If you think the world will never see another Hitler, think again. If you carefully review the events of the last 24 hours, you will identify elements of deceit, treachery, and ego reminiscent of the German dictator in 1939 and 1940. Monday’s events put the civilized world at a crossroads. Either stop dictator Vladimir Putin, or not. World War II taught us that it is a mistake not to stop unlawful aggression by one nation against another.
Vladimir Putin may be evil, but, like his German role-model, he is not an idiot. The Russian assessed the world environment and chose to throw international law to the winds and brutally invade an independent country. Like Hitler, Putin is indifferent to the lives of thousands, most likely hundreds of thousands who will die as he pursues a delusional vision of “Russian destiny.”
Like other dictators, Putin is unpredictable and undeterred by reason. President Biden, so far, has been approaching the crisis with a clear understanding of Putin’s psyche. Biden has been searching for a strategy that could persuade Putin not to start a wider war. Those efforts include the threat of sanctions that would further undermine a Russian economy that is already anemic. More importantly, Biden and his team are crafting sanctions that will undermine Putin’s Achilles heel—his personal greed and the fortunes of other Russian oligarchs.
Biden is in the process of implementing sanctions, but, unfortunately, the horse is already out of the barn. Putin, after lying about withdrawing troops from Ukraine, was already well into the implementation of a “false flag” operation. Twenty-four hours later Russian troops were marching into Ukraine. The goal is no longer to prevent a war. It is already underway.
President Biden has done a respectable job of assessing the situation in Ukraine, but now faces a second set of challenges. The American public is not ready for a war to fight aggression against a country that most Americans cannot identify on a map. I personally have had people tell me that any engagement in a European military conflict is not “putting America First.” As that idiotic comment translates to the Biden White House, the message is that any American engagement in a war in Ukraine will cost Democrats the control of Congress in 2022 and the White House in 2024.
So, there it is. Let me call it Biden’s dilemma. Although some may differ, determining what to do is not a difficult choice. The tragedy of World War II taught us that appeasing Hitler and hoping that his dreams of world domination would never impact America were naïve. Over 400,000 American service members died as a result. Those who ignore History are doomed to repeat it.
America is likely to be presented with a fork in the road of historic proportions in coming days. Do we stand for freedom and national self-determination, or do we retreat into the misguided concept of “America First?” I hope that we choose the former.
Not stopping Putin is granting him a license to engage in further empire building. Unwillingness to recognize and respond to Putin’s treachery also sends a message to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, who is watching how the U.S. and its allies respond to Ukraine. If the U.S. acquiesces to the Russian bullying, it will invite China to engage in its own modern-day imperialism as it “reunifies” with a Taiwan that has been independent since 1949 and has no desire to surrender to China.
That is why it is appropriate to describe February 21, 2022, as a Day of Infamy. But before anyone thinks that Putin’s actions translate into victory, a review of World War II is in order. Hitler (and Hirohito) may have started the war, but the U.S., Britain and the allies prevailed. Evil was defeated in World War II.
Stopping Putin now, one way or another, is our best means of preventing further bloodshed in Ukraine and a larger war. We are closer to a World War III today than at any point in the last 30 years.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
Stephen Schaare says
Mr. Dean, Forget about any mid term elections, that is a done deal.
How, exactly, would you stop Putin? Methinks higher fuel prices, continued inflation and a cyberattack on banking , let alone a power grid here in the U. S. Should “force Biden’s hand”
What is the resolution? Should these “crippling sanctions” be ineffective, what to do?
Thank you-Steve
Deirdre LaMotte says
The “done deal” is that a minority of our citizens have an obsession with reactionary news outlets that fuel from the sources of paralysis: filibuster and a Supreme Court that perhaps would have been happiest in the Dark Ages, unrepresentative of our nation’s majority, anda silly GOP that is obsessed with obstruction, culture wars and voter suppression. With out any of these unAmerican issues, that’d be in the dog house. Where they belong. But the lying and stealing is their only hope.
