Slobodan,
1. I was somehow able to engage in a debate with Kent about a skirmish between US troops and Syria. Alan was able to engage in debate with me about the Ukrainian situation. It is as if you are a sniper, but one with only a bb gun. Annoying but not capable of changing things or moving the ball forward in the clash of ideas.
I don't understand your point about SCOTUS. There is no mechanism in the law or constitution that will bring a president in front of that body for a trial. The framers envisioned impeachment as the remedy. I think that they knew there were flaws with impeachment but that it was less flawed than dragging the judicial into the mix as a jury.
2. It was more than pillows and sheets that were sent to Ukraine by the previous administration, you are being disingenuous. It just excluded anything directly lethal.
I will agree that Trump did start providing lethal aid. However, Ukraine's top prosecutor did stop cooperating with Mueller a couple of weeks after this happened. I wonder if there was an "ask" there as well? It was also the Trump campaign that changed the GOP platform to lessen support for Ukraine before the election. You point out that the platform was changed by Trump's campaign to be more pro Russia so we need to accept that, why the flip flop on Ukraine?
I know Ukraine is messy, just like almost every other country/situation. But surely the US is hesitant to cede ground from a country working on becoming a Western style democracy to Russia? Would you allow East Germany to be invaded?
Andy, I think we are going in circles or you are not reading my replies.
1. How do you expect me to engage in the debate? You provided a list of five personal opinions or yours, and I said I disagree with each of them. Am I supposed to prove that there is no crime committed, for instance? Your opinion that there was, is just that, your opinion, and I have no intention of debating personal opinions. You think he is guilty, I think he is not. End of story. When the SCOTUS determines that Trump committed a crime, I'll accept that. Not your opinion (no offense). If Senate impeaches Trump and removes him from office, I'll accept that (though I do not have to agree, as Senate is political, but I will, as a law abiding citizen, respect that).
2. Ukraine. It has been pointed out that Obama sent sleeping bags (how ironic!) to the Ukrainian army. Trump sent actual arms. I am sorry for having to ask, but do you actually understand what is going on in Ukraine? I have the impression that you see the whole Ukraine as an innocent, pro-Western democracy that is just a victim of Russian aggression and territory grab. Right? I hate to disappoint you, but Ukraine is a deeply divided country between the Catholic West and (Christian) Orthodox East. Between ethnic Ukrainians in the West and ethnic Russians in the East. Between Ukrainian language and Russian language. That Ukraine has a long fascist history to this day and was allied with Nazy Germany. That a legitimately elected president was driven out by the same mostly pro-fascist mob in a classic coup d'etat. That the first order of business of the new rulers was to eliminate Russian as the second official language of Ukraine. No wonder that the Ukrainian East, ethnic Russians living there for centuries, didn't like it and rebelled. The solution, as I see it, is to provide a political autonomy to the East. And guess what? That is exactly what is happening right now, with a ceasefire in place and promises of the autonomy by the new president.
