The Bully at Work 

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While the world looks on in horror at Putin's assault on the sovereign nation of Ukraine, it doesn't appear that anyone's up to the job of ending his rampage.

Glued to their TV sets and daily papers, Americans, like most of the world, are just holding their breath, understanding that a misstep could be a game-changing disaster for all of civilization.

With his typical testosterone-fueled bravado, Putin reminds us daily that he's no run-of-the-mill man and that he's not bound by humanity's rules. He's made it clear that any assistance to Ukraine will be considered an act of war against his nation and an invitation to a world-wide conflict.

For good reason—and, particularly, in consideration of Putin's threats, the U.S. and its NATO allies are declining to do anything that might be considered a declaration of war. Most world citizens are longing to help, but everything seems like a catch-22. And so, a worried, frustrated world is standing by, balanced on a precipice and understanding that restraint is the governing word.

Today's weapons are just plain scary, and no one wants to see our planet evaporate in a nuclear holocaust. As remote as such a disaster sounds, we must all consider the grim fact: Humankind certainly has the armament to do us all in.

With military intervention stalled by Putin's threats of expanding aggression, the free world is watching and waiting, wondering how to deal with a maniacal serial killer. It's admirable—and necessary—that so many countries have denounced his actions by imposing stiff economic consequences. But, while the West's economic sanctions will eventually weaken Russia and demoralize her citizens, let's face it: Time is no friend to the Ukrainians who are suffering and dying.

With Putin's threats—and a finger on the nuclear button—military intervention is such a daunting consideration that even the richest and most heavily-armed nations are cowering for good reason. If Putin were simply a normal human being, this wouldn't be happening. But his total amorality and lack of empathy can justify anything, no matter how great the suffering and loss of life. Everything he does is about his hugely inflated ego, and he simply doesn't care who suffers, lives, or dies.

The U.S., as a world giant, is making its own moves to punish Putin. But particularly with the strict crackdown on dissent and a rabid state-run disinformation campaign, the Russian people cannot see the real picture. Worse, the staggering economic sanctions, imposed by dozens of countries, are likely to confirm to much of the Russian people that the West is a bully that its people should continue to fear.

Thanks to Trump, Americans are familiar with the term, "narcissist," and Putin is probably the most toxic of them all. Telling Russia's citizens a credible story of how the West is the cause of the Ukraine conflict, typical Russians are unable to consider the facts and form a rational view of what their leader is doing. Putin understands, perfectly, that gaslighting is the key to public support of his warmongering. The blame-game is totally predictable and necessary if he is to keep his presently-undisputed political popularity.

As the carnage continues, the free world suffers the guilt of nonaction. But nobody wants to risk the finality that might follow an assertive military response. It certainly serves the rest of us to accept the greater good for the majority of people, but how do we sit on the sidelines and watch the horror of war?

What does it tell us? It speaks volumes about the simple and most essential principle of life—self-preservation. We all have that same fear, that our lives will be snuffed out because we had the character and proper decency to take a chivalrous stance in defense of a weaker nation. Courage seems scarce these days and, while there's a great deal of talk about helping Ukrainians, our powerful allies are falling short of taking an aggressive step to stay the madness and restore the peace.

Narcissism is about bullies, and Putin is the quintessential bully in our world. Though the stakes are exponentially higher, what's happening is no different than what happens in our schools. Bullies take pleasure in hurting those who are weaker, and the only thing that stops them is blood gushing from their noses. We risk, by our indecisiveness and caution, the opening of a Pandora's Box.

If we allow Putin to continue his bullying, we will become complicit in the outrage. We can't stand by, like schoolkids guiltily watching a bully at work. Whether it's in our public schools or on the world stage, tolerating bullying can have only one effect: More will follow, and it will only get worse.

Putin's desecration of a sovereign country is a roadmap to others who would do the same. Don't kid yourself, the leaders of China and North Korea, for example, are watching carefully to see what the free world will allow. For now, Ukraine's sovereignty is at stake. Tomorrow it will be Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

Putin must be stopped.

The author is a retired businessman, novelist, columnist, and former Vietnam-era Army assistant public information officer. He lives in Riverton, Utah with his wife, Carol, and the beloved ashes of their mongrel dog.