in America

The number of pertussis cases across America has increased five-fold over last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. I had posted in September that the cases in Pennsylvania in particular had increased tenfold over the previous period. Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” is a deadly virus that had nearly been eradicated in America by widespread vaccination, but, like measles and other preventable diseases, has increased around the world, including in Europe and America because of increased vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines are safe and effective, having prevented countless cases, hospitalizations and deaths from various contagious diseases with little serious side effects, according to numerous scientific studies, but unscientific disbelief about their safety and opposition to vaccine mandates has spread among the far left, the far right and libertarians, amplified by Russian disinformation. Because not everyone’s immune system responds to vaccines, it is vital that enough other people are vaccinated to protect the few who cannot be, a concept known as “herd immunity.” Therefore, it is a Christian and conservative belief that vaccination is a moral duty of every citizen who can be vaccinated to protect everyone else, especially those who cannot be vaccinated.

Initial Conservative Thoughts on the 2024 General Election across the American Union

There were few consolations for true (non-Trumpist) conservatives in the 2024 General Election across America, between the Trumpification of the Republican Party and the center-right again having abandoned the field to the liberal Democrats to force a binary choice against the demagogic, dishonest, corrupt, disloyal, authoritarian and cruel Donald Trump and Trumpism (protectionism, isolationism, nativisim). I shall soon express thoughts in another post on how the center right must stand on its own henceforth, as it does successfully in many States around the world, but this post will be about the few consolations from the initial election results. As usual, I only post about decisive results before all the results have been certified, as the votes continue to be counted and, in the case of the offices of President and Vice President of the United States, though the expected results are not in doubt, the election will not have taken place yet until the Electoral College votes next month. In the federal elections, among only a few others, there were two center-right candidates who have been elected in significant contests. Representative Dan Newhouse of Washington defeated a Trumpist Republican challenger and John Curtis of Utah was elected to the Senate to succeed Mitt Romney. Newhouse and Republican Representative Dan Valadao of California, who was also reelected, both had voted in favor of the second impeachment of Trump for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and inciting insurrectionists to attack the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to thwart the certification of the results based on Trump’s lies. Curtis neither endorsed, nor was endorsed by Trump. Two Democratic candidates who were prominent in Trump’s first impeachment for extorting Ukraine to smear his opponent with a baseless criminal investigation by holding up military aid to defend it against Russia under Vladimir Putin, the tyrannical ex-Soviet intelligence officer trying to restore the Soviet Union, were elected. One, the Ukrainian-born National Security anti-Putin officer who blew the whistle on Trump and who was backed by anti-Trump conservatives, was elected to the U.S. House from Maryland and the other, an impeachment manager whom the Trumpist Republican-majority had censored, to the Senate from California. Although they are Democrats, their defeat by Trumpist Republicans would have been interpreted as some kind of repudiation, instead of a validation. It was a small blow to Putin, who otherwise was successful again in backing Trump with propaganda and disinformation that has shifted public opinion since he began his “active measures campaign” in 2014 to promote his imperialist policy, divide Americans, undermine confidence in elections and the truth and to back Trump, who has been more favorable to Putin than even his liberal Democratic opponents. Additionally, there were myriad deceptions by Trump and his supporters that fraudulently swayed voters on every issue, such as the successful Russian interference on behalf of Trump in the 2016 Election, the validity of Trump’s 2020 Election loss, and about his criminal and civil cases, his opponents, migrants, inflation, etc. The Trumpists’ allegations of fraud against them in this election were obviously rebutted by the vote totals in their favor that will be certified by election officials and that their opponents have conceded. On referendums, the results were mostly unsuccessful for conservatives, despite the Republicans’ overall success. Marijuana legalization failed in Florida, South Dakota and North Dakota, and a pro-abortion referendum failed in Florida, unlike in four other States, but the successes in the Sunshine State were only because of a 60% threshold for approval. I shall post about any other significant results as the vote-counting is completed and on some problems in the elections identified by international observers, as well as my thoughts on the direction forward against both the left and the Trumpist far right.

