What are the principles of the USA? Are we on the side of warmongers? Do we finance the bombing of civilians? Are we merely a puppet of whatever regime compliments our President this month? How much is our President willing to negotiate away from our principles in order to attempt a political talking point in an election season?

These are not idle questions. This past Friday, President Trump ‘negotiated’ with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to allow Russia to increase diesel capacity in the world market. This is an exemption from a economic sanctions bill that passed overwhelmingly in the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump in September (that’s last month!). The bill, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, placed sanctions on Russia, Putin, and purchasers of Russian oil. The amount of oil added to the world market is a pittance – perhaps 1% increase in global supply over the next 6 months, assuming that Russia could actually refine that much oil with it’s refineries on fire as a result of the war with Ukraine. So the impact on world oil prices will be miniscule – particularly in the eyes of Midwest farmers whose diesel bills have ballooned as a result of the Iran war. And no excess supply of diesel in the US – we already have excess supply and export diesel to other countries. The diesel shortage is in Europe – and this amount of oil won’t solve that. And the Europeans would not sacrifice their security from the new Russian Empire in exchange for Russian oil – they have principles.

But for Putin, during the winter months of his war with Ukraine, this would be another $1 Billion in capital to invest on his war of attrition. And for the President, he can claim that he is doing something to help farmers (although farmers know better, each and every time they fill up the tank on their tractor, which is every couple of days during harvest season). American farmers have already spent billions of dollars more for diesel since the beginning of the war, and that is unlikely to change soon. For the American consumer, they can expect to see higher food prices this winter, as farmers pass on their costs to the market. And American credibility, as a supporter of world democracy and defender of what is right, takes another hit.

If only we had a legislative branch with a spine to shut this stuff down.

And the national disgrace continues…