March 5, 2022
57 degrees with placid seas...
...Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me. And there was no one left. To speak out for me.
~ Martin Niemoller, German Lutheran Pastor
Today is a sea day. There is nothing pressing. Nothing I must do.
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| View from our verandah as we cruise the Western Med toward Mallorca. |
We've been floating along in our safe little Viking bubble, still enjoying zero covid case count on board, but judging how quickly news of the virus has been dropped from the news media, I suspect we've little to worry on that score. The world has more to worry about right now.
So I've been doing some reflecting on the terrible things happening in Ukraine, feeling guilty and helpless, and ashamed to think of those brave people fighting and dying.
I've also been thinking about Mr. Curtis.
He was my high school history and government teacher. He used to stand in front of the class, make a fist and swing his outstretched arm back and forth.
"I have a right to swing my arm," he'd say. "But that right ends where your nose begins."
It was his object lesson to remind us to cherish our rights, but also to respect the rights, property and personhood of others. It appears to me that no one ever taught Mr. Putin that lesson.
Mr. Curtis also used to say, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
When Putin first made accusations about the mistreatment of ethnic Russians in the eastern part of Ukraine, I immediately was reminded of Hitler's pretext for taking Czechoslovakia. Putin's rhetoric was identical. And when he claimed his forces had to enter Ukraine to liberate those downtrodden ex-pats from the Neo-Nazi Zelenkyy, I could have laughed if it weren't so deeply tragic.
President Zelenskyy is Jewish. By definition, he cannot be a Nazi. The only party in this tragedy who's taking a page from Hitler's playbook is Vladimir Putin.
Sadly, I'm seeing another historical shadow on the world stage as well. The spirit of Neville Chamberlain is alive and well and haunting the halls of NATO meetings, the UN, and pretty much every government entity who's scared spitless to do something for fear it'll be the wrong thing politically.
While the Ukrainian people stand up to Putin alone. To defend democracy and the rule of law. To say, "Your right to swing your arm ends at my nose."
Please re-read the snippet I shared from Rev. Niemoller. It comes from a much longer confession about how he failed to speak out when the socialists were rounded up, and then the trade-unionists, and so on. Only when it was too late did he realize that failing to defend his fellow men meant his own freedom was lost. We are all one.
The sad truth is that if Putin succeeds in taking Ukraine, he will not be satisfied. Like Hitler, he's the sort for whom too much is never enough. Appeasement, toleration of a "small incursion," the inability of the rest of the world to take a stand and make the tough choices plays into Putin's plans, just like Chamberlain's lack of action enabled Hitler to run amok. Emboldened by success, Putin will attack other countries. He can't be bargained with. He can't be bought off. He will not stop until someone (or lots of someone's) stops him.
I don't know what the solution is, but I know Putin will not be stopped by sanctions. He doesn't care if no one in the UN likes him. You can't shame him into civilized behavior because he probably believes his own propaganda.
I, however, am ashamed that my country is not doing more to help the Ukrainian people. If I remember correctly, we promised to defend them if they gave up trying to create a nuclear weapon. They stopped pursuing a nuclear bomb. And we are not helping them. We are not living up to our word.
Another thing Mr. Curtis used to say is, "I may completely disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
So please feel free to express your thoughts on the subject. Even if you disagree with me, I believe people of goodwill can have civil discussions and come away with more understanding.
In the meantime, I'll do the only thing I can for Ukraine. I'll pray.
Thank you for this. Just last night we watched Munich: The Edge of War on Netflix. It was about the events leading up to Hitler and Chamberlain signing the document that gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler. It certainly mirrored what is happening today.
ReplyDeleteMr. Curtis was right, wasn't he? We have to remember our history lest we get sucked into the same cycle. Thank you, Tomko.
DeleteYou said on the page above what I feel in my heart. I do hope we have learned from the past but that does not seem to be. We went on a Jewish tour of Eastern Europe, we are Jewish, and it appears that even though we left some physical proof of what happened people still don't believe. Thank you for what you said and how beautifully you said it. We shall pray.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's a question of world view. We all look at life through the lenses we have chosen. It blinds us to some things that are completely obvious to those with different lenses than ours. But Holochaust deny-ers are difficult for me to understand. The events of WW2 are still living memory, if not actual participants, the sons and daughters and grandchildren of those who went through those horrific times. Some things, however painful, however grotesque, we cannot be allowed to forget.
DeleteYou are not alone in your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jag.
DeleteThe difference between Putin and hitler is that Putin has nuclear weapons. Is he insane enough to use them? That’s the question NATO has to weigh.
ReplyDeleteThat is the question. Is the man mad or does it suit his purpose for us to believe him so because we think only a madman would pull that trigger?
DeleteSo if we decline to help Ukraine now, at what point would we be willing to come to the aid of Putin's victims? Is his willingness to be a pariah on the world stage, to be thought insane, all it takes for the rest of us to roll over?
Ukraine knows Putin has nukes, but that has not stopped them from defending their home.
Although Covid is no longer in the headlines I would say that the threat is still very much there. For instance, Hong Kong is currently dealing with a surge that has put a severe strain on its medical resources. It is great that you have not had any cases on board but it would seem prudent to continue to take precautions, especially in parts of the world that have not had as much success in dealing with the virus.
ReplyDeleteI have no choice but to comply with mask mandates now because Viking requires them and so do some of the places we visit, and I always obey the laws of the places I visit. But I see more people without masks than with in many of our ports of call. And once we're home, I doubt I'll wear a mask again unless our county suffers another surge. Frankly, with my lung condition, the CDC's guidelines exempt me from mask wearing anyway.
DeleteIt seems a curious thing to me that we wear our masks to walk about the ship, to attend lectures, to go to art class, etc., but the second a drink is in our hand or a plate of food is placed in front of us, the virus miraculously disappears and we are free to take off our paper muzzles.
I'm beyond weary of the hyper-vigilance and deeply concerned about how mask wearing has and is impacting our children's development. The CDC used to expect children to have a 50 word vocabulary by the age of two. Now they have extended that to age three.
At some point, we have to declare covid endemic--a virus like the flu or the common cold that we simply learn to live with.
Putin is daring the free world to stop his destruction of Ukraine, rattling his nuclear sabre to prevent any world body or organization from creating a no-fly zone or supply jet aircraft to Ukraine pilots, calling them acts of war against Russia. HE is the aggressor.
ReplyDeleteAre we satisfied to watch him slaughter Ukrainian civilians, women, children and the elderly? Poland will let the U.S. provide Polish jets from Germany, but we won't. I don't know if Putin is a madman, but he will do what he wants until SOMEBODY stops him. If NATO and the UN prove unwilling, maybe, when Russian oligarchs have suffered enough, THEY will act.
Thanks for your comments, Minimum Bob. I too was frustrated by the US administration stopping Poland's jets. It's like both sides on this conflict have a different idea of reality. Every villain is the hero of his own story. Putin is proud of his audacity, and may even believe his rationale for this war. The West wrings its hands and desperately wants to believe Putin is a tame tiger. If they only allow him to feed a little, he won't come and drag their children from their beds.
DeleteThanks for starting this conversation.
ReplyDelete