State of Affairs

We stand at the precipice of history.

There are certain moments that change the course of humanity. In the 20th Century it was World War II that changed the way the world operated, the creation of NATO f ollowed and created a brilliant new order to the way nations could work. The global economy boomed, liberty and freedom spread like wildfire, but our biggest holdup in the pursuit of democracy was the Soviet Union.

It didn’t take long, but eventually the weight of freedom was too heavy for the Soviet Union to stand. When the Soviet Union collapsed, it paved the way for democracy across Eastern Europe. Suddenly, millions of people across the globe were free of authoritarian pressure and had the ability to enjoy the pleasures of liberty and freedom. While the Soviet Union collapsed, its ghosts remained.

In the early 21st Century the world was enjoying a very relaxed freedom, until September 11, 2001. The havoc wrecked on 9/11 changed the world. In the pursuit of safety and US national interests, freedom became more constrained. While 9/11 shook the globe, it didn’t change the world order, it was a massive event in human history, but it wasn’t large enough to change the way humans in general operate in their day-to-day lives.

Standing in the 2020s, we are a point where the world order established by our victorious great-grandparents after World War II is under threat. Ghosts of the old days, a former KGB Agent of the Soviet Union: Vladmir Putin, is actively threatening the way of life we have taken advantage of, and the only world order 90 percent of us have ever known. Russia has taken Belarus, and parts of Georgia back into its sphere of influence, and it wants to take Ukraine too. Ukraine is a democracy; it is Europe’s last line of defense against Russia. The United States has declared that Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union. In conjunction with China, they want to shake up the world order, eliminate US superiority and destroy the very law and structure that has kept the globe from collapsing into conflict since WWII. Say what you will about Joe Biden, but one thing is undeniable: He is a strong president in the face of our greatest challenge in 30 years. Defending the free world, Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinkin are standing firm to Putin and his cronies by countering each of their actions. By announcing dates of invasion, military tactics, and Russian plans, Biden has so far averted what will be the bloodiest conflict in Europe since WWII. This cannot hold forever, Putin must get something out of this, if he withdraws forces without anything to show for it, he will suffer the greatest humiliation of the century. Staying strong, Biden won’t give in at all to Putin, which means a war over Ukraine is incredibly likely. This will not be Biden’s fault; it will be the fault of 30 years of appeasement policies toward Russia. It will be the fault of 30 years of corruption within the top brass accepting money to look the other way.

To defend the world order that we have known, we must aide Ukraine in their struggle against Russia. To safeguard our world order, we must safeguard Democracy – not just here in the United States, but globally. To secure Democracy, we must defend Ukraine. If Ukraine is allowed to fall, authoritarians the world over will think they have the right to change borders by military force – we cannot allow this. Our great-grandparents fought Hitler too hard and worked too much to create the current world order for us to let a bully in Russia take it away from us.

Election day is coming up for Grants and Milan. I am not eligible to vote in these elections, but I hope as many people as possible vote, the future of these towns is up for grabs. One thing I want the people of Grants to remember is this: Grants is the primary economic engine of Cibola County: When Grants does well, the county does well; when Grants does poorly, the county does poorly. I offer prayers for our leaders that they may be strong and smart in their decisions, that instead of doing for themselves or their personal desires, they do for their community and do the job of a public servant by standing up for the people of Cibola.

Before we leave, I know it’s no longer necessary to wear your mask, but don’t let your guard down. You might be done with COVID; COVID isn’t done with you. A mask, and social distancing where possible is important to stop the spread of COVID which has left a deadly toll on this county. Do not let COVID win.