No More “Ra Ra Ras(Putin)”!

Now I am not suggesting Boney M often produced funk that provided a historical blueprint for getting rid of 21st century dictatorial boys, but with their 1978 hit, Ra Ra Rasputin, a curious cossack-dancing disco number detailing the rise and fall of one of the most charismatically evil men the world has ever seen, Boney M gives us guidelines, historical precedent and hope that the good people of Russia will deal with their own problem before it becomes the death of all of us.

The proto-Putin, Putin mark 1, the cruel and debauched semi religioso Ras(Putin) came to a very sticky end. Rasputin was a charlatan who had gained influence within the Russian royal family due to his seemingly miraculous powers to stop the bleeding of the hemophiliac Alexi, heir to the Russian Empire. Any mother is wholly dependent on hope for her children, and Empress Alexandra was no exception to that human rule. Ras(Putin) abused his role and position and was accused of rape and inappropriate behavior. He accepted bribes and sexual favors, and grew his power exponentially, to the point that he posed a significant threat to those around him. To those around him he was a mystical figure, when in fact what he was in reality was a peasant with a good hustle, who had stopped the use of aspirin for Alexi, and managed to fool people he had supernatural powers.

Russia’s ills were blamed on the Tsarina’s ‘evil spirit’ Ras(Putin) by those in court. He had to go. Now, of course the proto-Putin did not have nukes pointed at the rest of the world, it would not be until the next world war (this all took place against the backdrop of WW1) that we entered that nightmare world-ending reality. The proto-Putin’s evil was confined to a smaller scale, a more constricted sphere of influence. I don’t doubt had he lived today, Ras(Putin) an immensely charismatic figure, would have risen to political power, and in a way he did.

Putin fooled the west. After all, a man who is a combination of action hero, motorcycle buff, and bear rider, who seemed to many of us – including his people – as the quintessential Russian hero for modern times, is a figure that wins over the kind of fools that worship toxic masculinity. This macho bravado, dick-swinging ridiculousness did not appear to have that much of a dangerous edge to it. Looking out to Russia, in retrospect, he was starting to overreach, refusing to accept democratic elections, targeting homosexuals, and increasing his hateful rhetoric ramped up in recent years; but hey, at least he was not Stalin. Russia has often offered far worse, or so it seemed. Better the devil you know has proven to be a dangerous edict to follow.

Drunk on power, highly attractive to his people, even playing the bare chested object of desire to women, this player of a prez has stepped over the line, and it is not one that he can easily step back over. To retreat would be to lose face. Putin is going balls to the wall, hell for leather, on a wild bear ride of terrifying proportions. Invading the peaceful Ukraine, being supported by the disgusting right wing of the USA which does not seem to take his threats to destroy the world to mean them too, Putin has taken on the mantle of being a modern day Ras(Putin). A monster that needs to be declawed.

Now, the proto-Putin – RasPutin was not an easy man to kill. He was stabbed, poisoned with multiple cups of cyanide laced booze, shot multiple times and finally thrown off a bridge into the river. To be frank, he was so indestructible, even I would have been wondering if he was mortal at all. But that is the fear factor that powerful men like him inspire. All men have weak points,, no man is an island, and no man is invulnerable to being overthrown, or else something a little more mortal. Putin is no exception. He can be castrated just like every other man with a death wish towards the world, that has come before him.

It is simply not impossible to get rid of the head of the hydra that is poisoning Russia, and causing such suffering in the Ukraine. He is using his own people as cannon fodder, his poor young soldiers being left with no food, no resupply and seemingly little idea what on earth they are meant to be doing, but when it is Russia doing the attacking with all their military might, a demoralized army is not the end of it. Poor Ukraine must be willing-on the Russian people, who are not their enemy, to do something; to go 1916 Imperial Russian court on his miserable misanthropic ass.

For our part, the whole Ra Ra Ras(Putin) cheerleading of the right is mystifying me. Are they all so shortsighted, so privileged that they presume the end of the world, that nuclear war, does not include them? Do they think that being vaporized, irradiated and destroyed is something that only happens to poor people, to people who are not Christian conservatives? Do they feel so invulnerable to suffering that they simply cannot see themselves as dead, and the world as destroyed? I have no idea. All I know is they disgust me so immensely that I feel a deep and lasting hatred towards their world view, a hatred that I don’t think will ever fade.

The traitors have already tried to split the United States. I wonder how much of that was inspired and manipulated by Putin’s Russia? Going onto twitter or indeed any comment section of any news outlet is an exercise in the futility of trying not to fight with the Russian bot farms and paid-to-say troll farms of Moscow. I can barely look anymore. The fact is with Trump removed from power, we are starting to heal. I might hate all politicians, but when push comes to shove I stand with what is mostly right, instead of that which is entirely wrong, and I think that is the same of most of us. These hawks and rhinos are a breed whose influence is dying, fading away. They can do the cossack dance, getting out their pom poms for Russia, Chanting Ra Ra Putin as much as they like, it makes no difference in the end. The American people chose unity and healing, not treachery and civil war.

You are asking the wrong slacker if you think I am ever going to have any faith in the essential goodness of humanity as a whole, I have none left, but I know this country, and I know my friends, and I know which way the wind is blowing. I just hope the Russian people rise up and do what they need to do, and when they do I will be cheering them on. I am no cheerleader, but freedom, democracy, peace and goodness are something even I will celebrate. Today, I chose to be hopeful. Let’s see if tomorrow gives me reason to feel the same. I hope so.

Stay safe, and I STAND WITH THE UKRAINE!