What A Real ‘Patriot’ Looks Like

Posted on by under Free Press Issues, Global Issues, History, Law and justice, Political commentary

We’ve all heard Donald Trump praise Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.  Just last week, Trump said “how very smart” Putin was. Dictators seem to do well within the Republican Party of today. Dinesh D’Souza said, in a series of tweets, that he “respects Putin because he tenaciously defends his country’s interests and understands the use of power.” I guess that for some it’s easy to think living in such a regime would somehow be an improvement over our semi-democratic republic today.

Vladimir Kara-Murza

But I want you to consider this … today a Russian journalist, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.  His crime?  He criticized Putin’s regime and the invasion of Ukraine.  For that, he was sentenced to 25 years, but the reality is he will likely never see the light of day again, for Putin’s enemies tend to fall out of high-rise windows, become victims of poisoning, or otherwise meet an untimely demise.  In fact, twice previously Kara-Murza has been mysteriously poisoned … in 2015 and again in 2017.

Kara-Murza has a family – a wife and three young children – and yet he stood for truth, he did what he felt was the right thing to do, to bring the truth, the facts out into the open so that the Russian people would have the opportunity to see clearly what and who Vladimir Putin and his regime are.  In my book, this man is a hero.

What follows is his final statement to the Russian Court:

    Members of the court: I was sure, after two decades spent in Russian politics, after all that I have seen and experienced, that nothing can surprise me anymore. I must admit that I was wrong. I’ve been surprised by the extent to which my trial, in its secrecy and its contempt for legal norms, has surpassed even the “trials” of Soviet dissidents in the 1960s and ’70s. And that’s not even to mention the harshness of the sentence requested by the prosecution or the talk of “enemies of the state.” In this respect, we’ve gone beyond the 1970s — all the way back to the 1930s. For me, as a historian, this is an occasion for reflection.

    At one point during my testimony, the presiding judge reminded me that one of the extenuating circumstances was “remorse for what [the accused] has done.” And although there is little that’s amusing about my present situation, I could not help smiling: The criminal, of course, must repent of his deeds. . . .

    Not only do I not repent of any of this, I am proud of it. . . .

    In their last statements to the court, defendants usually ask for an acquittal. For a person who has not committed any crimes, acquittal would be the only fair verdict. But I do not ask this court for anything. I know the verdict. I knew it a year ago when I saw people in black uniforms and black masks running after my car in the rearview mirror. Such is the price for speaking up in Russia today.

    But I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will dissipate. When black will be called black and white will be called white; when at the official level it will be recognized that two times two is still four; when a war will be called a war, and a usurper a usurper; and when those who kindled and unleashed this war, rather than those who tried to stop it, will be recognized as criminals.

    This day will come as inevitably as spring follows even the coldest winter. And then our society will open its eyes and be horrified by what terrible crimes were committed on its behalf. From this realization, from this reflection, the long, difficult but vital path toward the recovery and restoration of Russia, its return to the community of civilized countries, will begin.

    Even today, even in the darkness surrounding us, even sitting in this cage, I love my country and believe in our people. I believe that we can walk this path.

To those Americans who would call themselves ‘patriots’ because they helped try to overturn the 2020 election or because they carry a maga flag and chant trumpisms, take a lesson from Mr. Kara-Murza, for he is the true definition of the word ‘patriot.’  In October 2022, Kara-Murza was awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

27 thoughts on “What A Real ‘Patriot’ Looks Like”

    • Oh yes, I think he admires “strongmen” … those who are ruthless and cruel, for so is he. He’s ruthless and cruel, but the difference between Trump and Putin is that Putin is intelligent, while Trump is really not too bright, so he tries to model himself after people like Putin and Orban. xx

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  4. “He criticized Putin’s regime and the invasion of Ukraine.”

    I’d do the same.

    If it was an invasion.
    Which it was not!
    It was an intervention! In the form and shape of a SMO. Huge difference. Philosophical-Political and factly.

