I have been riveted by the story of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (June 4, 1976 – Feb. 16, 2024). His murder in an Arctic prison reveals the brutality of Vladimir Putin and the brazen arrogance of rigidly authoritarian systems. Navalny was a lawyer and anti-corruption activist. He organized anti-government demonstrations and ran for office to advocate reforms against corruption in Russia, against President Putin and his government. Wikipedia.
A documentary about his life that won an Academy Award (gift link to NYT review) is essential viewing for anyone who cares about democracy and human rights.
The question is whether Navalny’s death will crush or strengthen the pro-democracy movement in Russia and around the world. Yale historian Tim Snyder posted in 2021:
To kill Alexei Navalny would be not just a crime, but a mistake. “Russia’s main problem is that no one knows who will succeed Vladimir Putin at the top of the state. Russia’s next problem is that no one knows how this succession will proceed. In other words, Russia lacks a future and a way to get there. As it ages, the Putin regime is making the classic mistakes of tyranny: staying on too long, believing its own stories, ignoring outside information, misunderstanding the coming generations, repeating tricks. Its worst mistake is to undermine principles of succession in the name of personal power — which always comes to an end anyway. What will matter in the history of Russia is not so much the names of the leaders, but the capacity to shift from one to the next. Russia needs a successor to Putin….”
One viewer posted hopefully on the CNN YouTube page: “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.” ― Soren Kierkegaard.
This documentary is riveting and well worth your time.
Watch it on CNN. Or HBO Max.
I can’t help but believe this outrageous story will force U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to stop blocking aid to Ukraine (which a majority of the House supports) and stop passive-aggressively siding with Donald Trump, who sides with Putin against Ukraine and against NATO.
Below, four more embedded but brief videos and a link to a humorous comparison of Navalny and Trump.
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