Now I don't want to take side with Russia in this mess in the Crimea, but this headline seems to forget that our own country invaded a non-hostile, non-threatening sovereign country with a preemptive force a few years ago under the W. There are actually Russians living and in danger in the Ukraine. I am not so sure how much in danger Americans were in Iraq prior to our invasion...We have a very short collective memory as Americans and a very warped worldview.
Before we point the finger at Putin we need to look in a collective mirror. I am afraid with Iraq and Guantanamo, our national moral compass is a bit off true north.
This was the entry that started an entire Sunday's worth of discussion on Facebook. Many people were incensed that I would make a comparison between the W's actions and Putin's. I for one think they are similar. I believe both Presidents invaded sovereign nations. I think both are acts of aggression. but we don't see it that way because we are Americans and our leaders can do wrong. And the others are Russians and can never do right. True, Putin is a bit of an old school KGB thug, but we still have our human rights issues, like the most imprisoned population in the world and that glaring human rights conflict in a place called Guantanamo, Cuba.
The idea behind this comment was not that Putin is right. I do not believe he is. I just don't think we have the moral compass any more as a nation to tell other countries what they can and can't do. that is a shame.
Plus, I don't think there is a soul outside of Washington who is not a Tea Bagger, who wants to go to war over this.
If America wants to police the world, we'd better be ready to pay for it— in dollars and in moral currency, as well.
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