Even I am not old enough to remember World War I. It wasn’t called that back then. It took World War II, some 26 years later, to necessitate the name. Instead it was known as the “War to End All Wars.” As if the human beast could be expected to learn a lesson.
When German tanks rolled across Europe in the late 1930s and early 40s, the United States watched with interest and detachment. I believe Franklin Roosevelt was pulling some behind the scenes shenanigans to help England and other countries, but the population as a whole was content to avoid conflict.
Until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
Then, for the most part, we came together as a nation, with only a single negative vote in the House of Representatives. We partnered with other countries and responded with a determined war effort that would eventually prove successful, destroying a bully with no moral boundaries.
Much as we did after 9/11.
They say that those who do not study history are destined to repeat it.
I’m not sure that’s true. I believe the Hitlers of this world, whether they have studied history or not, will do whatever they want. Because they think differently from the rest of us. They think that the people who came before, who unleashed horrible pain and devastation, just weren’t as smart as themselves. They cannot believe they would repeat the stupidity of their predecessors. Rather they convince themselves they will emerge victorious.
Bullies like Vladimir Putin.
He is said to have lost touch with reality. That may be true, but I doubt he would agree. He has had a life that fed the development of a dictator with no limits. After all, he spent years as an intelligence officer with the infamous KGB, Soviet Russia’s equivalent of the secret service.
Under his time as president those deemed a threat to his regime have been attacked and many killed, even if they had fled Russia and lived in other countries. So excessive and innocent deaths would not deter any action he might take.
Like invading Ukraine.
But unlike the 1940s, this time our country did not look the other way. Our President Biden showed great leadership in stepping up to the challenge. I would never have thought he could marshal the European Union to present a unified and sustained response, especially since this could severely impact its energy needs. I suspect memories of the previous time European countries were overrun by a stronger and unchecked military might have played a role. In any event, I am proud of our president and our allies.
Unfortunately, also unlike the 1940s, our country has not come together to support our efforts.
Early on in the crisis and later at the yearly conservative CPAC meeting our past president extolled the brilliance of Putin. And he praised his own intelligence versus the stupidity of Biden. He added this would never have occurred under his watch, and Putin picked this time because Biden is so dumb. And he didn’t explain how his estrangement from NATO would have been an asset, an area where Biden has been brilliant in building consensus. The group of thousands of so-called patriots who heard the former president speak cheered and demanded four more years
Furthermore, while there was a token of bipartisan support at Biden’s State of the Union speech, some members of the Republican party have claimed that Biden is acting too weakly. Others say he is being unnecessarily demanding. It appears that this is just one more opportunity to attack our president, indicating even a threat to world order is not sufficient enough of a problem to trigger an overwhelming nonpartisan response.
Indeed, and unbelievably, some conservatives and their pundits have taken the stand that the Russian action was necessary.
At a convention of white nationalists, the crowd enthusiastically chanted “Putin, Putin, Putin.”
What is wrong with our country where so many of our citizens participate in actions that demean and embarrass us?
They are disgusting.
They are sickening.
They are scary.
I can only hope that the sturdy resistance to the Russian invasion that Ukraine, we, and other brave nations have taken will thwart Putin’s power play and make him wish he had listened to the lessons of history.
I can only hope our nation recovers its commitment to democracy and keeps power hungry individuals here from becoming our own version of Putin.
When German tanks rolled across Europe in the late 1930s and early 40s, the United States watched with interest and detachment. I believe Franklin Roosevelt was pulling some behind the scenes shenanigans to help England and other countries, but the population as a whole was content to avoid conflict.
Until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
Then, for the most part, we came together as a nation, with only a single negative vote in the House of Representatives. We partnered with other countries and responded with a determined war effort that would eventually prove successful, destroying a bully with no moral boundaries.
Much as we did after 9/11.
They say that those who do not study history are destined to repeat it.
I’m not sure that’s true. I believe the Hitlers of this world, whether they have studied history or not, will do whatever they want. Because they think differently from the rest of us. They think that the people who came before, who unleashed horrible pain and devastation, just weren’t as smart as themselves. They cannot believe they would repeat the stupidity of their predecessors. Rather they convince themselves they will emerge victorious.
Bullies like Vladimir Putin.
He is said to have lost touch with reality. That may be true, but I doubt he would agree. He has had a life that fed the development of a dictator with no limits. After all, he spent years as an intelligence officer with the infamous KGB, Soviet Russia’s equivalent of the secret service.
Under his time as president those deemed a threat to his regime have been attacked and many killed, even if they had fled Russia and lived in other countries. So excessive and innocent deaths would not deter any action he might take.
Like invading Ukraine.
But unlike the 1940s, this time our country did not look the other way. Our President Biden showed great leadership in stepping up to the challenge. I would never have thought he could marshal the European Union to present a unified and sustained response, especially since this could severely impact its energy needs. I suspect memories of the previous time European countries were overrun by a stronger and unchecked military might have played a role. In any event, I am proud of our president and our allies.
Unfortunately, also unlike the 1940s, our country has not come together to support our efforts.
Early on in the crisis and later at the yearly conservative CPAC meeting our past president extolled the brilliance of Putin. And he praised his own intelligence versus the stupidity of Biden. He added this would never have occurred under his watch, and Putin picked this time because Biden is so dumb. And he didn’t explain how his estrangement from NATO would have been an asset, an area where Biden has been brilliant in building consensus. The group of thousands of so-called patriots who heard the former president speak cheered and demanded four more years
Furthermore, while there was a token of bipartisan support at Biden’s State of the Union speech, some members of the Republican party have claimed that Biden is acting too weakly. Others say he is being unnecessarily demanding. It appears that this is just one more opportunity to attack our president, indicating even a threat to world order is not sufficient enough of a problem to trigger an overwhelming nonpartisan response.
Indeed, and unbelievably, some conservatives and their pundits have taken the stand that the Russian action was necessary.
At a convention of white nationalists, the crowd enthusiastically chanted “Putin, Putin, Putin.”
What is wrong with our country where so many of our citizens participate in actions that demean and embarrass us?
They are disgusting.
They are sickening.
They are scary.
I can only hope that the sturdy resistance to the Russian invasion that Ukraine, we, and other brave nations have taken will thwart Putin’s power play and make him wish he had listened to the lessons of history.
I can only hope our nation recovers its commitment to democracy and keeps power hungry individuals here from becoming our own version of Putin.
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