    But since the West refused to negotiate and muffled Zelensky, what now consequently follows – we can rightfully call an invasion. In the sense of the invasion at Normandy 1944, only a bit biggerer.

    It’s sad. It will cost countless lives. 😦

    But obvlsy the only way you can deal with those aholios. 😦

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  5. What was he accused of? I mean you don’t get that long a prison sentence for spraying “Putin is motherfucker” on the Kreml walls. He must have done something more dire. For example publishing American lies to the public.

    Bcoz everybody with more than 2 braincells and a bit of interest and education knows exactly what happened in Ukraine and why the Russian SMO was absolutely justified and saved countless civilian lives. And why the now upcoming extension into Ukraine proper is also justified and the right thing to do.

    And let’s not forget Putin is a true patriot himself! He often oversteps decency (not as often as his American counterparts tho) and puts the RF first, above all else. But unlike his American counterparts he really cares about the RF and its people, not just the 0.0000001% of rich oligarchs. The upswing of Russian economy benefits ALL Russians! Babushkas and veterans, kids, unemployed single mothers … you name it. And all of ’em, from beautiful and rich St. Petersburg to the Eskimos in the darkest, coldest corners of polar Siberia, the Muslim republics, everything and everybody within the borders of the Russian Federation get their checks and spotless free medical care. Even the newly liberated Russians in Donbass, Crimea, Mariupol and other areas and cities.

    That’s what a true patriot does to his people and his country.

    One asshole goes away behind walls … forever. Maybe justified, maybe not.
    At least he got his trial.
    Assange anybody?

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  6. Pingback: What A Real ‘Patriot’ Looks Like | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  7. Jill, to me this is one more example of why Donald J. Trump is not fit to lead anything of importance. He values bullying, lying, cheating and strong-arming. Putin may have once been considered shrewd, but he threw all that way with his ill-conceived and misguided invasion of Ukraine. He had neither a plan or a budget for a lengthy fight. Once Zelenskyy stood up to him, his Achilles Heel was revealed. Russia is a lesser place than it was before. And, Trump still admires him? Keith

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    • Agreed. His praise of Putin, Xi, and Kim, not to mention Viktor Orbán and Recep Erdoğan, is chilling. It tells me, as if I didn’t already know, exactly what sort of ‘leader’ he aspires to be. He does not strive to be a leader of a democratic nation, but a ruler, a ‘strongman’. Yes, Putin is out-witted by Zelenskyy and now is scrambling to CYA. That, in itself, is frightening, for like Trump, his ego is outsized and if backed into a corner, I’m not sure where his limits are, if there are any limits.

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    • At one of his scary fascist rallies a few weeks ago, Trump said if he was in charge, the war in Ukraine would be over, because he would know “exactly what to say”…and then he bragged about how great his relationship with Putin was. Right, so he would probably say to Putin “you can do whatever you want!” Yet another reason why the Orange Guy cannot be allowed to win another election….

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      • No doubt you are right. While I support the right to free speech, support democracy, I do think that there should be some limits on the type of hate speech that Trump and others engage in … it’s a danger to us all.

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  9. Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:

    Is this the way? Are the GOPers-Russian pals ready for this? … “today a Russian journalist, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His crime? He criticized Putin’s regime and the invasion of Ukraine. For that, he was sentenced to 25 years, but the reality is he will likely never see the light of day again, for Putin’s enemies tend to fall out of high-rise windows, become victims of poisoning, or otherwise meet an untimely demise. “

    Liked by 2 people

        • That’s the $64 million question, isn’t it? I wish I knew. The simple answer is that we be very, very careful about who we vote for next year and beyond, but there is a large portion of the people in this nation who seem to be tired of democracy, who think they want an authoritarian, a “strong man” in office, and no amount of facts or discourse seems to have any effect on their views. They have been, in my view, brainwashed. A lobotomy, perhaps?

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