We Are All Ukrainians
Mir Zenen Ale Aukrainyans - Yiddish Translation
Mir Zenen Ale Aukrainyans
We are all Ukrainians
On June 26, 1963, President Kennedy said with a Bostonian accent:
“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum ["I am a Roman citizen"]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!".
First, during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and then in Berlin in 1963, Americans and the world were confronted with a Russian tyrant seeking world domination.
Then it was the Soviet bloc led by Leonid Brezhnev, now it is Russia, and its leader Vladimir Putin attempting to intimidate and find the "glory" of the past through death, destruction, and the illegal capture of land and treasure.
It is time to stop Russian expansionism. How to do this, I am not sure. There is no easy solution and each path is with substantial risk.
Can we stare down a nuclear threat? Will history repeat?
Cuban Missile Crisis
During the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The crisis ended with an American blockade, the threat of mutually assured destruction and the removal of Russian missiles from Cuba, preserving our “sphere of influence”.
In 2022, seven days into the crisis, the current Russian tyrant has surrounded Ukraine and threatens world annihilation to any nation that intervenes to stop the slaughter of innocents.
700,000 refugees have already made the trek across borders; the majority crossed into Poland.
What tragedy will the world witness? What atrocities will the Ukrainian people endure over the next six days?
I fear this crisis will not end with a blockade at the 13 day mark.
The Pogroms
Pogroms in the Russian Empire were large-scale, targeted, and repeated anti-Jewish rioting that began in the 19th century.
There is a long history of antisemitism and hatred toward the Jews and people of Ukraine. In both 1905 and 1917, as a prelude to war and near the conclusion of WW1, the Russians brutalized the people of Ukraine, stealing treasure and land, burning villages, creating a refugee crisis, and migration to the rest of Europe and America.
The third-largest empire in history, at one point stretching over three continents—Europe, Asia, and North America—the Russian Empire was surpassed in size only by the Britishand Mongol empires. Source: Wikipedia
Poland
It should not be lost in the confusion that Poland has opened its borders to all who wish to come.
The current U.S. Ambassador, Mark Brezinski, to Poland is the son of the former special advisor to President Johnson and the National Security Advisor to President Carter, Zbigniew (Zbig) Brezinski. Zbig co-authored Political Power: USA USSR – 1964 Zbigniew Brzezinski.
As of today, 700,000 people, primarily women, children, and the elderly, have trudged across European borders, having left husbands and able-bodied sons 18-65 behind. The men have been subject to conscription.
With the men, many brave, able-bodied women have chosen to stay to fight the Russian tyrants in defense of their homeland.
The Russians bombed a tv tower and a Holocaust memorial. The cynicism and symbolism are unmistakable and disgusting.
The current U.S. Ambassador to Poland heard stories of the Pogroms and Holocaust, as did I, throughout childhood. We all should be proud of Ambassador Brezenski and welcome Ukrainians with open arms and the torch held high.
A Personal Story
I regularly heard stories of the Bolsheviks' brutality as told by my maternal grandfather throughout my childhood and teenage years.
His small village, single-digit miles from Kyiv, was burned, and he, a 12-year-old boy, was destined to walk across Europe.
His thirteenth birthday and bar mitzvah was celebrated somewhere in Romania or Bulgaria. Human tragedy, the horrors of war, the worst in human temperament were mixed daily with family, community, and a desire to find a better life in America.
Before this tragedy concludes, many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people will be displaced. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian families will be severely impacted by death, dismemberment, and sadness.
Let us, a founding member of the United Nations, not stand by exercising caution in the face of an intolerable threat.
References
13 days: A Memoir Of The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1969, Robert F. Kennedy
Political Power: USA USSR – 1964 Zbigniew Brzezinski (Author), Samuel P. Huntington (Author)
A Thousand Days: JFK In The White House, orignal and 1979, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.,
Kennedy, 1965, Ted Sorensen
Cuban Missile Crisis, Wikipedia
Pogroms in the Russian Empire, Wikipedia
The Author And Podcast Host, Tom Levine
Following a 25 year career in capital markets, Tom Levine founded Zero Hour Group in 2014.
The Los Angeles, California-based firm provides consulting, strategic analysis, and real estate services.
Services are offered nationwide and across a variety of sectors. The firm's clients range from family offices and high net worth individuals to institutions and professional investors.
Real Estate related transactions are brokered through our subsidary firms, Native Angelino Real Estate and WEHO Realtor.
Tom Levine is a Native Angelino and graduate of USC Marshall School of Business, Claremont Colleges, and spent a term at the London School of Economics. Additionally, he is a certified Short Sale Specialist under the National Association of Realtors.
Podcast
The Native Angelino Podcast is underwritten and produced in conjunction with the Zero Hour Group, a consulting and strategy firm, parent to 1929, Native Angelino Real Estate, and associated real estate assets.
Native Angelino description found on iTunes:
“From a vantage point within sight of the Hollywood Sign, seated beneath a palm tree, Tom Levine takes you on a twisted, exploratory tour of popular thought, the upside-down theories of classical economics, politics, and other strange things.
Tom talks all things Los Angeles, bright new ideas, and complex topics of interest to creative thinkers and discerning skeptics.
L.A. locals state with pride, "You can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon." Well, if you get a really early start, it's true. Sometimes.
Los Angeles is the City of the Angels, and Tom Levine is a Native Angelino”.