Ramon Gonzalez: I saw Putin-style rule in East Germany, I know the danger he represents

At last we know who really won the presidential election. It wasn’t Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. The real winner was Vladimir Putin, he got what he wanted – a puppet in the White House. Now he can do and say what he wants in America and doesn’t have to bring spies in. He will get all the information he wants from his puppet. As a retired veteran with combat experience, I feel betrayed when the puppet agrees with the KGB.

I was on duty in Europe when Putin was KGB commander in East Germany. I saw people die as they attempted to cross the minefields and the wall to West Berlin. I saw East Berlin guards shoot at their own people as they were risking their lives to be free. All this happened while the Colonel was in command.

The ambition of the Colonel has not diminished. He still dreams of being the master of the world. He has accomplished a big goal when he installed a puppet in America. Were my 20-odd years in the military and lives of my comrades in vain to have our democracy given away? When the word of the KGB is valued above our own dedicated government officials?

Now they want all our personal voter information so they can tell us whether we can vote or not. Either we vote what they want, or we don’t vote. Where is our democracy and freedom that Americans have fought and died for?

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Ramon Gonzalez: I saw Putin-style rule in East Germany, I know the danger he represents."