I watched the movie “Mr. Jones” this weekend. It was a masterpiece depicting Stalin’s ruthless degradation of humanity prior to World War II and his propaganda war to convince Europe and the United States, as well as to brainwash Russians, that the Soviet Union was the utopia of the future. Stalin’s message was that people never had to worry about anything because government would take care of them.
Throughout the 1930’s, Stalin portrayed a lie that the Soviet Union was a contemporary, industrious country. A nation that took care of its people and was developing a modern society based on egalitarian principles of equality and equity. The movie depicted the real life story of Gareth Jones, an ambitious Welsh journalist who traveled to the Soviet Union with the intent to interview Stalin. He could not understand how the Soviet Union was able to finance the allegedly prosperous nation that was portrayed with Stalin’s propaganda.
“Putin is determined to rebuild the Soviet Union. “
What Mr. Jones found was a country deeply divided. All seemed well in Moscow, where the finest wines, most expensive caviar, and extravagant lifestyles painted an affluent and thriving society. However, he found the venire thin. His investigative curiosity lead him to Ukraine, where he witnessed the stark truth of Stalin’s dictatorship.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
During the harsh winter of 1932-1933, Ukraine was subjected to some of the cruelest, most brutal treatment by Stalin. The totalitarian dictator used Ukraine to sustain the lavish Russian existence and false image that the great Soviet Union was the shining star of the future. He stole their natural resources to keep power and feed Russia. Worst yet, the resulting Ukraine famine that winter is believed to have been a deliberate, manipulative act of Stalin also to rout out rising Ukrainian nationalism and punish Ukrainians by cutting off their food supply. The result was millions of Ukrainian deaths from Stalin’s inflicted starvation.
Ukraine has always been viewed by Russia as a vassal state, subject to the whims of the Kremlin. Sadly, today we are once again witnessing the gruesome destruction of Ukraine by a modern day Russian madman determined to expand Soviet-style control beyond the borders of Russia. Ukraine is not a product of Russia. So long as Ukraine maintained a corrupt government, subservient to Kremlin control, all was fine. But when Ukrainian people rise up with self-determination and express strong nationalism that places the value of Ukrainians above those of Russia, they must be crushed.
While there are deep historic, ethic and cultural ties between the two countries, they remain separate, independent countries under which Vladimir Putin has no legal, ethical, or moral right to invade.
Putin is determined to rebuild the Soviet Union. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia. A ceasefire was declared later that year, but Russia split Georgia and recognized two independent regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia has been expanding their military presence in these two regions ever since.
“China is watching. While claiming neutrality, they support Russian actions that weaken the United States and all democratic nations.”
Most remember Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and the annexation of Crimea. This action was but the prelude to today’s horrific invasion of Ukraine proper. Whether it be the 1930’s or now, in the view of Moscow, Ukraine must remain controlled by Russia.
The world should not believe that Vladimir Putin is a rational leader of a peaceful nation. He is a deranged demagog who sees his legacy as rebuilding Russia into a great world superpower, controlling the vast majority of countries surrounding Russia. Don’t be fooled, he is the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in the 21st century.
This Russian War against Ukraine is a violation of international law. Putin is committing atrocities against the Ukrainian people. He is destabilizing Eastern Europe and bringing the world to the brink of World War III by threatening to use chemical and nuclear weapons to defeat Ukraine. Regardless of how this conflict ends, Putin has created a great divide between democratic and totalitarian nations that will change the course of world history.
While I do not advocate sending American military forces into Ukraine, make no mistake about it, the United States must provide global leadership to isolate Russia, strengthen NATO, and inflict massive financial and political pain on Russia so long as Vladimir Putin continues exporting his violent means towards domination.
The United States must also bolster its leadership role in the Indo-Pacific Theater. China is watching. While claiming neutrality, they support Russian actions that weaken the United States and all democratic nations. North Korea is a puppet of China, so we must be vigilant of any hostile actions that the crazy North Korea dictator may do to provoke a U.S. response that leads to military conflict in the Pacific. Most importantly, this is the time to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and to recognize Taiwan as a free nation, revoking the ill-declared “One China Policy.”
Humanity is facing its greatest clash of civilizations in nearly a hundred years. Will the United States rise to the cause or wait for the world to be engulfed in war, this time with nuclear destructive capabilities of many adversaries? This is the ultimate test for the United States, to lead or to allow the continued expansion of ruthless dictatorships at the expense of independence and freedom.
