For most of the last ten months, those supporting Donald Trump have engaged in an almost nonstop effort to silence those who oppose him. They have claimed that we’re not giving Trump a chance to do his job, that we’re unpatriotic, and a number of other smears.
Well, that effort appeared to pick up a new ally this weekend. But given current events, it’s an ally that the Trump diehards may not want to have–namely, Vladimir Putin.
During a foreign affairs conference in Sochi on Friday, Putin offered a “helpful” suggestion to the American people–we ought to stop criticizing Trump. No, this isn’t snark–watch here.
Putin was speaking at the Vadai International Discussion Club in Sochi when an audience member asked him what advice he could offer Trump. Putin replied that since Trump had been duly elected, “it is necessary to show respect for him, even if you do not agree with some of his positions.” He then lamented the fact that Trump faced so much “disrespect,” saying that it was a “regrettable negative component of the U. S. political system.”
That statement rings hollow to any serious news junkie. Are we supposed to have any respect for a man who finds it acceptable to plaster a private cell phone on social media, mock the disabled, condone violence at his rallies, and revel in degrading women? Are we supposed to have any respect for a man who believes even mildly critical coverage is “fake news,” and who believes the media is the “enemy of the American people”? And are we supposed to have respect for a man who sees fit to tweet and retweet violent attacks on his opponents. The answer to all those questions is not just no, but hell no.
But then again, consider the source. This admonishment to “respect” Trump is coming from a man who essentially rules a one-party state where civil liberties mean almost nothing and the press is either owned outright by the state or controlled by Putin cronies. Apparently in Putin’s world, “respect” means silence.
Given the circumstances, it’s hard not to wonder–is Putin trying to hack our political culture again? Sure sounds like it.
(featured image courtesy Kremlin.ru, available under a Creative Commons-BY license)
.jpg){kind=link}