It’s been some rough years. Resurgent racism, Trump, pandemic, a fascist right wing who seem determined to ruin everything all while our action window on averting the worst of climate change closes. And now Putin invades Ukraine.
Oddly enough I actually feel hope. And this diary is nothing but hope. I don’t claim to be clairvoyant, or be able to psychohistorically predict the future. So please don’t focus on all the points I get wrong here. This diary is not about logic, but about hope. It’s only my gut instinct that we are near a turning point.
My hope is that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine will lead to his downfall. He’s clearly planned to steamroll Ukraine before the spring thaw turns everything into mud. He clearly didn’t account well enough for the large number of javelin missiles the US gave to Ukraine. Helicopters and planes are being downed, perhaps by US provided shoulder fired weapons. With 190,000 Russian Troops attacking a larger force on the defensive fighting for their homes, I don’t see the Russians winning.
An embarrassing defeat plus sanctions may just topple Putin. Putin who makes most of his money through fossil fuels. Putin who has bankrolled the NRA, American Fascism in general, and I’m guessing adding to the climate denier amplification.
I know it’s too much to ask for. That the loss of Russian money will collapse the worst of the GQP. That the loss of Russian propaganda will weaken the climate deniers and the fascists. I know even if Putin falls, many of the possible Russian successors will not be much of an improvement.
But I’m a dreamer. And just like the destruction of the one ring in Tolkien’s book wipes out the will of the enemy, I’m hoping that this is the great battle that leads to Putin’s fall. And from his fall perhaps the power of so much evil around the world will lessen. No it won’t go away. But perhaps enough evil will be weakened to the point where we can get some bigger wins for the good guys. Just maybe, 50 years from now historians will be looking over this time period and identify Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine as the turning point of our age.
And if not, we keep fighting anyway. By I’m allowing myself a little hope today that the turning point is upon us.
