Does Donald Trump understand that most folks run for the door at even a whiff of anything with a KGB label? Adding "former" to the label doesn't lower the danger level. When Paul Ryan recently said Russia doesn't share our values, that was a vast understatement. The situation is best described by the former Soviet comedian, Yakov Smirnoff, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 70s. Smirnoff explains what the letters "KGB" really stands for, "Kiss Good-by your Butt."
There's a reason why our Russian American population is estimated at 3.13 million. Most of them go generations back and don't speak Russian but do share memories of a determined escape from Russian persecution. My ancestors were typical, making the dangerous journey from the Ukraine at the turn of the 19th century. They traveled in "steerage," a term reserved for the bowels of a ship where more than a 1,000 imprisoned passengers rarely saw the light of day. There was a 10 percent fatality rate, but they were willing to risk all to escape the persecution of the Russian government and its partners.
Staff file photo by Dan Henry / Deborah LevineWhen I visited Uzbekistan almost 20 years ago, I was struck by the number of elderly professionals in its capital, Tashkent. They relocated there not for convenience of tourist attractions, but because it was as far away from Moscow and the KGB as they could get. And they're still running. The number of people born in Uzbekistan now living in the U.S. is estimated to have almost tripled from the 2000 census.
It's inconceivable to me that any American president would spend two hours alone, in private, in one-on-one consultation with the former KGB Vladimir Putin. Why was there no reconsideration of this meeting when just a few days earlier, Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russians for invading our cyberspace to influence our elections? Instead of blaming Mueller for ruining American-Russian relations, Trump should have sent him a thank-you note for trying to save his rear end. Instead of praising Putin, Trump should have run, not walked, for the door.
How can we not wonder what Putin has on Trump? Surely no one with even a modicum of common sense would make a conscious choice to make themselves, and their country, so vulnerable. Take a look at what was said by Russians in the media. The comments are about the symbolism, not Syria, nuclear weapons or the Ukraine. Alexey Pushkov, a member of the Russian parliament, tweeted:
"The attention of the whole world is focused today on Helsinki and it's crystal clear to everyone: the fate of the world is being decided between Russia and the United States, the leaders of the two major powers of our planet are meeting."
Helsinki was all about power and ego. Trump gave Putin power by showing up and Putin propped up Trump's ego by asserting that unlawfully acquired cash was funneled into the Clinton 2016 presidential campaign. Bells and whistles should have gone off, but Putin's comment has received little attention. According to Dmitry Trenin, a former Russian army officer now directing the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank, Putin is "now vocally supporting his U.S. counterpart against his domestic foes." How many of you are suddenly hearing the term "collusion" running through your head?
There's new energy in Congress behind protecting Mueller's investigation, but strong forces want to discredit Mueller and impeach the perceived face of his investigation, Rod Rosenstein. Yes, it's imperative to vote in November, but can we wait that long? There's too much Kiss Good-bye your Butt going around for Congress not to act now.
Deborah Levine is an author and trainer/coach. She is editor of the American Diversity Report. Contact her at deborah@diveristyreport.com.