What’s in a name?

In a recent letter to Voices, Michael Emerson faulted Democrats for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Further, he seemed puzzled as to why Democrats, who “apparently loved [the Russians] when they were Communists ... hate them now that they are nationalists.”

Setting aside for a moment the matter of who loved or hated whom when, it’s worth pointing out that the homicidal Soviet political system, created by Vladimir Lenin and his secret police over 100 years ago, remains in force in Russia today. Unreconstructed

KGB agents currently run Russia’s Soviet-style government and even head the Russian Church. They demand slavish fealty to an all-powerful state apparatus and crush individual freedoms in the name of ideology. The name of that ideology hardly matters. For them, labels such as “communist” and “nationalist” are merely flavors of the month. These days the “nationalist” flavor gains them more traction with a gullible populace than does “communist,” a label that has gone well past its “sell by” date. Not so different from segregationists, who have called themselves “Democrats” since the Civil War, recasting themselves as “Republicans” today.

Now, regarding who loved/hated whom when: According to our own foundational ideals, all Americans are supposed to “love” those who support human rights, free elections, and the rule of law; and “hate” those who don’t. Unfortunately, we have not been consistent in applying those ideals. Both Republicans and Democrats have wavered on this score. In the 1930s Democrats in the mold of FDR were indeed “soft on communism.” Republicans of that era were soft on fascism. Both should have known better. It took Pearl Harbor to wake up the Republicans, and the Soviet blockade of West Berlin to wake up the Democrats.

What that teaches us is that bowing to the demands of power-mad dictators merely encourages them to grab more, and that, in turn, invites the next big wake-up call — a call that we really need to prevent this time by helping Ukraine (and Taiwan, when its turn comes) to make their stands. ALEX MIRONOFF

Fayetteville