Russia’s attack on Ukraine ends the seven decade peace among the great powers. The US and our allies have been forced to stop aggressive enemies from seeking to regain power in the form of territories. Robert Gates, having served eight presidents as defense secretary, warns us that we must rethink our military arsenals and our democracy. As Brett Stevens says, to save democracy abroad, we have to show it can work at home.
Democracy is the form of government that works to build just relationships between citizens of all races, classes, religions and life-styles. By rejecting that, authoritarian and conservative groups punish those who do not belong to the power class. Trump Republicans have praised Putin for his strength and shrewdness; Tucker Carson called Russia’s aggression on Ukraine a “border conflict.” While China is another authoritarian state, it is not Russia’s ally but a force that still threatens the West.
A way to stand up to Putin is to acknowledge that democracies around the world are under attack. Even in the US, the last two decades have seen citizens get more angry, cynical, violent and obsessed with our most base instincts. Bringing polarization to an end is a major challenge. The January 6 2021 insurrection on the Capital is a major sign of democracy under attack and was followed by many conservatives refusing to help support the investigation while Trump supporters threatened election officials who certified Biden votes. The Big Lie persists. In Poland, Hungary, France, Britain, Italy and Brazil , conservatives have taken power or may soon.
The Anti-Defamation League reports that white supremacist propaganda, which allows extremist groups to disseminate hateful messages and gain attention with little risk of public exposure, has been on the rise. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that Ohio has 21 identified hate groups. As Covid declines, our citizens must speak out.
Tom Klein
Bowling Green
