Russia decided to conduct referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine, asking if they want to become part of Russia. Like so many people I suspect that the outcome has been preordained. But if one looks a little closer it is possible to see the real verdict.
In Ukraine:
But there is another kind of referendum going on, this one in Russia itself. This fellow gives a nice overview of what is actually happening and an honest and blunt reaction.
In Russia:
This one's for you Vlad:
This past weekend I was trying to think of something for a new post. I had thought about climate change and the dangers it poses to our future. But I have done quite a few posts on that, so I gave it a pass. For now, anyway. Then today I heard those words, in my title, and I just found what I wanted to write about.
As you know I support Ukraine in the war that Russia has imposed on them. But with those words of Vladimir Putin's I, for a moment, felt pity for a people that are so not valued by their own government. Yes those words were part of remarks that Putin was giving in reference to the economic consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine. But they still starkly show how little Putin really cares about the sacrifices of ordinary Russians. They show what is really important to him.
Here is a clip of that:
The brutality and indifference of the Russians to suffering in Ukraine is echoed in the lack of value placed on their own soldiers. Their loss is of no concern to Vladimir Putin.
“We have not lost anything in the actions in Ukraine...” Vladimir Putin
Really?
9/11 Update:
I know I usually do a 9/11 post on the anniversary, but I felt the current state of affairs in Ukraine still deserved our attention. For while the US may not declare Russia a terrorist state, I do feel that their actions are terrorism. On a scale that dwarfs even 9/11.
