Some people have no choice, others make the choice.
I recently read a statement by a Russian diplomat about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying, “The special operation conducted by the Russian Armed forces (is) aimed at the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, ensuring its neutral status” etc., etc. As I continued reading the article it became ever so clear that the diplomat simply recycled his government’s propaganda sheet, sent it out and succeeded to get it “reprinted in the Philippine mass media,” which he initially said was guilty of reprinting “fake news actively generated and promoted by the west” concerning Ukraine. I found that so ironic because the diplomat starts out by insulting us and has the gall and thick hide to send his government’s recycled fake news propaganda that is two weeks old.
At the very least, what the diplomat should have done was to engage members of the Philippine media and personally familiarize them with the history and politics and security concerns of Russia vis a vis Ukraine and NATO, instead of insulting our intelligence as if we don’t have access to international coverage and the worldwide web called the internet! Unlike Russia, where government censorship and the current absence of social media and the internet may justify ignorance, here in the Philippines we do have access to global events and real time access to what is happening in Ukraine and in Russia as shared not just by Western media, but by ordinary citizens, working Filipinos on both sides, as well as independent journalists who have aired interviews even of Russians, both pro- and anti-war.
I recently watched a speech of Vladimir Putin where he thoroughly explained how the West made promises decades ago, how NATO agreed not to expand into Russian Territory and how time and again the West moved the line in the sand and took in more and more countries such as Poland etc. The speech and presentation was very logical and almost convincing, except for Putin’s stupid mistake of “pulling the trigger” on Ukraine and carpet bombing civilian-residential areas and killing several thousand Ukrainians, sending several thousand young and old Russian soldiers to their senseless death in three short weeks. You don’t get the sheep to come back to the fold by using a sling shot or firing a pistol at them. Putin could have enticed Ukraine diplomatically, economically, even culturally, given the blood ties between many Russians and Ukrainians in their shared borders. But in choosing to invade, bomb and slaughter people, Putin brought about an economic disaster upon Russia that will hurt its people for many years after the invasion of Ukraine.
Many analysts have asked: “What is Putin’s agenda?” Well, following the propaganda material of the Russian Foreign Ministry it is clearly a “Scorched Earth Policy.” How do you “neutralize” a country? Based on the last week of night and day bombing and shelling of all key cities and towns of Ukraine, as well as its industrial zones, Russia will do so through a “Scorched Earth Policy.” They are slowly flattening buildings: residential buildings, government buildings, industrial buildings. They are driving millions of people out of Ukraine and creating a humanitarian crisis and placing the burden on NATO countries. Putin has repeatedly been accused of not recognizing Ukraine and Ukrainians as a country and a people. Through his unprovoked war and invasion of Ukraine, Putin can wipe them all off the face of the earth, just like what Hitler attempted to do. Russian diplomats call their “special operations” as the de-nazification of Ukraine simply to arouse fear and anger and support from their isolated ignorant population, whose only memory and reference point would be the German Nazis of World War 2.
The Russian special operations meant at the demilitarization of Ukraine has achieved the opposite and all it takes are a couple of video conferences between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and members of the US Congress. In his recent speech to the US Congress, Zelensky drove home the point that time is running out and Russia was nearly in the capital, that their war with Russia will eventually be on the door steps of NATO and other countries, that Ukrainians today are very much like the innocent Americans who were attacked and bombed on Dec. 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. They are just like the 4,000-plus innocent Americans and citizens of the world who were killed by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City and other parts of the United States. That they are a people fighting for freedom, religion and their way of life just like everyday Americans and freedom loving people and just like Dr. Martin Luther King who had a dream, President Zelensky skillfully segued to: “I Have A Need” …for the US to lead in the declaration of a “No Fly Zone” over Ukraine to stop Russian planes from continued carpet bombing of Ukraine. If this is not possible then arm them with the air defense systems such as anti-aircraft missiles.
After closing his message with a then and now video of what has become of Ukraine and the ravages of war that many members of the US Congress watched, President Joe Biden released the latest list of weaponry to be delivered to Ukraine: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 2,000 Javelins and 1,000 light anti-tank weapons and 6,000 AT-4 Anti-Tank anti-armor systems, 100 tactical unmanned drones, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols and 400 shotguns, 20 million rounds of small caliber ammunitions, 25,000 sets of matching body armor and helmets. All that is small comfort for the thousands of lives lost on both sides. That more than anything is why I choose to stand on the side of truth! I Stand With Ukraine!
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
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