The title is a nod to The Beatles song released in 1968. Suffusive to say it garnered a great deal of controversy during the cold war. The USSR was the name of the Soviet Union.
The impetus of this article is to put in perspective the sentiment of the Ukrainians during the invasion of Russia that we are witnessing today. In order to do that let’s first do a cursory review of Russian/Ukrainian history.
In 1917 radical leftist revolutionaries overthrew Russia’s Czar Nicholas II. In1922 a treaty was signed between Russia, Ukraine, Belarius and Transcaucasia. In 1932-33 Joseph Stalin in an attempt to “tamp down” Ukrainian nationalism starved approximately 3.9 million Ukrainians to death. “Starving people roamed the countryside, desperate for something, anything to eat. Many were so emaciated, that their bodies began to swell and stink from lack of nutrients.” In 1991 the Soviet Union was dissolved giving way to 12 independent states, one of which was Ukraine.
Enter Valdimir Putin. This maniacal dictator that worked in the KGB (the main security agency of the former Soviet Union) for 16 years. He began his political career in 1991, ironically it was the same year the Soviet Union was dissolved. Many Russian experts agree that Putin wants a neo–Soviet Union. In doing so he needs to take back the counties that made up the former Soviet Union. Now in theory, Russia is a federal democratic state. However, with an autocratic ruler such as Putin, it’s anything but. Putin has been in power since the year 2000. You know the saying, “power corrupts. absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Over the holidays last year, I had the privilege of meeting a couple from Russia that recently moved here to Texas. I asked them. “Don’t you guys have elections like we do here?” They said, “yes but Putin always wins. Since Putin took power in Russia, he has been eroding human rights and democratic freedoms in the country.”
Recently Putin banned all outside media and all social media. It’s a complete blackout. They only have state run media. To further illustrate this point, I caught a news clip of a phone call. A Ukrainian woman called her mother in Russia during the invasion. She said, “Mom don’t you care what they’re doing to us? They’re bombing our cities and killing civilians! She said, “no dear they’re there to liberate you.” Can you imagine a country that bans any voices of decent? That the only news you get is what they want you to receive? Are you concerned yet?
Well, what about Ukraine? What kind of government do they have? “Ukraine adopted a new constitution in 1996. Until that time, the Soviet-era constitution had remained in force, albeit with numerous adjustments….the country is divided administratively into a number of provinces called oblasti.” Although not the same as ours, most would agree that today Ukraine has somewhat of a democratic form of government and enjoys many of the same freedoms as America. Now that isn’t to say that’s there’s isn’t ramped corruption or socialist factions. There is. But couldn’t we say the same about America’s government?
In 1994 Ukraine made what now looks to be a fatal decision. They gave up their nuclear weapons. It’s a long and detailed story but here are the basics. When the Soviet Union broke up Ukraine held 1/3 of their nuclear arsenal. It’s debatable if they were Ukraine’s in the first place. However, it’s said they didn’t have the launch codes. Then Secretary of State James Baker was not comfortable knowing that they had them and brokered a deal. Consequently, Ukraine gave them up to join international agreements such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and The Nonproliferation Treaty. At that time Ukraine was in deep debt and received 2.5 billion in debt forgiveness. In January of 1994, Ukraine, the United States and Russia entered into agreement. Although it was said that the agreement didn’t obligate the US to defend Ukraine should Russia attack. But many believe that the U.S. and the other counties involved would be ostensibly obligated to intervene should such an event happen.
What could go wrong trusting Russia, right? Wrong. In 2014, Putin invaded the subsequently annexed Crimea. Now, on February 4th, 2022, Putin attacked and is still attacking Ukraine killing men, women and children. Russia will stop in a moment if Ukraine meets their terms. Just give back Crimea and again become part of the neo-Soviet Union that Putin lusts for.
“You don’t know how lucky you are boys, back in the USSR”. I don’t think so! Now do you understand that they will fight the evil dictator Putin until their last dying breath