Let’s talk about the Russian-American relationships.
Lately, almost everyone has gotten the impression that Russians and Americans are growing closer and closer. But it’s not really about “Russians” and “Americans” as a whole—it’s more about Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and their administrations. They are the ones getting closer.
This reminds me of the old saying attributed to Willy Brandt: Now it goes together what belongs together. Is that cynical? I don’t think so. In fact, I’ve always seen a strong similarity between Russians and Americans. First of all, how simplified they see the world.
At the same time, this contrasts sharply with their ruthlessness, the brutal way they handle world affairs and the people they believe they have power over—or even the right to treat as their property. And recently, first the Russians, and then, three years later, the Americans, have acted as if they can claim countries as their own just because they see them that way, lacking all justification.
Now I’m talking about Russians and Americans again, lumping them together with their governments. But in the end, people tolerate the situation, accept it, and go along with their leaders’ actions. So, to me, it makes sense to talk about the people alongside their governments.
Of course, organizing resistance against a government is no easy task—especially for Russians, who have very little influence without getting imprisoned. But in the U.S., there’s still enough freedom to push back against this weird, treacherous government and its weird president. He needs to be thrown out..
But how? The Democratic Party is in a state of confusion and shock. It lacks strong leadership and is trying to navigate the situation without a clear plan. Right now, they can’t be counted on. Meanwhile, Trump moves fast. That’s his style—acting faster than people can react. The only way to fight back is to slow him down, to disrupt his momentum. That’s why we need to rely on other parts of the checks-and-balances system.
First, there’s the judicial system—the judges elected by the people. We’re still waiting to see how they’ll respond to Trump’s unjustified actions. Some cases have already been decided against him, but we need more.
The biggest hope for resistance and raising awareness lies in the media—newspapers, TV, and social media. Will it work? I’m not sure. But right now, it’s the only serious opposition to Trump’s actions.