Like most of you, I watch the news every day to see what is happening in the war in Ukraine, and like myself you must be very disgusted with the images of burnt out buildings, dead bodies on the street, and the discovery of makeshift graves with human bodies.
I just cannot make sense of all of this.
The brave Ukrainians are sacrificing their lives to defend their territory from a belligerent, powerful Russian bully.
In seeing all this, I am terrified at the wanton destruction of properties and the human carnage by the Russian aggressors. It does not make any sense to me so I must find some explanation.
In the kingdom of the wild beasts animals for the most part live in groups.
They do this for protection of the species, for mating and for hunting. The strongest male is generally the leader. One of its duties is to protect the weaker ones. So if a lion is lurking near to a group of baboons, it will be the duty of that leader to protect the others by fiercely fighting the lion although it cannot win.
Presently you may be praising Mr. Zelenskyy for his courage and bravery, but I believe he knows that Ukraine is no match for the powerful Russia, and in spite of some early successes, the military resources of the Russians outweigh that of Ukraine several times.
Without an earthly or heavenly intervention Ukraine and its people will be destroyed.
It seems that it is the intention of the Russians to destroy every building, kill every Ukrainian and that will give them victory and satisfaction.
So you ask yourself the question; What kind of a mind would perpetuate such crime to wipe out an entire nation, tearing everything down to the ground.
A burnt out country, with a few abandoned dogs running around. Is this what we mean when we say: “Man’s inhumanity to Man?”
Russian President Vladimir Putin is the master-mind behind this conflict: who is he and for what does he stand? I got some answers which I will share with you.
Ryan Tumilty wrote in the National Post, under the heading: ‘Putin threatened by Democracy in Ukraine.”
Ryan started his article by saying,–Mr. Putin’s march into Ukraine was about ensuring that no one in his country sees the emerging democracy as a model to follow, combined with the belief the West won’t have the resolve to stop him.
In the said article he quoted Aurel Braun, a professor of International Relations and Political Science at Toronto University, who said that the invasion of Ukraine was about making sure the country does not prosper.
He further stated that Putin’s larger goal is to make sure either he captures all of Ukraine or he makes sure Ukraine is a failed state.
Aurel went on to say that Putin is not afraid of U.S President Joe Biden, and he is prepared for sanctions, as he believes that is the price he will pay to obtain his goal of eliminating Ukraine.
In another article Elizabeth Mica, a psychotherapist and co- author of the book, ‘The Dangerous Care of Donald Trump,’ said that many authoritarian leaders share the same character defect, a severely impaired conscience, coupled with an insatiable desire for power and adulation, a condition known as malignant narcissism.
She also suggested that on achieving power, grandiose expectations grow along with a sense of entitlement and rage when those expectations are frustrated. The outcome is that the tyrant will seek and find scapegoats.
Elizabeth also said that fortunately most of these leaders eventually fail, crippled by unchecked grandiosity and paranoia that drive them to commit acts of political suicide and/or destruction.
This sounds like a pretty accurate analysis of Mr. Putin’s personality and a good guide to his future intentions.
Roland Paris, a former advisor to P.M Trudeau, and now is the director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs in Ottawa said that there is no reason in the long term to think Putin will stop at Ukraine.
He also said that Putin still reflects on the glorious imperial past and the tragedy of its loss. Paris described Putin as bloodless, calculating, ruthless and brutal and that it is worrying how far he is willing to escalate things.
In reading these comments by these distinguished scholars, I worry how power can corrupt and how far one is prepared to go to achieve his/her personal goals.
The ruthlessness is sickening and what is worse , we are all held hostage by the fear of losing our lives.
Some of us value life and want to preserve it, while for others power and the acquisition of it is paramount. How far have we come, that to annihilate a total country becomes someone’s priority?
How can anyone rejoice when children, old people, young adults and human beings are slaughtered?
This war and the evident destruction is sending chills up our spine and is telling us to look deeper in our soul and ask , ‘ Is this all there is?’
Certainly human life is priceless, a treasure to be preserved.
But is there a little of Putin in all of us? Are we capable of behaving so coldly? If so it is time to act to make a quick change.
One Putin is more than enough for this world.
Where will it end? Is anybody’s guess. Only Mr. Putin may know.
HAVE WE LOST IT
