The law of unintended consequences frequently strikes at well-meaning but poorly thought out, or at least inadequately considered actions. Then there are actions that are just stupid with negative but predictable consequences. “Russiagate” involves actions and tactics and strategies much worse than even the latter. In a fit of pique at not just the victors but at the whole world, a strategy was quickly designed and implemented, with broad support among both villains and dupes, to shift blame from the uncrowned dowager for her all too predictable and ignominious defeat onto a potentially very dangerous adversary that hoped to mend fences, make friends and move on, facing the challenges of the future as an adversary but not an enemy.

Analogies are frequently more instructive than philosophical or scientific dissertations. In this case, one might consider the case of a family member furious at another bringing home a deadly viper that instead of killing the intended victim, killed the whole family.

The latest step of the hypocritical Democratic Congressional delegation and the dupes in the GOP backed by a criminally insane intelligence community and a devilishly deluded mainstream media (with cackling in the background to the tune of Mary had a little lamb “we came, we saw, he died”): the ill-conceived “sanctions” bill, really more an attempt to put the current president into a no win situation, regardless of the costs, is on its way to probable passage.

The consequences? Instead of isolating Russia, it is adding to her defenders, making American hubris and disregard for law, international and domestic obvious, and contributing to the demise of long term American economic power and stability.

Keystone cops should never have been allowed to enter and then take over the federal legislature. Then again, perhaps they’ve always been there.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/26/europe/russia-us-sanctions/index.html
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© Guillermo Calvo Mahé; Manizales, 2017; all rights reserved.

Guillermo Calvo Mahé is a writer, political commentator and academic currently residing in the Republic of Colombia although he has primarily lived in the United States of America (of which he is a citizen). Until recently he chaired the political science, government and international relations programs at the Universidad Autónoma de Manizales. He has academic degrees in political science (the Citadel), law (St. John’s University), international legal studies (New York University) and translation studies (the University of Florida’s Center for Latin American Studies). He can be contacted at wacalvo3@autonoma.edu.co or guillermo.calvo.mahe@gmail.com and much of his writing is available through his blog at http://www.guillermocalvo.com.