REPUBLICANS LIVE IN A DISINFORMATION BUBBLE JUST LIKE RUSSIANS

In the real world, a global coalition of nations is aiding Ukraine as it resists Russian aggression, and President Biden is one of the leaders of that coalition.

But in the right-wing information-sphere, Biden has apparently done nothing to help Ukraine. Here's Republican senator Marsha Blackburn:

.@MarshaBlackburn: "Biden has refused to lead. Forget doing what needs to be done, he won't even say what needs to be said. He's fearful and he is scared to anger the new axis of evil. He's scared to anger one more timid ally in Europe. He's sacred to anger the radical left." pic.twitter.com/UeHa67TUg0

— The Hill (@thehill) March 18, 2022

Here's Sean Hannity on Fox News last night:

We begin with Biden's feckless policy as it relates to the war on Ukraine waged by Vladimir Putin. He dragged his feet on major sanctions. He dragged his feet on blocking Russian oil imports. He dragged his feet on sending the aid, the lethal aid needed by Ukraine. He dragged his feet on resupplying Ukraine's army with ammo, Javelin, Stingers, air defense systems and now he's dragging his feet on the MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukraine desperately needs, that Poland wants to give them. He vetoed it.

As a result, Ukraine is now struggling to defend its skies and thousands of innocent civilians are now being murdered with Russian bombs. Every single day that Joe Biden is dithering and waiting means more innocent men, women and children will die? How many more mass graves do we need to see before we recognize that he's targeting civilians?

Now, we're also witnessing a modern-day genocide at the hands of an evil murdering thug. And why some people defend him? I have no idea, but as Speaker Gingrich … points out, "Biden says no to Ukraine's Zelenskyy and keeps America in the back seat."

And here are Senate Republicans demanding that Biden help Ukraine after they voted against a bill that will do just that:

More than two dozen Senate Republicans are demanding that President Biden do more to aid war-torn Ukraine and arm its forces against Russia’s brutal assault, after voting last week against $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine....

“President Biden needs to make a decision TODAY: either give Ukraine access to the planes and antiaircraft defense systems it needs to defend itself, or enforce a no-fly zone to close Ukrainian skies to Russian attacks,” [Florida senator Rick] Scott said in a statement. “If President Biden does not do this NOW, President Biden will show himself to be absolutely heartless and ignorant of the deaths of innocent Ukrainian children and families.”

Last week, Scott was one of 31 Republicans to vote against a sweeping, $1.5 trillion spending bill to fund government agencies and departments through the remainder of the fiscal year, a bill that also included $13.6 billion in assistance for Ukraine. Biden signed the bill into law Tuesday....

... Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), ... who voted against the spending bill with billions for Ukraine, said Wednesday that Biden needs to “step up” and send MiG jet fighters and other weapons to Ukraine, accusing the administration of “dragging its feet.”

... Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee who also voted against the spending bill, told MSNBC on Thursday that the United States “can do more” for Ukraine.

... Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) tweeted a clip declaring the importance of assisting Ukraine. “It’s not much of a deterrent when the assistance you provide comes after the invasion,” he wrote. “We need to have President Zelensky’s back and expedite aid to Ukraine.”

Hours later, Cramer voted against the spending bill.

But we have a free press, right? Surely the voters in the states these senators represent will know that the bill provides billions in aid to Ukraine, and that Republicans voted against it. Right?

In the same way that we've come to realize, with astonishment, that Russians simply weren't told that their troops had invaded Ukraine, and didn't believe there was a war, Republican voters, I'm sure, don't believe President Biden is doing anything effective on Ukraine's behalf, and that only Republicans could save Ukraine.

Russian citizens have an excuse for their ignorance: Media outlets that don't toe the Kremlin line are suppressed. In America, it's purely voluntary: Right-wingers simply tune out any media outlets that tells them what they don't want to hear, or assure themselves that those outlets are "fake news." What they don't want to hear is that any Democrat has ever done anything right. What they want to hear is that Democrats seek to destroy America and empower all the evildoers on the planet, among whom they now (temporarily) include Vladimir Putin.

So Republican senators can describe the White House response to Russia's attack on Ukraine in ways that blatantly ignore reality, and they don't have to worry that their voters will doubt their credibility. They can say anything about a Democrat as long as it's bad. No contradictory information penetrates the base's bubble.