Foreign Digest: Iran, Syria and Somalia

Syria: Thousands of Syrians in the rebel-held part of the country attended a rally in solidarity with Ukraine and against Russian aggression. Syrians rose up against the tyrannical regime of Bashar Assad in 2011, but the terrorist sponsor has been able to cling to power with the help of Iran, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization Hezbollah, and the Russian Federation. Over half a million Syrians have been killed and millions have fled. The Russian atactic of targeting civilian areas in Ukraine is reminiscent of how it targeted civilian areas and even deliberately struck hospitals and rescue workers in Syria. Iran: Islamist Iran fired missiles at a United States consulate in Iraq. Iran, the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism, fosters Islamist revolution in Lebanon, the West Bank, Yemen and elsewhere, and tries to wield its influence over Iraq, especially after the American and coalition withdrawal. Somalia: The U.S. carried out a strike on al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia for the first time since last year, a sign that the U.S. is continuing the War on Terrorism, at least to some degree, after the disastrous Trump-Biden withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan last year, and after having withdrawn American advisors from Somalia in addition to the various non-combat measures that have been continued.

Russian Tyrant Vladimir Putin’s Pattern of False Labels and Ad Hominem Attacks

Russian Federation tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer intent on reconstituting the Soviet Union, is demonstrating again his pattern of false labels and ad hominem attacks. For example, the Chechens separatists were all labelled “terrorists;” all political opponents are dismissed as “criminals” and “foreign agents;” Syrians seeking freedom from the tyranny of the terrorist-sponsoring Bashar Assad regime were all called “terrorists,” while Ukrainians have been named “fascists,” “Nazis,” and now “nationalists.” Putin thus vilifies every opponent by completely denying their reasonableness. Often, his and his regime’s statements or innuendos are more accurately applicable to himself. His current claim, for example, that his aggression against Ukraine is justifiable as an exercise against “nationalism” is particularly farcical because it is an exercise in Russian nationalism. Putin continues to say these things because Russians, who mostly receive information through state-run media, and too many foreigners, who read or hear it from their professional media which always gives Putin’s side, believe these lies.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Another American Interest in Defending Ukraine

In addition to defending the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination against aggression, there is another reason that defending Ukraine against its invasion by the Russian Federation is in the vital interest of the United States: upholding the American commitment to nuclear proliferation. When Ukraine and other Soviet Republics became independent after the breakup of the Soviet Union, they possessed nuclear weapons on their soil. An agreement between the U.S. and Russia allowed the transfer of the weapons to Russian control in exchange for Russian acceptance of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the other ex-Soviet Republics. The U.S. committed to defend Ukraine and the other former Soviet Republics against Russia. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer, however, intends to reconstitute the Soviet Union and has thus violated the agreement, first in 2014 by invading and seizing Crimea and fomenting separatists in eastern Ukraine, and now by invading the rest of Ukraine. Tolerating Russian aggression would thus discourage States from giving up their nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction and would instead encourage more States to seek such weapons. Furthermore, abandoning Ukraine to Russian aggression would significantly undermine whatever remaining confidence foreigners have in American commitments and willingness to defend its allies and interests.

Freedom House 2021 Report Observes Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule

Freedom has declined globally for the 16th straight year, as authoritarian rule has expanded, Freedom House (https://freedomhouse.org/) observes in its 2021 report issued earlier this month: The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule | Freedom House. Only one in five humans live in free countries, while nearly twice as many live in countries that are not free, with the rest living in countries that are in between, according to the report, unlike 16 years before when nearly half of the world’s population was free. Freedom House finds authoritarians having developed new ways to seize power and that certain authoritarian States, namely the Russian Federation and Communist China, work to present a different model than one of equality, liberty and representative government. It also observes that such illiberal states work together against freedom. Freedom house noted not only the rigging of elections by authoritarians, because they recognize the legitimacy elections confer, but a decade-high number of coups, but also. Meanwhile, freedom is undermined even in free States by populist and corrupt officials who use their power to undermine equality, liberty and representative government. Cited particularly in Freedom House’s report were the rigging of elections by the Marxist Sandinista regime of Nicaragua and by ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin in Russia, the elimination of freedom by Communist China in Hong Kong, return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan after the disastrous Trump-Biden withdrawal of American and allied forces, and the coups in Burma, Sudan and several other African States. The report cited progress in some countries, pro-freedom resistance movements in unfree States, and the validation of liberty in the large numbers of refugees seeking freedom, although it also observed the hostility of even free States towards refugees seeking asylum. Freedom House provides a number of suggestions to counter the rise of authoritarianism. An increase in freedom has a benefit to the world of increasing peace and prosperity.

There Is Momentum to Eliminate Daylight Saving Time, or at Least the Changing of Clocks

As I do every year, I once again call for the elimination of Daylight Saving Time (DST). With the publication of more and more scientific studies identifying the harmful effects of the bi-annual changing of the clocks, especially when switching from Standard Time to DST there is a growing call for ending this practice that provides no benefit at significant cost, beyond the inconvenience, to health and safety. There are an increasing number of state legislators who have introduced bills either to eliminate DST or at least to eliminate the clock-changing chore by making DST permanent, as well as federal legislation. Although DST causes more safety problems because of darkness in the morning, not having to advance time by an hour would at least not cost an hour of sleep and thereby upset people’s circadian rhythm and thus avoid certain health risks. The choice of whether to keep Standard Time or switch to DST depends on the location, as there is a considerable difference from east to west within times zones of when the sun rises or sets (Local Apparent Time). Let us keep the momentum to end this costly and antiquated practice.

