Last week was a period of media and political insanity about foreign government interference in the American electoral process.
I can’t help pointing out that Barack Obama openly interfered in the Israeli election against the incumbent whom he hates, Bibi Netanyahu. He used State Department money for his interference. He did it again in the British Brexit election where he threatened to punish England if it left the EU.
I don’t know how much interference in American elections has occurred in the past. Hillary Clinton had some of her money managers collect Chinese donations in 2008 and she got vast contributions from Arab governments to her Clinton Foundation as well as Russian contributions.
In both the Obama and Clinton cases the world was openly invited to participate in our elections. They probably did.
Foreign intrusion in American elections doesn’t bother me. The accusations against Russia are pathetic and could not have influenced American elections in any way. Money doesn’t bother me either because Hillary followed my rule that money is irrelevant. She and her party spent ten times what Trump and the Republicans spent and lost badly. Deservedly for their core dishonesty.
What bothers me and is a reason Obama should be in prison. Using American taxpayer money to influence the Israeli election is totally offensive. Doing this around the world is a sure way to denigrate the idea of democracy, open elections and breed contempt for America. Three things that were part of Obama and the Democrat Party’s objectives. Legal action against the offenders should be undertaken. Laws should be on the books to automatically invoke impeachment.
The harm has been done. Slow mending is in order with major bipartisan commissions and independent research commissioned. Other nations should be given a platform to testify against American behavior.
That is just a start. Foreign governments should have standing to sue Americans and American organizations for this type of meddling when Americans do it to their countries. The penalties should be enormous.
Israel should get one hundred times what the State Department spent as a penalty for interfering in her elections.