Letter to the Editor - Who's on the side of Democracy?

Editor,

Putin invaded Ukraine because Ukraine was a democracy. He did it because he is terrified of Ukrainians exercising freedom of speech, press, religion, and association, electing leaders who defy him. If Russians saw Ukrainians freely expressing their thoughts and thriving, Putin knows, they might want the same thing for themselves. They might get rid of him.

Putin is invading Ukraine for the same reason he intervened in the U.S. election in 2016, helping Trump get elected. He wants to own the leaders of other countries, control them, and use them.

Here’s what Trump said about Putin recently at Mar-a-Lagom saying Putin is smart. “He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.”

Yes, our former president actually said that: “Putin is smart.” As if it were smart to invade another country and assault democracy.

But of course, if you think about it, Trump would say that. Putin helped Trump get elected, and Trump has been acting like his loyal puppy ever since, backing everything Putin does.

Putin owns Trump. Trump says so all the time.

The question is, who else does Putin own? Here’s a clue: At a time when democracy is under assault, pay attention to the politicians saying, “America first.” They’re saying that as if what’s happening in Ukraine wasn’t happening here, in America, too.

Wade Sikorski

Baker