Unfortunately megalomaniac’s are only able to comprehend one language – absolute power. Trying to find the good in a clearly rotten apple has proven, and will continue to prove, the profound futility of this mindset.
Our moral landscape has many shades of grey, and it is always open to innovation and modification. On the contrary, autocrats see only black and white. Obsessed with their countries once powerful history, they articulate an explicit goal of ensuring the rightful return of the states former ostensible glory.
The strength of The Motherland squashes and subjugates the inherent value of each individual citizen. We are employing a garden hose to try and extinguish a five alarm fire. “Maybe if we just let the fire spread a little bit further, the atoms will cool down and run out of oxygen”. An all too pertinent metaphor.
It’s time to fight fire with fire and let dictatorships all around the world know that enough is enough. Actions have consequences, and those consequences need to be dire enough to elicit immediate hesitation and apprehension. The threat of nuclear war is increasing, but using that as the reason to let evil spreads its wings is unacceptable. "Don’t poke the bear”. What if that bear is coming for your family? What if that bear is coming for your children?
Putin has crossed many third rails. Viewing each of them as merely another hurdle he must traverse until he reaches his end goal: “To return the USSR to its rightful place as the world’s great super power”. I don’t have the answers. I am merely thinking out loud and trying to work out what I really believe. However I do know this; Our tepid and apathetic response thus far is not enough to slow down the spread of The Red Terror. "Give an inch and they will take a mile", as the old saying goes.
There will be peace for a while once this war comes to an end. A few years will go by, and this period in history will feel like a distant memory to most of us. All the while Putin will be re-grouping, re-arming, and once again reaching forward into neighbouring hostile territory. It is only then when all of our current emotions will come rushing back to us, and a sense of intense despondency will possess our entire beings.
We must exorcise the demon that is Vladimir Putin, and show all others like him that yes we are good, but we are also determined, courageous, and unrelenting in our fight for peace. Dictator's like Putin, Jinping, Jong-un, Al-Assad – will not stop until they are stopped.
The question is: Who is going to stop them?
