There is already far too much stupidity over the Ukraine/Russia conflict making its way through the interwebs and airwaves – there is no need to add more. It has a lot to do with leaders from both countries, and who the Americans, if any, should support.
But one of the latest dustups involved conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who became upset when RedState’s Jerry Wilson wrote a piece featuring a song praising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The song, which was written by Five For Fighting – AKA John Ondrasik – was a tribute to the Ukrainian leader in his struggle to stand against Russia’s aggression.
Walsh responded to the article by tweeting:
The “brilliant tribute” literally presents Zelensky as a Christ figure who is sacrificing himself for the redemption of mankind
Zelensky is presented in the “brilliant tribute”, literally as a Christ-figure who has slain himself to redeem mankind. https://t.co/OwkDpprFxq
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 17, 2022
Of course, the song does not paint Zelensky as a representation of Christ, as Wilson noted in his reply to Walsh’s tweet. When one listens to the song, it is easy to see the “Daily Wire” podcast host is overreacting.
He’s not the only one. Candace Owens, his colleague has Zelensky covered. Recently, she tweeted:
Zelensky is a bad character and is working for globalists to harm the rights of his country. I will not move one inch away from that assessment—ever—no matter how flowery the media depictions of him are.
Zelensky is a bad character and is working for globalists to harm the rights of his country. I will not move one inch away from that assessment—ever—no matter how flowery the media depictions of him are.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 17, 2022
Footage has been circulating on social media showing Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) referring to Zelensky as a “thug.”
Rep. Madison Cawthorn calls Zelensky a “thug,” says Ukrainian government is “incredibly evil.” pic.twitter.com/RMf3Xe8sOq
— Russian American Daily (@RussiaUSA) March 11, 2022
What do these individuals share in common? These three people have very little or no criticism for Russian President Vladimir Putin who is far worse than Zelensky. Putin has jailed and killed journalists and dissidents critical of his government. On a daily basis, he reduces speech. He is the one responsible for thousands upon thousands of deaths in Ukraine and Russia. He represents the exact opposite of all that America is about.
But yeah, Zelensky’s the jerk here, right?
This isn’t to say the Ukrainian leader is as pure as the driven snow. It is a commonly-known fact that the country’s government has a huge corruption problem. The man isn’t perfect, as RedState’s Bonchie pointed out. However, Putin is not a dictator. Putin’s evil can be seen in the many news reports showing what his military is doing to Ukraine. Walsh and his company may respond by joining other critics who claim that any criticism of Russia is an effort to convince the U.S. troops into the region.
Also, Zelensky is so worthy of criticism but not Putin. It doesn’t seem rational, given the two men’s histories. It’s like being more upset at South Korea’s flawed leadership, while ignoring the vicious rule of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This makes no sense.
It’s difficult to tell whether this is just a need to be contrarian for clicks or a deeply-held belief that Zelensky is more worthy of criticism. It could be a reactionary, knee-jerk impulse to oppose what the activist media has to say. It is clear that the press believes Putin is a bad person and Zelensky has been portrayed in a positive light. Perhaps some right-leaning people are reacting to the situation instead of looking into it and forming their own views.
However, Walsh, Owens and Cawthorn are not my argument. Like Putin. These and other commentators on the right have made it clear that they are not sure where their true views on Putin and Vladimir Putin lie.
Whatever the case, it’s foolish to center our hatred on Zelensky over Putin. One can point out negative aspects of Zelensky’s leadership without ignoring the malevolence in Putin’s actions. It begs the question: Is this really so difficult for people to understand?
About Post Author
