The Lie of Restraint: In My America, We Don’t Roll Over for Bullies
- john raymond
- May 28
- 2 min read
There is a lie being sold to the American people. A sleek, well-dressed lie. It whispers that restraint is wisdom, that silence is strength, that turning our backs on moral clarity is somehow strategy. It tells us that shielding tyrants from consequence is not betrayal — it’s diplomacy.
That lie has a name. Trump’s deference to Vladimir Putin. And in my America, we don’t stand for it.
In My America, We Wear Cowboy Hats and Stand Tall
In my America, we don’t bow to bullies. We don’t cower before autocrats. We don’t let strongmen who poison dissidents, bomb civilians, and abduct children receive cover from our leaders.
In my America, we wear cowboy hats because we know what they mean. They mean grit. They mean principle. They mean looking a threat in the eye and saying, “Not today.” That symbol isn’t just for show — it’s for those who carry the burden of standing up when it counts.
In My America, We Build Things — We Don’t Destroy Them
We put on hard hats, not just to protect ourselves, but to do the work. We don’t tear down alliances; we build coalitions. We don’t mock democracies fighting for survival; we lend a hand. In my America, strength isn’t measured by bombast — it’s measured by backbone.
Trump didn’t stand up to Putin. He shielded him. He gave him room to act. He offered rhetorical cover while now pretending it was restraint.
That’s not strength. That’s submission.
In My America, War Criminals Are Named and Shamed
We don’t gloss over atrocities. We don’t make excuses for aggression. We don’t call ourselves patriots while running interference for those who slaughter civilians and steal children from their homeland.
In my America, individuals are accountable. We don’t sell out our principles because someone looks “tough” or “clever” doing it. We don’t let crimes against humanity go unanswered because we want to play geopolitical games. And we sure as hell don’t treat sheltering Putin from consequences as savvy.
That’s not diplomacy. That’s a disgrace.
In My America, We Don’t Show Our Bellies to Tyrants
There’s a difference between avoiding war and surrendering the moral high ground. In my America, we don’t confuse cowardice with calm. We don’t mistake betrayal for brains. We don’t lay down and call it strategy.
We push back. We raise our voices. We draw the line — because someone must.
Trump’s behavior toward Putin is not clever. It is not classy. It is craven.
And in my America, we still know the difference.
My America Isn’t Gone — But It’s Under Siege
The America I believe in is not dead. But it’s being tested. Every day we’re asked to swallow one more lie, ignore one more betrayal, excuse one more compromise. The Overton window is being dragged into moral darkness by those who trade dignity for delusion.
But I’m not giving up on my America. Not the one with steel in its spine and justice in its soul. Not the one that speaks plainly about right and wrong. Not the one that sees a dictator’s puppet and calls him just that — a puppet.
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