Take. Him. Out.
I’ve thought long and hard about what I am going to write today. I’ve considered all the possible outcomes and alternatives. And yet, I can reach only one conclusion: Putin must be stopped. You’ll notice I didn’t say Russia. I don’t think the majority of Russians want this invasion in Ukraine. I don’t think the soldiers fighting it want it. By their own admission, they are scared and unsure what their mission is:
I have empathy for that poor boy and all the other soldiers who were lied to and forced (Russia’s army is mandatory, not voluntary like ours) into participating in this insane invasion. I can’t imagine what it would be like. Other soldiers are facing harassment and shouting from Ukrainians about their presence. In the video below, a woman offers sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers so that when they die, the flowers will grow:
I am so moved by the bravery on display in Ukraine. Putin thought he’d be able to send in a few thousand soldiers and they would all just lay down and be taken over. Nope! They’re fighting with everything they have. They’re passing out tens of thousands of weapons to ordinary civilians. They are making Molotov cocktails to bombard their invaders. People are even RETURNING to the warzone to join in the effort to stop this unjustified conquering.
Just incredible.
And look, I know there has been a lot of talk about how the world has reacted to the Ukraine invasion in comparison to how the world reacts when people of color are invaded. It’s absolutely valid and something I might write about another day. But because there is SO MUCH to talk about when it comes to this, I am going to wait until I can give it the attention it deserves.
But back to my main point. It is time for Putin to go. If that means another world war, so be it. I can’t fathom why the US and Europe are sitting this one out. Sure, we’ve sanctioned the Russians into the stone age. But that is mostly just going to hurt average work-a-day people. Putin will be fine. It’s not like they can vote him out of office. He’s a bully and the only thing bullies understand is a punch in the nose.
Will it end in a nuclear war? I doubt it very much, but it’s possible. Will there be a lot of death and violence? Yep. At some point, though, you have to defend your friends and draw a line in the sand.
War is Hell. So is allowing a madman bent on continental domination to go unchecked. Especially when he has nuclear weapons at his disposal. He’s killing innocent civilians. He’s lying to his own people and is a shameless despot. He threatens us every chance he gets. He’s a menace to the world and has aims to be the next Stalin (or Hitler, depending on who you ask). The time has come to deal with him and show him the door. I cannot stand to sit by and watch these brave Ukrainians die while we do nothing.
It’s time to take him out.