In a previous letter I threw out some ideas as to why we are so enthralled with the situation in Ukraine. After watching their leader address Congress yesterday morning, it occurred to me that Zelinsky and company are what we wished our leaders were. They may be afraid but appear to the world to be fearless and willing to give it all for their freedom and sovereignty. There’s a lot to play out but so far, they’ve been very impressive. When the Russians first crossed the Ukrainian border, we offered to fly Zelinsky and company to safety. He and others quickly declined. They did not test the polls, meet with lobbyists, confer with public relations firms or consult with the donor class. They just declined. They remind me of what our founding fathers must have been like. Maybe I’m romanticizing a little, but I imagine Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, etc, must have been of similar character. Like our founders they face a superior military force and overwhelming odds yet appear to be steadfast and resolute. No one knows for sure how this will turn out, but a lot of the world is rooting for them.

I wonder how our current leaders would react given a similar situation. The fact that their first response was to give Zelinsky passage out of danger gives us a little insight into their perspective on what to do in a crisis. Should DC ever be invaded, how many of our political leaders would stay and fight to the death. As Mr. T might say ” I pity the fool that gets in the way of a fleeing politician” I’m sure there are some Congressmen, most likely ex-military, that would stay and fight to the bitter end, but not many. The rest would scatter like chickens, some even so brazen as to use escape vehicles powered by fossil fuels. It’s somewhat embarrassing to think so little of our political class, but they’ve brought this on themselves via their pettiness and self-serving obligations to all but the taxpayers.

As we watch this saga unfold, I think we’re inching closer and closer to a dangerous position of involvement. I understand completely and while on an emotional level I’d like to see us do that, I don’t know that we should. Putin is a student of history and very concerned with his legacy. That makes him very dangerous, and while he will likely win the battle, he will lose the war. If the Russians capture Zelensky, Zelensky becomes a rallying point. If Putin kills him, which past precedence tells us he will, Zelinsky becomes immortalized and mythologized. Everyone remembers Spartacus, but very few remember the name of the Roman Emperor that crushed him.

Jimmy Wike

Mesquite, NV

Ukraine govt is what we wish ours was

offer to fly Zelinsky out

reminds us of founding fathers

spartacus