Not So Sartorial Splendor

It has now been more than three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since that time we have all had a chance to learn where on a map you could find this former Soviet State. This does not, however, mean that your average American has taken the time to do so. Nor does it mean that your average American has taken the time to understand any of the history involved in this conflict. 

To be completely transparent, your average American President over these past three years didn't happen to be a Republican. All the hand-wringing and tough talk about pushing back against the Russian invaders has come primarily from (checks notes) The Biden Administration. Not wanting to tip the scales in the direction of all-out World War, American aid to this country that is twice the size of Italy but only slightly smaller than Texas. I would expect that if Texas or Italy came under attack from Russia, Joe Biden would probably have moved more decisively to protect either one. 

But let's all remember that over these past three years, there was something called "checks and balances" in place in the government of the United States. This meant that the Biden Administration was regularly at odds with a Congress that did not simply sign the checks that might have gone to pay for military aid to Ukraine. Instead, this war has been something of a political football match, keeping in mind that we are the country on the planet that thinks we know what football is. 

And so the war continues in Ukraine. More than forty thousand civilians have lost their lives while brave Ukranian fighters have fought back against the imperially minded Russian forces. 

Yes. I have taken a stand here that has become somewhat unpopular here in a MAGAt-infested United States. I see Ukraine as the good guys. Their president,  Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former comedian and TV personality has taken to wearing clothes befitting of a man whose country is at war. This stands in contrast to his earliest days in office when he showed up to meet the US "president" at that time who happened to be Not Joe Biden. This was in 2019, right around the time that Not Joe Biden made his "perfect phone call" asking President Zelenskyy to try and dig up some dirt on Joe Biden's son. In exchange, Not Joe Biden would look into getting some military aid for Ukraine in exchange for this dirt to stave off what appeared to be Russian aggression on their borders. Not Texas or Italy. 

For this Not-So-Perfect phone call, Not Joe Biden was impeached. The first time. For election interference. Not Joe Biden was also impeached later for still more election interference, but that time it was more about him inciting an insurrection on his own Capitol. 

When Volodymr Zelenskyy showed up this past week to play let's make a deal with the guy whose name is on a book called "Art of the Deal," to try and get more military aid for his sovereign nation that is still under attack from the country I like to call The Bad Guys, Not Joe Biden started the day by criticizing Zelenskyy's lack of a suit and tie. 

Things went downhill from there. Rather than signing a treaty that would have given the United States a stake in Ukraine's vast mineral wealth, the meeting degenerated into a shouting match that ended abruptly without lunch and without a signature. Zelenskyy once again gave a pretty solid "no" to Not Joe Biden's request for a quid pro quo. Without a suit and tie, but with his dignity and authority over his own country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned home to keep fighting The Bad Guys, leaving Not Joe Biden with egg on his orange tinted face and an uphill battle left to be decided on his eastern border. 

Clothes, it would seem, do not make the man.