Character

Data point one: I once read a book about the last days of World War II in 1945 in Berlin, days leading up to the suicide of Hitler and the days afterward. After Hitler committed suicide and the Germans were negotiating with the US and British the terms for ending the war, the Germans were fervently, desperately trying to surrender to the Americans and avoid the Russians. The Russians were known to be particularly brutal to their prisoners, raping women and enslaving men in prison camps. At the time that I read about their desire to surrender to the Americans, I thought the desire stemmed from the fear of vengeance from the Russians for the battle at Stalingrad.

Now, I wonder if that sentiment signaled something else.

Data point two: In the 80’s or early 90’s, I read about a Russian couple that were able to immigrate to the US and start a new life of democracy. But after a while, they went back to the USSR because they couldn’t assimilate the freedoms of capitalism. There was something about capitalism that made it difficult for them. I got the impression that they were used to the cradle to grave structure that USSR offered. I came away feeling that not everybody can thrive in the capitalistic system America has – it is a somewhat brutal system – unless one has social system that protects them. The USSR must have given them something security in return for giving up their freedoms.

Data point three: Ukrainians not only blame Putin for the war, but they also blame the Russians. Do the Ukrainians know the Russian character better than the rest of the world? They do have a history that binds them together, so they may know the Russians better. One interesting thing I read is that Russians always go for the authoritarians, no matter how many times they try to reach for freedom: they eventually gravitate towards a single leader.

““Over five hundred years there have been many attempts to emancipate Russian society. Every attempt collapses with a ruthless autocrat. Why do the Russian people choose unfreedom? The answer is Russian culture. If Russia is indeed the savior of the world, that would mean its suffering has meaning, that its suffering is synonymous with its piety. That’s why the sanctions won’t work. Could you convince a Christian to become godless by making him suffer? No, of course not, his suffering only draws him closer to God. Russia has enjoyed periods of freedom, but always it returns to this condition of suffering. It’s important to understand that it’s not Putin who took Russia, but rather Russia which gave itself to Putin, and Putin has used Russia’s history of suffering to consolidate his power.””

“Ukrainians Don’t Blame Just Putin for the War. They Blame Russians.”, Time, Elliot Ackerman, March 25, 2022.

The weekend news coming out of the war is just horrible.

On one hand, I read stories about young Russian conscripts saying that they were not told of the real reason why they were sent to Ukraine; young, captured soldiers crying to their moms that they had been lied to; soldiers sabotaging their own equipment. On the other hand, I hear Ukrainians saying the Russians are behind this war. Polls out of Russia says 65 to 86% (yes, the range is pretty wide) support the Russian war and that Putin’s popularity is rising.

So, what to believe?

The latest news of the soldiers’ disbelief to the command to kill everyone in the city (Bucha maybe?) as they leave the city: “Say what?” That story runs smack against the images coming out of Ukraine: the flattening of buildings and the bodies in the streets. More data points: the constant shelling despite the agreed upon “ceasefire” in Mariupol in order to form a humanitarian corridor out of the city, the bombing of a shelter that had “children” written outside, and the bombing of hospitals. It’s hard to reconcile the stories of young soldiers’ reluctance to fight with the images of brutal destruction and killing. As one person said, the pictures were showing the “gates of hell”.

At this point, I’m more apt to believe the Ukrainian who may have a better sense of the Russian character, since they are historically tied together.

“When I asked Hrytsak what, if anything, could break this spell, he explained, “The Russian people have made a bargain with Putin, and it’s one they’ve made throughout their history. They have allowed a despot to take away their freedom, but in exchange he has offered them glory.””

“Ukrainians Don’t Blame Just Putin for the War. They Blame Russians.”, Time, Elliot Ackerman, March 25, 2022.