I have an old cookbook that belonged to my mother. My father purchased it for her before I was born. It was published during World War II and reflected the sacrifices that the American people endured in order to fight against fascism. Each recipe was created to reflect the rationing of certain ingredients during that time. In many ways that cookbook is historic in how it helped cooks to create tasty food without using difficult to find ingredients.

I learned to cook from that book under the guidance of my mother. She got me started by showing me how to make cookies for Christmas. She explained to me how I would be making treats that used fewer eggs and less sugar but still taste amazing. Making those cookies year after year kept me attuned to the past because each year she reiterated the stories of how every American did whatever was needed to support the war effort. She joked about driving around in cars with tires patched over and over to divert rubber to the military. She was quite proud of the national efforts and made sure that I understood how incredible the American people had been during that time.

I would later find a ration book among the belongings of my husband’s Aunt Elsie. I saw the accounting of her meager purchases as she too supported the war efforts, often with even more fervor. She was an immigrant from Great Britain and still had family in England. At one point in time she even offered to take in the children of her relatives there so that they would be safe from the bombing attacks from the German army.

I grew up understanding what World War II had been like because my father and all of my uncles had served in the military. I was born at the beginning of the boom of children that occurred after the war was over. My parents and relatives and the parents of my friends reminded me constantly of the sacrifices that everyone was willing to make during that time.

After the war it became apparent that Russia was going to create new problems for the world. My mother told me that she witnessed her father crying only two times. The first came when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. The next time was when Russia invaded Czechoslovakia. My grandfather had a massive stroke shortly after that event and died before I was born. My mother always believed that watching his beloved nation fall into the hands of another tyrannical government was more than her father was able to take.

I grew up under the constant threat of the USSR. I remember the air raid practices that forced us to crotch under our desks at school. I recall the Cuban Missile Crisis and listened to my teacher telling us what to do in the event of an attack. Growing up was punctuated over and over again with warnings about fascism and communism and the hot and cold wars that Europe and America endured. 

Eventually when I was an adult the USSR fell. The wall that imprisoned the citizens of East Berlin was taken down bit by bit. I have a chunk of that wall to remind me of the horrors that dictators inflict on innocent people. There was joy across the globe as we saw ourselves moving into a new era free from the brutality of the old USSR. Sadly other international difficulties would continue to arise. It was as though we were engaged in eternal conflicts of one kind or another.

The rise of Vladimir Putin in Russia did not bode well. I learned that he had been quite disturbed when the old USSR fell apart. I watched as he attempted to reinstate the former glory and dominance of Russia over much of eastern Europe. I saw his hand interfering in elections in those countries that sometimes ended with leaders who cozied up to Putin. I watched him coveting the industrial areas of Ukraine and using his influence in the elections there. More than once he tried to claim territory that was not his and finally invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.

Since that time the Ukrainian people have bravely defended their nation. For a time the United States and much of Europe rallied to their needs by sending military supplies, sanctioning Russia and freezing Russian assets in European and American banks. It seemed that the people of Europe and the United States were determined not to allow Russia to regain dominance again. Then came the election of Donald Trump in 2026, and with him the unraveling of the support for Ukraine. Trump demeaned President Zelensky in the Oval Office while at the same time feting Putin with a red carpet welcome. Trump unilaterally decided that Ukraine needed to accept its losses of land and make peace with Russia.

After declaring war on Iran without the Constitutional agreement of Congress Trump has created a worldwide economic disaster that has affected the price of oil across the globe. In particular the cost of diesel is outrageous, making American farmers and truck drivers pay a price that is ruining their businesses. In an effort to regain the support of some of his key Republican voters Trump has once again unilaterally signed a deal with Russia to purchase diesel fuel. This arrangement will provide Russia with the financial boost that will allow them to continue the war against Ukraine. Unbelievably Trump also insists that whole situation is the fault of Ukraine and President Zelensky. He urges Zelensky to either give in to Russia’s demands or resign as president of Ukraine.

Upon hearing of Trump’s latest traitorous dealings I wept like my grandfather had done. I fully understood what this meant to the people of Ukraine who have so valiantly fought for their freedoms. I thought of Trump as a turncoat who has always been overly friendly and subservient to Putin and it sickened me.

Trump and his minions are masters of propaganda. Somehow they convince many Americans that they are the good guys and everyone else is vile and hateful. They line their pockets and grow ever more wealthy and hide their intentions in traitorous lies. Trump has been a Russian asset ever since he was bailed out by Russian oligarchs when he was about to lose everything he had. In that time no bank in America or Europe would provide him with a loan to save his businesses and his wealth. He found what he needed in Russia and he has kept those people close for all time while turning on our neighboring nations and our allies in Europe. It should be evident to every American who is actually important to him. The curtain is drawn back. The wizard is a fraud and because I have always known that truth I weep for my country and for the world.