Zelenskyy in Herod's Court
Jon Freise
Zelenskyy walked into the Oval Office with the dignity of Jesus entering the court of Herod. Surrounded by the gilt and finery of the court, Zelenskyy was mocked for his impoverished dress. Hardly fitting that of a “king”. Scribes and courtiers lined up. Pens and paper ready for the signing of the surrender of most of Ukraine to Russia, and the remaining bits to be given to the US. A 1939 Poland like partition.
Trump clearly hoped to achieve by ambush and betrayal the outcome that Russia had tried and failed to achieve through 3 years of bloody and destructive war. Did he think the shock of his betrayal would be a knife going into Zelenskyy’s back? Crumple and destroy a leader who had suffered three years of bombardment from real missiles, bombs and artillery shells? It did not. Zelenskyy, in an impossible position, refused to surrender.
JD Vance, ever the worm tongue, counseled despair: You cannot recruit enough soldiers, you are losing.
“You are not ready for peace” says Trump. What he meant is that Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people are not ready to give in.
Of course, Putin could end the war at any moment. He need only withdraw his invading troops from Ukraine. Need only stop the rain of drones, missiles, glide bombs and artillery shells that fall hourly on the Ukrainians.
But Trump did not ask that of Putin. Instead, he asked Zelenskyy to capitulate.
Oh, some have said, “Ukraine provoked Russia”. How? By the Ukrainian’s demanding a say in their own government? By demanding their leader not be a Russian puppet? By demanding the right to defend themselves from outside attack? Yes, the old “Blame the Victim” argument. Putin, with his thousands of nuclear weapons, was afraid. Poor, poor, terrified fellow! How unfair! And so several hundred thousand in Ukraine must die and the rest lose their freedom for the crime of making Russia “afraid”? The logic of abuse laid clear as day.
Zelenskyy walked out. No surrender signed. If they had put a crown of thorns on his head and wrapped him in an ermine gown it could not have been clearer who was the Jesus figure and who was playing King Herod. I guess all those days in Sunday school taught me something.
So why this show?
Trump has a problem. His base includes some that are very pro democracy (even if they limit who can be included). He has put himself forward as the pro democracy candidate. And yet he owes Putin for help in the election. And to pay back Putin for his aid, he needs to force Ukraine into surrender by withholding any further US aid. But that would not look good to his base. Trump needed to create some theatre where he could insinuate that Ukraine had done something wrong. And thus Trump is in the “right” for pulling US support for Ukraine. Thus I think he staged this ambush of Zelenskyy in front of the media. He had other New Confederates, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, lined up to echo his talking points that the US had been “disrespected” and Zelenskyy should be removed. Trump needs to turn his constituency against Ukraine.
Notice that Trump has turned his ire on our allies. Those closest to us. Those who have been most trusting. Our longest and most valued partners. The New Confederates (Christian white nationalists) see everyone else as “outside” the Tribe. Only the Tribe matters.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_the_moral_roots_of_liberals_and_conservatives
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt describes this very well in his 2008 TED talk.
These "allies" are now just the weak, ready to be exploited.
I turn over in my head: how do we stop him? How do we get back our democracy before there is nothing left but ashes?
Trump is seizing economic, administrative and military power in the US. Soon there will only be the ideological power left. But ideas move minds, and minds move people.
Making transparent to everyone what he is doing and why he is doing it reveals the puppet strings he is using. The more everyone can see the puppet strings, the more they will untie them and defect. Trump’s constituency voted against their own interests and in the interests of Trump and Musk. The degree to which the disinformation campaign can convince people Trump has their interest, is the degree to which he can take power.
Humans understand things via story. Christian’s feel they have elected a savoir, but instead they raised up a selfish and greedy king. Once they can start to see Trump through the lens of a self serving king, he will not be able to hide his true self.