Foreign Digest: Syria, Kosovo and Moldova

Syria: Israeli airstrikes against Iranian forces and the terrorists they support have become routine. There have been thousands over the last nine years to defend Israel. Syria has fired a thousand missiles at the Israelis, to little effect, leading Iran reportedly to provide better air defenses to Syria. Islamist Iran, the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, supports the Syrian regime of tyrant Bashar Assad during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011, which has killed more than half a million people and forced millions to flee. Assad sponsors terrorism by being a conduit for Iranian support and by harboring terrorists. The Iranians and Syrians back the Lebanese Shi’ite Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. The Russian Federation has also been backing Assad with military forces. They have targeted bombing on civilian areas, including hospitals and first responders they falsely call “terrorists.” Kosovo: Kosovo has applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, prompted by concerns about the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Kosovo’s independence in 1999 from the former Yugoslav Republic of Serbia has not been recognized by some States, including Serbia, which also aspires to NATO membership. But Serbia is a longtime ally of Russia, the defense against which is the purpose of NATO. Serbia, which has been ambivalent about Russian aggression, should not be allowed into the alliance. Moldova: Moldova has applied to join the European Union, as former Soviet Republics continue to look to Europe and the West, instead of Russia, especially after the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Russian Federation stations troops in a breakaway part of Moldova, along the Ukrainian border, against Moldovan wishes. Moldova has been forced to be neutral and avoid joining NATO, but it can continue to improve relations with Europe and the West.

Follow-Up on the Russian Aggression against Ukraine

Call for Protests Against Russian Aggression: The leader of the Russian liberals, Alexei Navalny, has called for daily protests in Russia against its aggression in Ukraine, despite the risk of persecution, as freedom to assemble peacefully and of any dissent is not tolerated by the regime of Vladmir Putin. Over 8,000 Russians have reportedly been arrested. The center-right anti-corruption activist, who is a political prisoner the Kremlin had poisoned, is also calling for international protests on March 6. Navalny’s organization has effectively been shut downby Putin’s oppression, like many other opposition organizations, rights monitors and independent media outlets. Journalists and critics of the Russian regime are imprisoned, forced into exile or murdered, even abroad. East Asian States Sanction Russia: South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore have joined Western States and Japan in sanctions on the Russian Federation for its aggression against Ukraine. They are thus sending a message to Communist China of what the consequences would be for China were it to invade Taiwan. Putin’s Inconsistent Excuse for War about Language: There is an inconsistency between ex-Soviet intelligence officer Putin’s argument that Russian-speakers in Ukraine, whom Russia has backed in a rebellion, should be independent because they are different from Ukrainian-speakers and his current argument that because Russians and Ukrainians are one people, Ukraine should be part of Russia. The only consistency is his belief in re-establishing the Soviet Union. Right to Keep and Bear Arms Essential: Another lesson learned in Russia’s aggression, in addition to those I listed in a recent post, is how the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to defense and, therefore, to liberty.

Belarus Joins the Axis of Rogues

I have posted a number of times of my observation of the development of what I call the “Axis of Rogues” to describe those States that are tyrannical and anti-Western, and which cooperate with each other to engage in various international misbehaviors, and that work against the United States and its allies and interests, such as against the international order that promises security and freedom for all. These Axis members typically engage in international corruption and illicit arms sales, for example, and they are all either terrorist sponsors or allies of terrorist sponsors. The Russian Federation, Communist China and Islamist Iran are the most troublesome rogue States, as to some degree or another, they prop up the others, namely North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela. It has now become clear that Belarus, the former Soviet Republic lead by a pro-Russian dictator who is reliant on Russian economic and military support, has become a full-fledged member of the Axis by allowing its soil to be used for Russian forces, led by tyrant Vladimir Putin, for unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, it is appropriate that the kind of sanctions being taken against Russia also be taken against Belarus.

The World Belatedly Awakens to the Menace of Vladimir Putin

I am heartened by the unity of the United States and its allies against the Russian aggression against Ukraine and by the various measures that have been taken to sanction and isolate the regime of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin and the kleptocratic oligarchs who support him. But I cannot help but wonder why it has taken over twenty years for the world to awaken to the threat that has long been obvious to many of us who have tried to warn the world, given the lack of de-Communization of Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the inadequate liberalization of the Russian economy that allowed oligarchs to plunder Russia’s industries, and especially after the rise of ex-Soviet intelligence officer Putin, first as security chief under the previous leader and then as an increasingly authoritarian dictator. Today’s righteous indignation and recognition of the threat from the Kremlin should have been expressed when Putin killed exiles abroad using chemical weapons, engaged in propaganda and misinformation against vaccines as a kind of biological warfare against the West, targeted hospitals with bombs in support of Syrian state sponsor of terrorism Bashar Assad, or invaded Georgia and Ukraine previously, among his many rogue behaviors against not only former Soviet Republics that he believes should never have been allowed to become independent of the Soviet Empire, but against the United States and numerous other States, misdeeds that made the Russian “czar” the most malign influence in the world. Some of these behaviors, as well as his political interference in Western States and America through stealing information and disinformation, were acts of war. With each of his domestic human rights violations and international machinations, it became increasingly clear that Putin would not be stopped through diplomacy and trade, or even with mild sanctions. His objection to strictly defensive measures by former Soviet Republics and satellites, such as joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as protection against Russia, was the obvious giveaway that he sees the United States and its alliance as a threat to his goal of restoring the Soviet Union, just as his opposition to self-determination in these former captive countries proves his fear of freedom, especially for the Russian people, whom he cannot risk allowing to exercise a true, informed choice against his power and corruption. Now the whole world must fully understand the international menace it faces and take the appropriate measures once again to defeat tyranny.