Can Russia Be More Evil?

CAN RUSSIA BE MORE EVIL?

I want you to imagine Russia, not as it is today—a horrible bastion of all that is evil and wrong with the world—but as it might yet be in the future, a Russia still worse than it is today. I want you to imagine a Russia, in other words, that may very well come to be should we choose to turn a blind eye to what is occurring at this instant under our very noses.

Imagine a Russia that is indifferent to international law and dismissive of the United Nations and the principles of international democracy. I’m talking now of a rogue nation that feels it is free from any obligation other than pursuing its own interests, not too unlike Germany in the 1930’s. Imagine a Russia that feels itself obliged to transform the world according to its own desires.

Imagine a world where Russian oligarchs use brute force combined with clandestine manipulation in order to advance an agenda that not only harms the world but the Russian people themselves. A world where cruelty and harshness are rationalized as a path towards progress.

Imagine if Russia began to throw its weight around, that it supposed itself the chosen nation uniquely qualified to lead all other nations. Suppose Russia came up with a grand design and called it Project For A New Russian Century. How would it make you feel, as an American, if the governments of every other nation were told that they must model their governments on the Russian model? It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Now just imagine that Russia had persuaded the world that it needed to invade Iraq because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. And imagine what would be the world’s response if after they had invaded Iraq they were forced to admit the very reason for their war was a false one. Keep in mind I’m not saying Russia is this bad yet, but they very well might be if given the chance. (Please remember to note your feelings and reactions to what you are presented with).

Imagine one day turning on your television and seeing images of Russian soldiers smiling as they force Iraqi prisoners naked onto piles so that they can take pictures with them. I know it is hard to believe human beings—even Russians—can behave in such a manner, but I assure you it is possible. Nazi Germany is proof that anything is possible.

If given the chance, Russia might be capable of many horrible things. They might sponsor and arm religious extremists in a country neighboring the United States, let us call it Hondurastan, in order to overthrow a government that is friendly to the U.S. And after overthrowing the Hondurastani government, they would leave it in the hands of religious extremists. Such religious extremists and terrorists would be capable of almost anything, such as blowing up buildings in Russia. At which point Russia would use it as an excuse to invade that country that is in the vicinity of the U.S. And it would not only invade the country, ostensibly to defend itself, but also build a permanent military presence there. Just imagine a fifteen year Russian occupation of a nation halfway across the world! We must never let such a thing happen.

Russians would not be stationed in Hondurastan only but they would build military bases throughout Central America, which they would claim to need in order to deal with the Hondurastan situation. And even these would only be but more links in the chain of military outposts surrounding our country. It’s frightening to think of, isn’t it? It seems only fitting that we would do most anything to prevent such a situation from ever occurring.

I want to remind you that these are purely hypothetical scenarios and should not be provoking emotional responses. If they are, please note them for me.

Imagine if Russia was helping to incite riots in Canada in order to overthrow their Democratically elected government. Such a thing might be possible if Russia is permitted to believe it will not be held accountable. And imagine if Russia felt it was their right to choose who was to be the next Prime Minister of Canada after Justin Trudeau was forced to flee for his very life. Just suppose that the government that took the place of the democratically elected one was filled with fascists and Nazi sympathizers, and that the nation broke apart between French and English speaking Canadians. How would that make you feel?

What other mischief might Russia be up to if we don’t set limits for them? They could form a military alliance that would include virtually every nation in North America, and not let the United States join.

It wouldn’t stop there. Just imagine for a moment Vladimir Putin deciding it was his right to get rid of leaders in other nations. Can you not see the evil smile on his face as he turned to the camera and said something like “We came, we saw, he died.” Doesn’t it just send shivers down your spine?

Ooh, and imagine, just imagine if Putin held an election he was supposed to win but instead Russia voted for a buffoonish oligarch rather than choose such an awful man. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to cling to power by insisting that the United States had influenced the election, as if we would ever do such a thing. Of course, Putin would not offer a scrap of evidence to the American government, such contempt does he have for us. That is the way evil dictators rule, by distracting the masses with imagined threats from foreign enemies.

Imagine if Russia were to accuse the U.S. of interfering in the French election and thereby influencing the French election. And imagine if shortly after the election French authorities were to report there was no evidence of U.S. interference in their election. Ooh, wouldn’t Vladimir Putin have egg on his face then. The U.S. media would have a field day with that, and rightly so.

I could go on, imagining a theoretical Russia that withdrew from international accords on global warming, a Russia where its law enforcement officers killed ethnic minorities with impunity, or a Russia that has more incarcerated citizens than any other nation in the world, but I think you get my point.

You know how our media and our politicians would make hay out of Russia being guilty of any of the above-mentioned scenarios. In short, if we had the goods on the Russians the way we have on our own government, you can sure as hell bet we wouldn’t be relying on anonymous sources from agencies that were involved in all of the crimes I have just asked you to imagine Russia committing. As it is, we have talking heads saying with certainty that Russia is guilty of so much, and yet on those rare occasions where they feel proof needs to be proffered, they can only refer to those agencies guilty of far worse than even they dare pin on Russia.

Did I mention that Russia’s media is nothing more than a subservient tool of their government yet?

Thank you for participating in my little experiment. I would appreciate feedback, as I’d really like to bridge the gap between those who see things differently than I do. I want to know if my observations and my ability to see things from a perspective other than the one dictated by our media (and our secretive governmental agencies that infiltrate our media) can be responded to in a rational manner. I believe myself nothing if not one who is able to be swayed by facts strung together by a compelling narrative. If you can provide such a fact-based narrative, I would be very appreciative. Otherwise, you can still be of service by telling me how reading this has made you feel.