Newsflash for Liberals, Zelensky has outlawed opposition parties, opposition media and kicked constitutional court judges of the court. He has undermined democracy, freedom of the press and the rule of law in ways Viktor Orbán could only dream off. He isn’t fighting for any of these values. The judiciary was horrible in Ukraine even before the war.
Newsflash for pro-Putin Reactionaries who praise Putin for fighting LGBT propaganda, you’re buying into the Leftist narrative. Ukraine isn’t fighting for LGBT rights. This is a spin off Western Liberals after the conflict started which has been embraced by some Progressive Ukrainians including gay soldiers. But the country’s current constitution prohibit gay marriage and Zelensky affirmed the fact that the constitution prohibits amendments during wartime. He floated civil unions months ago but nothing has happened. Ukraine might become extremely Westernized and have its own drag queen story hours, or maybe ultra-Conservative Nationalists and neo-Fascists will rise. But Ukraine currently isn’t really fighting to prevent an anti-LGBT propaganda law.
Putin isn’t fighting for classical Christian values. Being tough against homosexuals doesn’t automatically make you a Christian Conservative. Stalin persecuted homosexuals. I am not saying Putin is still a Communist, I am saying he only abandoned the anti-Christian ideology when it failed. Putin goes after low-hanging fruit. He likes law and order and to attack unpopular scapegoats. He didn’t start with this campaign till after he had been in power for more than ten years. He amended the constitution but didn’t add an amendment to prohibit abortion (in most cases). Abortion is too popular in Russia it seems.
Yes, there are prominent Ukrainian fighters with Nazi nostalgia. Yes Putin and the Russians have strong Soviet nostalgia. Both sides involve the glorification of the 2 great villains of WWII.
Stalin wasn’t a hero for fighting Hitler. Hitler wasn’t a hero for fighting Stalin. Both were quite willing to work together to slaughter the Poles for nearly two years. Saving Europe from Nazism (don’t call it Fascism) while delivering it to Communism wasn’t heroic, neither was fighting for Nazism against Communism.
The Azov Battalion seems to be the only group where prominent neo-Nazi members and even leaders don’t make the group as a whole count as neo-Nazi (anymore).
Russian occupational authorities have already indulged in the old tradition of (at least sporadically) persecuting Catholics, now Ukraine is persecuting Russian Orthodox. Both sides violate religious freedom.
John Logan