As to Mr. Jones, he was abducted and executed by the Soviet secret police while doing investigative reporting in Japanese-occupied Inner Mongolia in 1935. He was just 29 years old!
The views expressed here are those of the author.
29 Comments
Putin is determined to rid his Nation from the threat of the U.S. bioweapons on his border… Oh and yes the Azov brigade are Neo Nazis that are shelling and murdering Ukraine citizens. Putin killed the covid bioweapon that was launched against our Nation… Please wake up.
Thank you John for not following MSM and SloJoe’s propaganda apparatus!
Mr. Campbell doesn’t know what he is talking about. Or maybe he is a mouthpiece for the other side.
Reading through the comments I am encouraged to see that not everyone is clueless.
Putin is the exact opposite of Stalin. He is a NATIONALIST and hates the NWO. BIDEN is actually more modern day Stalin
Craig, it appears, is a Globalist.
Probably believes in “free trade”, too.
Michael, I agree with you about Biden, though its his handlers that are the real problem; he is just a puppet. But Campbell’s characterization of Putin as a modern day Stalin misses the mark.
I don’t believe Putin is trying to rebuild the Soviet Union. The west has been abusing Russia since the breakup of the USSR.
Crimea and eastern Ukraine have always been Russia. The endless provocations from the corrupt western globalists have been going on for decades. Ukraine is a money laundering machine and a platform for the globalists to antagonize Russia. they want Putin out of the way so they can “globalize” Russia and the Eastern European counties that are resisting their scheme for world domination. their next move was/is false flags to blame on Putin. He has done what he had to do. And why shouldn’t he want the west weakened?
Brent, but to get the neocons to see that would be a miracle.
The politics of this invasion go deeper, what did the Obama administration do in 2014? Did they send in agent provocateurs to help facilitate a NATO expansion? Maybe. Are there Biolabs present in Ukraine run by the USA? Perhaps. Is there a march towards a one world order and China and Russia are in the way? We’re about to see.
There is always FAR more to the story that what we are given by the government sponsored media. I actually must consider Vladimir Putin a superior leader to Joe Biden in about every way.
Steve, I agree.
In what ways is Putin better than Biden?
All of these conspiracy and partisan theories I see in the comment section are troubling. A high ranking official in Moscow is now calling for the return of Alaska. We had better figure out that we are on the same team real quick and support our quarterback, no matter their political party. Well written article that points to the real villain.
Tom, your lack of knowledge of history, even recent history, is evident. Your claim of conspiracy talk is the typical neocon talking point. It’s just rhetoric when one doesn’t know what to say. I’m on the side of those who seek peace, no matter where they are from, and none of the government officials from any of these nations, especially the U.S., should be trusted. If you trust the U.S. government and it’s “quarterback”, you don’t know history.
Craig Campbell is actually believing the MSM and SloJoe’s Fed propaganda apparatus.
Guess he is a classic NeoCon – probably supported the 25 year war in the Middle East, that killed upwards of 1,000,000 million people, decimated beautiful cultures and cities and removed all of the secular leaders so the religious crazies could take over – and put women back in the 6th century – ya’ know Weapons of Mass Destruction and “stuff”. All LIES and LIES and LIES – to pump up the military industrial complex.
But Ukraine is different – right Craig?
What’s going on in the Ukraine is a playground fight to what we did on the Middle East. Remember when Islamic Terrorism was the Great BoogieMan we were all supposed to be afraid of – then Trump de-escalated the tension and what happened???? Absolutely nothing.
What happend Craig – the Scamdemic run out of steam – had to create something else to control the lives of the little people – energy crisis, famines, massive inflation, supply chain crisis – but, we have to defend the Ukrainian border – while leaving the southern US border wide open?
AK Pure Blood.
I consider these comments by Campbell to be right in line with the ignorance of the neocons in the U.S. It’s not the first article I have read of his that made me realize he should not be taken seriously. Does he not know what the U.S. government did in Ukraine in 2014? (What about Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq?) Is he too blind to see that the U.S. has refused to take Russia’s security concerns seriously? One does not have to support what has happened in Ukraine to point out U.S. hypocrisy, plus U.S. lies that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward.” Putin is a heavy handed statist, but he is no Stalin. Mr. Campbell is a poor source of information.
Let’s go Brandon
Proud to be in this group of commenters!! Sad day when we have to scroll past article just to read the real news in the comment section!! Love to hear from the awake Alaskans!! John J Otness , always look for your comments and you never disappoint!!!
I’ve never seen the mainstream media, all the politicians and so much of the public line up and bang the war drums as quickly as they have. It makes me wonder, WTF is going on?
