Category: Foreign Policy

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Foreign Policy GOP U.S. Senate WTF?!

Rand Paul Says He Won’t Help Ukraine Until Funds For ‘Sexually Promiscuous’ Quails Are Cut From The Budget

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) continues to hold up a $40 billion aid package to our Ukrainian allies because he claims the federal budget already contains too much waste.

According to Mediaite, Paul suggested on Tuesday that birds on cocaine were his biggest concern:

“If the defense of Ukraine is really in our national security interests, shouldn’t the gift come from our military budget?” Paul asked. “What about cutting wasteful spending? My office cataloged over $50 billion in waste.”

Paul referenced several unusual spending items, including money to fund studies on selfies, Panamanian frogs, and sneezing in cafeterias. Then came the crème de la crème.

“Couldn’t we maybe cut the money spent on Japanese quail studying whether or not they’re more sexually promiscuous or not when you give them cocaine?” he asked.

And this isn’t the first time Sen. Paul has brought up cokehead quails as a reason to not fund necessary priorities like U.S. national security. He did the same thing in 2018, the Washington Post reports:

You can look up data on NIH grants. This particular research was called “Enhancement of Sexual Motivation” and it did, in fact, receive $873,503 from the agency over the course of its progress. But that funding ended more than five years ago. It ended before Paul raised it in 2018.”

Here’s the video of Paul’s 2018 coke-quail rant:

It should also be noted that the study cited by Paul actually has practical applications in humans, as Scientific American has explained:

“There is already an extensive literature on drugs like cocaine, how it impacts various behaviors and how it acts in, and changes, the brains. But we don’t know everything by any means, and we certainly don’t know enough about mechanism to treat cocaine addiction effectively. Studies to understand how cocaine impacts every behavior are important to our understanding of the drug and how we can combat its effects.”

Supposedly, Rand Paul is a doctor. But he sounds more like a coke-addled strutting rooster. Then again, at least a rooster serves some purpose, unlike the junior senator from the Blue Grass State.

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Foreign Policy GOP U.S. Senate

McConnell Slams Rand Paul For Holding Up Aid To Ukraine After Meeting With Zelensky

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is not happy with the junior GOP senator from his state, Rand Paul, and remarks he made after returning from Ukraine and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made that crystal clear.

Burgess Everett of Politico notes that McConnell is trying to make sure Republicans such as Paul don’t stray too far away from the GOP fold:

“It’s Mitch McConnell vs. MAGA when it comes to Ukraine. At least a half-dozen Republican senators are expected to oppose the aid bill, according to one Republican senator. And in private meetings, an increasing number of GOP senators have questioned various aspects of the request.”

Earlier this week, Paul single-handedly held up a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine right as they seem to be turning the tide against Russia and Vladimir Putin, who is reportedly about to undergo surgery for what has been described as “blood cancer.”

McConnell had this to say about aid to Ukraine:

“It’s in America’s interest to do this. This is not a charity we’re involved in here. It’s in our interests to help Ukrainians just like it’s in the interest of NATO countries. So this is not some handout.”

Asked about Paul’s opposition to the aid package, McConnell quickly asserted his primacy over Senate Republicans, adding what certainly sounded like a jab at his colleague:

“Well, it’s no secret. Rand and I have a different world view of the importance of Americans’ role around the world. So that was not surprising. And it won’t create a problem. We’ll get the job done by Wednesday.”

Did you hear that, Rand? It’s a done deal, and you’d best start doing as you’re told by the head of your Senate caucus. If not, don’t expect any favors in the future.

Don’t be surprised if the aid package passes first thing Monday morning with Rand Paul’s full support.

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Congress Foreign Policy GOP Russia

Marjorie Taylor Greene Melts Down After A GOP Colleague Applauds Destruction Of The Russian Military

Making it clear yet again that she understands absolutely nothing about foreign policy or the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) attacked a fellow Republican simply because he dared to applaud the destruction of Russia’s military by Ukrainian freedom fighters.

According to Newsweek, Greene pitched an online hissy fit in response to a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine:

On Tuesday, the House approved the package, about $7 billion more than President Joe Biden requested, giving Ukraine military and economic assistance to help fend off Russian troops. The following day, Greene slammed Crenshaw on Twitter for supporting the package.

