Foreign Digest: France, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Georgia and the Gaza Strip

France: The anti-migrant pro-Russian far-right French party leader was convicted and sentenced for embezzlement of European Union parliamentary funds. She was banned from standing for President for 5 years. Her populist party had lost the parliamentary and EU parliamentary elections, despite gaining votes and seats in each body. France is governed by a centrist coalition government backed by the center-right and the EU is ruled by a center-right-led coalition. The far-right French leader’s party is in the EU parliamentary group with other far-right anti-migrant populist parties, several of which are also pro-Russian. She is favored by the Trumpist far-right. Zimbabwe: There was a protest against the corrupt socialist authoritarian President of Zimbabwe, whose party has ruled since independence from the United Kingdom in 1980. There were mass arrests of the protestors. Hungary: There have been more mass protests against the far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian corrupt autocratic Hungarian President. As I have posted, a center-right party has emerged as the leading opposition to the Hungarian strongman who has ruled the former Soviet satellite State for 14 years and who is a darling of the Trumpist far-right. Georgia: There have been more mass protests against the pro-Russian authoritarian Georgian Government because of its fraudulent re-election last year and decision to end the former Soviet Republic’s candidacy for the European Union. The Russian Federation invaded the south Caucasus State in 2008, setting up puppet states in two breakaway territories and keeping Russian troops there. Georgians prefer closer ties to Europe and the West. Gaza Strip: There were more protests against Hamas, the Iranian-backed Islamist terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip, and its policy of war against the neighboring Jewish State of Israel.

Former Vice President Mike Pence to Receive the Profile in Courage Award for Fulfilling His Constitutional Duty and Standing up to Trump’s Pressure to Overturn the Election Results

Former United States Vice President Michael Pence will receive the 2025 Profile in Courage Award. The former U.S. Representative and Governor of Indiana was Donald Trump’s recommended Republican vice presidential nominee in 2016. The GOP ticket was elected through massive election fraud, through deception, intimidation, illegal campaign finance activity and foreign interference, including by a hostile foreign power, Russia, which Trump and his campaign invited, welcomed and accepted. Once in office, the conservative Pence mostly was silent during Trump’s term, even though the Framers of the Constitution imagined the Vice President, whose only constitutional role is as President of the Senate, as a check on the President, not a sycophant. Pence seldom objected, even internally, while Trump engaged in dishonesty and corruption, was unable to put America’s interests above his own, violated the Constitution and implemented policies anathema to conservatism. After Trump was defeated for reelection in 2020, but was unable or unwilling to accept the results, he and his supporters pressured Pence as President of the Senate to reject the count of the Electors for Trump’s opponent, Democratic nominee Joseph Biden, on the false basis of election fraud claims that every Republican elections official and judge had rejected. Trump and his supporters demanded Pence exercise a role beyond presiding over the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021 to count the votes and thus certify the results, but to impose his arbitrary judgment against the counting of valid ballots by Electors for Biden. Some Trumpists even threatened to kidnap or kill Pence and other congressional leaders. Inspired by Trump’s lies and inflammatory statements and aided by his refusal to send forces to restore order and allow the constitutional process to continue, they attacked the Capitol in an effort to thwart the counting of the ballots to keep Trump in power. Trump was later impeached for his incitement of insurrection in the most bipartisan impeachment by the House and votes of conviction by the Senate, but by that point his term had already ended and he was acquitted. Several hundred insurrectionists were charged with federal crimes and pleaded guilty or were convicted and sentenced, including to imprisonment on various charges from trespassing on federal property to theft, assault of law enforcement officers and even seditious conspiracy, but Trump commuted or pardoned them, as he still baselessly insists he won the election and that the convictions were partisan, etc. But Pence steadfastly resisted the pressure from Trump and threats from Trump’s violent supporters and remained steadfast to his constitutional duty by declining to reject unilaterally the Electoral College votes for Biden and presiding over the certification of the vote for the Democratic nominee and thus the defeat of Trump and himself for reelection. Thus, with two weeks remaining in their terms, the Vice President had finally and decisively exercised his constitutional check on Trump and thereby allowed the transfer of power and defended the republic from usurpation by an autocrat determined to remain in power by any means. Pence endured harsh criticism and threats by Trumpists for defending the integrity of the presidential election. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, running on a principled conservative platform and maintaining, as the other candidates agreed, except for Trump, that he had done the right thing in courageously resisting Trump’s pressure to abuse his power, but the Trumpified GOP nevertheless rejected him and other anti-Trump and non-Trumpist conservative candidates. Pence has since bravely continued to speak out in favor of conservative principles and against Trump’s non-conservative nominations and policies, both personally and through the conservative organization he founded, Advancing American Freedom. The prestigious Profiles in Courage Award is presented by the family of former President John F. Kennedy, inspired by the book the Democrat had authored, Profiles in Courage, about American political leaders who risked their political careers to resist political pressure and to do what was right for America.

