In 1969 Edwin Starr recorded the song “War.” The song asks the question “War, what is it good for?” Then it answers the question: “Absolutely nuthin’.”
Starr’s version of the song, originally performed by The Temptations, was a number one hit. Maybe Russian oligarch Vladimir Putin should give the song “War” a listen.
“War” wrote songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong “means destruction of innocent lives.” War is “an enemy to all mankind” and it “means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes.”
But this probably wouldn’t bother Putin in the least. The loss of life amongst the meaningless masses usually doesn’t upset dictators, tyrants, and oligarchs.
Joseph Stalin, one of Putin’s predecessors in Russia, even starved almost 4 million Ukrainians to death. The Holodomor, as it was called, “was caused when a dictator [Stalin] wanted both to replace Ukraine’s small farms with state-run collectives and punish independence-minded Ukrainians who posed a threat to his totalitarian authority.”
Is it any wonder Ukrainians want to stay free and independent of Russian rule?
As the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” clearly states, “2308 All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.”
Putin claims to be Russian Orthodox, so he has probably never read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.” And why would he? As the Heritage Foundation reported in 2019, “The Russian Orthodox Church has been in lockstep with Putin, and has in fact served to advance his ends. A case in point is its position on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”
(Think problems and politics abound in the Roman Catholic Church? The different Orthodox Catholic Churches also have their share. And their problems impact relations between the Orthodox Churches and the Vatican as well.)
NOT a “Just” War
There are, of course, just wars. The Catechism, in its examination of the Fifth Commandment, briefly explains “just war” doctrine. A more in depth examination of war and just war is found in the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.”
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is anything but a “just” war. His reasons for invading Ukraine are pure bunk. Putin wants the resources of the Ukraine – and they are many – for Russia. This is why Putin also invaded the Crimea in 2014.
The war is “just” only from the Ukrainian perspective. The Ukrainians are defending themselves and their country.
Three days after the invasion began, on Feb. 27, Pope Francis, made his first public comments about the invasion. He invited everyone “to make 2 March, Ash Wednesday, a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine.” Absent from his remarks, which came at the end of the Pope’s Angelus address, was any mention that Russia was the aggressor or any rebuke of Putin.
The next day, on Feb. 28, Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Parolin called for negotiations in “the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.”
As Fr. Raymond de Souza noted in an article at the National Catholic Register, this “was a stunning reversal for Vatican diplomacy, which had steadfastly refused to call Russia an aggressor since the 2014 Russian invasion, occupation and annexation of Crimea. Even as late as the Sunday Angelus the day before Cardinal Parolin’s statement, Pope Francis did not name Russia as an aggressor.”
The following Sunday, March 6, according to the Catholic News Agency, “Pope Francis condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
“Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine,” he began his Angelus address. “It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction, and misery.”
Sanctions
The paper tiger that is the United Nations General Assembly finally voted on Tuesday, March 2, to “demand that Russia stop its offensive in Ukraine and withdraw all troops.” This was six days after the invasion started. Putin most likely anticipated this from the UN.
The U.S. acted quicker. The Whitehouse announced a number of sanctions on Feb. 24. The sanctions were against Putin and Russia and Putin’s ‘partner in crime’ in the invasion, Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus. But the Biden administration is being criticized for not enacting stronger sanctions.
As one pundit put it, “Putin was a relatively good little dictator during Trump’s four years in office, but he’s become a mass-murdering despot on Joe Biden’s watch.”
The 27 member states of the European Union (EU) also acted a bit quicker than the UN. EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced a series of sanctions against Russia and Belarus between Feb. 25 and March 2.
Putin probably anticipated all these various sanctions as well. He may have even discussed the possible sanctions when he talked over his invasion plans with fellow tyrant President Xi Jinping of China.
The NY Times reports that President Xi Jinping of China “had some level of direct knowledge about Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion started last week.” The article also says that “senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.”
Playing Chess
Putin continues to invade Ukraine on March 4/5, as this is being written. For Putin, war is probably just a chess game. He has probably planned his moves well in advance while also anticipating the counter-moves of his opponents. And he cares nothing for the loss of innocent lives.
The question is, just how “unhinged” is Putin? Is he willing to start World War III over the Ukraine? Maybe. His goal may be to acquire all of Ukraine. And he may be unhinged enough to let nothing stop him from this goal.
Whatever Putin’s goal is, let’s all pray that God will ease the suffering of the people of Ukraine and put an end to the invasion. And let us pray for Vladimir Putin as well. Let us pray for an awakening in him, that the Holy Spirit will give Putin the wisdom to see the evil he is doing.
If you would like to help ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people in this time of peril, you might consider donating to the Knights of Columbus Ukraine Solidarity Fund, to Caritas Internationalis, to Catholic Relief Services, or to Aid to the Church in Need.
2 thoughts on “Putin Wages War on Ukraine”
If you look back on 2014 the Obama administration overthrew the Ukrainian Government, and placed AZOV BATTALION NEO-NAZIS in the Donbas. So that’s who’s been shelling and killing people. Almost like the 7 countries in 5 years Obama administration destroyed, but funded ISIS, by arming them. ISIS killed America’s own Soldiers who were fighting to protect the people. Putin didn’t INVADE COUNTRIES. He made it clear before hand February 2022. The Annexation was voted on, by the people who were putting up with the shelling by THE NEO NAZIS. UKRAINE PEOPLE HAVEN’T RECEIVED A DIME. FROM THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. The Nordstream PIPELINES is pretty obvious who ALSO had their hand in that. Maybe ask Biden, Victoria NULAND, Anthony Blinken, and Jake Sullivan. Obama is behind it too, so add him to the list. This article is the same old story against the same man. They don’t mention Putin resigned from the KGB and was against Communism. He has built 32 churches, last time it was mentioned. People in Ukraine have a way different story about Putin. Hopefully when they get internet to communicate more they can inform everyone who has been saving the people. I highly doubt it to be the NEO NAZIS funded by Obama and Biden administration when they again overthrew Ukraine Government 2014. Nazis have been in Ukraine for a long time. They have been in United States, but heavily in Ukraine. America owns terrorist organizations. And it’s not Putin. A good journalist knows these things. They don’t want to write about who is money laundering, running 37 bio weapon Labs, trafficking children. Because it may anger the Same Establishment who has been around with previous fake wars and lies. IRAN knows. SYRIA knows. They all know who the only country to drop 2 nuclear bombs on the people surrendering as they were waving white flags. They know Obama dropped the most bombs. In 2016 Obama dropped 26,171 bombs. While Putin was saving Civilians from Terrorists, the DC ESTABLISHMENT were funding those terrorists. Media did a fine job at spinning the story blaming Russia was killing people. As you can see, nobody wants anything to do with the United States. This information is findable. If you use GOOGLE YOU WON’T FIND IT. USE A DIFFERENT BROWSER. THESE PEOPLE DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT UKRAINIAN PEOPLE. 2014 IS NEVER MENTIONED. EITHER IS ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES. LIBYA IS ANOTHER COUNTRY UNITED STATES OVERTURNED. Even check out everything I just mentioned. Look who’s connected to who and use different browser than Google or YouTube. Republican and Demacrats don’t hate each other as they pretend to. Americans are all under the same policies. Seymour Hirsch is the most credible and admired journalist talked about. Check everything you can. This is why there’s been so much sensoring. Youtube is another.
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