War is unacceptable. Period.
No amount of power or glory is worth the potential loss of lives especially in a region of the world who’s entire history is marred with bloodshed as a result of ineffective leadership.
Putin’s lust for Soviet-era strength, a period when Russia controlled 100% of Eastern Europe and large swaths of Eurasia, a time when communism was the uniting factor, has reached new heights. His willingness to ignite another world war is staggering and alarming, but one can’t help but see the similarities here in the West.
However, the conflict has officially taken a turn for the worst.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised his nuclear deterrent forces to an elevated alert status Sunday, citing “aggressive statements” from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and increased sanctions against his regime.
As Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine entered its fourth full day, Putin lamented, “Western countries aren’t only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country.”
Putin ordered the Russian defense minister and the chief of the military’s General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.” The move signals tensions could boil over into a nuclear war.
Putin’s move to raise the alert level prompted his military to prepare nuclear weapons for a potential launch, marking the second time in recent days that the Russian President has issued a veiled or direct threat of nuclear escalation. As the invasion began several days ago, Putin warned that “consequences you have never seen” would be visited upon any nation daring to interfere with Russia’s actions.
In the days since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States and other allies have imposed numerous sanctions on the Russian financial sector, even ousting several Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).
The U.S. and other allies also issued a statement condemning Russia’s actions and committing to standing with Ukraine: “We stand with the Ukrainian people in this dark hour. Even beyond the measures we are announcing today, we are prepared to take further measures to hold Russia to account for its attack on Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, liberal governments in the United States and Europe continue to monopolize power in their own countries by utilizing corporations and local police forces to tamp down on any right-wing dissent, which they label “misinformation.”
Putin is villain, no doubt, but Joe Biden and the liberal Democrats should take a look in the mirror before condemning their nearly-identical counterpart.
Author: Elizabeth Tierney