Additional Conservative Thoughts on the 2024 United States Presidential Election

I posted yesterday about the many Republicans and conservatives opposing the United States presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, and how Trump’s poor character disqualifies him from office and how his narcissism, misogyny, cruelty, corruption, authoritarianism, and disloyalty affected his term in office and would again if he were reelected. These posts were only the latest of my posts about the dangers of Trump and Trumpism (a populist mix of protectionism, isolationism and nativism) and of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is continuing to interfere in the American election to support Trump, divide Americans and undermine confidence in the truth and in elections. But because there are many other thoughts worthy of consideration, this post will be a catchall for a few of the most relevant. One additional item I did not include in my lengthy post yesterday about Trump’s character is how his self-interest in his reelection, for reasons of ego, business interest and fear of prosecution for crimes, caused him to fail to address adequately the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic and even to minimize it, which caused millions more Americans to become ill, hospitalized or die, with many more still suffering its long-term effects, than would have otherwise. His attitude encouraged skepticism of science-based public health policy and vaccine hesitancy, which has continued to cause harmful effects. Another thought about character is how this election pits a career prosecutor against a convicted felon, which is yet another example of what I have been posting about how Trumpist Republicans and “conservatives” have forfeited character, which is the most fundamental matter, as a political campaign issue. They keep trying to cast aspersion on Democrats and liberals while claiming Trump’s poor character is irrelevant to the highest trust in the land. Although both major party tickets include vice presidential nominees with military service, in contrast to Trump having dodged the draft through fraud, the Republican nominee denigrated his own service and that of his fellow servicemembers by falsely claiming his combat service was based on lies, which is an example of ignorant and foolish Trumpist isolationism. As I have noted, the Liberation of Iraq overthrew a brutal tyrant who was a serial aggressor and sponsor of terrorism who was violating the ceasefire and United Nations resolutions against Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. As a result of the service of our troops and those of our allies, Iraq is no longer a conventional, WMD or terrorist threat, but an ally in the War on Terrorism, as thousands of chemical weapons were found and destroyed, as well as the banned chemicals to make more, and the terrorists were defeated in what became a critical battlefield of the War. In contrast, Trump legitimized the Islamist Taliban militia who had harbored al-Qaeda (the Islamist terrorist organization responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America that killed a record 3,000 people), undermined our ally, the Afghan Government, and signed a deal with the terrorists that hamstrung his successor that led to a disastrous withdrawal from and abandonment of Afghanistan. The current Administration has otherwise continued the fight against various terrorists, while Trump has ignored foreign threats from dictators he admires and wants to make deals with to appease, which would only encourage their aggressiveness more. It is this last point that is most worth concluding this post about. Trump, whose business in America had been bolstered disproportionately by Russians and who had tried for decades to do open hotels in Russia, accepted Russian interference on his behalf and then denied it, against the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies, the Republican Special Counsel and the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee, even though some of the Russian interference was overt (the propaganda from Russian state-controlled media outlets in America) because he could not admit that his election was illegitimate and owed to a hostile foreign dictator. In addition to Trump being unable ever to criticize Putin because the tycoon admires Putin and wants to do business with him, he delayed sanctions on Russia, implemented them only at the deadline, and withheld military aid to Ukraine while Russian-backed separatists made gains. And after leaving office, his opposition to critically needed military aid to Ukraine caused its delay for months while the American ally was under full-scale Russian aggression. Moreover, Trump’s denial of Russian interference, which helps Russia’s goal of hiding its efforts, allows it to continue to interfere on behalf of Trump’s candidacy and thus to violate American independence. American voters should reject the interference of hostile foreign powers like Putin and exercise a free choice of leaders who are loyal to America and its ideals of equality, liberty and representative government.

