General Flynn and the Russians
I’d like to say I’m perplexed about the events that led up to General Flynn’s resignation. But I’m not. The whole episode is political in nature, and it’s not good for our country.
The idea that Flynn was dishonest, or at a minimum less than forthcomong with President Trump and or Vice President Pence is ample reason for his resignation, so I’m not defending him or arguing that his forced resignation was unjust. The resignation does raise several questions in my mind, though.
What is the crime of one our officials talking to the Russians in the first place? That is not to say the Russians under Putin are misunderstood good guys, or anything of that kind. But I can’t fathom how an incoming US official shouldn’t be able to make contact with and establish relationships with other superpowers in our dangerous world. I have not heard any allegations that he made any deal to commit treason or curry favor for personal gain. At its most basic level, the idea that any contact with Russia is in its own right problematic escapes me. In no way do I believe Flynn was selling us, the American people, out. The furor over ‘talking to the Russians’ seems far more opportunism on the part of Trump Administration adversaries in the political, governmental, and mass media world than anything resembling actual wrongdoing. Who stands to gain politically or in some other way by bringing down Trump Administration officials?
Who in the intelligence community is leaking this information to the press? I don’t know that the leaks are criminal in nature, but I do find them highly problematic. If the leaks were/are illegal in nature, I hope that the Trump Administration and Justice Department under Attorney General Sessions will investigate thoroughly and identify the leakers and peel the onion layer by layer to determine who is behind leaking. If the Flynn contacts with Russia were indeed illegal, then I could understand the idea that someone, or several or many someones in intelligence community are in the role of whistleblower. Short of that, as it hasn’t been shown to be the case that I know of, the leaks aren’t of a whistleblower’s nature, but rather they’re more of a political sting operation. That, in my opinion, is wrong and inappropriate. Who stands to gain political or some other kind of strategic advantage by leaking information to the press to undermine the Trump presidency?
Lastly, what is this obsession from the left, the press, and Obama administration’s holdover officials with Russia? As I said earlier, I’m not claiming the Russians are good guys. But it seems to me the left is wrangling for conflict with Russia, and I don’t understand it. This first became clear to me in the second presidential debate between Secretary Clinton and now President Trump. Clinton spoke of the Russians using fully adversarial Cold War style rhetoric. Personally I’m far more interested and concerned with Iran and radical Islam, who are actively engaged in agression against the western world and the U.S. Who gains financially, politically, or in some other way from engaging in this rhetoric about the Russians?
So, I’m not bemoaning Flynn’r resignation. If he wasn’t forthcoming with the President and Vice President, then I’m fine with his resignation. But even so, I don’t understand that the actual contact he made with the Russians was wrong on its face or why. I don’t like the idea that there are forces within the U.S. intelligence community actively working to undermine the President and his administration. If this leaking is criminal in nature, I’d like to see it prosecuted to the full extent of the law and the forces behind it, all the way to the top of whatever food chain it feeds from are exposed and disclosed to the American people. And lastly, I hope this unhealthy obsession with the Russians, and our provocations of them will cease. We don’t need a war with Russia. We have other real adversaries who we need to have a more singular focus on. Perhaps some of them are political opportunists right here within our own government.
