Why Trump’s praise of Putin didn’t rankle me

Last updated on: November 29, 2016 at 4:07 pm by Dave Griffey

Why Trump’s praise of Putin didn’t rankle me 2016-11-29T16:05:10-04:00 Dave Griffey

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There’s been quite a debate about the appropriate response to Castro’s death. Most seem to feel gloating over his death and hoping he burns in hell for eternity is over the mark. Most also, however, feel that gushing with praise and adoration for him while minimizing those pesky human rights violations is also inappropriate. With that said, there are naturally those on both extremes. After all, with people you’ll always have extremes. What matters, however, is what our leaders do. Hence the attention that was paid to Trump when he sang the praises of Putin. It wasn’t just concern about any ties to Russia, but the idea that a presidential candidate would heap praise on an obviously brutal dictator.

Enter Justin Trudeau. Trump merely said Putin was a strong leader in that system. He didn’t address the problems with human rights one way or another. Trudeau, on the other hand, did everything but declare eternal love for Castro while notably sweeping any human rights concerns to the side as mere trivialities for eggheads to ponder down the road. Leaving history to possibly absolve Castro maybe? Donald McClarey takes on this tendency those who lambasted Trump for praising dictators have for praising dictators.

The same thing happened, if you recall, during Gorbymania in 1987. Against all hope, Reagan didn’t nuke the world and destroy humanity by 1982. Instead, after the economy had rebounded and America regained a level of pride in itself that was sorely lost in the 70s, Reagan went east and met, and befriended, Mikhail Gorbachev and began a process that would end with the peaceful resolution to the Cold War. Well we can’t let that happen, can we? Anything but Reagan! So when Gorbachev and his wife came to America in 87, it was like the Beatles arriving at JFK. The press, and not a few Americans – on the whole, to the left of center – sang the praises of Gorbachev who was, at that time, still head of the Soviet Union, America’s sworn enemy. And not just praise, but full credit for all reform suddenly dropped at his feet. Solidarity? Pope John Paul II? Margaret Thatcher? Never heard of them. It was Gorbymania all the way, the man who would single-handedly bring peace to the world and an enlightened end to the Soviet regime.

So yeah, when I heard all the outrage aimed at Trump for doing what many on the Left did in 87, and at least some to the Left are doing with Castro now, I pretty much yawned and moved on. Do I disagree? Sure do. With those in 87, with Trump, and with Trudeau and company. But there’s no sense getting myself in a tizzy over one person praising this or that dictator when it seems to be all the rage.

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