Adolf or Vladimir?

 

How many generations does it take to forget a thing?  Time teaches us lessons and if we don't learn those lessons time will repeat herself to re-teach the same lessons under different, but similar circumstances.  

In 1919 a young student joined the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP, German Worker's Party) and rose to power rather rapidly in the early years of the party.  Then he began making changes, subtle changes, by replacing prominent individuals with those he trusted and would follow his idealism blindly. 

Eventually Hitler's party grew into what the world commonly refers to as the NAZI party.  By the time the 30's rolled around he was elected Chancellor by the people.  He waited two years then began implementing his twisted idealism and politics on the German people.  He began separating people by class, then education, religion, and finely race.  Everyone that was different than his mental image of the perfect person was ostracized and eventually erased from existence. Anyone in power that did not agree with his sickness was disappeared and or killed or both.  Hitler was responsible for the erasure and extermination of more innocent people than any other single man in history.  This point can be argued, but for the purposes of this piece we'll call it true.  In 1939 Germany invaded Poland and the rest in history.

Not much is known about the beginning of Vladimir Putin's political career although prior to his political rise he worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years resigning in 1991 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  He disappeared from military life and ended up is Saint Petersburg as a political acolyte.  Then in 1996 Vladimir moved to Moscow to work under the tutelage of and joining the administration of Boris Yeltsin.  His career before Moscow is fairly quiet.  

Putin was the director of the FSB (Federal Security Services) up till the point that Yeltsin resigned from politics.  Shortly after Vladimir was elected as Prime Minister of the Russian Federation then became it's President.  He has been in power in one form or another ever since.  Then he began changing the workings of the political spectrum of Russia from the inside out.  He has managed to change policy to the point where he will hold the presidency until 2036.  Potentially for his lifetime.  

Putin, like Hitler is a charismatic speaker that holds the attention of the audience listening to his rhetoric.  They were both power hungry and dominate their foes through fear.  Like Hitler, Putin has killed or had killed virtually every person in power that does not agree with his idea of the world.  

11 months ago the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine and tried rolling their tanks straight into Kiev.  He was trying to copy what the Germans did in Poland in 1939.  However, it didn't work as well and the Russians eventually were made to retreat back to the relative safety of the forest.  Then Ukraine began using the technology given them by the West, and Russia began loosing the war.  

There have been horrific stories of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers on the innocent citizens of Ukraine.  Journalists from several networks and countries have pretty much corroborated the stories.  Putin denies the stories and makes threats.  He has threatened to unleash a Nuclear nightmare in Ukraine if the United States gets involved.  The worlds reactions eventually got Putin to react differently from his vocal threats.  

The Ukrainians have gained further tech. from the west and have been hitting targets within the borders of Russia.  Russia reacts by sending missals to  civilian targets destroying a good portion of the infrastructure of Ukraine, and Kiev the Capital city.   Winter is reaching the cold season and there is no power.  

Putin's whole war is based on his delusion that he is the reincarnation of the first Tzar of Russia, and believes that Kiev is his personal property and that Ukraine belongs to him.  His twisted vision of his world is very reminiscent of Adolf Hitler's vison of his world.  They both thought that theirs was the prominent race of people on the planet and that they rule from a devine hand. 

Hitler supposedly died by his own hand, how will Vladimir go?  Will we keep reliving old lessons presented by the Earth Mother?  Will humanity learn the lesson of being Humane?  Will we grow beyond our own misguided views of ourselves and look out at those beyond who have been looking in?  Or, are we doomed to keep living the same lessons over and over again doing battle with entrenched Evils disguised as immoral megalomaniacs?  What I am seeing in Putin the world has seen before, Hitler has a reflection.

Peace and Balance,

John