"CUSTODY, DEAD, OR EXILE"

  The three choices of the title have become the fearsome Hobbesian choice for many in Russia. Either one toes the line, or one knows, accepts, that he will have one of the title choices made for him. And please, do not forget that the generic "him" includes many hers as well. One only has to look at the picture of a woman being hauled off by two policemen for the crime of protesting. Her face, the wide open, frozen look of fear on her face says it all, much better than words.

That is today's Russia. That is the country which has been described as "one huge prison". "Prisoned or fined, poisoned or killed" - the alternatives which are now facing the Russians, not particularly appetizing or encouraging. Meanwhile, the opportunity is there to take on Putin, to overthrow his fascist oppressive government, and set up a democracy, hopefully one with strength and the rather new determination of Russians to keep that democracy, work hard for it and not throw it under the bus as they have done with every other one. Saying, pleading, whining perhaps, "Of course, we feel this responsibility. We should have used the opportunity to change our country," former opposition MP Dmitry Gudkov accepts.

"Putin is a war criminal, he is killing people. But how can Russians inside Russia stop Putin? It's not possible."

 But it is possible. Manifestly so. "When in the course of human events" - so goes our Declaration and so should theirs. 

Now compare with our situation. If one engages in legitimate protest, even distasteful, no one is arrested or fined, imprisoned or poisoned or killed without justice. Even the outright rebels of Jan.6 and the aftermath have received justice, via the system or through trials. No one has been killed, other than those using force, resisting orders, or defending the nation against the insurrectionists.

Look further into what is happening here. We have deluded individuals who have issues with our government. However, to spew forth a constant current of lies, to demonize and advocate violence is not the way to go. They will get their way unfortunately if we do not screw our courage to the sticking point (Shakespeare) and fight against the proposed destruction of our nation. If not, we would get an American version of Russia, of any fascistic, authoritarian government, yet another proud democracy falling under the wheels of the buses driven by our own citizens, traitors one and all. Then they too will be subject to the new 'laws' and face the same choice - prison, exile, fine or death. The puppet masters will have won.

We here in America must take stock of what we have and what we stand to lose. We cannot afford to place ourselves in a state of ennui, of self-directed and established ignorance of a reality of a situation facing us, of the choice, the fork in the road. The right choice will demand much hard work - to right the ills of this world. We must all realize that nationalism, nativism, is simply compounding the disasters awaiting us. The earth is one. We cannot save a partial earth for all is interconnected, be it economy, climate, oceans rising and land sinking, insufficient food supplies, waste beyond all reason, lack of clean water, or any water at all and the sheer bloodletting that goes on all around the world.

Modi, of India has stated particularly to Putin (may he be deposed!) that this is not an era of war. Yet it is. All around the world. And the rest of the world has fallen prey once again to the threats and blackmail of a weak, thus, dangerous man, appeasing, even as they know, they KNOW! IT DOES NOT WORK.

If we do not make the right choices now, choose the correct, strenuous difficult actions now, all this will be made for us, with nothing good in sight. Is that what we all want? I do not. And you?

Yes, you, and you, and you. No one is exempt. No one is immune. Perhaps we can co-opt Donald, the Orange Man, who can simply think of it in his mind - and voila! it is real. Dementia in full bloom!