Russian President (for life?) Vladimir Putin has annexed
Crimea, threatened and bullied Ukraine and is promising to build a bigger
military presence in and around former Soviet “States”. He has done all this by
insuring there was no internal debate about any of these moves. No downsides
discussed, no pros and cons debated. It’s good to be king. This is what happens
when you smash political opposition and suppress independent media. (Sounds
like another current, powerful world leader’s wish list). The Federation
Council voted 90-0 a couple of months ago to authorize deployment of Russian
troops to Ukraine. Ninety to zero! Of course, this was after Russian troops were
actually deployed to Ukraine. (The Supreme
Soviet usually had one or two fake dissenting votes just so it might appear
to the most naïve that there was debate or dissent going on in that august
body). Public protests without government approval have been banned. Dissenting
voices have been silenced, charges of defamation or treason thrown at them. Arrests and beatings have occurred. My God, it’s like they questioned Global
Warming/Climate Change or something!
These
government crackdowns are taking place all over the world. Protesters for
liberty are being harassed and threatened. Hong Kong is the latest of a long
string of these. Whether it’s China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Cuba, etc., people
want freedom and independence. Where has the United States been? Sadly, our
government has been more concerned with oppressing and stifling liberty and
its supporters in this country than
defending them in others. The IRS scandal, “tea-baggers” being mocked and
vilified, the president actually calling out a particular major news outlet he
abhors, center-right speakers continually being banned from speaking at (supposedly) open-minded, liberal,
diversity-loving, tolerant educational institutes of higher learning. This is
unprecedented and unbearably tragic.
Putin
just wants to accrue all power and money to himself. Sadly, he is almost
certain to be “re-elected” in 2018, in part due to “constitutional” changes he
engineered. Some in Russia like that he is making Russia strong again. Like
most people- and governments- around the world, the only thing he respects is
strength. Putin has portrayed himself as “a leader with no alternative.” Even
those who hate him admit that there is no one else.
That is
sad and speaks of a defeated people. A people who certainly aren’t capable of
bringing back democracy on their own.
Yet,
there is a potential alternative.
If the
people of the United States, themselves faced with a Presidential election in
2016, select as President a person who truly believes in liberty- as the Founders
did- and is committed to projecting that
belief with strength and will- as President Reagan did- then there may be hope
yet for all of us.
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