You know, the “left” wants to give you free glasses. The right want to destroy democracy. It is as simple as that.
John Dean says
Not sure how to respond to your question in that you seem to be saying that nothing can be done to stop Putin. I continue to believe that he must be stopped, even if actions beyond sanctions are needed. I don’t want a war with American troops any more than you do, but I see Putin as dangerous to world peace.
Susan Kemp says
Thank you for your rapid and succinct response to the issues occurring in the last 24 hours. We, as human beings, cannot allow another tyrannical despot to usurp the peaceful habitation of a neighboring country.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece and for your kind comments. I agree with you that Putin must be stopped.
Jill Poe says
Bomb Putin now and while we are at it take out North Korea.
John Dean says
An interesting suggestion, but I’m not sure I’m ready to start World War III. I remain hopeful that the current war (Ukraine) can be contained.
Thanks for reading the piece.
Carol chisholm says
Perfect summary of the facts and conclusions. Sadly, I fear Americans can no longe play the long game.
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment and your kind words. I share your fear that many Americans don’t see the need for confronting Putin now.
Gerry Early says
This is an excellent article with which I completely agree. President Biden should not be deterred by concerns about elections in 2022 and 2024 when at present Ukraine presents a clear right vs wrong situation–just as with Hitler in 1930s when the European democracies chose appeasement of the dictator which led to WWII. The USA and NATO already let Putin get by with Crimea and Eastern Ukraine incursions in recent years, with ineffective responses that have been described by former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates as “sanctions lite.” I hope this time USA and European allies will pull out all the stops to stop Putin.
John Dean says
Thank you for your kind words and for your substantive comment. As you no doubt can tell, I’m in agreement with you.
Robin Carpenter says
Joe Biden is i WAY over his head. His actual dilemma is that he simply doesn’t have the horsepower. Likely he won’t fill-out his term. (After his massive snafu on Ukraine, the piranhas will come after him shortly. He is badly wounded.) Anyway, I don’t see any Churchill in waiting.
By the way, better study-up the difference between “tenets” and “tenants.” You don’t want to appear ignorant to your readers.
Paul Callahan says
Mr. Dean, Your warning about the incomprehensible destruction and human suffering that could be unleashed by a dictator and the comparison of Putin to Hitler is right on the mark. However, your recommended hawkish solution based upon lessons learned from WWII is way overly simplistic and probably a bit naive. What would have happened in WWII if Hitler had a few thousand strategic and tactical nuclear weapons with a rapid and highly accurate delivery system at his disposal? We live in a totally different world today than what existed in the 1940’s.
The escalation of Russian aggression over the past several years should not be a surprise. In the late 1980’s a whole class of tactical nuclear delivery systems were eliminated in Europe with the implementation of the INF treaty. This treaty was violated by Putin beginning in 2014 and afterwards. The same goes for the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty which Putin later “suspended”. The writing was on the wall. We certainly can compare this to Hitler’s violating and ignoring military limitations imposed upon Germany after WWI along with the free world ignoring those warning signs. The idea that a dictator would be rolling tanks into a European country in 2022 would have been incomprehensible a few years ago – yet here we are.
Unfortunately, in today’s world where millions could be annihilated in minutes there is no simple solution.
John Dean says
Thank you for your substantive comment. You are right that there is no simple solution. We are in a dangerous situation. You are right to raise the danger of triggering a nuclear war. I continue to believe that Putin must be stopped but agree with you that it is dangerous and naive to think it will be easy.
Charlie Bohn says
I wonder if the current administration still believes Climate Change is the biggest threat facing the US.
John Dean says
I’m frequently wrong, but I would answer yes.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Climate Change is the biggest threat to every country.
Stephen Schaare says
So, you disagree with Biden and A.G. Merrick. They both claim “white supremacy ” is the greatest threat. Interesting……
John Dean says
If that is what they said, yes.