Note: It is my great honor to present this opinion piece by Leslie C. Francis. He and I became acquainted early last year after we participated in a town hall webinar sponsored by Sierra Forward. Please join me in welcoming the distinguished Mr. Francis to A News Cafe. — A News Cafe publisher Doni Chamberlain.
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Leslie “Les” C. Francis.
By Leslie C. Francis
I am both sick and outraged by the turn of events relating to the Trump Administration’s views on, and actions toward, Ukraine and Russia. Heather Cox Richardson has done a particularly good job in covering and analyzing the horrible situation Ukraine now finds itself in, thanks to Donald Trump and his advisors; her daily “Letters from an American” should be must reading for everyone who cares about our republic and its place in the world.
Trump’s actions, now so blatantly in tune with Putin’s wishes, are, well, dangerous, and border on treasonous. In double crossing our European allies, he has overturned eight decades of principled American world leadership, and the relative stability it has provided. In voting against the UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has aligned itself with some of the most evil and corrupt regime’s on the planet. And to further ingratiate itself with Trump, even Israel joined the cabal.
And it gets worse. Trump has suspended shipment of further vital arms and ammunition to Ukraine, further endangering that beleaguered democracy. Then, inexplicably, he decided not to provide any further intelligence to Ukraine, information critical to its defense against continuing Russian aggression.
In addition to those outrages and others (labeling Zelinsky a “dictator” for example) of course, is Trump’s blatant mob-style attempt to coerce –no, “shakedown” is a better word — Zelensky into giving the U.S. half of his country’s precious minerals. The ugliest public episode, obviously, was the meeting in the Oval Office, wherein Trump and Vice President Vance berated and belittled President Zelenskyy in order to create “good TV” (as Trump accidentally admitted),
And mark my word, history will reveal that the so-called “Russia hoax” of 2016 was no hoax at all. Trump is now paying off Putin for the latter’s election interference that year—-and since. Moreover, one can assume that the President is hoping to hide forever his own involvement in those events, but also to keep locked up whatever compromising information Putin has in his “Trump file.”
As just one American citizen, and with the meager voice that represents, today I am ashamed of my country’s behavior. I love my country, and I have devoted much time, energy and modest ability over the years to help make it a “more perfect union.” At the same time, I am deeply resolved to be part of the resistance to the evil impulses of the Trump Administration.
I must say, however, that my disgust is not limited to the Felon President. It is also directed at his fellow travelers and the quislings in the Republican-controlled Congress. Men and women who once claimed to be against dictatorships and authoritarianism now embrace it here and abroad. Elected “leaders” who once prided themselves as being “conservatives” are now either far right-wing radicals goose-stepping alongside their commander, or are shivering quietly in the chill of their own cowardice; shame on them, in particular.
Those of us in the truly “loyal opposition” cannot fall into complacency, or our own kind of spinelessness. We cannot find false comfort in the fantastical myth that “this, too, shall pass.” For it will not unless we push it out, and into the dustbin of history, as we have done with other horrible regimes, atrocities, and inhumane eras.
Instead, now it is our time to re-establish ourselves as a patriotic, resolute, and devoted generation committed to democratic values—including the rule of law—and universal human rights. As I near the end of my time on earth, my remaining days sure as hell won’t be spent enabling—via my silence—those trying to erase or violate those values.
Leslie C. “Les” Francis is a native Californian, who returned to his home state in 2016, after four decades-plus of work in Washington, DC. Among other career highlights Francis was one of the principle organizers of the campaign for the 18-year-old-vote, which was assured by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution. He later served as a senior aide on Capitol Hill and as a key member of President Jimmy Carter’s White House staff. He spent years as a communications consultant and campaign manager, before becoming Vice President of the Educational Testing Service. He and his wife retired to the Sierra foothills just in time to avoid living in DC when Donald Trump took up residence there—the first time!
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Click here to watch a December 2024 interview with Leslie Francis regarding his thoughts about the passing of former president Jimmy Carter, for whom Francis formerly worked as Carter’s deputy chief of staff.
