I don’t think the Western world has really come to grips of what the Russian invasion of Ukraine has done.  The Ukrainians are not people in far away lands, with foreign religions, wearing clothes that are different, that look different – when we look at our TV screens even the hardest core Ku Klux Clan, white supremacist, racist sees a population being murdered, terrorized, women and children dying that are Christians and white.  If racism does indeed play a big part in the thinking of some – or subliminally in the many – then what is happening in the Ukraine is a complete shock that can’t be escaped from.  Europeans are seeing women, children, grandmothers, that look like their next door neighbors.  More than sympathy is happening – it is greater and greater anger.       

The end result can only be the end of Putin.  There is no off ramp for him any more than there was one for Hitler after he invaded Poland.,  The same goes for the Putin supporters in Russia, Europe and indeed in the United States.  It is bad now, but when it gets even worse with more and more Ukrainians killed and terrorized, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, ANY positive association with Putin will become anathema.  That means Tucker Carlson and the right wing pundits and extreme right in general who have said nice things about Putin will become shunned.  It means that Donald Trump cannot run for President and his supporters will find they have chosen the wrong side of history.  You cant say Putin is “smart” and a “genius” and have a great relationship with him and not pay a steep price for such sentiments.  You also can’t belittle the importance of NATO, of not having strong relationships with our allies, of thinking Americans need only think of ourselves.  Our TV screens will make that impossible from now on.  The world has seen that the “king has no clothes”.   Big corporations and political donners will not want to be seen supporting such views. We are ANGRY.  That is reality.     

If Putin stops now and pulls back his troops do we imagine that the Ukrainians, the US and Europe are not going to insist on War Crimes punished?  Who is going to rebuild all the destruction the Russians have done to Ukraine?  What about the hundreds of people killed?  Everyone will call for Putin’s head.     

If Putin takes Ukraine do we imagine it will all stop and peace will descend?  That we will move on and forget what Russia did?  No; everyone is too angry.  Russia will never recover until Putin and his supporters are good and truly gone.     

If Putin kills President Zelensky, or jails him that will make everyone even more angry.  If he is not arrested, killed by Russians, removed from power and executed for his crimes than he will spend his life waiting for the assassins  bullet.  Putin is finished.  We just have to hope that he is never allowed to get his finger on the nuclear button while he is still in power.    The Putin supporters need to realize just how angry the world has become and how much more anger will grow in the coming days.  When Switzerland – who stayed neutral throughout World War II, has joined sanctions, when Sweden (also a long time natural country) is sending arms to Ukraine that alone should show the extent of the anger.  Even Fox news is facing up to the reality of what is happening and except for a few of its pundits pulling for the Ukrainians.  The world has been forced to wake up and get angry.  About time!