America First, and Ukraine

There's an irony in the current nationalism movement on the right.

The hunch, the original premise that I'm starting with is this: those who wear the nationalist badge with pride are the same people who want us out of Ukraine.  We could be using that money on our own border, after all, they say.  And these two groups are also roughly equal with the "America First" crowd.

This belies the slogan.  It isn't "America First."  It's "America Only."  It's the same isolationism that let Europe drift into World War II in the 1920s and 30s.

So the irony is this: a truly Christian nation would certainly protect its own citizens and borders first - agreed.  But it would ALSO seek to help weaker nations being preyed upon by stronger ones.  Only myopic vision would assume that what a global neighbor does won't affect us.  Would say, "If the president won't defend our border, then we shouldn't help the kid getting beat up by the schoolyard bully, either."

Two wrongs do not make a right.  We are not protecting and honoring our own heritage and civilization as we ought to do, true.  But at least we are helping other vulnerable nations to stay their own nation.

I believe the Bidens have profited corruptly from bribery in Ukraine.  That does not mean we should let the Ukrainian people be literally conquered by Russia, to spite the Bidens.  A whole people does not deserve subjugation because a few of its leaders are (were?) corrupt.

Christian nations would not make such calculations: "We know you're being invaded by an authoritarian, but we're not sure if you'll use our money well, so you can't have it."  

We've already let dictators conquer Hong Kong, once a bastion of free capitalism.  Now Ukraine.  Taiwan is next.  It's like we are willfully denying there is a Cold War continuing.  And that Reagan won it by peace through strength.