By invading across Ukraine’s border Vladimir Putin has not only committed a completely unprovoked attack on a sovereign European nation, but after weeks of amassing more than 150,000 troops and military hardware around Ukraine in a most provocative manner, while denying these were anything other than an exercise and that he had zero intention of invading, he has done exactly that, proving that he is not only deceitful – which was common knowledge – but also a downright liar, so from now on nobody including his own people will ever be able to trust one word that he utters.
Claims that his invasion was to eradicate ‘Nazis’ and liberate them from ‘genocide’ practised in Ukraine are totally ridiculous to those of us living in the real world and the free world – the only Nazi-like person in sight is himself and in fact what he has done in the past few months is an almost copycat re-run of Hitler in his provocative actions prior to his illegal invasions which led to the Second World War.
Now with his ranting and raving he is also threatening the use of nuclear attack on anyone who dares to stand up to his cowardly incursion, thus leading the world towards the brink of World War Three.
This is total lunacy, which is exactly how the great majority of the world now views him – not just as another dangerous dictator like those in power in North Korea, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and most of the trouble spots in the world, but a very delusional one. By his actions he has become the most loathed person on the planet.
I think he has totally underestimated the power of the backlash that is rapidly developing in the majority of countries, and although the Russian people are somewhat at a disadvantage because of the aggressive police state which strangles free speech, genuine elections etc, backed up by state media, television and radio which has been brainwashing them for years, with blatant lies about the rest of the world who are not communist, the groundswell of dissent is
starting in his country and will eventually overwhelm him and those like him.
I predict he will find it is one of his very own who solves the world’s current number one problem by eliminating him.
I promise the human race will cheer as one at his demise.
JOHN ABBOTT
Ennis, Co Clare
Make the right voting choice
Turlough Quinn’s call for tribal loyalty – ‘If a political party doesn’t change with times it will be left to wither’ (February 22) – reveals an echo-chanber view.
He regards all persons different from him as hostile to his religion - which is definitely not (repeat not) correct and a gross oversimplification. I urge him to desist from ‘tarring all unionists with a one-colour brush’. The diversity of political parties shows that voting choices of the unionist population (with a small ‘u’) in are not determined by the utterances of an Orange Order spokesperson. Orangeism has a lot to answer for, but Mr Quinn could do better than self-justification in an echo-chamber. The separate newspapers for each tradition in Northern Ireland have always provided a sort of echo-chamber for each side, although most echo-chambers are online these days. What surely does influence the general unionist population is their collective memory of the war conducted by the Provisional IRA and an economic war against the whole populace of Northern Ireland, justified by Sinn Féin in the past.
For these and other reasons, such as Sinn Féin’s support for the Cuban dictatorship, many in the pro-UK discourse group despise the Sinn Féin organisation, but should never be disparaging to the general Catholic population – many of whom sincerely try to follow Christ’s teachings.
Anyone unsure about repression in Cuba should note that the courts there handed down sentences to a number of people recently. Among them were two 16-year-olds, Giuseppe Belaunzarán Guada and Brayan Piloto Pupo, sentenced to 10 years in prison for alleged public disturbances and vandalism. A 17-year-old, Kendry Miranda Cárdenas, received a 19-year prison sentence on charges of sedition. More years than his age.
Making a choice to vote for pro-Cuban parties here is a choice akin to the choice of voters in Russia to support Putin’s party that has curtailed free speech in the media.
DAVY BUSTARD
Holywood, Co Down
Resolving legacy of the Troubles
May I respond briefly to Tom Cooper’s letter on our Truth Recovery Process (March 24). His criticism of our Truth Recovery Process seems to be predicated on our belief in ‘British goodwill’. This is not the case. While we hope that the Truth Recovery Process would be endorsed by all the parties involved in resolving the legacy of the Troubles in a spirit of good will, our proposal is predicated on a binding international agreement between the British and Irish governments. We published the Pat Finucane Centre’s criticism of the Truth Recovery Process in our journal Legacy Matters because, as Tom will have seen, we carry a wide spectrum of opinions, including those critical of our proposals. It is our policy to do so in the hope that it will encourage dialogue, better understanding of diverse and conflicting opinions and, in the process, promote reconciliation.
Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to carry the correspondence of national newspapers on our website but Tom is very welcome to write an article for Legacy Matters.
PADRAIG YEATES
Portmarnock, Co Dublin
Hypocritical attitude
The continued plight of the people of Ukraine is a situation which leads any normal person to despair. The world has imposed financial sanctions on the Russian oligarchs – and rightly so. In Palestine and Yemen these citizens suffer truly horrible injuries and deaths by the governments of Israel and Saudi Arabia, yet no financial sanctions.
The hypocritical attitude of this is a stain on all states.
PAUL DORAN
Dublin 22
Putin – the cornered rat
While it is understandable that western leaders should try to reassure their public by promising to bring Putin to trial for war crimes they seem to ignore the fact – the one thing that is more dangerous than a cornered rat is a cornered rat with his finger on the nuclear button.
DAMIEN GC DEVANEY
Larne, Co Antrim
