Month: May 2022

Russia’s historical curse of anachronism, may initially, and demonstrably, be seen at the earliest ages of the “Industrial Revolution,” when Western Europe was weaving cloth on its newly developed mills, while, simultaneously, Russia remained, atavistically, in serfdom. The self-conscious character of Russia was evident in the use of the French language, as they ate oranges in the Russian Court.

A trip to St. Petersburg will reveal the garish display of fine art paintings, edge to edge, plastered over the entire walls of its fine art museum, the “Hermitage;” so crowded together, that the contemplation and appreciation of anyone’s masterpiece are psychedelically, impossible. The French name of the museum and the overcrowded presentation of its paintings, irrefutably, evidences a crude, tasteless and obvious, attempt to outshine the exhibitions of Paris’s French Louvre.

The burial remains of Marx and Lenin, must have by now, been ground to powder, resulting from their frustrated turning in their graves, at the successive devolutions of Russia, from their desired, but never achieved, classless society, part of a worldwide brotherhood, equally, ruled by the proletariat, to its present status of a gangster-like, autocracy. The Russian revolution with all its atrocities, centuries ago, is now a mere blip on the radar screen of history.

Russia, contemporaneously, run by Vladimir Putin a veritable, mafia chief, and supported, by a cohort of privileged, corrupt and enormously wealthy, “oligarchs,” in their symbiotic, recognition of his autocratic rule, of the Russian public. Such rich oligarchs “kick in” to the wealthy leader, Putin and acquire, thereby, uninterrupted facility to own and operate immoral and illegal enterprises. Many corrupt, oligarchs have thus become wealthy enough to own and maintain, large, ocean-going yachts, private airplanes and exorbitantly expensive and luxurious dachas.

Putin, as an orthodox autocrat, acting in accordance with typical, unchecked and unlimited authority, chose to declare a land war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine, seeking, in Russia’s classically anachronistic, [World Wars, 1 and 2] fashion, land aggrandizement. The Ukrainian people, courageously and dedicatedly, countering this illegal, outrageous retro-style incursion, have mounted a remarkably successful defense, driving Putin’s minions back, and earning worldwide admiration and assistance.

We would like to observe that, in the unlikely event, that Russia (Putin) should, by virtue of, Russia’s far greater population and resources, ultimately, be successful, Putin will nevertheless, have met with abysmal failure in his retrograde, long-term strategy and tactical ambitions.

It is apparent that Putin’s long-term, tactical strategy was to create divisiveness between the NATO Nations, weakening resistance to his potential plans for aggressive policies, and, thereby, strengthening Russia’s relative power. The tactical, “bromance” of the wily, Putin and the egocentric, unaware and ignorant Donald Trump, would appear to be in strategic accordance, with Putin’s plot to weaken future, potential joint resistance. Recently held federal hearings, proved, definitively, that Russia had interfered in the Presidential Election, in which the ignorant and hapless, egotist, Donald Trump was successful.

Nonetheless, it was, undoubtedly, Putin’s perseverating, mono-focused, Napoleonic, reveries of unlimited power, that caused him to forgo consideration of the possibility of a consequent solidifying response of the NATO Nations and other countries, to his historically, anachronistic, decision to pirate the territory of another Sovereign State. In fact, certain, previously, non-member States, like Norway and Sweden, have been thereby, motivated to now apply for NATO membership.

If not for the fact that Russia’s retro style of motivation, has, tragically, caused untold misery and death in Ukraine, its eternal lack of contemporary focus would, actually, be historicaly, risible.

-p.     

Even those fortunate enough to reside in a representative democracy might well arise each morning to feel part of a hapless, receptive, audience as to the affairs of the day. Similar to the act of reading the history of man’s past, the information garnered appears enlightening, but already determined, and exists, entirely independent of, and far removed from, his personal participation. Considering his one, feckless, vote he, understandably, may assume the state of his personal irrelevance and conclude that the subject of current events, is merely a spectator sport.

In this context, it is his morning newspaper, or, alternatively, the electronic media, that advises him as to whether he should anticipate a personally, satisfactory or stressful day, regarding sundry matters, domestic, international, economic, meteorological or otherwise. While involved in his regular morning ritual, of brushing his teeth, showering, shaving and having breakfast, he, feels, analogous to a just arriving, theater patron, newly apprised of the dramatic presentation du jour. His responsive reaction to the information is a joint function of his traditional point of view and personal expectations.

Consequently, therefore, the importance of diligent and factually accurate sources of information, derived from newspapers and other media, is no less than existential. Tactical attacks or disparagement, of these sources by autocratic leaning individuals, like Donald Trump, are, indisputably, a fundamental attack upon reality, in order to create a false (or alternate) reality, that would favor their undemocratic dogma.

The citizen may thus perceive himself, functionally, as a mere spectator, one of a vast audience of ineffectual witnesses to daily changing events. In bright contrast, to such perception, is the empirical phenomenon that significant numbers of like-minded citizens, voting in a virtual bloc, do possess the requisite potency to edit and improve the extant, presentation of events.

 A cogent and illustrative, albeit, negative example, can be observed, in the recent promulgation of, entirely, unconstitutional and immoral legislation, by several right-wing controlled, State Legislatures, which have promulgated legislation intended to delimit the voting power of America’s black community, (which heavily opposed Donald Trump, and supported Joseph Biden). Such actions constitute not only, unseemly and shameful behavior on the part of any State Legislature, but constitute flagrant acts of malignant unconstitutionality, and infringement of democracy. Yet, for the purposes of the theme of this writing, does (perversely), acknowledge and unmistakably, illustrate the power and functional impact of large, multiple voters of common interest.

It is beyond question, that the salient and definitional function of a democracy is the protected franchise of its citizens to vote. Thus, we, as American citizens, possess the esoteric opportunity of functioning, as desired, as a mere witness or seat holder in a passive audience or, otherwise, as a proportionate and participating director, of the presenting, theatrical action. The opportunity for the exercise of such dual roles constitute the systemic essence, and value, of an authentic representative democracy.  

For this reason, it is existentially necessary in order to sustain a democracy, to have citizens who are sufficiently, literate and informed, as, famously, and presciently, declared by President Thomas Jefferson. Informed and sufficiently educated American citizens, with their considered exercise of the vote, thereby, jointly share in the role of the Director of, as well as the witnesses to a humanistic, and ethically performed drama of their own production.                    

-p.