Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny is a Russian Lawyer who has stood for democracy in Russia. He has led a modest movement against Vladimir Putin’s tight hold on leadership for 25 years. He has been persistent in his opposition to the point of being held in prisoner frequently. Several attempts have been made on his life yet Navalny has persisted, Many have asked why did he come back from Germany following his recent poisoning with Novichok. The thought has been couldn’t  he have done greater good Germany?

It seems that he determined that the pathway to democracy was a confrontational one. The fight for democracy in Russia isn’t  just walking away from such a calling when the going gets tough. You must give your whole life to such a cause, where death or long-term incarceration is in order.

This is in sharp contrast to the United States of America where a major movement is underway to preserve the democracy which has stood for almost four centuries from the threat of Trump who has openly declared he is seeking to bring it down. The difference from the Russian situation is that it is a collective movement. It is appealing to people’s common sense and good values. It stands in sharp contrast to those who follow the lies of the pathological liar Trump.

Both approaches are legitimate. The commitment of the one in the face of a dictatorship and the collective movement of the political party which has lost an appreciation of the good that it offers.