UKRAINIANS AND SUPPORTERS OF UKRAINE...PLEASE READ THIS POST.

“I’ve tried for three years… seems like thirty, feels like thirty.”

-       Lyrics from the song Gethsemane, Jesus Christ Superstar

I chose to open this article with the lyrics from a song in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, because in many ways, it accurately reflects my time and efforts posting on LinkedIn. I have been posting on LinkedIn for almost three years. Recently, that effort has made me feel as though it has actually been, maybe not thirty years, but a very long time. I will explain why a little later on.

When I first started posting on LinkedIn, I concentrated on American National Security issues, then quickly focused exclusively on what had become the most serious National Security danger my nation faced at the time: Donald Trump, the Republican Party (GOP) and extreme right-wing Christian Nationalism. After the attack on our nation’s capital on 6 January 2021, that danger became even more acute. My focus remained on the extreme right-wing in the United States until 24 February, when Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine, their second invasion since 2014. That invasion and subsequent actions have been my sole focus on LinkedIn and other social media ever since.

I usually post my own articles, major media article re-posts, as well as my comments, every day, seven days a week, all year long. By my own estimate, I have published around 1,500 posts on LinkedIn since 24 February 2022, virtually all of them voicing support for Ukraine and being extremely critical of Russian aggression, war crimes and atrocities. I have been relentless in my support of Ukraine and the brave Ukrainians who have fought heroically to defend their nation, sometimes on the frontlines, sometimes in hospitals or food banks or homeless shelters or other critical agencies to aid in the defense of Ukraine. I regularly post a LinkedIn series that I call: “Heroes of Ukraine” This series highlights the many unsung people who toil behind the scenes and do not get enough recognition for their efforts in supporting the troops or infrastructure necessary to ensure victory over Russia.

I have celebrated Ukrainian victories and Russian defeats.

I have announced Western support of Ukraine with modern weapons, ammunition, training or funds to take the fight to the enemy.

I have presented Russian war crimes and atrocities for the world to see.

I have published articles from exiled Russian media that give an insider look at the Kremlin, the Russian military and Russian attitudes towards the war, Ukraine and the West, articles many Westerners might not otherwise see.

And on occasion I have posted articles and stories about Russian dissidents who are anti-war and anti-Putin. Many of these Russians have been arrested and beaten. Some have been tortured and some have even been killed. Many others have been forced to flee Russia and live in exile, in fear for their lives and the safety of their families who remain in Russia. It is my posts about those people, the Russian dissidents that this article is about and is the source of my disappointment and yes, my anger.

Despite my hundreds of posts supporting Ukraine and attacking Russia, every day for the past six months, whenever I post an article about a Russian dissident, I receive a number of insults and attacks on me personally…usually from Ukrainians. Suddenly, all the compliments I received when I posted articles in support of Ukraine were forgotten. Because I had the nerve to suggest that one out of perhaps a million Russians may have a conscience, may regret the actions of their government or even regret their own prior actions, may hate Putin as much or more than a foreigner, because I have the audacity to suggest such a thing, I am suddenly the enemy, someone open to attack and insults…by Ukrainians.

Thus:

-       My genuine support for Ukraine has been called into question.

-       I have been accused of being a troll for the Kremlin.

-       My very intelligence and my knowledge of Ukraine and Russia has been mocked and belittled.

-       And worse.

Therefore, I have decided to again take a short break from posting on LinkedIn, hopefully a very short break, while I regroup and reassess. I never expected to be blindsided by the people I have devoted the last six months of my life to (both on LinkedIn and behind the scenes, offline): The Ukrainian people.

To say I am sad and disappointed would be a gross understatement.

Look, I know that Ukrainians hate Russia and Russians right now. All Russians I would be a fool if I didn’t understand that, and I am no fool. The Russian military has, and continues to commit the worst kinds of atrocities against Ukraine every single day. I know because I have chronicled many of them right here on LinkedIn, some of which my followers first learned about from reading my posts.

But I have never lost sight of the fact that it is wrong, even during a war, to hate an entire nation, an entire ethnicity or race or religion, and wish them all death and misery, bar none. That is called genocide, the very thing Russia is trying to do to Ukraine. I have seen a similar blanket hatred of African-Americans in my nation in the past, a hatred that continues somewhat even today. We fought a civil war over that hatred. In the past, many Americans hated Native Americans: “The only good Injun’ is a dead Injun.’ In WWII, the United States hated all Japanese: “The only good Jap is a dead Jap.” After 9/11, many Americans hated all Muslims: “The only good Haji is a dead Haji.” I saw that same hatred play out on the battlefields of Iraq when I fought there with the U.S. Army after 9/11. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.

In all those instances I listed, an enraged population hated some other population and wished for their extermination. Individuals would not allow themselves to even consider that there may be good people among those hated populations, the “others.”

Many/most Russians hate all Ukrainians. Most Ukrainians hate all Russians. Ukrainians refuse to even consider there may one or two good Russians, regardless of the personal sacrifices they may make to prove their dislike of the war, Putin, or Russia itself. Nothing will stop your historic, blind hatred. And when I suggest there may be few, a very few, who are sincere and feel as you do, you turn that hatred onto me, despite the work and support I have given your country these past six months.

That is unfortunate, because I am one your strongest supporters not only here on LinkedIn, but anywhere else as well. Insulting me is spitting in the face of an ally, a friend. Perhaps even worse, I saw virtually no support from any Ukrainian when I was insulted or attacked on some of my recent posts. None. That probably hurt and angered me the most.

People of Ukraine, let me know if any of the work I have done exclusively for your nation these past six months has been in vain, or if you wish me to continue. I certainly receive no personal gain from what I do, so if it is not appreciated and if I will continue to receive personal attacks when I try to introduce some humanity,  some common sense and some food for thought into the discussion, then it is not worth my continued efforts.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thank you.