It’s worse than we imagined. The war in Ukraine isn’t just an unstoppable catastrophe that will remain until Putin is no longer in power. He has painted himself into a corner and even his most basic demands at the negotiation table in the way: 1) He cannot be tried at The Hague. 2) Nor his men. 3) No admission of guilt or liability in the war at all. 4) And most surprising of all, demanding keeping every region, occupied or not that has been already officially annexed by Russia. In the mind of a bully tyrant, beating you up and taking your lunch money is his right. In Putin’s mind it is Ukraine that is occupying areas in the eastern territories, or western in his thinking. You must flip your mind to see the intransigence that infects him.
And make no mistake. Putin is a classic dictator and equal to any tsar or previous leader of Russia in cunning and guile. Despite that, this war and its setbacks has clear implications to his rule as he has used it to reorganize his society similar to the hamfisted Bush era policies which locked the United States in its latest forever war.
Leaders always own their wars. That is why it is the ultimate contest on earth, petty and small though it be in its totally. Hierarchies of states is not needed when everyone is free and equal. Then their is no need to dominate one’s neighbors far and near. It should be looked upon for the barbarity that it is. People deserve better the world over.
Yet now we are stuck with this war for as long as Putin lives. But like I said, it's worse than that. Far worse. Wars have winners and losers. And Ukraine is losing this war as long as Putin remains in power. That’s the real reason this war will go on and on.
It is also the reason that the West must realize that if they want Ukraine to exist at all in the future it must redouble its efforts at protecting her citizens from the terroristic and otherwise criminal acts of barbarity, we see on the news every night. If we fail to act, for fear of Russian aggression towards us, we must question own readiness then in the face of such a grave and terrible threat.
We must root out Putin’s fanboys in the West. We must shout down their hateful rhetoric of Neville Chamberlain levels of cowardice, bully worship, and outright Kremlin propaganda. Ukrainians are real people, and we must do everything in our power to preserve as many of them as we can in the face of Putin’s zed-powered hate-machine.
And here is the worst of part. If we do not, then we are as culpable as the Russian army savaging the people of Ukraine. Ukraine’s blood will be on our hands. The lost children of Ukraine will be on our conscience. It will be us who will not be able to sleep at night, not Vladimir Putin.
So do not sleep tight America, do not sleep tight the West. The barbarians are at the gates and if we let them through then we too shall be gobbled up by the nightmare as the hints of authoritarianism and fascism with its demonization of voices of reason and tolerance by overly religious voices attempting to break down the wall between church and state.
So it is worse than we imagined. The rot is within as it is without. That is why it is so critical for us to pledge our allegiance to the principles of peace and nonviolence whenever possible. And to always be prepared to protect ourselves and to protect the weaker among us, just as we ask them to protect us. These are sacred duties in all religions of note throughout the world. And are ones that great nations follow.
It is time for our generation to answer the call to greatness. If we must call on the sacred to bless our duty then let it be upon our holy vows that we pledge to do what is right in just in this world.
Komentarze