The whole world is watching what's happening in Brussels this week as President Biden and other world leaders meet and work together to find a way to end Russia’s war against Ukraine – a war conjured out of thin air by the Kremlin, and one that most people in Russia don’t want.

Tensions are high between NATO and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and the slightest wrong move could easily spark World War 3.

That term, World War 3, gets thrown around a lot, maybe so much that it’s lost some of its gravity. So, let me remind you what it means.

I may not have been around for the first two World Wars, but I’m a lifelong student of history, and I have read countless books on what life was like for people during World Wars 1 and 2.

Poverty was rampant everywhere, and people died by the millions – not just from bombs and bullets, but from starvation, exposure, and disease. More than half of WW1 deaths were due to famine, not fighting. And in WW2, the vast majority of those who died to all causes were civilians, not combatants.

The horror that our previous generations had to endure during that period should haunt us. I know it haunts me … and remember, I’m a soldier. I spent 23 years serving my country, a lot of that time in active-duty combat zones, so I know war is hell. But World Wars are hell on a whole different level, one I never want to see.

Today marks 1 month since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and ironically enough, it’s also the first day he’s allowed the Russian stock market to “reopen” under world sanctions, with one giant catch: No one is allowed to sell stocks, only purchase them.

That’s right, the Russian stock exchange is about as big a scam as the Russian Olympics was, with their own building dedicated just for steroid injections. In Russia, the house is always rigged in Putin’s favor.

What this tells me is the economic pressure is working – these sanctions just aren’t sustainable for Russia. That means we need to keep them going, and even turn them up a notch or two.

Shifting focus a bit to matters here at home, we lost a giant yesterday: Madeleine Albright, the trailblazing diplomat who became the first woman to serve as America’s Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. 

I want to share 3 quotes from Secretary Albright that feel especially relevant to me when I think about this current moment and the war in Ukraine: 

“I think that we all know what evil is. We have a sense of what's evil, and certainly killing innocent people is evil. We're less sure about what is good. There's sort of good, good enough, could be better - but absolute good is a little harder to define.”

“Every time a nation which has known freedom loses it, other free nations lose something, too.” 
 

“I know that war is very cruel, and that life is harder when you aren't able to live in the place you called home.”

–Madeleine Albright, 1937-2022

Secretary Albright devoted her life to this country and to diplomacy, and it’s in her honor that I think we need to reflect today, and continue to support our President as he does everything in his power to push back against Putin’s aggression while maintaining world order.

For those naysayers that say it can't be done, well you haven’t been paying attention. The Russians are suffering incredible blows, one after the other, and their morale could not be lower. As a soldier myself, I can tell you, morale is everything. When you know your brother and sister on your left and right will fight to the death for you, and you for them, you can bravely march forward together.

If you don't have that trust or kinship, then it’s game over. It’s clear which side is winning on that front, and it’s not Russia.

In other news … it sickens me to report this, but Russian state propaganda outlets are now broadcasting an endless loop of videos of Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, Marjorie “Trainwreck” Greene, and other right-wing Republican traitors from right here in the U.S.A. as they praise Putin and the Russian government, bash Presidents Biden and Zelenskyy, and urge America and her allies to abandon Ukraine.

By blasting these videos across Russian state media, Putin thinks he can convince the Russian public that he was right to invade Ukraine, and that even Americans support him.

What a tragedy, and what a disgrace. These pro-Putin, right-wing hacks are the quintessential definition of “traitors,” and I do think treason charges should be brought forward. What else do you call this? (It’s no coincidence that the folks praising Putin now are the same ones who helped organize the attempted coup on January 6!)

I am beyond angry and disgusted with the Party of Putin, and more determined than ever to destroy them at the voting booth this November.

I hope you’re ready to join the fight – we’re going to need all hands on deck in order to win.

If you’re ready to kick the treasonous GQP to the curb this year, I hope you’ll consider making a monthly commitment to support this effort. 

Even just $5 or 10 a month can make a HUGE difference in our ability to train new organizers, hire new staff, plan upcoming ad buys, and support our great candidates.

Thanks for everything you do for the cause – we can’t do any of this without you.

Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!

--Richard