Russia is Just the Latest Example of How National Leadership Matters
We shouldn’t be surprised when Russian athletes are caught doping. Especially since the nation of Russia was suspended from the 2014 Olympics due to widespread doping. Its athletes can now only compete as members of the Russian Olympic Committee. (A dubious distinction at best!)
We see a 15-year-old child, Kamila Valieva, doping and being manipulated by the adults around her in their quest for the prestige of being associated with an Olympic gold medal winner. I submit this widespread doping is a consequence of a culture corrupted by bad leadership.
When you have a president as corrupt as Vladimir Putin, and he’s in power long enough, the ooze of corruption leaches down and permeates the entire culture. Citizens think “leadership is corrupt, the system is corrupt, everybody cheats…why not me too?”
Putin, the thug, is known to have had political opponents murdered, rigged elections, forced a rewrite of the Russian constitution so that he could be president/dictator for life. He has shut down opposition media and corrupted the judicial system. Putin’s been president/dictator for 22 years now (including the four-year period where Medvedev was his puppet). And now Putin cruelly and cold-bloodedly invades Ukraine – killing thousands of innocents. Putin’s corruption is so corrosive it has corrupted an entire society and brought great shame to Russia. Putin is a monster by any measure.
Isn’t it telling that Donald Trump had expressed nothing but admiration for Putin, only recently being shamed into criticizing him over Ukraine? And isn’t it telling that Trump has modeled many of the same bullying behaviors as Putin? Neither man has a moral compass; their only guidance is their own self-serving narcissism and hunger for power.
During Trump’s corrupt time in office, we saw its corrosive effects percolate down through our society, which manifested itself on Jan. 6, 2021, with the Capitol insurrection. But we have also seen it leach all the way down to the local level with Trump acolytes showing up at local school board meetings exhibiting belligerent, bullying and thuggish behaviors.
There is a growth of fascist authoritarianism occurring around the world and here at home – all the way down to the local level. It is fundamentally cruel, mean, close-minded and anti-democratic. We ignore it at our peril.
Will the Republican Party continue to embrace Trump? Or will it come to its senses and see Trump for the Putinesque personality that he is. The fish rots from the head; leadership matters.
Nick Kuvach
Putnam Valley
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.
