Most Americans don’t know the importance attached to how the world perceives the United States. That isn’t meant to be an insult to anyone, most of us cannot afford to travel all over the world to see it first hand. Nancy Pelosi is well aware of the importance. How the world perceives the United States does impact our lives. It impacts our economy with trade agreements and trust. It certainly impacts our all-volunteer military force. And, most importantly, there’s almost nothing we can do about climate change unless the world trusts us.

Pelosi went on CNN’s State of the Union to emphasize that our reputation around the world is critical. While there, she shockingly stated that the Russians controlled Trump, somehow, and that led to a lot of distrust. The free world doesn’t trust Putin or people who do trust Putin.

Well, I’m very proud of the fact that the president [Joe Biden] is in Europe saying we’re back. We’re back for climate [change]. We’re back for an open society.

“Now let’s just make a contrast. The president — former president of the United States, for whatever reason, whether the Russians had personal, political or financial leverage over him, kowtowed, catered to Putin in a way that was humiliating to the United States of America. And when, when Putin hears about some of the violations of the rights of his own people, he laughs.”

This is the Nancy Pelosi that lectured Trump in the White House, “With you, all roads lead to Putin.”

According to Quora, Pelosi believes this is fact: Having “leverage” over someone usually means that you know something about them that no one else does. They are therefore willing to do just about anything for you in return for you keeping their secret.

Pelosi then showed her sensibility:

This is a thug. This is a thug. But he is head of an important state in terms of the issues [raised]. The president should meet with him, and I think he’s going to meet a very different president than one who was at the mercy of Putin. 

Sure. the President should meet with Putin. Biden can tell Putin – vaguely – what Biden knows as to what Putin has done and let Putin know what Biden is willing to do to stop it. But even aside of cyber war and political war, they still need to talk trade, sanctions, energy, civil rights, and climate change. There is nothing wrong with Biden meeting Putin.

Nor is there anything wrong with telling Americans like it is. Russians had leverage over Trump. Period. Fact.

Pelosi on Putin: "This is a thug … I think he's gonna meet a very different president than the one who was at the mercy of Putin." pic.twitter.com/FfoX1NGPUJ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2021

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak