REVOLUTION

(04,22,2022) Revolution, as a means to overthrow a government, is not something that I would normally recommend. However, when there is a tyrannical authoritarian in charge of a war-hungry country with nuclear weapons, and who cares nothing for the lives of innocent civilians, then it is time for that person to be removed. I am, of course, speaking of the Russian president, Putin, who removes all opponents by either poisoning them or having them thrown in jail under ridiculous false charges. Since the start of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, his troops and bombs have killed thousands of innocent people, many of whom were women and children. Russian soldiers bound Ukrainian men, in the streets, and execute them in front of their families. Russian missiles bomb hospitals and schools, as well as train stations while Ukrainian people are fleeing to them. Meanwhile, a deluded Putin expects the Ukrainians (or so-called trapped Russians) to thank him for ‘liberating’ them. Property can be replaced or repaired, but, nothing will bring back the lives which were lost in this senseless act of brutality and barbarianism. Some say that Putin is losing this war because of the acts of bravery by the Ukrainian people who are standing against him. One cannot deny how the Ukrainians are steadfast in their resolve to keep their country free from Putin’s regime. They are to be applauded for that, and our sympathy goes out to all the Ukrainian families who have suffered losses. Although many attempts, at peace talks, end up in discord between the two countries, some believe that an agreement will be attained, eventually. However, hasn’t Putin already achieved his goal? And, now, he is just out for how much more he can gain before he ‘gives in’ to the pressure from the rest of the world. Putin cares little about the sanctions against his country. After all, it is his people who suffer and he has proven that he cares little for them as well. Putin only cares about power. To him, control of land, and it’s resources, gives him that power. At the beginning of this war, Putin claimed that he wanted to liberate so-called Russians who were trapped by a neo Nazi regime. To that end, his initial goal was to assimilate two districts in southern Ukraine. After weeks of a desolating onslaught, by Putin’s war machine, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had agreed to discuss, with Putin, some conditional terms for surrendering those two districts, with the hope of bringing about peace. Putin saw that he had Zelenskyy where he wanted him. But, to assure that he got what he wanted, and more, Putin then ramped up his attacks, attempting to invade Ukraine from all directions. And now, he is demanding to have all the land in southern Ukraine, annexing Crimea and either side of the two original afore-mentioned districts. It is the oldest ploy in the book. First, demand more than you actually expect. Then, let your opponent ‘settle’ on what you originally desired. If the rest of the world is naive enough to believe that their sanctions brought about the end of this war, if and when that happens, and that it means a loss for Putin, they are sadly mistaken! Putin is already pushing things to the limit. Not only will he come out of this, having achieved his goal, but, he is more than likely to end the war having gained even more ground than that for which he initially hoped, if Ukraine gives in to any of his demands. And it won’t end there. He did it before, in Crimea. He’s doing it now in Ukraine, and he will continue to do it again. This is why China is afraid of him, as well as all the other countries who have accepted armaments and aid from Russia. In most dictatorships, throughout the world, whether in Europe, Asia or South America, you will find that the Russian government has infiltrated and gained a foothold. This is because Russia supports fascist regimes. There is a world wide threat to democracy today! This war, in Ukraine, has epitomized that threat. This is why Putin must not make good on any of his illegitimate demands. To succumb to pressure from Putin, especially now, would encourage this despot to continue with his old world tactics of committing atrocities for the sole purpose of instilling fear in his victims. Just like any bully, Putin is relying on that fear to force his victims to bend to his will. But, Putin is a coward, which is also a trait of all bullies. One must stand up to a bully and show that he, or she, is not afraid. Thusly, it is heartening to witness the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy doing exactly that. Zelenskyy is to be admired for his tenacity while facing the biggest bully on the planet. And, the armaments, which are being supplied by Ukraine’s allies in NATO and the United Nations, will go a long way in ‘whittling down’ Putin’s ‘big stick’. Still, there is more which needs to be done. Putin is losing ground and has suffered greater losses than anticipated, due to the strong resistance against his forces. As a result, he has become dangerously desperate. So, he is threatening to retaliate by wielding an even ‘bigger stick’. Putin had his subordinates drop hints as to his willingness to use nuclear weapons. And he will use any lie he can think of, to justify the use of such extreme force. This is another scare tactic upon which he has relied many times in the past. However, nobody else, in Russia, wants a nuclear war, and Putin is under attack from his own inner circle. Many are starting to speak out. This is why it is imperative that all of the Russian people get involved in this war, now! Bring the fight back to Putin’s turf. He would be hard-pressed to justify dropping bombs on his own people or country. Russia’s last civil war ended exactly one hundred years ago, after several years of fighting. Unfortunately for the Russian people, the Bolshevik Army (also referred to as the Red Army) under Lenin’s regime, had defeated the anti-Bolshevik groups (the White Army) who did not want another tyrannical leader. Over five million people died as a result of fighting, disease and famine. It had all started in 1917, after the first revolution, commonly referred to as the February Revolution, which is not to be confused with the second revolution that followed only months later. The first Russian (February) revolution began after Russia suffered severe losses during the First World War, at the hands of the Germans. Defeated and tired, 60,000 troops returned home to join the people who had begun a spontaneous uprising in Russia’s capital, against the Tsar Nicholas the second. Together, they formed the White Army which overthrew the Tsarist monarchy. This led to the formation of the provisional government, a regime based on the premise that Russia should have a parliamentary government and a free-enterprise economic system. Unfortunately, this first upheaval had ushered in a second revolution, or, to be more accurate, a coup d’etat, by the Bolsheviks, a militant Marxist political party who seized power and were determined to rule alone and turn Russia into a communist society. The Bolsheviks betrayed the prevailing democratic party and mobilized Russian power to crush all opponents, thereby freeing the way for Lenin to take control. Lenin’s Marxist regime claimed to be building the world’s first egalitarian society. These pretentions proved dubious in practice and threatened other societies including those of liberal democracy and free enterprise. Is any of this sounding familiar? Perhaps history is repeating itself. Substitute Putin for Lenin and its the same old story. Only, maybe, this time history is giving the world the chance to right a terrible wrong. In 1918, at the request of Lenin, the entire Romanov family was executed. The Tsar Nicholas, who had already abdicated, along with his wife and five children who had all been thrown into prison, were all taken out and shot. Thusly, the Soviet Union became a brutal dictatorship. Putin is the embodiment of Lenin and his Bolshevik regime. Perhaps another civil war, mirroring that of the first revolution, the February Revolution, is in order. Only, now, the rest of the world will be supporting the ‘White Army’, the Russian Peoples’ Army. It would not take much to convince NATO’s allies to support a new Russian White Army in overthrowing the old Bolshevik Red Army regime which has been resurrected by Putin and his cronies. Maybe, this time, the Russian White Army will prevail and end Putin’s persistent hegemony!