Mainstream media and Trump-Putin summit
Solly Rakgomo | Friday July 6, 2018 14:07
They’re all trying to compete to show how clear they are on Russia’s adversarial character, and how important it is to challenge its relentless “aggression” (Syria and Ukraine being the current putative examples) and revive or maintain a Cold War atmosphere. What can be more heretical to Americanness itself than to call for friendship with Russia?
Think of it this way. During his presidential campaign, Trump was taken to task for comments that were offensive, outrageous, puzzling, stupid, wrong, racist, bigoted, and misogynistic. He was also taken to task for asking the simplest of rational questions: “Why can’t we get along with Russia?” This was generally treated, along with his open question of NATO’s continued relevance, as an indication of dangerous naivete. But at the time it drew less attention than his truly ridiculous remarks about Mexicans, Muslims, women and humans in general, and the fake press. Since many thought he was unlikely to be elected, his idiosyncratic comments on Russia were not a big issue.
Wild-eyed Hillary Clinton in the debates accused Trump of being a Putin puppet, mainly because he hadn’t embraced her neoconservative-like militarism and failed to denounce Russia, as she so loved to do at every turn. After the election a shell-shocked mainstream media first blamed Hillary’s defeat on James Comey. But then Obama ordered an investigation of “Russian election meddling.” and the intelligence community produced the Jan. 6, 2017 report attempting to prove that there was some indeed meddling. From that point the media has continuously encouraged speculation that Trump is somehow beholden to Putin. That is, the real reason Hillary lost is because Russia supported Trump.
This is how to bring Trump down. By the Russian connection! Furthermore Trump’s proposition that Russia rejoin the G7 was met with howls of execration. Now some are speculating that he’ll agree to withdraw US troops from Poland, where they’re stationed near the Russian border. People one associates with progressive politics lead the charge against Trump, the charge of a “strange,” hard-to-explain disinclination to criticise Putin as an assassin, invader and that guy who wants to restore the Soviet Union as he threatens his neighbours in the Baltics!
In the upcoming summit, I would be delighted if Trump and Putin agree that due to the provocative expansion of NATO under Trump’s predecessors, from who he wishes to dissociate himself, and the pro-NATO coup in Ukraine in 2014, Russia needed to take over Crimea to maintain its naval bases there. Understanding this, US could agree to lift sanctions and to encourage other nations to do so too. It would be awesome if the two nations agree that NATO won’t expand eastward to include either Ukraine or Georgia.
The US could agree to support the rights of ethnic Russians in the Baltic States and not depict Russian support for those rights as constituting a military threat. The two nations could agree to suspend large-scale military drills in Eastern Europe indefinitely.
I would love to hear that the two leaders agree that the Syrian Arab Army backed by Russian forces is winning and should win the conflict in Syria. Because the alternative would be Iraq-like chaos or firm rule by child-beheaders, temple-destroyers, and guys who burn people alive in cages (ISIS). They could agree that the uninvited US forces will withdraw from Syria since their stated goal of defeating ISIL has largely been met. I’d welcome Trump’s repetition of his proposal at the G7 meeting that Russia be readmitted to the group. Not because I like imperialist forums in general, but because I think Russian involvement in this one would reduce world tensions and the likelihood of war. All of this would be very rational, but surely provoke demands for Trump’s impeachment by his opponents in the USA.
I am of a strong view that the Putin-Trump summit could produce a deal that produces some relief from the sanctions imposed in 2014, in return for some Russian shift on Syria or Ukraine that could be depicted as a serious concession by Trump’s State Department. Europe could then embrace the deal and follow suite in lifting sanctions and even agree to Russia’s readmission into the G7/G8.
Either prospect fills the mainstream media with fear and trembling. Any concession to Russia at Helsinki (Finland) will be treated as treason. If the Europeans follow Trump’s leadership, it will be a major victory for him (and Putin). If they don’t, the US media may tend to generally support Europe versus the president, expanding on the theme of Russian meddling in US politics and denouncing Trump for damaging ties with the US’ closest allies.
Beside that the summit will be a total failure leaving both leaders looking grim at the end. I have a feeling that’s what mainstream journalists such as Rachel Maddow want. Rachel was a great journalist during the Iraq War, but then became a Hillary follower and hawk. These days her Russophobia corrupts her every utterance. She does appear to gnash her teeth at times as she speaks of Trump and Russia. But she is only one extreme example of mainstream media’s journalists and commentators eager to bring Trump down due to his supposed Russian connections. For them that project overrides concern about small matters like world peace.