Tag Archives: U.S. foreign policy
Gaffe of the Week – May 21, 2022
“The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq – I mean of Ukraine.”
Former President George W. Bush, in a speech criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Worst Quotes of the Week – March 12, 2022
“Remember that Zelensky is a thug. Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a recent gathering of Trump supporters
“The United States of America and the European States must not marginalize Russia but build an alliance with it, not only to restart trade for the prosperity of all, but in lieu of the reconstruction of a Christian Civilization, which will be the only one able to save the world from the transhuman and medical-technical globalist monster.”
Roman Catholic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, in a March 7 letter about the Ukraine-Russia crisis
A former Vatican envoy and outspoken papal critic, Viganò blamed “deep state” forces in the United States, the European Union and NATO for triggering the current war and demonizing Russia.
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Best Quotes of the Week – March 12, 2022
“Division superintendents disagree with your assumption that discriminatory and divisive concepts have become widespread in Virginia school divisions.”
Howard Kiser, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, in a letter to Jillian Balow, the state superintendent of schools, regarding Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “tip line” set up to let parents complain about teachers and principals
All 133 Virginia public school division superintendents have urged Youngkin to scrap the “tip line” and have asked him to stop his campaign against the teaching of “divisive” content in schools.
The superintendents were reacting to a report Balow issued last month aimed at fulfilling promises Youngkin made during his campaign last year to end the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), an academic framework for studying systemic racism. The concept had never been on the Virginia’s curriculum, but the first executive order Youngkin issued within hours of being inaugurated January 15 was aimed at banning CRT. He later announced the establishment of the tip line for parents to tell the state about teachers or principals exposing students to materials deemed objectionable.
“Republicans are anxious — very anxious indeed — to tell us that Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn doesn’t speak for his fellow Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham rushed to the microphone to assure us that Cawthorn is an outlier ‘in the largest sense possible on our side.’”
Charlie Sykes, regarding Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s denouncement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a column for The Bulwark
Sykes added, “This is also important to remember: Until about five minutes ago, Cawthorn’s remarks were more or less basic talking points among the MAGA right — and not just talking points, but holy script. His attitude is deeply embedded in the right’s DNA. So, it’s easy to imagine Cawthorn today, looking around at his GOP critics and asking: Dude, what do you mean ‘outlier?’ I’m just saying what we’ve all been saying for years now! He’d have a point.”
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Most Hypocritical Quote of the Week – March 5, 2022
“You know, it’s such an awful thing to say. We hesitated to play that, even – it’s very common, you hear it every day. The question is: Why are they saying that? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Tucker Carlson, after playing a news clip of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell saying he and other Republicans were on Putin’s side
This is a contrast to Carlson’s previous statements about Putin. During his February 22 broadcast, he declared: “The point here is to defend democracy. Not that Ukraine is a democracy. It’s not a democracy. Ukraine’s president has arrested his main political opponent, he has shut down newspapers and television stations that have dared to criticize him. So in American terms, you would call Ukraine a tyranny. But Joe Biden likes Ukraine, so Putin bad, war good.”
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Russian media outlets have been sharing news clips of conservative American political and media figures speaking positively about Putin.
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Best Quote of the Week – March 5, 2022
“Despite the incredible heroism of Ukraine’s people, it’s still more likely than not that the Russian flag will eventually be planted amid the rubble of Kyiv and Kharkiv. But even if that happens, the Russian Federation will be left weaker and poorer than it was before the invasion. Conquest doesn’t pay.”
Paul Krugman, commenting on the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
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Worst Quotes of the Week – February 26, 2022
“NATO expansion, as bad as that is, it’s the EU later, trying to force into the Ukraine… that would be the equivalent … of China coming here and signing a defense pact with Mexico … right on our border and up against our grille.”
Steve Bannon, former advisor to Donald Trump, in a conversation with private military contractor Erik Prince on his War Room podcast
The two men suggested that Putin’s action in Ukraine was fully understandable, given that Ukraine has indicated it wishes to join NATO (a “deadbeats” organization, according to Bannon). It’s also worth noting that Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, had once planned to create a private army in Ukraine.
“The contract also calls for abolishing the Department of Education, making English the official language of the United States, banning federal funding for critical race theory teachings, and enacting school choice on the federal level so federal dollars follow the students to their school of choice, including private religious schools.”
U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) in revealing his “New Contract with America” that’s designed to destroy Social Security and “incentivize” the elderly to return to work
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Best Quotes of the Week – February 5, 2022
“There have always been efforts to censor books, but what we’re seeing right now is frankly unprecedented. A library is a place of voluntary inquiry. That means when a student walks in, they’re not forced to check out a book that they or their parents find objectionable. But they also don’t have authority to say what books should or shouldn’t be available to other students.”
Carolyn Foote, a retired school librarian in Austin who’s helping to lead the #FReadom campaign
#FReadom campaign is a grassroots effort to fight back against book challenges (translation: censorship) in Texas.
“Well, if you are digesting Russian misinformation and parroting Russian talking points, you are not aligned with longstanding, bipartisan American values, which is to stand up for the sovereignty of countries, like Ukraine but others. Their right to choose their own alliances, and also to stand against, very clearly, the efforts or attempts or potential attempts by any country to invade and take territory of another country. That applies to Sen. Hawley, but it also applies to others who may be parroting the talking points of Russian propagandist leaders.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, in response to a reporter’s question about Sen. Josh Hawley’s suggestion the U.S. not support Ukraine in its ongoing efforts to thwart a Russian invasion
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Best Quote of the Week – November 15, 2019
“I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country.”
– William Taylor, top U.S. diplomat to the Ukraine, testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, November 13, as part of initial impeachment hearings against Faux-President Donald Trump
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Chief Writing Wolf 