The 2024 General Election in Pennsylvania and across America

The 2024 General Election in Pennsylvania and across America will be held on Tuesday, November 5. On the ballot are the federal offices of presidential Electors, each of the seats for the United States House of Representatives, and a third of the seats of the Senate, as well as many State offices, including Governor in some States and other statewide offices, legislative offices and other offices. In Pennsylvania, the office of Governor is not on the ballot, but the statewide offices of Attorney General, Treasurer and Auditor General, as well as every seat in the House of Representatives and half the seats in the Senate. In some of these contests, there are non-Trumpist Republican candidates who believe in the GOP’s conservative principles and not the populist mix of protectionism, isolationism, nativisim, authoritarianism, cruelty and corruption of Trumpism. In one unusual race, non-Trumpist Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse of Washington is facing a general election challenge from a Trumpist Republican candidate endorsed by Donald Trump. Conservative voters should consider voting for Newhouse and other non-Trumpist Republican or independent or third-party candidates on the ballot versus liberal Democrats. If there are no such true center-right candidates’ names on the ballot, or if the Democratic nominees are not acceptably moderate or at least pro-life, then write in the names of qualified Republican or conservative candidates, instead of accepting any Trumpist as worthy of votes, especially any who have failed to oppose Trump publicly. As I have posted, Trump and Trumpism are a cancer on the conservative movement and a mortal threat to the Republican Party. The only way to save the movement and the party that is its vehicle is to purge Trump and Trumpism completely, instead of accepting and thus encouraging the binary choices of unacceptable candidates that the major political parties try to force on the electorate. Voting for the “lesser of two evils” is voting for evil, instead of exercising the choice to vote for good. In addition to elective offices, there are ballot questions of interest to conservatives across the Union.

Donald Trump Fails the Most Important Test: Character

The most important test for any candidate for elective office is character, and the higher the level of trust in the office, the more important good character is. As I have observed firsthand in my service as both an elected and appointed policymaker, only those of good character can be trusted to put the interest of the people above their own. Most conservatives in America have abandoned this principle, along with nearly every other conservative principle, but there are many of us who continue to stand for good character as essential. Donald Trump’s poor character is the root of his lack of understanding of the Constitution and what truly makes America great, and his general lack of principles. His character deficit resulted in bad practices and policies in his four years in the presidency and will cause even worse consequences if he were returned to office, without him having subordinates around him loyal to the Constitution over him, with broad immunity from criminal prosecution granted by the Supreme Court, and without again facing accountability from the voters because of the two-term limit. That Trump dodged the military draft through fraud during the Cold War is sufficiently disqualifying alone because it demonstrates that when America needed him to serve, he failed to do his duty because of cowardice, a lack of patriotism, and selfishness. But the litany of other examples of his lack of good character proves this example not to be in isolation and that Trump is untrustworthy, which is why he could not even pass the lowest level of federal security clearance. He denigrated prisoners of war and minimized the suffering of soldiers and veterans from post-traumatic stress disorder. In office, Trump used the military as political props and sent them on political assignments. After lying during his 2016 that he was not continuing to do business with Russia, and then asking for and accepting election interference from that hostile foreign power on his behalf, and amplifying Russian propaganda and disinformation, he acted in ways favorable to Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, including trying to extort Ukraine to smear his leading political opponent with a baseless allegation by holding up defensive aid against Russia. Trump held up military aid against Russian aggression last year and favors appeasement of Russia, with which he has long had business interests. In addition to influencing his foreign policy, his financial self-interest was proven when his foundation was terminated because of fraud and his business found liable for fraud, and his inauguration committee forced to reimburse the public for overcharging. In office, his greed caused him to charge the Secret Service, which was only one example of constitutionally prohibited domestic emoluments, and even overcharge them, for protecting him. Trump violated the marriage vows he made with each of his three wives, which is why it was predictable that he would be unable to keep his oath of office, which he did by violating the Emoluments Clause and trying to overturn the legitimate results of an election to stay in power. In addition to adultery, he operated a strip club, denigrated women who pledge to practice chastity, boasted of sexual assault, and was found liable for sexual assault and defamation of the victim. Trump’s misogyny, along with his authoritarianism, has undermined the pro-life cause, instead of promoting it based on love and freedom. His authoritarianism violated the freedom of refugees seeking asylum from persecution, diminished the right of the public to know what financial conflicts of interest he had and what foreign influence there was on him in terms of debts or income (i.e. constitutionally prohibited foreign emoluments), and had a chilling effect on the freedom of expression by business leaders, among other violations of liberty. Trump’s authoritarian proclivities and fondness for foreign dictators increased oppression around the world as the United States forfeited its leadership for freedom and instead became a model of authoritarianism. The bigotry he exhibited as a businessman has led him to cruelty toward refugees and demagoguery against migrants. Trump’s narcissism leaves him vulnerable to flattery and influence, including by foreigners, as well as to sycophancy by subordinates, instead of encouraging honest advice. Together with his financial self-interest and fear of being held accountable for his crimes, Trump’s narcissism precluded him from being able to accept his loss of the 2020 presidential election and to promote lies and conspiracy theories that he had won, much as he lies and spreads falsehoods on many subjects. He not only refuses to disclose publicly his tax returns, but his health records and to submit to a thorough cognitive evaluation. In addition to his civil liabilities, Trump’s poor character has been proven by his convicted of election fraud for using campaign expenses to hide adultery from the public, the recommendation of the Special Counsel for impeachment for obstruction of justice of his probe into Russian election interference, his impeachment by the House of Representatives twice, his indictment in federal and state courts for trying to overturn the election, and his indictment for stealing federal records (including classified top-secret documents). In office, he pardoned criminals based on their political support of him, and has promised to pardon those complicit in the bloody January 6th Insurrection he incited, while he again refuses to accept the true result of the election if it were not favorable to him and his ego and personal self-interest. Trump’s character proves he is unable to place America’s interests above his own. He is unworthy to command anyone, let alone to serve as Commander in Chief. Trump is unworthy of any trust, let alone the highest trust in the land.

