Fact: Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received almost three million more votes than President-elect Donald Trump.
Those who didn’t vote for Trump, as well as those who didn’t bother to vote, are left to endure the election and future leadership of the most unpopular president-elect in history. Even worse than winning the popular vote and losing the election is knowing that Clinton’s loss was at least partly (and maybe largely) due to interference by Russia.
Vladimir Putin has put untold numbers of law-abiding political dissidents in prison. His hand in the assassination of at least one political opponent appears beyond doubt, and his chums include the brutal Assad regime in Syria and Iran. Lying and subterfuge are his MO.
The New York Times reported that “A 2007 cyber attack on Estonia, a former Soviet republic that had joined NATO, sent a message that Russia could paralyze the country without invading it. The next year cyber attacks were used during Russia’s war with Georgia,” a country where Putin’s relentless terror campaign continues.
At home, the Times reported that “What started as an information-gathering operation …ultimately morphed into an effort to harm one candidate, Hillary Clinton, and tip the election to her opponent, Donald J. Trump.”
The Christian Science Monitor quoted the Republican Homeland Security Chairman as saying, “The Russians have basically hacked into both parties at the national level, and that gives us all concern about what their motivations are.” True to form, though, the Republican National Committee quickly denied the hack, and McCaul withdrew the comment — a response more akin to what a government underling might do in a less free country (like Russia). Republican denial of Russian interference in American elections is like Putin claiming his overthrow of Crimea was welcomed with open arms and that cyber espionage had nothing to do with it.
Before acting badly (AKA “politically incorrect”) became acceptable (to some), the major political parties and the American public pulled together (what a concept) to defend our nation. Today, only two Republican congressmen are willing to stand up with Democrats to put U.S. democracy above party goals.
“Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyber attacks,” said Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer and Jack Reed, members of a committee formed to get to the bottom of the attacks.
“This cannot become a partisan issue,” they said. “The stakes are too high for our country.”
Meanwhile, Trump tweets about the “ridiculousness” of Russian hacking, his fantasy landslide presidential victory, and the benefits of increasing nuclear armaments.
The interests and power of a foreign country, corporation, or other entity will increasingly twist the leadership of our nation, making it answer to interests other than those of our citizens. Is that what Americans want, expect and are ready to settle for — a disaster movie that ends with a formerly glorious republic that tragically, knowingly and avoidably loses its way, its integrity, and its power?
This election is an American, not a party, problem. Though it might be great for Putin, multinational corporations, and furthering plutocracy to put a puppet in charge of this nation, there’s no long-term value to Americans having a president who isn’t elected for and by the people. Add to that a government which will likely end up controlled by one increasingly ideological party and its puppeteers and there becomes an even greater concern, especially when that one-party government was created by international foul play, Dark Money, and a bottom-line whose goals don’t include you, your ohana, or our country’s best interests.
Of course, Republicans will likely impeach Trump even before they dismember Medicare, the Clean Air, Water, Endangered Species and Affordable Care acts and other programs that have helped protect natural resources for future generations and bridge the gaps between rich and poor. Americans will then be left with as dangerous a right-wing government as we’d have had if Trump had remained Clown in Chief.
But, still, it’s up to all Americans to stand behind President Barack Obama and other courageous leaders to insure that Exxon, PetroChina, or Putin aren’t the ones deciding who sits in the world’s most powerful seat.
Janice Palma-Glennie is a resident of Keauhou.