My ideas on Ukraine Day Seven: “You conceited ass. You’ve killed us.”
I hold pondering of this scene close to the tip of the fascinating film, “The Hunt For Red October” made off the guide written by Tom Clancy. It’s certainly one of my favourite films ever, and the scene above has stayed with me.
The captain of the Russian pursuit submarine is bound he’s bought the renegade Pink October, with plans to defect, set for the kill. However canny strikes by the US and Russian captains allow them to flee by inches whereas clearing the way in which for the torpedo to move straight towards the pursuit sub. The crew on the pursuit sub now see their imminent loss of life. Their remaining phrases: “You conceited ass. You’ve killed us all.”
Vladimir Putin, caught up within the fantasy world of his personal conceitedness, pleasure, and want for energy, is close to to struggling the identical destiny. In a tremendous present of cohesion, the world has turned in opposition to Putin and Russia and has, in these final seven days, managed to destroy the Russian financial system, much more completely than anticipated.
The one a part of the Russian financial system that was anticipated to stay untouched was their skill to export oil merchandise, as a lot of the world lives in dependence upon them. However an article within the March 2, 2022, Wall Street Journal blew me away with its implications.
The oil market went on strike anyway. Appearing as if power have been within the crosshairs of Western sanctions officers, refiners balked at shopping for Russian oil and banks are refusing to finance shipments of Russian commodities, in accordance with merchants, oil executives and bankers.
Ukraine Day Seven: Putin, the world’s primary pariah
Putin, by advantage of the horrific actions going down in Ukraine, has now achieved the notable notoriety of turning into the world’s primary pariah. His identify will certainly go down in historical past as certainly one of historical past’s most harmful dictators, solely the destruction will finally land on his personal folks.
For them, for the unusual Russian, many completely livid at Putin’s strikes, I ache. In a single day, they’ve seen their nation morph economically right into a third-world nation. It might by no means get well.
Aside from former President Trump and his sycophants together with a sadly significant number of Evangelical “Christians,” the US as a complete seems to need to see the downfall of Mr. Putin and for Ukraine to emerge free and victorious. They’ll clearly be battered and saddened with an infinite lack of life and property, however they received’t have been conquered by Putin’s amazingly inept armed forces.
And right here is the place, I feel, we could must hold a cautious watch over our collective souls. Ought to Mr. Putin pay vastly for his conceitedness and pleasure? Completely.
Not often has the reality of this biblical phrase, “Satisfaction goes earlier than destruction, and a haughty spirit earlier than a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, NRSV) been extra evident. Many a whole lot of hundreds and sure hundreds of thousands of individuals will see destruction and loss of life by the hands of this madman.
However there’s something else right here: the necessity for vengeance. Personally, I’d prefer to see Mr. Putin arrested, stripped bare, and paraded by means of the streets for abuse and mock to be heaped upon him earlier than sentencing him to life in a jail camp someplace within the frozen wasteland of the Russian Far East.
He ought to serve out his time completely alone aside from these belonging to essentially the most degraded of the felony class, as a result of within the technique of imprisoning him, all different political prisoners, all those that dared to criticize him, are free.
That’s my fantasy. And do you see the revenge right here? I need that to occur to all of the world’s dictators and power-mad petty rulers who systematically and with out conscience destroy others with the intention to enrich themselves and acquire energy. That might be justice.
However . . . the scriptures additionally correctly say
Don’t repay anybody evil for evil, however take thought for what’s noble within the sight of all. Whether it is potential, as far as it is dependent upon you, reside peaceably with all.
Beloved, by no means avenge yourselves, however go away room for the wrath of God; for it’s written, “Vengeance is mine, I’ll repay, says the Lord.”
No, “in case your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they’re thirsty, give them one thing to drink; for by doing this you’ll heap burning coals on their heads.” Don’t be overcome by evil, however overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21, NRSV)
It isn’t potential right here to reside peaceably. That point has now handed. And it seems that God will use this wave of worldwide anger to serve the rightful want to seek out any means potential to cease and punish Putin and his enablers, together with these whose horrific theology has inspired them to hyperlink their wagons to Putin’s star.
However when Putin is defeated, and it’ll occur, though doubtless not rapidly and never with out far, way more struggling and lack of life, there are going to be a whole lot of items to choose up. As we do, I hope together with the Ukrainians we’ll take into account the plight of the unusual Russians who at the moment are being sucked into the vortex of catastrophe.
For the so-called “christians” who quantity amongst Putin’s supporters, I admit I’ll have hassle discovering charity. However I’ll attempt.
Picture credit score: www.kremlin.ru, modified by Christy Thomas
