Editor:

And now comes word that the Saudis are “declining” President Biden’s phone calls regarding the Ukraine Crisis. Hmm. It should be lost on no informed person that the Trump administration and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were thick as thieves with the Saudi Prince.

For some reason, I sense a connection. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo fired up his jet and high-tailed it to Saudi Arabia just days after Trump lost the 2020 election.

Pray tell, pompous Pompeo?

We already know Pompeo is a far-right Evangelical who has insisted, “Of course” the Bible takes precedence. You mean like over social policy: women, shush and obey men? And homosexuals are an abomination, etc? (His Saudi friends separate the heads from the bodies; execution, the Old Testament remedy.)

I’m sure everyone’s heard an earful about Mike Pompeo saying he has “a lot of respect for Putin” post-Ukraine invasion. No? Try legit news, it’s time to open our eyes.

Which of course brings us to the fact that so many Republicans these days are hankering for a Putin valentine, they’ve sent theirs. To wit: the opening speaker at the recent America First PAC convention called for “a big round of applause for Russia” regarding the Ukraine invasion. He whooped and hollered; reminiscent of modern-conservatism founder Bill Buckley and his National Review’s affection for fascist Mussolini back when. Conservatism and authoritarianism run congruent.

This white-nationalist confab, AFPAC, also featured a speech from Georgia’s own GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

As I’ve written before, me thinks it’s obvious why so many GOPers prefer Putin: his simple Russian Federation Pledge, “The goal is that traditional conservative religious values dominate global society.” This, over our own US Constitution.

One is left to wonder whose side these “conservatives” would fight on if Russia invaded America?

Speaking of fascism (and because people should know what local media is up to), a final thought:

A couple months ago I referenced in this letters-section a piece I wrote about the first-100-days of the Trump administration, published in that other paper out of Savannah, Savannah Morning News, I instructed readers, “I’ve pinned it at the top of my Facebook page, to read it in full, go click on the tag.”

Just hours after that issue of Bryan County News hit newsstands, internet access to said article in the SMN was blocked, probably removed. It had been easily accessible since 2017. Coincidence? Maybe, but since the author is persona non grata these days… Ironically, the piece also detailed this neo-GOP’s affection for Putin’s Russian Federation Pledge.

The rise of authoritarianism, indeed.

Bernie Evans, Black Creek