As usual, Ilana trots out a generous portion of real history to drive home her important analytical conclusions. I’d forgotten about the role played by GOP warts, such as the vile Lowell Weicker (to say nothing of remembering the actual words that spewed forth from his ugly pie-hole, on a regular basis), in the betrayal of a real ally. I do seem to recall Jimmy Carter calling Robert Mugabe “the George Washington of Southern Africa.” Try Googling that one nowadays. They seem to have a deep Orwellian memory hole in Silicon Valley, of which they make regular use.

As always, I enjoy Ilana’s perspective on her first homeland, because she obviously remembers how it was with genuine love and sorrow for what truly was lost.

As for the contempt in which present day American conservatives hold Putin and the Russia of today, I continue to be truly perplexed. It’s as if (worse-than) Stalin were back in charge of the place. As for the American Left, well, they hate Russia because they know Stalin is definitely not in charge. Always important to remember that communism is liberalism speeded up, and liberals are always careful never to really criticize anyone to the left of them.