Hopes and Fears

Originally posted on Facebook, March 1, 2025, the morning after the Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

I hope that yesterday was a low point for the US.

I hope that Ukrainians understand how ashamed most Americans are of our leadership’s behavior in this moment.

I hope that European countries band together to continue to support Ukraine and push back against the spread of authoritarianism and preserve the post-WWII order that has kept the world peaceful for so much longer than it ever was prior.

I hope that this is a wakeup call for some Americans for how far into Putin’s pocket our current administration is, and that they join the rest of us in standing against it.

I hope that we, as Americans, can show that we are NOT authoritarian, that we are NOT a population that can be controlled by oligarchs. America is a free democracy where everyone can vote with ballots and wallets to change this horrible course charted by the Trump administration.

I fear that yesterday was not a low point, but rather a turning point.

I fear that Russia has received the message that it can take what it wants with impunity.

I fear that this empowers other authoritarian regimes around the world. China with Taiwan, North Korea with South Korea, Iran propping up a new brutal regime in Syria, etc.

I fear that the US will now be on the authoritarian side in all these global conflicts moving forward.

I fear that the dream of democracy and freedom for all people is more of a fantasy today than it was yesterday.