b|a|r|c|o|d|e 🇺🇦

The Cost of Inaction In the Face Of Dictatorships / For decades, the free world has turned a blind eye to Vladimir Putin’s growing aggression. Each act of brutality was met with weak responses or none at all, emboldening his regime and encouraging his coalition of authoritarian allies. What began with the destruction of Chechnya expanded to the invasion of Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and the war in Ukraine. Putin manipulates European elections, supports Islamist terrorist organizations, and funds efforts to overthrow democratic governments. His actions are not isolated; they are a deliberate campaign against the foundations of democracy itself. Today, Russia stands in alliance with North Korea, Iran, and China, united in a mission to undermine freedom and defeat the free world globally. This coalition is not just a geopolitical challenge—it is an existential threat. Yet, our failure to enforce redlines in the past has made them meaningless. Every time Putin acted without repercussions, he grew stronger, and the cost of opposing him became steeper. Garry Kasparov reminds us, “The price of doing nothing is always higher than the price of doing something.” If we fail to stand up to dictators now, the cost of action tomorrow will be unbearable. Each day of delay grants Putin and his allies more time to destabilize democratic nations, fortify their regimes, and expand their influence. Winston Churchill once said, “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” This is not just a historical lesson; it is a call to action for our time. The winds of change in Europe and Washington offer hope, but hope alone will not save us. Leadership must recognize the scale of the threat and act decisively. Churchill also warned, “To each, there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.” This is a defining moment in history. We must choose to stand up now—against the growing threats posed by China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia—or risk empowering them further, hoping naively that they will someday "play nicely." Such complacency would be a grave error, one that future generations will bear the cost of and deeply regret. It is imperative that this hard truth is fully grasped by the new leaders rising to power in Washington, DC, and across Europe. The decisions made today will shape the future of global freedom and security. The stakes could not be higher.

Congress did its homework on Nigel Farage:

Looks like Putin, Xi and Modi had a jolly good morning in Tianjin 🇨🇳

Always a delight to meet President Putin!

Howard Lutnick on CNBC indicates that the Trump administration will try to partially nationalize defense companies like Lockheed Martin

Trump: People go into war and then they get their asses kicked and they lose their country, Nobody goes into a war thinking they're going to lose. I'm sure Ukraine thought they were going to win. You don’t go into a war that’s 15 times your size