Two viewpoints stand out with regard to this war:
- The Ukrainian forces are Nazis.
- It's all Putin's fault. He's like Hitler.
I agree with #1 but not #2.
The Ukrainian forces are Nazis
The Ukrainian government and forces are literally Nazis in many instances. Obviously they have evolved from the days of WWII. But the essence of Nazism was preaching hatred against outgroups and my observation is that this is what many of the Uke forces have been doing leading up to the coup in 2014 and increasingly ever since.
From my perspective in the United States, this hatred of Russians has been encouraged by the Ukrainian allies (neocons and friends of the military-intelligence complex) in the United States government. Putin and the Russians have been used as scapegoats in disinformation promulgated by the intelligence services, mainstream media, Democratic party, and others. I pointed this out in my post, The Facts Matter. It's not just that we've been lying, it's that these venal lies have demonized one ethnic / national group that is far away and not able to defend itself.
- Don't like the fact that Trump won? Blame Russia and Putin!
- Don't like the fact that the Democrats are corrupt (in Ukraine and elsewhere)? Blame Russia and Putin!
- Don't like the fact that the great US military was defeated by the Taliban? Blame Russia and Putin!
- Dubious US supported biolabs revealed in Ukraine? Warn that Russia and Putin are about to use biological weapons against us!
- Civilian deaths revealed in Ukraine? Reflexively accuse Russia and Putin of genocide!
The venomous false accusations have taken a toll on our collective moral compasses in the United States and Ukraine. For those in the West who are not literally Nazis, we've too often been driven to hatred of Russians via government sponsored propaganda.
It's all Putin's fault. He's like Hitler
The absurd hatred of Trump has been amplified by association with Putin, and vice versa. Trump is a narcissist. His administration was tougher on Russia and Putin than was the Obama Administration. The Mueller inquisition came up with nothing yet led to impeachment over hesitation in providing arms to Ukraine. In short, the US government absurdly blamed Russia/Putin for Trump and has continued to double down on this for 6 years despite being proven wrong again and again. The verdict is in but has been swept under the rug. Trump is onboard with the Ukraine war from the US perspective and is basically irrelevant with regard to foreign affairs other than being used temporarily as a scapegoat in the service of anti-Russian hatred.
Putin himself has a successful record in foreign policy in standing up to the West. First, he opposed the 2003 Iraq War and has been proven right. His harshest critics in the US, those promoting hatred of Russia and putting him on a Hitleresque pedestal, were on the wrong side of that disastrous war that led to more than a million deaths, refugees, and the destruction of large swaths of civilization in the Middle East.
Next Russia opposed the expansion of NATO and anti-Russian posturing in Georgia. Russia successfully intervened so that Russian majority territories are independent of the anti-Russian sentiments encouraged by the West. Georgia has been peaceful ever since.
Russia and the US were on different sides in Syria. The US supported Islamic terrorists who were defeated by the Syrian government with Russia's help.
In 2014, the US supported a coup in Ukraine which led to an anti-Russian government. Russia successfully annexed Crimea and has dug in its heels against not only the expansion of NATO, but also against the anti-Russian hatred and lied emanating from the US.
In 2022, Russia has taken a big step in militarily opposing NATO and the US militarization of Ukraine against Russia. While Russia has been harshly criticized by the West for this, Putin has in no way behaved like Hitler or Trump in leading this battle. The Russian military has avoided civilian targets and casualties, while the Nazis in Ukraine and the US have responded with false flag operations. At least this my best guess based upon observation of Russia's behavior in Syria and the US behavior over the course of my lifetime including Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, as well as the facts (or lack of interest in them) in Ukraine. Unlike Trump, Putin seems thoughtful and focused on Russia rather than on himself. Unlike Hitler, Putin doesn't seem to be driven by hate or delusions of racial superiority. Confronted by Nazis, he calls them out but recognizes that his actions in Ukraine will be worthless if he commits atrocities against the Russians there that he wants to win over.
Hitler, by contrast, came up through the ranks violently and with hatred against outgroups as a major component of his political stance. Hitler was also far more aggressive and reckless than Putin has behaved in the 20+ years that he's led Russia.
Systemic Problems in West
The serious dysfunction in the US is not Trump's fault. He's a symptom. The desire to find one or two people to blame for our problems (Trump, Putin) is puerile. We have systemic problems tied to our intelligence agencies and the enormous amounts of money allocated to maintaining and promoting the global empire that we inherited from the British. Let's deal with that by focusing on true democracy at home, including freedom of speech, constitutional rights for all regardless of party affiliation, and respect for those institutions and authorities that do work well.
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