More Republican and Conservative Pushback against Trump and Trumpism

There continues to be more resistance to Donald Trump and Trumpism (the populist mix of protectionism, nativism, isolationism and imperialism) by Republicans and conservatives, including pushback from Republicans in Congress and state elected GOP officials, as I had posted previously, the latter of which I shall post about separately. These examples are in addition to the federal judiciary’s stiff resistance from demands by Trump and Trumpist officials and members of Congress for it to abandon its constitutional role of inerpreting the Constitution and law and to conduct judicial review of Executive Branch actions to let the Chief Executive rule as an autocrat. Trump’s anti-vaccine nominee for CDC Director was recently forced to withdraw because of opposition from non-Trumpist Republican Senators. The informal rejection of another Trump nominee maintains the Senate’s constitutional Advice and Consent power, which had been undermined by Trumpist demands for the Senate to approve every nominee, contrary to the point of the constitutional checks and balances between the Branches of government. The Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, a Republican, and Ranking Member, a Democrat, jointly requested the Department of Defense’s acting Inspector General to conduct an inquiry into the Signal scandal, in which Trump’s most senior security and defense officials and the Vice President participated in discussions of attack plans against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been obstructing international shipping on a non-secure private platform and mistakenly included a journalist. The Committee letter was addressed to the acting IG because Trump had fired all the Inspectors General to diminish accountability. The Pentagon’s acting IG will conduct an inquiry into the Signal scandal. Four Republican Senators voted in favor of a Democratic-sponsored resolution to terminate Trump’s emergency declaration against ally and major trading partner Canada to justify the imposition of tariffs, a tax on imports paid by domestic importers and usually passed along to customers, on Canadian goods. The resolution passed. Another GOP Senator sponsored a bipartisan bill to reclaim congressional authority on tariffs, which has been delegated by the Legislative Branch to the Executive Branch. Trump has imposed tariffs not only on Canada, but on every ally, as well as many other foreign countries, because Americans prefer to buy more imports, either because they are less expensive than similar domestically produced goods, are not domestically produced, or are of better quality than domestic goods, not because of unfair trade practices by the foreign countries. Protectionism, the policy of imposing tariffs not for security or human rights reasons or as punishment for unfair trade practices, but to “protect” domestic production. This, protectionist tariffs are tax increases that limit economic freedom, discourage competition and thus efficiency and improvement of products, damage relations with foreign States and invite retaliatory tariffs from them, and decrease global prosperity. Congress has delegated authority to the President to declare emergencies to impose tariffs without express congressional authority, a power that has led to abuses by Trump in both terms of declaring emergencies on flimsy or non-existent grounds, even against close allies and trading partners. I shall continue to post about Republican and conservative pushback against Trump and Trumpism.

