What Has History Taught Us? - Why don't we learn?

INTRODUCTION:

Greetings to all. This week I chose this topic because I have strong feelings about it and wanted to discuss it as it applies to the present situation. I know I stray away from talking about politics. Not out of lack of knowledge or fear of the subject matter. It is because politics change so rapidly that it's already changed by the time I discuss it and post it in a blog. I do not have the luxury of a TV news commentary host that can update their thoughts daily. However, I am disgusted enough over what is happening in Ukraine and watch the world stand by and allow these war crimes to continue. Yes. I used the word allowed because the degree of what is occurring in Ukraine could have been avoided. Therefore, the word allowed precisely fits the occasion. GENOCIDE is something the entire world is allowing to occur out of fear of Putin's threats. It is easier to back down from the threats of a bully. That is correct—the entire world, not only the United States.

WAR:

War is evil. Most do not want it. No one wins, but everyone involved loses. Add war crimes and genocide to the mix, and we have more of a disaster on our hands—one where millions will reap the consequences for many years to come.

WAR IS EVIL. WAR CRIMES AND GENOCIDE ARE CRIMINAL.

Do the math. Like it or not, two things prevent war. The first is fear. One entity fears another and backs down are just stomped on. The second is when there is a balance of power. When both sides can inflict equal damage to the other, any other equation can lead to war. The Ukraine war resulted from leadership and people who did not fear Putin, and there is no balance of power. The United States is a mighty military power. Most of the countries that are members of NATO follow her lead.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So, when we look at NATO as an organization of countries, which is the weakest link? Factually, NATO consists of much smaller countries with far less military power than the United States. Hence, the United States takes usually takes the lead. However, what happens when the country that all others follow doesn't have strong leadership and backs down from threats? I think we can see the answer to that question each day when we watch the news.

Ukraine has become Putin's stomping ground. AND THE WORLD ALLOWS IT.

War is tragic. In every war, there will be innocent people killed. That is one of the tragedies of war. However, when the attacks are targeted at innocent people and women and children are murdered, raped, tortured, and children being taken from their parents, we have to ask ourselves. What is the Western world waiting for to put a stop to it? Not by sending troops, because I am NOT in favor of that option. However, by sending every piece of equipment necessary for the brave and honorable people of Ukraine to properly defend themselves and wage continuous definitive attacks against the Russian forces to defeat them. The biggest joke of this is Russia threatening to take further and possible nuclear action if we supply Ukraine fighter jets or weapons of aggression. Are you kidding me?

EVERY WEAPON IS A WEAPON OF AGGRESSION AS WELL AS DEFENSE.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WORLD?

When will the NATO nations step up and send every piece of military equipment to Ukraine that they asked for and STOP being afraid of Putin's threats? Remember that phrase I used earlier; BALANCE OF POWER? Would Putin start a nuclear conflict knowing that the same destruction, and maybe worse, will fall upon his country? It could be the end of civilization as we know it. But, I do not think so. I do not believe, for one instance, his government would allow that.

I ask you all, where has the sense of humanity, fair play, and decency gone that as a world, we stand by and not take aggressive again to stop these war crimes? As a world, we should be embarrassed. NATO has an opportunity to show what it stands for and how strong it is by taking a more aggressive stance and not showing weakness or fear in the face of threats. The rest of the world is watching, and NATO will pay a heavy price for not stepping up and doing everything it could to stop this type of destruction and standing by and watching these war crimes occur. Taking this stance makes every NATO country as bad as the country committing these crimes. In some respects, maybe worse.

It is human nature to respect strength. Respect a commitment that an individual or a nation stands for. What do we stand for? Do we even know anymore? Genocide? Haven't we learned anything from our history or the history of other countries? Ukraine and its citizens are suffering some of the worst war crimes since Hitler. As a citizen of the United States, I sit and watch the news each day, waiting to see when the civilized world will wake up and say ENOUGH. NO MORE.

POLITICS:

None of us were born yesterday. However, there is a political component to everything these days. Other countries have become reliant on Russia for their energy needs and other needs. Shame on them for getting themselves in that position. Shame on us for being so dependent upon imports from China, and shame on us for losing our energy independence. The simple fact is, if the United States fails to gain back its energy and technology independence, we will face more and more of these crises. China and Taiwan will be next, and God only knows how far Putin will go. How many threats can the world at large back down from before we become their puppets as well?

It disgusts me to see and watch how much the world seems willing to tolerate all the needless killing, murdering, raping, and trafficking. When will it wake up? Yet, today you are sitting in the comfort of your home. So were the people of Ukraine a few weeks back. We have a failing administration on many levels, and I would say that regardless if it was Democrat or Republican at the helm. It is failing at the task of leading. This failure is causing people in other countries to be slaughtered, and crime and other issues get way out of hand here in the states. Not to mention the financial burden our citizens are suffering. No one needs to be a politician to see what is happening here and abroad.

