Back Story Newsletter
Good morning,
American Democracy
If you think the Jan 6 hearings are simply a partisan political exercise, and you won’t watch, you are living in some weird fantasy land where down is up, and you are as detached from reality as Donald Trump was in the days and weeks after the U.S. election.
The hearings are a bi-partisan parade of Trump’s former inner circle, with jarring descriptions about how he disregarded even his own A.G. Bill Barr who called his election fraud allegations “bullshit”. “I told him it was crazy stuff and he has become detached from reality”.
Every credible witness has testified in exceptionally clear terms that Trump wouldn’t accept his election loss because he wouldn’t allow a peaceful transition of power. It was all about power.
His former lawyer for instance Eric Herschmann confronted John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who pushed Trump's election lies, the day after the Capitol riot.
"I said to him, 'are you out of your effing mind,'" Herschmann told the committee about his conversation with Eastman. "'I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth for now on: orderly transition.'"
The election theft allegations were disproven over and over again, but Trump would only follow the advice of those who agreed with him like his drunken lawyer Giuliani to claim victory. Not because he should, but because he wouldn’t step aside and was bound and determined to steal the election himself even if that meant turning rioters on the Capitol and threatening to lynch his Vice President.
It doesn’t get old watching his inner circle, now finally compelled to come clean and testify publicly about what was going on in the Trump White House. It will rattle your faith in the fragility of democracy even in a great democracy like America.
Keeping Trump from successfully carrying out an armed insurrection came down to only a few people who stood against him. Trump was a monstrous threat to peace in America, and the survival of democracy.
Not only will the Jan hearings firmly convince you that Trump not be allowed to run for office again, he should be criminally prosecuted for trying to push an election lie and for triggering a deadly riot on the nations Capitol.
Although the prosecution of Trump, which is being considered now, will dangerously divide America even more. But if Trump is not brought to justice the dangers are also real.
N. Ireland
Britain is moving to tear up an agreement with Europe over N. Ireland and Brexit which removed the UK from the European Union but left Northern Ireland dangling in between as it shares a previously unregulated and open border with Ireland, an EU member.
The agreement is known as the N. Ireland protocol, and it was the EU which demanded it in the first place to prevent trade barriers between Ireland and N. Ireland. But the BREXIT deal did institute checks on goods between Britain and N. Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
Tearing up the protocol is against Int. law say supporters of the protocol including members of P.M. Johnson’s own political party.
But Johnson who is in danger of being squeezed out of power in Britain by his Conservative party, is looking for a political achievement and N. Ireland is something he has set his sights on even is it could stoke violence there.
“It’s all about this fight inside the Tory Party,” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Tony Blair, the former prime minister, and worked extensively on Northern Ireland. “They’re putting the interests of one man ahead of the interests of peace in Northern Ireland, and the interests of our relations with the E.U. and the U.S.”
The legislation would no longer recognize the authority of the European Court of Justice to settle disputes, which was always the corner stone to the long negotiations between London and Brussels over the protocol.
Ukraine War
If you have read the endless positive reports by western analysts over Ukraines achievements in the battle for eastern Ukraine, we may see a serious turn in a day or two that is a huge set back and a victory of sorts for Russia.
The city being fought over is the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in Luhansk, Severodonetsk. It may fall to Russian forces soon which control the centre of the city, or whats left of it. Most of the city is rubble now.
The battles have been ferocious with Russian artillery out numbering Ukrainian forces by 10 to 1.
The defeat in Serverodonestk poses huge questions for the west and its support of Ukraine. What is the long term plan for a war that could last years? How does Ukraine get weapons that can push back Russian forces? If Putin claims this area as “taken” what then? Odesa next? Another attack on Kyiv? Is a Baltic country next?
Russia is paying a heavy military price for its deadly adventure in Ukraine. More than 30 thousand Russian troops may have died. Hundreds of military vehicles are destroyed.
Putin who see’s himself as a reincarnation of Peter the Great, is undeterred so far by losses on the ground, or by sanctions on the Russian economy. And after nearly 4 months of war, the Russian army is creeping forward and Ukrainian desperation deepens.
Have a good morning all. Please share this news letter. Don’t read it once - subscribe to get it on a regular basis.
Dana Lewis