Ukraine’s mess requires world attention
Ukraine appeared again in Americans’ view this week with two developments, as the origin of yet another cyberattack and the report of the registration of Paul Manafort, former chairman of President Donald Trump’s campaign, with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as a representative of a Ukrainian political party supported by Russia.
It is not necessarily that Ukraine is responsible for these two developments. At the same time, it is as if there were mosquitoes in the house and occasional alligators in the backyard and there is a fetid swamp nearby. It is reasonable to conclude that the skeeters and the gators came from the swamp.
Ukraine is chaotic and lawless. It is a place where cyberattacks can originate and internationally minded political parasites can profit.
The latest cyberattack originated in Ukraine, struck thousands of computers across the world, included attempts at cyber-ransom and apparently was and is beyond the capability of any Ukrainian authority to control. That the world is vulnerable to such cyber-mischief is its own fault, and perhaps inevitable, but it doesn’t help one bit that Ukraine, for a variety of reasons, is a corrupt, basically outlaw, society.
That Manafort and Rick Gates, another former official of the Trump campaign, were not only tangled up in Ukrainian affairs but also that their firm carried away some $17 million in the 2012-2014 period is something else again. For an American to represent a foreign country in the United States, as Manafort and Gates did, is perfectly legal. Manafort and Gates did register as foreign agents about five years late. For them to have been involved in an American presidential candidate’s campaign will be looked at closely by special counsel Robert S. Mueller and others examining Russian interference in America’s 2016 political campaign.
What needs to be done about Ukraine is a separate but important question.
Trump should propose that, under the United Nations, an international conference be convoked that would include Russia and the EU as well as Ukrainians to consider the issues that surround Ukraine’s future, free of commercial interests. That might be a way to get rid of the political mosquitoes and alligators in this problematic, sometimes dangerous world property. Trump should stop bullying
President — an honorific we’re choking on presently — Donald Trump sank to another low in decorum Thursday morning when he lashed out in vulgar, angry terms at two television personalities. All we can ask is: Who in the White House will stop this world leader from destroying his credibility and embarrassing the nation with his pathetic rants?
The subjects of Trump’s attack were Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” whom he referred to as “low I.Q. Crazy Mika” and “Psycho Joe.” His abuse got worse from there.
Trump has a track record of sexist comments, some of which verge on misogyny. He has a nasty temperament and low impulse control. Those are terrible, dangerous qualities for a commander in chief. We have no idea if or his advisers can keep his impetuousness in check during a crisis, but we’re certain he should not be left alone with access to Twitter.
Sir, delete your account.