We need to be warriors. Not by sending troops there. But in the sense of common decency, common sense, not being bullied or threatened, and stop running scared. The world needs to stand up for what is right and make that stand firm and precise leaving no room to misinterpret its intentions. Are weakness and fear the messages the world wants to send to Russia? I think not. We all fear the use of nuclear weapons, yet, the countries that have them will not dismantle them. The same applies to the development of chemical weapons. It is a rat race of who can cause the most damage. Therefore, every country wants them to equalize the balance of power when the SENSIBLE thing to do is eliminate them all.

Any country that uses nuclear weapons knows they are starting the process of ending the world as we know it. NO ONE WINS. NO ONE RULES THE WORLD. What has history taught us, and why haven't we learned? War is not productive, and in the end, no one is the winner. If countries put all the money spent on research, development, and manufacturing weapons of mass destruction to make their countries a better place to live for their citizens, we would have a much better world. If people could openly and safely travel to any country to see some of the beauty in other countries, the world would be a better place.

However, I will probably not see any of that in my lifetime, and possibly you won't in yours. So how far does the world have to go with mass destruction before it wakes up? Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to that question.

War has been a part of every country and culture since the beginning of time, and as we have evolved, we still have not learned anything. So when the types of things occurring to the proud people of Ukraine occur, what does the rest of the world do? Most would agree this is not a conventional war between two armies. Instead, this war exemplifies destruction to a country and its people. It is genocide. Genocide is NOT war. It is a result of the insane. It encompasses the most terrible and brutal acts that any entity can inflict on another. Needless death, torture, killing, and other heinous war crimes are part of that process. As much as I am against war, there are times when vital interventions must occur. I do believe that this is one of those times.

IN CLOSING:

Are we doing enough? NO. Sanctions only go so far and take time. With China siding with Russia, sanctions will have little effect. I stated earlier I agree with no boots on the ground, meaning no American soldiers should be sent to Ukraine. However, allow me to repeat. Ukraine should be supplied with every piece of military equipment, fighter jets, and anything else they need to fight this fight to win and keep their freedom and independence. Holding anything back that could help them succeed and sitting back and watching what is happening to innocent people is criminal in itself. The people of Ukraine have the heart of a lion and the strength of a bear. They have the determination of a united country with a strong leader. Therefore, Ukraine deserves and has earned what they are asking for. They have not paid for it in money. They have paid for it with their blood.

What else has history taught us? I am not here to give you a history lesson because you already know this or should. Our history is full of Presidents that took a stand when we as a country were threatened, and that stand probably deterred some wars from happening. Even a bully respects someone that stands up to them. But this administration and NATO are NOT doing that. We can all see how that lack of taking a firm and united stand has caused what might have been needless suffering to the people of Ukraine and the continuous suffering, and possibly the war itself. The fact is, no one knows how far this will go. NATO states if any country that is a member of NATO is mistakenly or deliberately attacked due to Russia's actions, it becomes a new ball game. Why does it have to come to that? NATO has been dormant for years and is finally taking a stand, but it is still not enough, in this writer's opinion. What NATO does now will determine its future and the impact they have. NATO now has an opportunity to define that.

As I am sure I speak for many, my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine. They have a strong leader. With the proper assistance from the countries of NATO, I firmly believe they can win. Not just their freedom, but win by ending what is happening to their people—the innocent people and the brave soldiers fighting this fight. Yes, America has many problems at home. But we can multi-task. We have for decades. This is NOT the time to be playing politics. As a country, we must get back to energy independence and help our allies and those who do not have the resources to stop being reliant on countries that commit the atrocities that Russia has. Yes, it becomes complex, but not impossible. We had much of this before with our previous administration. We should be able to and can have it again.

God bless and take care of the people of Ukraine. No one knows how far this can and will go. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine, and I wish for a speedy end to this conflict. Remember, in war, there are no winners, only losers. As citizens of our great nation, we must let our leaders know we stand with Ukraine and want the members of NATO to provide them with the tools they need to stop this aggression. Considering everything happening in Ukraine and its people, it is the right thing to do. If not, what purpose does an organization such as NATO have when it only exists in a name? The strength that NATO shows now can and will deter future attempts by other nations to do the same.

Do not be fooled. Only a tiny percentage of what we are experiencing in our country is a result of Putin. Nevertheless, our administration has to own the responsibility for its failures and mistakes. Every administration comes into office with a plan, their plan. However, they must be able to shift gears when their plan isn't working. Slow it down or modify it if necessary. That is the sign of a strong administration. One that can adapt and overcome to fix the problems, not make them worse. When you go to sleep tonight, thank God for your freedom, and say a prayer for the people of Ukraine and the countries assisting them. Pray that NATO does what is right and does NOT tolerate what is taking place in Ukraine.

However, I have not told you anything you do not already know. Hopefully, I drove it home a little harder. You certainly have the right to agree or disagree. There are some that believe we should have done nothing at all. For those that believe that I leave you with this quote.