WHEN FREE ENTERPRISE IS CORRUPTED

Traditionally the only ways that businesses have interacted with politicians has been through lobbyists. . . or campaign donations . . . or maybe when politicians are retired or otherwise no longer in office, they take positions in companies or in law firms that represent companies . . . or some of them even become lobbyists and spokespeople.

But the founders were leery of our politicians and statesmen becoming unduly influenced by businesses and by foreign governments, and our ethics as a nation have always been such that if we feel that there is bribery or illegal and unethical influence that a politician succumbs to, we have always thought that was wrong.

But we are in a new era. A billionaire businessman and his billionaire advisers and cabinet members have taken over the highest office in the land. In the recent past that businessman has been involved with business interests all over the world, and he refuses to divest himself of those interests. He also refuses to reveal anything about his finances in the way that every president in the last 20 years has been glad to reveal on behalf of honesty and transparency.

This is all wrong on so many levels.

First of all, we have to suspect that he knows much more about his business interests than he knows about politics and international relations. He has demonstrated over and over that he has no interest in briefings and no concept of American foreign policy.

No matter how many advisors he has who supposedly do know about all this, we have a right to expect a president to really be the president.

Next, there are already deeply disturbing indications that people in his campaign and in positions in his new administration have been playing fast and loose with one of the most dangerous rogue nations in the world -- Russia. Since coming to power, Putin has invaded the former Soviet territories of Chechnya, Georgia and Ukraine with impunity.

For ten years, from '79-'89, the Soviet Union fought the Afghans in order to be able to build a pipeline through their territory to be able to get Caspian Sea Oil out to an Indian Ocean port. There are estimates that the Caspian Sea oil reserves are the largest and most easily accessed oil and natural gas resources on the planet. But Russia has always had a problem because there are hostile nations on their borders and on the borders of the Caspian Sea.

From the time of Detente with the US in the 70s, US oil companies and other companies involved in building pipelines and oil and gas facilities have been involved with free enterprise business with the Soviet Union and since the breakup with the government of Russia.

Contrary to what it may seem like, there is not really any free enterprise in Russia. Everything is controlled by the government and private citizens have wealth only if they have connections to the government. All commerce, and all relations with countries and businesses outside of Russian territory are controlled by the Russian government.

So the issues surrounding Flynn's resignation and how the administration has been involved with Russia from even before the election are very important and we must have answers about it all.

If the Republicans in Congress are going to protect this administration from what is definitely unethical and possibly treasonous, then we are really in trouble.

So far only the Judicial Branch has been able to call the Executive Branch to account . . . what defense do we have against Congress?

As I keep writing, we have our work cut out for us, and with God's help we will overcome.