More Christian Resistance to Trump and Trumpism

There continues to be resistance by Christians against Donald Trump and Trumpism, the populist mix of protectionism, nativism, isolationism and imperialism, characterized by dishonesty, corruption, disloyalty, cruelty and authoritarianism. Like a significant portion of Republicans and conservatives, many Christian organizations and leaders have spoken out or taken steps to push back against the most immoral Trump Administration policies, as I had posted previously. Several examples stand out as noteworthy. There was a lawsuit filed by 27 religious groups against the Trump Administration over threats to make arrests of migrants in places of worship, including in cases in which there was no imminent danger. The compromise of the safety of religious sanctuary for migrants has a chilling effect on their freedom to worship. Similarly, the Trump Administration has adopted a policy of arrests of migrant children in schools, which discourages parents from sending their children to receive education. A group of 100 Christian leaders signed a letter against Trump’s mass deportations and cuts in foreign humanitarian aid. The aid is not only an act of charity, but a means to advance American prestige, and encourage stability, prosperity and liberty. The Trump Administration cuts of aid are creating a need that is being filled by a major adversary to global security, liberty and representative government, namely Communist China. Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has repeatedly condemned hatred and inhumane treatment of migrants and refugees fleeing persecution, war, terrorism or disaster. While acknowledging legitimate state concerns for security, the Argentine Bishop of Rome encourages lives to be saved, and migrants and refugees who do not pose any threat to be welcomed and integrated. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a strongly worded statement against Trump’s harsh policies against migrants and have filed suit over the withdrawal of U.S. funding for settlement of refugees granted legal status assigned to the USCB and other charities by the U.S, which relies upon religious (often Christian organizations) and other private organizations to resettle migrants. Trump’s withdrawal of federal funds to the contracted organizations is an unconstitutional impoundment by the Executive Branch of funds appropriated by the Legislative Branch. Among the federal funds withdrawn by the Trump Administration were even reimbursements for previous expenses incurred by the organizations. I shall continue to post about Christians resisting Trump and Trumpism, as well as resistance by Republicans and conservatives.

The Worst Measles Outbreak in America in Decades

Through vaccination, the United States had nearly eradicated the measles virus, the most contagious disease, by the early 2000s, but an increase in vaccine hesitancy has rendered the American people vulnerable, particularly unvaccinated children, which has led to multiple outbreaks of measles and other nearly eradicated contagious debilitating and deadly diseases, as I have posted. The worst outbreak in America in decades is currently in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas, with nearly 600 cases and at least two deaths since late last year. Most cases are not reported, however. Nearly all the victims were unvaccinated, mostly children. There are currently smaller outbreaks in other States, including Pennsylvania. As I have posted, the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, like vaccines against other preventable diseases, is scientifically proven to be safe and effective. But some far-left and far-right idealogues and some libertarians, do not believe in the proven science, or at least in mandatory vaccination to safeguard those who are unable to be vaccinated for certain health reasons. Their erroneous beliefs, amplified by Russian disinformation, have decreased heard immunity in Europe and America and caused many outbreaks of preventable diseases that had once been endemic, but through vaccination campaigns in the last Twentieth Century, had become rare. The Trump Administration’s Secretary of Health, the infamous anti-vaccine liberal Democrat Robert Kennedy, Jr., ordered a study of the safety of the vaccines, even though abundant studies have disproved theories of links to autism, for example, or any other significant adverse effects, instead of vociferously promoting vaccination as the most effective means against measles. Instead of contributing to the spread of disease, it is responsible and moral, and thus Christian and conservative, to protect not only oneself and one’s family, but the community, especially those members of which who cannot be vaccinated, by receiving all recommended vaccinations.

Annual Blog Visit Report

There were hundreds of visits to my blog in the last year, according to StatCounter, which has been tracking visits to my blog for 16 years, even with my strict definition of visits. I count only pageviews at least one hour apart as separate visits, do not count the many visits for which StatCounter could not identify the specific blog page that was visited, do not count my own visits. As I have noted in previous annual reports, StatCounter tracks far fewer visits than the blog host, Blogger, as visitors increasingly use blocking tools to avoid tracking or at least specific search parameters, but StatCounter tracks them in much more specific detail. Despite the strict definition and the blocking, there have now been nearly 7,800 visits to my blog. As usual, at least a plurality of them come from America, with a significant number of them coming from around the world. As has been the trend in recent years, more visits land on my blog homepage than to specific posts. There are many repeat visits. Note: the glitch that has prevented line spacing and indentation, and thus paragraphs, as well as the posting of hyperlinks, has continued. Thank you for visiting my blog. Please continue to visit regularly, as I plan to continue to address the challenges facing America, the world and conservatism in these difficult times.