Freedom is the greatest traditional value

Submitted by Dave (United States), Mar 31, 2022 at 11:51

The controversies swirling around Russia's invasion of Ukraine involve many issues, including everything from the reality of Ukrainian neo-Nazis to Putin's claims to represent traditional values dear to many conservatives. It seems that one's sympathies for one side or the other often depend on the relative importance one attaches to each value.
Certainly, Ukrainians are not all boy scouts. Many reacted to the extreme cruelty of Stalinist oppression in the 1930s, a reign of terror which resulted in mass starvation, by going over to the Nazis. An understandable, if misguided decision. More constructively, Soviet oppression helped forge a ferocious Ukrainian national identity, independent of Russia. Putin's forces are now finding out what that means.
The record of Putin's statements show that he has little respect for Ukrainian identity, a contempt in line with the Stalinist imperialism his rule is resuscitating. His touting of right-wing talking points should not blind western conservatives to his dictatorial excesses. Democracy, freedom and patriotism, the finest conservative values, are all under brutal attack here. Putin's attempt to dredge up cheap substitutes for support shouldn't fool anybody, but unfortunately, there are always fools.
Putin is a ruthless psychopath only interested in power. Biden's efforts to avoid provoking him have only had the opposite effect, initially inviting invasion by failing to adequately arm Ukraine. His mistakes continue:
the refusal to transfer the Polish Migs is emblematic of continued weakness. We still will not openly call for Ukrainian victory, and are way too timid about implicating NATO in Ukraine's defense, rasing doubts about NATO and clearly betraying the '94 treaty to protect Ukrainian sovereignty. Meanwhile, innocents are being killed. This is appeasement 1930s style; we should have learned by now.
Maybe Ukrainian skill and bravery will bail out the West and help avoid World War III, but that remains to be seen.

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