Vladimir, STOP!: Peace by Crayon and the War on Public Schools

From Crimea giveaways to Texas voucher scams, Trump and his allies are proving that authoritarianism doesn’t just bomb cities, it guts communities, gaslights democracy, and calls it reform.

Good morning! Trump promised peace. Instead, we got ballistic missiles over Kyiv, tariffs detonating the economy, and a Texas governor trying to defund Friday night football. Welcome to another day in MAGA’s America, where public goods are for sale, alliances are optional, and reality is whatever Elon Musk retweeted before breakfast.

Let’s start where the sky is falling, literally. After weeks of diplomatic cosplay and performative bleating about ending the war in Ukraine, Trump’s “peace plan” collapsed under the weight of another Russian missile barrage. His response? A plaintive little post on Truth Social: “Vladimir, STOP!” Because nothing says hard-nosed diplomacy like begging your authoritarian crush to please stop bombing the country you’re actively trying to bully into surrender.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European allies were busy doing actual diplomacy. They submitted a detailed peace proposal to Washington calling for an unconditional ceasefire, no recognition of Russia’s territorial thefts, and a reconstruction plan funded by frozen Kremlin assets. Trump’s response? Float the idea of recognizing Crimea as Russian territory before any ceasefire is even agreed upon. You see, in Trumpworld, giving Putin land he already stole is a “pretty big concession”, not by Moscow, but by Trump. And his chosen messenger in all this? A real estate developer named Steve Witkoff, now on his fourth trip to Moscow because nothing says geopolitical expertise like having a portfolio of Miami condos.

Back home, the domestic absurdity is no less surreal. Twelve states have filed suit to stop Trump’s emergency-powered tariff tantrum, arguing, correctly, that it’s unlawful, unhinged, and economically suicidal. Trump, of course, insists he can do whatever he wants with a pen and a grievance, because Congress is just a speed bump on the road to his imperial vibes-based governance. Somewhere James Madison is trying to claw his way out of the grave and revoke our Article II privileges.

Meanwhile, down in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is attempting to gut public education in the name of “choice,” which, in practice, means letting billionaires like Jeff Yass and Betsy DeVos siphon off taxpayer dollars to subsidize elite private schools. The voucher plan would pay $10,000 per kid, even to families who send their children to private academies. Yes, Elon Musk could theoretically apply. Rural kids with no private schools in their counties will not be served. As one protester put it: “This bill is a skunk we’re trying to pass off as a kitty cat.” And the stakes go beyond classrooms, this is about the heart of the community. In much of Texas, public schools aren’t just education hubs, they’re the Friday night lights, the marching band, the cheer squad, the gathering place that binds entire towns together. Strip that funding, and you're not just taking away textbooks, you’re tearing out the social fabric. Football coaches, Republican parents, and exhausted teachers are fighting back, but Abbott and his megadonors are on a mission. It’s not about educating children, it’s about dismantling one of the last public institutions still functioning as a community anchor.

And speaking of dismantling, Ron DeSantis is in the game too, quietly redirecting $10 million from a Medicaid fraud settlement into a politically connected nonprofit. Not just any nonprofit, mind you, this one is run by none other than his wife, Casey DeSantis. Because why refund the public when you can reroute the money straight into the family portfolio of influence? It’s a classic MAGA maneuver: cry about corruption while turning public dollars into a private slush fund. All this from the guy who promised to fix “woke waste.” Turns out, the real grift was at home the whole time.

But fear not, the judiciary still has a pulse. A federal judge blocked Trump’s attempt to shut down Voice of America, calling it what it was, an unconstitutional tantrum against press freedom. Judges are also blocking voucher bills, tariff abuses, and the administration’s latest immigration stunts, for now. But the courts are under siege, and Musk has taken to calling judges “royalty” for daring to check Trump’s power.

And all this is having an unintended side effect: the global right is bleeding. In Canada, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative surge has deflated as voters rally around a new Liberal leader who promises to stand up to Trump. In Australia, Peter Dutton’s MAGA-lite campaign is sinking under the weight of Trump’s tariffs and international embarrassment. And in Europe, leaders who dare to defy Trump are watching their poll numbers go up. Turns out, being the world's cautionary tale isn’t great branding.

So here we are, on a Friday morning nearing the 100th day of the Trump Restoration, where the planet is hotter, the missiles are flying, and the only thing thinner than the peace proposal is Trump’s patience with reality. Greg Abbott still thinks he can win by defunding kindergartens and high school quarterbacks.

The good news? People are waking up, resisting, and remembering how to fight back.