The Chekist

 

https://i.imgur.com/GnJhLY3.jpg?1

There seems to be a sense of foreboding, a general angst, or gloom weighing on people.   I know I am fighting off such feelings while trying to stay upbeat for my students and basically to just live life.  Most of us are basically doing the same.

The main source for these worries is the Russian invasion into Ukraine.  Putin is the man behind this.  For the life of me I cannot fathom what is behind this.  The easiest conclusion to draw is the one that is most common and commonly reported in this country:  Putin is a madman.  I just read an article in The Atlantic, “I Was Wrong About Putin” by Sergei Dobrynin who works for Radio Free Europe.  In the article, he related what his academic mentor, Vladmir Arsenyev told him about Putin in February 2000:

“He is a Chekist,” he said, meaning an agent of the secret police. “Once a Chekist, always a Chekist. He is pure evil.”

He has succeeded in throwing the world into chaos and fearing escalation of the war in Ukraine to a wider conflict.  Energy prices have skyrocketed.  Global supply chains, which were already weakened from the pandemic, are further compromised. 

The West is afraid to engage militarily.  Will this embolden Putin attack other countries or for China to do the same in Taiwan?  There are plenty of sanctions which will impair and possibly perhaps implode the Russian economy.  Will this make Putin even more dangerous? 

Diplomacy does not seem to work.  We could see the invasion coming.  We predicted it.  Biden tried to reason with Putin to no avail.  Putin knew we would not have a military response because we basically said we wouldn’t. 

Are we being manipulated by our government and the press?  I don’t believe so.  Because, I agree with Vladimir Arsenyev on Putin.  Once a Chekist, always a chekist.  I was giving him the benefit of the doubt on being pure evil.  But, no more.  He is either pure evil or a madman. 

The Russians agreed to cease fires only keep positioning their troops and then break the cease fire.  They agree to humanitarian corridors, again, only to violate them.  They fire rockets and artillery on cities… why? 

Putin wants to conquer Ukraine by destroying it.  To what purpose?  To beat Zelensky who dared to defy him?  To teach NATO a lesson for flirting with Ukraine?  As a prelude to rebuilding the Russian Empire more commonly known as the USSR?  Who really knows.  I certainly don’t.

I have many Armenian friends that have posted a graphic on social media that says, “Excuse me if I can’t feel anything, 2 years ago I felt too much, and the world was silent.”  They are referring to the Armenia/Artsakh war with Azerbaijan.  It was in the news, somewhat, but there was essentially no outrage excluding strong words from France and no sanctions on Azerbaijan or Turkey who backed the Azeri’s with mercenaries, drones, air support, and command and control.  It is stark contrast to the coverage, concern, and outrage being shown for this war.  Armenians are further uncaring because of Ukraine took the Azeri side in that conflict. 

I am sympathetic to my fellow Armenians but wrong is wrong.  The Azeri war in Artsakh was wrong.  This Russian invasion of Ukraine is wrong no matter how much global outcry one war got and the other didn’t.  Outcry or no outcry, both wars continued.  Sanctions or no sanctions, both wars continued.  Only force can end wars.  The Chekist knows this quite well and counted on such.  A sad and scary state of affairs indeed.