Republicans and Conservatives Unite Against Donald Trump and Trumpism

Millions of Republicans and conservatives, including many prominent leaders, opposed Donald Trump’s candidacy for President of the United States in 2016 and 2020, but the list is growing for the 2024 presidential election, including several senior officials from his own Administration and his own-recommended Vice President. Because the list of prominent anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives would be far too long for a post, this post is primarily about those who have been the most active in opposing Trump’s 2024 candidacy and Trumpism (a populist mix of protectionism, isolationism and nativism, none of which are conservative). There are dozens of prominent Republicans and conservatives who have endorsed and who are campaigning for the Democratic presidential and vice presidential ticket. A Republicans for Harris committee was formed from among prominent former Republican members of Congress or congressional staff and former Trump Administration staff, several of whom spoke at the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic presidential nominee has promised to appoint a Republican to her cabinet if she were elected, restoring a custom of appointing a member of the opposite major political party that had ended with Trump. There was an open letter written by a conservative Republican former federal judge and signed by 11 Republican lawyers who served in senior positions in Republican presidential administrations against Trump’s reelection. They write that he threatens representative government and the rule of law, express particular concern about the threat from the plans by his supporters to replace career public servants with those loyal only to Trump, and that he is “unfit, dangerous and detached from reality.” An open letter was signed by 238 anti-Trump Republican ex-staffers of the administration or campaign President Geroge W. Bush, and the offices or campaigns of the late Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, joined by 5 former staff members from President George H.W. Bush, which was up from 150 in 2020. They cited exit polling from battleground States that proved that conservative and Republican voters were responsible for the loss by the GOP and Trump-Pence Electors in the 2020 General Election. The anti-Trump signers wrote that Trump had led an insurrection based on his lies to try to overturn the election and would jeopardize representative government while he kowtows to Russia’s tyrant, Vladimir Putin, while turning his back on allies. Over 100 ex-Republican members of Congress and security officials from the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Trump Administrations signed an open letter opposing Trump’s election. The security officials said, "We firmly oppose the election of Donald Trump. As President, he promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests, and betrayed our values, democracy, and this country's founding documents.” “By inciting the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and defending those who committed it, he has violated his oath of office and brought danger to our country,” they write, before quoting Trump’s conservative former Vice President, Mike Pence, who has said that "anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.” Trump’s candidacy is opposed by former Republican Vice President Richard Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney, former U.S. Representative and House Republican Caucus Chairman Liz Cheney. The former conservative U.S. Representative, Defense Secretary and Vice President said that “there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump.” Including Cheney, every previous living Republican presidential or vice-presidential nominee is not voting for the Republican or Trump Electors. Former President George W. Bush, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan, and former Vice President Mike Pence do not support Trump’s candidacy. Some of them are among the growing group who had supported Trump previously, such as former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez under President George W. Bush, Former Republican U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Pat Toomey and the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, who are not supporting him this election. These prominent Republicans and conservatives are either voting for the Democratic Electors or writing in the names of other Republicans. By opposing Trump and Trumpism, these patriots are thus continuing to stand for the conservative and GOP principles of good character, equality, liberty, representative government, the rule of law, free trade, a strong defense, and American leadership in the world.