While Russia is withholding retaliatory sanctions against the US based on the expectation that President-elect Donald Trump will quickly reverse the sanctions and expulsions opposed by the outgoing administration, the Obama sanctions are likely to be a major subject of US policy debate for awhile after Obama’s departure.
Trump has been critical of Obama’s measures and appears inclined to reverse course, but Congressional Republicans seem inclined to go the opposite way, seeking to double-down on sanctions against Russia to appear even more anti-Russia that Obama is.
Trump’s transition team is worried Obama is trying to “box him in” with the sanctions, which isn’t the first time Obama has made a statement of policy directly contrary to Trump’s stated plans, and was seen trying to complicate the transition.
Congressional hawks may also be feeling boxed in, with their endless calls for anti-Russia measures now being echoed by Democrats, who want to follow up on Obama’s measures, and will end up faced with having to clash with the new Republican administration to keep their efforts at fanning the flames of a new Cold War going.
Some of this may ultimately rest on if President Obama makes good on talk of providing some evidence of Russian interference in the US election, although the absence of any such evidence has not stopped the months of hysteria surrounding the matter so far.
These yellow striped Republican congressmen are going to end up bending the knee to Trump. They aren’t used to running with the Big Dog, and aren’t up to the task…
Here’s lesson #1 folks: Trump is not going to take any position that is contrary to congress or even the majority of Americans. And cooperation with Putin/Russia is definitely not popular with the majority. His words during his campaign were the same as everything else he said and promised. Useful for attracting the lowlife who he needed to elect him.
Doesn’t everybody but the dimmest of bulbs understand that now? If not then take this as advance notice because you’re all going to find out in a few months. No wall, no deportations, nothing he promised unless it was the exception and was sensible enough to have the support of the majorith. And that’s very, very little!
This isn’t brain surgery Americans. For example: No deportations simply because US business isn’t viable without cheap Mexican labour. And no jobs for Americans because they want a decent wage. And of course, that’s the last thing a corporate billionaire would do for the people anyway. Hahahahaha! Who believed the bullshit he spewed?
Let all that be a lasting lesson on how a corporate shyster can enlist the support of the disenfranchized anti-establishment.
luv from Canada.