Albertans of sufficient age recall the bumper stickers we saw at the height of the National Energy Program in the early 1980s: “Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark.”
asserted
bastards → recall → dark
That was what it meant “to send a message” then, not staging a foolish referendum.
asserted
it → mean → referendum
The bumper sticker slogan was born of frustration and anger, but it was never an actual policy.
asserted
it → bear → frustration
Albertans were disgruntled but not disgusting; they did not seek to inflict suffering on others, easterners or otherwise.
asserted
they → seek → others
The time for disgusting policy has come, though, and in a most distressing place.
asserted
time → come → place
From the most powerful country on Earth, from the ostensible leader of the free world: Let the Ukrainian patriots freeze in the dark.
asserted
patriots → let → dark
That, in essence, is what the garrulous President Donald Trump means when he chastises the Ukrainians for bombing Russian oil refineries — including expressing a desire that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy be replaced — while blithely ignoring that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to bomb the Ukrainian electrical grid, to say nothing of the direct killing of civilians unrelated to military targets.
asserted
Putin → mean → targets
That Trump has been on Putin’s side has been evident for some time, ever since he campaigned on the promise to end Russia’s war on Ukraine “in one day.”
asserted
he → campaign → day
There are only two ways to end the war in one day — either Putin puts down his weapons and goes home, or Zelenskyy surrenders.
asserted
Zelenskyy → be → weapons
Trump has been clear that he prefers the latter.
asserted
he → prefer → latter
Since his return to office, Trump has laboured mightily to obtain a surrender from Ukraine for Putin, his kindred spirit, ally and potential grifting partner.
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Trump → labour → Putin
He has cut off direct aid, military and otherwise, to Ukraine.
asserted
He → cut → Ukraine
He raged at Zelenskyy in the Oval Office; he supplicated Putin in Alaska.
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he → rag → Alaska
With Ukraine still fighting, he is growing desperate.
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he → fight → ?
By purchasing diesel fuel from Russia — contrary to American law — and exempting Russia from sanctions, he is effectively funding war crimes against the Ukrainian people.
asserted
he → purchase → people
Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland suggested an answer this week when addressing the Warsaw Security Forum.
uncertain
Tusk → suggest → Forum
“Anyone who, through betrayal, stupidity or for money, seeks to weaken Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression is acting directly against their own people, their country’s security and its sovereignty,” Tusk said on Monday.
asserted
Tusk → seek → Monday
Tusk was directly addressing the astonishing phenomenon of pro-Russia parties in Poland — remarkably, there are not one, but two of them — but the “anyone” of whom he speaks would certainly include the Trump administration, the Trump special envoys, the Trump family and the Trump commercial interests.
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he → address → administration
Regarding the latest disgusting Trump turn against Kyiv, is it betrayal, stupidity or money?
asserted
it → regard → Kyiv
Betrayal suggests that once Trump was a loyal friend.
uncertain
Trump → suggest → ?
But ever since he was impeached (and later acquitted) for attempting to enlist Zelenskyy in a 2019 scheme to dig up dirt on the Biden family, Trump has regarded Ukraine as needing to be punished for causing him embarrassment.
asserted
Trump → impeach → embarrassment
Trump may not be, strictly speaking, capable of betrayal, which requires the existence of prior morally upright relationship.
uncertain
which → speak → relationship
Consider that the very missiles that Putin deploys against apartment buildings, electricity plants and civic infrastructure are the result of a longtime collaboration with Iran.
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Putin → consider → Iran
For many years, technology and production has been exchanged between Moscow and Teheran.
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technology → exchange → Moscow
It is widely reported that Russian intelligence has assisted Iran in its current war with the United States.
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intelligence → report → States
Trump is thereby directly enhancing Putin’s position, at the very time that Putin is indirectly supporting attacks on American bases, American soldiers and their Gulf allies.
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Putin → enhance → bases
That Trump is on Russia’s side regarding Putin’s aggression against Ukraine is scandalous.
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is → regard → Ukraine
It is worse than scandalous not to take your own side in your own war.
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It → take → war
Tusk had in mind Russia’s funding of sympathetic voices in Poland, just as it funnels money to some of the more prominent MAGA voices that undermine support for Ukraine.
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that → have → Ukraine
But it could also apply to Trump’s foreign policy, which from Qatar to Caracas is designed to fill the coffers of Trump’s family and friends.
uncertain
which → apply → family
When Trump’s special envoys visit Moscow, they discuss the family business openly, without shame.
asserted
they → visit → shame
The Aporia
