Why must Russian Flowers be sent to Wither in the Ukraine? (2022) Drawing by Edwin Loftus

Russian youth is sacrificed, not in a fight against fascism, but in a quest to restore Russia's status as a vast, undefeatable super-state, by conquering its neighbors. Russia is already unconquerable. Even China and America and the EU combined would not dare threaten the existence of Russia with its powerful nuclear arsenal. The only real threat to the Russian government comes from its own people and they well know that their voices would be, are being, silenced cruelly.
It is the resources of the Ukraine that the Russian government covets. Today Russian tanks battle, not with neo-Nazis, not with western Slavic people. The war is taking place in regions dominated by ethnic Russians. It is Russians being killed by and killing Russian invaders, free Russians fighting Russians deceived by their oppressive government's lies and imperial ambitions.
But I do not think Putin is insane or fundamentally evil. Red China has a "100 Year Plan", similar to the plan that inspired Japanese expansionism in the 20th Century. It calls for China, led by the Chinese Communist Party to control ALL of Asia and to be a dominant influence in the rest of the world. That 'all of Asia' includes the resource rich eastern states of the Russian Federation. Red China is building its power and soon will have to choose whether it will abandon its plans, challenge the West led by America, or look north and west toward Russia. I suspect that Putin is looking ahead and hoping to make Russia so strong, Red China will abandon its plans or challenge America, instead of Russia.
Things are not going well for Russia's plans. Tanks are proving a poor match for American supplied, hand-held rockets and the Ukrainian's determination that as bad as their corruption may be, it is far better than Russian oppression and corruption, so much better, it is worth fighting and dying to defend. It appears unlikely that Russia will be successful. The question is How many Russians and Ukrainians will die before this is understood. No one blames the Russian people. They do not control their government, it controls them. And the courage of those Russians that speak out against this war is an inspiration to people all over the world.
This image memorializes the tragic loss of life in a Russian tank hit by a rocket. The last words of the driver are, "Ukraine? Why are we in Ukraine?" Let us remember them and mourn them. And let God in His mercy be their Judge, as He is ours. "Forgive us, we know not what we do."

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SacrificesRussiaUkraineChinaWar