5 Reasons to Oppose a Bust of Zelenskyy in the House of Representatives Wing of the U.S. Capitol
If you are an inflation-burned American who is already unhappy with the Washington War Machine spending over $100 billion of your hard-earned dollars funding the continuation of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, hold onto your seat.
Attempting to further mock taxpayers, an “America Last” House Resolution has been introduced to display a bust of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in our House of Representatives. Say what you want about Zelenskyy, but he should not be memorialized the same way Prime Minister Winston Churchill is.
Here are five reasons that this should NOT be a thing:
1) Ukraine is NOT the 51st U.S. State
This is the most obvious reason. No matter how many times warmongers try to glorify the Ukraine saga, the United States is not responsible for foreign conflicts that are taking place a staggering 6,000 miles away from our shores. As a matter-of-fact, the leader of the American Revolution, George Washington, specifically warned AGAINST Americans getting involved in entangling alliances with foreign nations.
2) The U.S. doesn’t own the conflict or is obligated to continue funding it
Washington warned against these entanglements for good reason. Reckless lawmakers who are obsessed with getting the United States involved in every foreign conflict on the planet risk entangling the American people to dangerous conflicts in Eastern Europe between well known corrupt states. U.S. taxpayer contributions to the Ukrainian government have far surpassed those of all the other NATO allies combined. In response to this irresponsible policy, the conservative grassroots correctly argue that sending more aid “disregards the fiscal constraints facing this country.” The grassroots argue that other NATO allies aren’t contributing their fair share and that the Biden administration hasn’t set clear enough end goals for the war.
3) Further payments would encourage U.S. taxpayer-funded reconstruction of Ukraine
On top of the $100 billion that Americans have already sent to Ukraine, those fighting against peace talks are now also talking about forcing American taxpayers to fund a trillion-dollar reconstruction plan. Instead of negotiating for peace, the taxpayer-funded military industrial complex has chosen to continue the destruction of Ukraine. Is this because they are counting on their bought-and-paid-for members of Congress to force U.S. taxpayers to rebuild yet another foreign nation? This is a prime example of the failed mentality that got Americans stuck in the endless wars and nation building that destroyed the Middle East, and subsequently, faith in our government.
4) Ukraine is corrupt and this conflict is not about “defending democracy”
Hardworking U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund conflicts and subsequent reconstructions in any nation, let alone one that has been ranked as the most corrupt nation in Europe. Ukraine has banned left-wing parties, their largest opposition party, and seized their assets and property. Zelenskyy recently signed an authoritarian law that allows his government to block media outlets and new websites. It has since been uncovered that such corruption may even be connected to members of our own government. Afterall, even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had reservations about going forward with a $17.5 billion loan for Ukraine in 2015. While the loan eventually was agreed upon, it was a well known risk that such funding would wind up in the hands of Eastern European oligarchs, rather than going towards bettering the lives of the Ukrainian people.
5) Zero oversight of taxpayer aid to Ukraine
From the beginning of U.S. involvement in the Ukraine conflict, fiscally responsible members of Congress have requested oversight of the taxpayer-funded aid. Astonishingly enough, establishment Republicans have refused to ensure that U.S. weapons are being used properly and don’t end up in the wrong hands. This is reminiscent of the debacles taxpayers witnessed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Going forward, Republicans must not let this happen again and understand that calls for accountability, audits, debate, and transparency are not at all unreasonable requests.
