When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Western cold warriors all along the political spectrum quite justifiably patted themselves on the back. The urge to spike the ball was understandable. But those who claimed this was Fukuyama's "end of history" were quickly proven wrong. Today it is estimated that a third of humanity lives under totalitarian rule. There is no letup in reports of human rights violations in a wide range of countries, even those with democratic traditions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, outrageous as it is, is one more example of the atrocity that is totalitarianism. The Soviet Communist Party is no longer in charge, but Vladimir Putin is a former Party member and worthy successor. Emboldened by what he saw as American isolationism and possible weakness, he has revived the Cold War specter of Russian tanks rolling into a wayward neighboring country. Imagine how this war would be going if Donald Trump had won a second term. He and his enablers are on record calling Putin "savvy" and a "genius" and questioning US support for Ukraine. Republicans can't muster the courage to repudiate Trump no matter what he says or does even if it means siding with Putin over the Ukrainian people. The need to be re-elected is understandable, but the demands of leadership should supersede political expedience. Republicans have already shown us they are capable of restricting access to voting to try to hold on to power. They have no qualms about raising the national debt to pay for tax cuts. They insist on defending unfettered gun rights and opposing reasonable regulation of gun ownership. Their assault on women's reproductive rights continues apace. And now we see they may be willing to jettison the very freedom they claim to champion - on the world stage, no less. Republicans are again telling us who they are, and we should take them at their word.
Middle-of-the-roaders should take this turn of events as the "...tide in the affairs of men which, when taken at the flood, leads on to fortune..." (Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar"). Brutus was talking about taking a bold initiative while it was still possible in the struggle against Octavian and Marcus Antonius. The coming mid-term election presents an opportunity to buck the trend of Congressional losses for the incumbent president's party. Senators Manchin and Sinema can stymie legislation; they cannot prevent the president from taking bolder action on the international stage. President Obama is blamed for not taking action when Assad crossed his "red line" by using chemical weapons in Syria's civil war. What is forgotten is that Republicans refused to authorize military action, preferring to let the president take the risk, so much for their national security credentials. President Biden should avoid making the same mistake. Putin has shown a willingness to disregard the rules of the post-War world. Continuing to play by those rules would be like bringing a knife to a gun fight, with one hand tied behind our back. If Russia is allowed to overrun Ukraine, it will spell disaster for the security of democratic countries everywhere. Taiwan almost certainly will be next. And Biden will own all of it. A no-fly zone over Ukraine would be a bold expression of Western resolve to oppose Russian aggression. Already dealing with casualties on the battlefield and popular opposition at home, Putin would be forced to decide just how far he wants to take this. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, such action would only bolster Biden's standing. To quote his predecessor - what the h**l does he have to lose?