I do know the current wanker running Ukraine, the most corrupt nation in the EU, was pretty much installed by the US. I know the US has been pushing a ‘join NATO’ idea on Ukraine while NATO itself, an organization without a purpose, is all like, ‘yeah, nah.’
And it turns out the US has a butt load of bioweapons labs in Ukraine… aka, Fauci labs. In Ukraine. That, I suppose, is no more mind numbingly, mid-day sun on Mercury stupid than doing bioweapons research in Wuhan.
Just once in my lifetime I would like to be proud of the US federal government. Just once. Is that too much to ask?
I suggest you broaden your news sources.
Because Gunter Thompson knows.
To compare Putin with Stalin is ludicrous beyond belief. Putin is definitely no saint, but he is not a monster who killed anywhere from 20-60 MILLION people.
I have a hard time placing Putin in the same category as Stalin, whom I’ve always considered the greatest mass murderer of all time. I’m more concerned with other madmen– sociopaths like Klaus Schwab, George Soros, Bill Gates, Fauci and his lab partner, China. These filthy rich psychos use people as lab rats for their own nefarious purpose. Klaus Schwab gives away their evil plan in his book, “The Great Reset”.
Bess, Right on! Yeah, Stalin was a paranoid butcher, these fellows mentioned above, well they are after a much larger SCORE.
What’s up, Campbell? It doesn’t matter what any of these saps really think: their only job is do as they are told. Why arouse the “intelligentsia?” The next thing you know, they will have “awoke!”
Oliver Stone’s recent documentary, “Ukraine On Fire” is worth watching for background history on Russia-Ukraine-Global Influence . As a cold war veteran, I have had to unpack some of my beliefs about Russian society, but I remain skeptical about most governments. This documentary is food for thought for anyone who values critical thinking skills.
https://rumble.com/vwxxi8-ukraine-on-fire.html
Thank you Craig for this important reminder of what Stalin was, what he did to the Ukraine and the parallels to Putin and what he is doing now. Putin is indeed the new Stalin or the new Hitler…does it make a difference, NO!
Craig Campbell , you state that Putin is threatening to use bio-logical or nuclear weapons in order to subdue Ukraine. I have not heard Putin say this, but I will take your word for it. Speaking of Bio-logical labs, perhaps with all of your vast knowledge of Military subjects you can explain why Ukraine has so many U.S. backed labs upon Ukraine soil? Do you honestly believe that these Lab’s are not a provocation? What about 7 decades of OSS and then CIA partnership in the Ukraine with Nazi like organizations? How about Vicki Nuland and the Obama administrations apparent orchestration of the 2014 riots that replaced the elected leader in Ukraine. Strangely no mention of the deep rooted corruption within the Ukraine and Biden and his family members. No, Craig, lets stop Putin in his TRACKS, WAR! I SAY WAR! Craig, it’s not 1965 and we’ve fallen for enough Gulf of Tonkin stories. Sorry, there are no White Hats, Black Hats here in this conflict and you Sir do a disservice in suggesting so. How about grey hats? Lets really learn about this conflict prior to lighten them up. Oh, and BTW, your president, China Joe, yeah he and his kid already paved the way for China to take back Formosa. It’s called CORRUPTION Craig, we are weaker because of it here in America.
