Can it be true that America’s sunshine patriots are wavering in their support of the Ukrainian people’s valiant struggle against Putin’s invasion of their country? Does “long-term COVID” include the loss of one’s spine? “Live free or die” is just a motto here, but it is being put to action in Ukraine.
These same Americans said nothing while the United States pissed away billions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan for 20 years. Why? Because they could still buy cheap gas, eggs, and milk. Their shortsighted consumerism sickens me. “Freedom is not Free” the signs and bumper stickers say, unless of course the price of gas gets too high.
Should we just urge President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate peace with Putin by giving him Ukraine? OK, but only if we really “open the border” and provide a home for 40 million Ukrainian refugees. There is plenty of room for them in underpopulated and over-represented red states, and the Ukrainians already know how to farm.
Or, we can continue to let “the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air” give proof through Ukraine’s fight that “our flag is still there!” Evil men only triumph when good people do nothing. I pray that there are still enough “good Americans” out there.
Slava Ukraini!
Stephen H. Siemsen
CW3, U.S. Army (Retired)
Orcutt
This article appears in Mar 2-12, 2023.
Bravo!
The most important foreign policy goal for the U.S. is to stop Putin in Ukraine. To not do so would be to repeat the mistakes made by Great Britain in 1938 when Neville Chamberlain negotiated with Hitler to give up the Sudetenland. We should not give up our support for Ukraine until they have reclaimed the land that was taken from them in 2014.
A semantic quibble:. Supporting Ukraine is not a matter of “patriotism”, as patriotism is supporting your own country, not another. That said, supporting Ukraine is a good idea, as they are stopping an aggressive, expansionist Russia. While they are sacrificing their lives, all we are called upon to contribute is money and materials – a pretty good bargain for us. Many may be surprised to learn that I believe that Biden has done a pretty good job of handling the war in Ukraine.
Who kidnapped John Donegan and wrote a sensible, thoughtful post under his name?
@tsankawi:. It must have been my evil twin. I shouldn’t have shared my password.