Opinion

What do the Democrats propose to do about Russia?

The media avoids asking them that question, because it would undo everything.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, July 16, 2018. Credit: Shealah Craighead/Official White House Photo.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, July 16, 2018. Credit: Shealah Craighead/Official White House Photo.
Daniel Greenfield
Daniel Greenfield is an Israeli-born journalist and columnist with nearly 20 years of experience writing for conservative publications. His work spans national and international stories, covering politics, history, and culture. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with industry legends like David Horowitz, interviewed senators and congressmen, and shared the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges. His first book, Domestic Enemies: The Founding Fathers' Fight Against the Left, explores the forgotten struggles that shaped America’s early history.

The news hasn’t been about the news in a while. It’s a means of weaponizing and deploying strategic narratives for political gain. So it’s obvious why the media is amplifying the story about Russia providing bounties for the Taliban to kill American soldiers.

Let’s get past the question of whether it happened or not. Russia doing exactly the stuff it’s been doing for generations wouldn’t be surprising. Nor would the media making up stuff. But what’s the actual point beyond, once again, playing the Russia card against Trump? Specifically, what should we be doing?

The media and Democrats have us in scandal mode with lots of, “What did Trump know” stories. Okay, but what does it matter?

The Trump administration sanctioned Russia far more than Obama did, but sanctions accomplish fairly little, especially when targeting a major world power with whom we have a much more limited trade relationship than we do with, say, China.

The Democrats and the media are pushing the “Trump should do something” line, but neglect to specify what he should do.

It’s obvious why. When pressed their answer will be some unromantic form of sanctions with added adjectives thrown in. None of them want to call for a military response, even as over the years they’ve compared Russia’s actions to Pearl Harbor.

The media avoids asking Democrats that question because it would undo everything.

Instead there are lots of demands for “information” and “answers,” but no actual proposals. And the Russia card would go away if Republicans simply asked Democrats what they proposed to do, beyond more sanctions. Because the answer would be hot air.

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical left and Islamic terrorism.

This article was first published by FrontPage Magazine.

The opinions and facts presented in this article are those of the author, and neither JNS nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
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