Carnes: ‘This man cannot remain in power’
Without a doubt a powerful statement made by President Joe Biden last Saturday, but one that was almost immediately put in reverse by the White House as an “off-the-cuff” remark, not a declaration for regime change in Putin’s Russia.
He also called Vladimir Putin a “butcher” and a “war criminal,” and as the world continued to spin, so did the political-dung spin doctors around the planet as they came out of the proverbial woodwork to either take advantage of or explain away the media-perceived faux pas.
I agree emphatically with each statement, but then again I’m little more than a retired hack commenting weekly on whatever floats my boat between ski days, hanging with friends, planning mud season trips and keeping my bride happy (not necessarily in that order).
The attempted takeover of Ukraine is already a clear strategic failure for Putin, and is certainly becoming a quick economic failure as well, and although none of us has any idea how it’s going to end (in spite of those insisting they actually know but will conveniently wait to be “proven” in hindsight), the combined leadership of the United States, European Union and NATO have strategically stuck to their guns (yep, a bad pun) with a unified vision of not allowing World War III to become a reality — hopefully.
Propaganda is rampant on both sides, of course, yet I remember the days when helping the enemy was called treason and now it’s simply called the “Nightly Hour with Comrade Carlson.”
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And although a few Trumplicans won’t be happy until they see dead American soldiers alongside dead Ukrainians so they can use it to sway upcoming election results, most of us agree the restraints of strategic diplomacy are to be applauded, not condemned.
Besides, given only two choices, would you rather see 10 murdered innocent Ukrainians or one slain American soldier born and raised in Eagle County? How about if it was one for one?
I know that’s harsh, but it’s a point worth making, and the opposite times a hundred could occur if WWIII becomes a reality, especially if China rears its commie head.
President Biden ended his speech with a defining statement to the tenacious people of Ukraine saying, “We stand with you. Period.” Instead of saying the word “Period” he should have said, “With an asterisk,” as that’s far more realistically appropriate.
At this point “standing with Ukraine” comes with parameters where the U.S. keeps our respective seat, meanwhile everyone keeps asking the same question: How does this end with Putin still in power?
It does not.
Biden’s comments, whether intentional or not, were spoken out loud, and no amount of history-tweaking will erase what we all know he meant as we’ve been thinking it as well. Putin is not just a war criminal guilty of indiscriminately murdering men, women and children, he is all of the above plus nuclear weapons.
The Kremlin responded to Biden’s assumed suggestion for regime change with “that’s not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians.”
Well then, people of Russia, you need to get your dung together, and quickly.
Richard Carnes, of Avon, writes weekly. He can be reached at poor@vail.net.