Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

I hope I’m wrong but doesn’t it appear we’re on the brink of World War III?

Putin is unstable and the invasion of Ukraine is akin to Hitler’s “annexation” of the Sudetenland in 1939.

Students of history understand that Britain’s Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, met with Hitler and returned to London waving, as if it was a white flag, a paper with Hitler’s signature promising no more territorial ambitions.

“This morning,” Chamberlain said to cheering crowds, “I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler. And here is the paper, which bears his name upon it, as well as mine. Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you. ‘We regard the agreement signed last night, and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war against one another again.’”

Winston Churchill’s response: “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.”

Eleven months later, the Germans invaded Poland.

It’s not a difficult concept to grasp: Appeasing an adversary will only embolden him to want more. It was true of Adolph Hitler and it’s true of Vladimir Putin.

We’re heartened that the war being executed by the Russians isn’t going as easily as that country’s leaders anticipated, according to news reports.

President Zelenskyy turned down Joe Biden’s offer of a ride to safety. That’s disturbing that America’s global leadership is “let us help you retreat” instead of Peace through Strength. “I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelenskyy famously stated.

This whole mess can be laid at the feet of Joe Biden. The instant he nudged his walker into the Oval Office 13 months ago, he ended energy independence for our country and green-lighted Russian control over energy in Europe.

By doing so, Biden closed America’s oil off and opened the floodgates of cash to Putin. Awash in cash, Putin has the wherewithal to mount an attack on Ukraine.

Add to that Biden’s weakness–the U.S. no longer exudes strength and power which ensures peace–and Putin has nothing to fear. (Watch China do the same with Taiwan.)

It’s encouraging that Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are putting up an effective resistance, and it’s heartening to see our country and others around the world roundly criticizing this Russian action, and putting their missiles where their mouths are.

Putin has long convoys of troops and equipment mobilized, and the U.S. and its allies should do the same to show a world united against another Hitler.

We appear to be on the brink of World War III, but it’s different than in 1939–more of the world’s nations are engaged in opposing Russia. From some reports, even Russians are protesting Putin’s war against Ukraine.

For that I credit the ubiquitous cell phone. People all around the world have in their hands a way to see and hear what is happening, and they are making their feelings known.

Seeping into all of this is Biden’s shady history with Ukraine and his son Hunter’s involvement with an energy company there, all to cash in on Joe’s position when he was vice president. Their unscrupulous ties with China also play into the equation as Biden fiddles while Kyiv burns, and Xi licks his chops.

It appears that the Russians and Chinese have exploited the U.S.’s free and open system to their benefit and to achieve their global ambitions.