The back and forth between Crenshaw and Greene began when he responded on Twitter to a person who criticized him for this vote in support of the military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine:

That led Greene to interject herself into the online debate:

“So you think we are funding a proxy war with Russia? You speak as if Ukrainian lives should be thrown away, as if they have no value. Just used and thrown away. For your proxy war? How does that help Americans? How does any of this help?”

Crenshaw, however, was more than equal to the task of retaliation against Greene:

“Still going after that slot on Russia Today huh?”

Oddly, Greene then suggested that aid to Ukraine was fueling inflation in the United States:

“Sanctions aren’t stopping anything, but they are driving inflation and fuel prices. I refuse to vote for useless measures that cause problems but solve none. While you send $40 billion for your proxy war against Russia, I’m focused on baby formula for American babies.”

Perhaps it’s time we took a closer look at Congresswoman Greene’s finances. Has she accepted any money from Russia or Russian interests?

 

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Donald Trump Elections Foreign Policy

Saudi Arabia Investing Billions To Help Bankroll Trump’s 2024 Political Comeback: Report

 

If failed, one-term, twice-impeached former President Donald Trump does indeed decide to run in 2024, he’ll not only have the advantage of name recognition. Thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he’ll also have a massive funding advantage.

The Washington Post editorial board notes that the $2 billion the Saudis recently gave to former White House aide Jared Kushner is a sign that Saudi Arabia is ready to do whatever is necessary to assure that Trump gets a second term in office:

It’s a troubling arrangement — in many ways. The crown prince’s (Mohammed bin Salman) financial backing despite contrary business considerations looks to all the world like a lucrative reward to Mr. Kushner. And it creates the additional impression that what MBS is really investing in is not some real estate venture but the Trump family’s political future — specifically, a possible White House comeback by Mr. Kushner’s father-in-law if he runs again, and wins, in the 2024 presidential election.

Moves the Saudis have made since Joe Biden became president are proof that they have no desire to see the United States succeed unless Trump is in power, which is counter to everything a strategic ally is supposed to be:

“It is yet another sign — along with his refusal to raise crude oil production when the Biden administration sought help tamping down gas prices — that MBS sees his government not as a U.S. ally, but as the ally of one side in domestic partisan politics. We look forward, though not with bated breath, to Republican outrage over the Saudi-Kushner connection being at least equal to that being vented over Hunter Biden. There should be nothing partisan about ridding U.S. foreign policy of even the appearance of self-interest by those who conduct it.”

Even though the 2024 election remains more than two and a half years away, the Saudi government is already laying down its markers by bribing Kushner. They expect to get their money’s worth if and when Trump is again in the White House. If that happens, the rest of the world will know that American democracy is dead.

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Donald Trump Foreign Policy Fox News Vladimir Putin

Hannity Urges Trump To Denounce Putin – Failed POTUS Rants About NATO Instead

Failed, one-term, twice-impeached former President Donald Trump was asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday evening during a phone interview if he thought Russian mass murderer Vladimir Putin was evil.

Rather than denounce Putin, Trump attacked the NATO alliance.

Hannity asked the ex-president:

“I asked you the last time you were on, whether you think that this is evil in our time. Do you believe this is evil in our time?”

Trump replied:

“I think in 100 years people are gonna look back and they’re gonna say, how did we stand back and NATO stand back, which in many ways I’ve called the paper tiger.

“Don’t forget, I rebuilt NATO because when I became president, the first thing I noticed when I went there to the first meeting, was that most of the countries were not paying, or were paying far less than they were supposed to. There were only eight out of 28 countries that were paid in full.”

As images of dead bodies buried in mass graves were shown on the screen, Trump also bragged about what good friends he is with the Russian dictator:

“I knew Putin very well. Almost as well as I know you, Sean. I will tell you, we talked about it, we talked about it a lot, he did want Ukraine, but I said, ‘You’re not going into Ukraine.’ He would never, ever have gone into Ukraine.”

Based on what he said Wednesday and has said in the past, it’s painfully clear that if Trump runs in 2024 and wins, Putin will have a green light to invade any country he wants while the United States stands by and watches without responding.