Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Things are not going so well in the Russian republic, as it is embroiled in a conflict in Ukraine that, if not resolved soon, will seem like the war in Afghanistan was a picnic. That is because the people of Ukraine are giving the Russians at this moment in time, more than they can handle. Russia, with its superior military, was seen as the antagonist who would in a “matter of weeks” pull off a resounding victory over the Ukraine military and Ukraine would once again be a part of Russia. There is only a short list of nations that are supporting the Putin regime, as that list may get a little shorter if the conflict is not resolved soon. NATO countries led by the U.S. can continue to supply military firepower to Ukraine at a much faster rate than Russian can to its troops. Speaking of lists, perhaps in an effort to take the world’s attention away from the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian government has issued a list of banned Americans that if they were, are no longer welcomed in their country anymore. While the list contained names of whom one would expect, there was one name in particular that would get people talking. If anyone said that name was Donald Trump, step to the head of the line. The list according to media reports is permanent, as many of the names released were no surprise, but some names that one would have thought to be on the list, were not. So, with a big drum roll, here are the names that in the words of Sarah Palin, can only “see” Russia from her front door. That’s about as close as these banned people will get to Russia. Number one on the list was of course, President Joe Biden followed by VP Kamala Harris and some members of Biden’s Cabinet. Hillary Clinton made the list which to this reporter is strange because you-know-who asked them to turn over her so-called missing emails when he was running for president. Sounds as if Clinton could have been “an asset” to Trump, as Russia clearly wanted Trump to win, but what a strange way to do business. Let’s give a little credit to the ex-president, because two of Trump’s least favorite presidents were also not on the list. They were former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Obama is somewhat of a surprise because Mr. Obama and Vladimir Putin didn’t exactly have the same kind of relationship (not asking for favors) as he(Putin) did with Trump. Maybe Bush wasn’t on the list because Bush once said that he could “look into Putin’s soul” and “see” that he wasn’t as bad as people made him out to be. You missed that one George. There were names of dead people like former Sens John McCain and Harry Reid which would suggest that the list was compiled years ago, perhaps encouraging Trump supporters to say that was why his name was not on the list. Nonetheless, Trump was doing business with Russia before he became president (remember the beauty pageant and the so-called tape), as if that was his second home. Also on the list were Republicans in Congress who made the banned directory. Democrats, no surprise there, but some Republicans who have not been in Congress long. Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz along with Democrats like Alexandria Cortez Ocasio and Llhan Omar who are not exactly seasoned vets in Congress like Lindsey Graham. Yes, he made the list. And Ted Cruz. Graham, like Cruz, who has been some of Trump’s staunchest supporters in recent years watch what they say about Russia with carefully chosen words. One has to wonder just who made up this list. Why Graham made the list is somewhat of a mystery, but not Cruz. Cruz is the guy that politicians, even in his own party, just dislike the guy. Maybe the Russians still saw Cruz as a guy who didn’t “have the hutzpah” to stand up to Trump when he was running for president. Cruz, as we all remember, sat by and watched Trump insult his family by calling his wife “not so beautiful” while campaigning, then make reference to his father being involved in the JFK assassination. And then, who can forget Cruz running off to Mexico to lay on the beach while his constituents in Houston and other areas of his district were freezing/dying during the infamous winter freeze several years ago. Perhaps the Russians saw some “failed leaderships qualities” in the senator. Not exactly Putin-like was Mr. Cruz.

There were 963 names on the list with over 230 members of Congress included. That meant that the names were a cross-section of other individuals who must have done/said something

that the Russian government didn’t like. There were people such as Mark Zuckerberg, who if he was living in Russia, would be considered an oligarch. George Stephanopoulos, a journalist at ABC News made the list. The world is aware of how Mr. Putin feels about journalists who report from the opposition, a trait that is seemed to be shared by the guy who didn’t make the list. Then there was Morgan Freeman, one of America’s favorite actors who seems to get better as he ages. Something like Sam Jackson. Freeman made the list because he “was part” of a 2017 video criticizing Russia for conspiring to interfering in the country’s 2016 presidential election when you-know-who was running. Fast forward to 2022, the majority of names on the list are in opposition to the conflict in Ukraine. Trump has not exactly been leading any opposition to the Russian invasion, because who could forget Mr. Trump asking the Ukraine government to dig up dirt on Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, that would have helped him to defeat Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Anymore reasons why he didn’t make the list? Remember, the world is watching. So is God.