Perhaps this parallel with Churchill is also worth considering :--
Churchill was a Tory statesman in a union where there was a fairly stable system of parties, in which the Conservatives & Labour parties dominated. Ukraine's parliamentary structure is much more volatile, in which Zelenskyy's Servant of the People Party dominates as a Burger-Democrat or mainly-supportive-of-capitalism party.
Yet in my reading of the situation, Churchill was able and Zelenskyy is able to maintain a temporary truce between left and right 'for the duration'. That's to say that Zelenskyy is largely trusted by the left to avoid exploiting his wartime executive power to surreptitiously introduce needless restrictions on labour. (While there has been some complaint about proposals by the parliamentary Servant of the People Party, it has not been directed at Zelenskyy himself.)
Zelenskyy also seems to have the tentative support of forces to the 'right' of his party, such as Peter Poroshenko and European Solidarity party.
Those with such gifts seem to somehow magically appear at the moment they are needed. I've been thinking recently about Abraham Lincoln, and how different the world might be today if this single individual hadn't risen to national leadership at just the right time.
I hate to say this, but it may be Zelensky's fate not to survive this war. But his death, should it happen, could in the end be his greatest contribution to Ukraine. In death he would be elevated from national leader to a transcendent national savior, and become a symbol which could unite Ukrainians for centuries to come. I'm thinking here of how the murder of Jesus transformed him from a local preacher who would have probably been soon forgotten, to a global phenomena still deeply influential to this day.
Human being live through the medium of story, and Zelensky is a superb story teller, like all effective national leaders. Whoever is running this universe was smiling on the Ukrainian people the day he was born.
In the first glance I hesitate to compare Zelensky with Churchill - until you give it a thorough thought.
To be an inspiring leader plus being able to get a whole nation focused on one single purpose is great leadership - period.
And Zelensky has the knack to put more of the right people in the right positions than not. Especially his military leaders will give material to study for generations to come.
In point of fact I think that Zelensky is a greater leader than Churchill. The UK was never threatened with invasion - even at the time it was by no means clear that Germany had the shipping to affect an over-seas invasion. After the war it became clear it had nowhere near enough and only made half hearted plans. Zelensky chose to stay in Kyiv when a very large number of tanks were driving towards it. Churchill didn't have to work to activate his allies. Hitler obligingly went to war with the USSR declared war on the USA, who won the war for the UK. Zelensky didn't hinder the war effort with crackpot strategic ideas like Churchill did. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming to OK D-Day and wanted to rely on the ineffective French resistance to destroy the French railroads rather than have the American air force do it. No Zelensky is a more effective war leader than Churchill by a long way.
When Ukraine win this war and Zelensky rightly wins re-election and starts the process of joining Europe I really hope that eventually (no rush on this, I’m thinking 2 or 3 terms) he either does a Washington and steps down or gets defeated in an election by another committed democrat who complains about his education or health policy or something
That will be the true final victory over not just Putin but Putinism, much like Sth Africa needs a non-ANC Party to win Govt to finally complete its transition to democracy so does Ukraine need a normal election win for a non-Zelensky figure (again, no rush, he’s earned a couple of reeelections already) to drive home the point to Putin and his ilk that they not only didn’t win but be never win
Thanks for another fine essay.
Perhaps this parallel with Churchill is also worth considering :--
Churchill was a Tory statesman in a union where there was a fairly stable system of parties, in which the Conservatives & Labour parties dominated. Ukraine's parliamentary structure is much more volatile, in which Zelenskyy's Servant of the People Party dominates as a Burger-Democrat or mainly-supportive-of-capitalism party.
Yet in my reading of the situation, Churchill was able and Zelenskyy is able to maintain a temporary truce between left and right 'for the duration'. That's to say that Zelenskyy is largely trusted by the left to avoid exploiting his wartime executive power to surreptitiously introduce needless restrictions on labour. (While there has been some complaint about proposals by the parliamentary Servant of the People Party, it has not been directed at Zelenskyy himself.)
Zelenskyy also seems to have the tentative support of forces to the 'right' of his party, such as Peter Poroshenko and European Solidarity party.
Happy New Year to all readers.
In the "we're here" part in the new year's speech, he's also quoting himself, cf. https://slovodnya.substack.com/p/were-here
Those with such gifts seem to somehow magically appear at the moment they are needed. I've been thinking recently about Abraham Lincoln, and how different the world might be today if this single individual hadn't risen to national leadership at just the right time.
I hate to say this, but it may be Zelensky's fate not to survive this war. But his death, should it happen, could in the end be his greatest contribution to Ukraine. In death he would be elevated from national leader to a transcendent national savior, and become a symbol which could unite Ukrainians for centuries to come. I'm thinking here of how the murder of Jesus transformed him from a local preacher who would have probably been soon forgotten, to a global phenomena still deeply influential to this day.
Human being live through the medium of story, and Zelensky is a superb story teller, like all effective national leaders. Whoever is running this universe was smiling on the Ukrainian people the day he was born.
In the first glance I hesitate to compare Zelensky with Churchill - until you give it a thorough thought.
To be an inspiring leader plus being able to get a whole nation focused on one single purpose is great leadership - period.
And Zelensky has the knack to put more of the right people in the right positions than not. Especially his military leaders will give material to study for generations to come.
In point of fact I think that Zelensky is a greater leader than Churchill. The UK was never threatened with invasion - even at the time it was by no means clear that Germany had the shipping to affect an over-seas invasion. After the war it became clear it had nowhere near enough and only made half hearted plans. Zelensky chose to stay in Kyiv when a very large number of tanks were driving towards it. Churchill didn't have to work to activate his allies. Hitler obligingly went to war with the USSR declared war on the USA, who won the war for the UK. Zelensky didn't hinder the war effort with crackpot strategic ideas like Churchill did. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming to OK D-Day and wanted to rely on the ineffective French resistance to destroy the French railroads rather than have the American air force do it. No Zelensky is a more effective war leader than Churchill by a long way.
When Ukraine win this war and Zelensky rightly wins re-election and starts the process of joining Europe I really hope that eventually (no rush on this, I’m thinking 2 or 3 terms) he either does a Washington and steps down or gets defeated in an election by another committed democrat who complains about his education or health policy or something
That will be the true final victory over not just Putin but Putinism, much like Sth Africa needs a non-ANC Party to win Govt to finally complete its transition to democracy so does Ukraine need a normal election win for a non-Zelensky figure (again, no rush, he’s earned a couple of reeelections already) to drive home the point to Putin and his ilk that they not only didn’t win but be never win
Word.
But I can't understand what is to be gained from trolling the Russians--or indeed anybody else.
Interesting.