MG (Retired) Campbell, I like that you para-phrased a commentary about the movie “Mr. Jones”. Many of the issues you expressed have two altering views, but you only presented the obvious from the producers’ movie. I-myself, while stationed at HQ United States Air Force European Command (HQ USAFE), as Chief of NATO Plans and Programs ( TR-1, F-111, A-10, GLCM, and International Agreements (Over-flight, Basing, and Status of Forces Agreements and more), was fortunate to work with a colleague (LtCol John Knox) on the military US/NATO submission on the START Treaty (INF); removal of Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) from Europe (and subsequent Russian nuclear warheads and launch tubes). Most of our capability were Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs), which I fielded. Some were NIKE secure platform. I was a GS-14, senior procurement, acquisition and fielding Level III specialist. The Department of STATE, in conjunction with the Department of Defense created an On-Site Inspection Agency (OSIA), where John and I as a reserve Major (select), and two NATO foreign officers, and a State Rep escorted Russian inspectors to observe the dismantling at six locations throughout Europe (Sicily-Italy, Germany) and the UK. We in-turn were escorted into Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine (by our “Russian” counterparts to observe their dis-mantling). Note: At the same time, we were fielding in the Middle East and Israel our newest systems the Rapier (Turkey) and Giant Patriot in Germany and Israel. The Soviets are a repressive nation, and Putin is a “bad” actor. They are hard core Communists. But, Tito in Yugoslavia was a Totalitarian Regime, and I went there on operations. In the Philippines in the 1972-73 timeframe I was at Clark under Marshall Law under President-General (coup) Marcos. I don’t agree however with your first three paragraphs written as a hypothesis of current events. During my ten months at National War College 1998-1999, as a GS-15 (we all became self-taught Historians); but my real job was as a Director at US Atlantic Command (HQ USACOM), then Division Director at HQ US Joint Forces Command (HQ USJFCOM). I was a National Security Strategist and NATO Expert-Analyst (three tours in Europe). I graduated though from NDU-NWC (MS NSS) as a Middle East focus-expert (travelling to Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia). ACSC, AFSOC, and Security Assistance Expert (Air Force Institute of Technology (Masters cert), assigned to HQ US European Command, (where “we” created USAFRICOM) as Command Senior Analyst/chief of SAO (32 AMEMBASSIES in Europe, Africa and Middle East)/war planner for Bosnia, Desert Storm and the Command’s submission for the U.S. National Military Strategy. Putin does not rise to the level of atrocities committed by Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mustafa AtaTurk or Mao Zedong. We did two combined military exercises with Kyrgyzstan ( we showed off the first production C-17 and 82nd airborne paratroopers), led by my USACOM Commander, a four star US Marine general. Mil observers and combat representatives participated from Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. One of the main issues and concern at that time was NATO’s Article V, ‘out of area operation’… if Poland joined NATO (which they later did). We are now escalating that long-time perceived threat of a Russian Republic-Territory becoming a NATO member. If Ukraine or any Russian sovereign territory joins NATO, like the Ukraine, in the current scenario, all of NATO… the “U.S. included” would have to defend the Ukraine in an all out war, per Article V, out of area operations. Even if we disagreed. Lastly, in the National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Military Strategy (NMS) Congress develops The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA); lists of priorities, laws, legislative orders and funding lines. Having worked on multiple teams researching and visiting every country around the world assessing their capabilities, we captured data on agriculture, military capability, economic capability, industry, population 5-15, 18-30 vs 50+, stabilization, crime, mineral wealth, oil-gas, water, ports, technology, infrastructure, etc., (30-45 data points researched on every country). We also looked for socialist democracies, and new break away countries like Central Africa Republic, French citizens where there were capable resources to assess nation building, military training through “foreign Military Sales” of out-dated and obsolete weapon systems in our defense arsenals (Security Assistance). All three documents (we wrote and researched the long versions, and provided it and Q&A to the National Security Council of whichever administration was in the Executive Office), as well as analyzing drafts and the final documents signed by Lower House of Congress and the Senate. The signed official documents were used by the major Commands to develop contingency plans, war plans, conceptual plans, and operational plans (OPLANS). What we identified was hot spots, target areas, nation building opportunities and War Concept Strategies like 2MTW or fighting Two simultaneous Major Theaters of War Asia and ME, or Africa and Central America, etc.). We had several more things, but they fell under intelligence and classified programs. Ukraine was nearly in every assessment in the bottom five of 130 or 120+ countries. (why? aggression, corruption, lawlessness. and borderline anarchy… in their politics, government (local, regional and federal levels), police, military and economy, and more, they were bad actors. Only Russia kept them in check. Poland wasn’t in NATO and was not covered under Article V, but neither was Chechnya Republic having an invasion by Middle Eastern immigrants, Islamic Terrorists. But it was under the Russian Federation-Republic , under the Northern Caucasus Treaty. Not our problem, or NATO’s issue. In recent years, (2008-2016) we’ve watched Ukraine become a “clearing house” for global child trafficking, money laundering, nuclear material sales to Iran, and China, terrorist safe havens, etc., but still our Government chose to became invested in their capabilities? Russian capabilities? Wheat, farm belt? Their Nuclear Power Plant technology was Russian funded and built, not U.S. if you remember Chernobyl. Russia not the U.S. contained the melt-down. But our University labs, and our bio weapons work at U.S. Army, Fort Dietrich bio-research showed or exposed us to a new capability when “samples” of weapon grade Anthrax was released around the United States. The twenty+ laboratories in Ukraine and the multiple testing and experimentation labs-centers around the world 325-500, would be my concern as a U.S. National Security threat, yet our Federal Government is in ‘bed’ with them (Ukraine). karl4senate.com