The Hard Truth: One
We look and listen and Americans are both sickened and amazed as the Ukrainians fight for their independence, their future as a nation and a people against a flagrant attempt to take all of it from them.
And the World turns on the five by five leader of Russia, a man who came to prominence and then ultimate power as an official murderer for the Soviet Union.
The coming together by the Western World was a careful, methodical arrangement of those in the NATO alliance, a defense mechanism and the European Union, a business mechanism while dealing with the threat of a Russian invasion of the Ukraine week after week, then day after day.
And it didn’t take TV to help us understand that the sheer weight of firepower was always going to be on Putin’s side no matter how many defensive weapons America and its allies shipped into Ukraine.
As the explosions started the West took action. Sanctions were applied to Russian banks, to the Russian currency, to deny Russia the technology it requires to stay productive.
Elsewhere, Putin’s favorites in music, the arts, sports were fired, dropped, punished because they would not speak out against the actions of their patron.
People in neighboring countries took in Ukrainian refugees with warmth and genuine concern.
Here and across the World people began sending food and clothing and necessities to Ukraine with genuine passion, with admiration for those who seemed able and willing to be Davids against the Goliath…even as they faced certain death.
Zelensky, the professional comedian and show business entertainer, appeared to swell with the pride of his people as he sought help from the World and refused to run away.
And the sanctions continued as the West chased down those oligarchs who had gained extraordinary wealth paying homage to their little buddy, fleeing in their yachts and private planes, from the World’s outrage and sympathies for those innocents under attack. Sanctions even began against Putin’s own extraordinary wealth.
Because the West would not send troops to the Ukraine, it could find other ways to squeeze Putin and the Russian people in such a way that they would stop the murder and destruction in Ukraine.
And yet, is that really what we are doing?
Because you see, Russia provides the West and America with two critically important commodities: gas and oil for energy and wheat. It is all they have to offer and America and Europe do business with him for it.
And would you believe the only two areas free of sanctions are gas and oil and wheat. It is business as usual. Selling these commodities is all Putin has for income for Russia and the World is letting him have it.
Yes, if we and the West sanctioned those commodities prices for them would rise. Well you say they are rising anyway and pandemic driven inflation has been hitting us hard. But if Russian oil is still flowing here why have prices risen so quickly? Because it takes little or nothing to suddenly increase the price at the pump.
If there is a hurricane in the South, prices go up. If there is a fire in an oil rig prices go up. If there is a supply and demand problem for anything, or just an excuse for it, prices go up.
Sometimes, we must admit, price increases are simply the gouging that goes on when money is to be made quickly in response to any situation offering that opportunity. It’s the way things work.
And so how much more will gasoline be if we are our allies and partners, slammed the door on Putin and his empire building by starving him completely? And would it be worth it? Would Americans and those affected in Europe simply say if the Ukrainians can die for freedom, can’t we offer them critical help by spending more money as our contribution to help save Ukraine from being blown to bits?
Will the democracies vote on the issue giving the people a chance to voice their feelings and concerns? Of course not.
Leaders driven by capitalism and the forces that drive it will make that decision.
Maybe they will as they watch Putin simply bomb the Ukraine into a massive field of rubble with tens of thousands dying and the rest becoming refugees. Maybe they will.
Zelensky knows the truth if most don’t. He has asked for “tougher sanctions” Sanctions on gas and oil and wheat are the ones he means.
Will the politicians trust themselves to act with humanity?
Or will capitalism’s inherent disregard for humanity rule?
What will be the hard truth?
No winners here. It’s at best a contest of pain tolerance.
3/8/2022
I am watching the tragedy in Eastern Europe with great sadness and hope & pray that there will be peace in Ukraine. I am also a realist that the US and NATO cannot directly intervene for fear (and rightly so) that this will likely be seen as a provocation to Russia to widen the conflict. What I see playing out over the next several months is that Russia will be bogged down in a war of attrition with mounting casualties on its side, and even more casualties and refugees in Ukraine. I agree there is a need for further economic sanctions. The people of Ukraine are teaching us all a valuable lesson in democracy and freedom.
Stephen R. Rolandi
Larchmont, NY