Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

National Flag of Ukraine

As our name suggests, Freedom Focused cares a great deal about FREEDOM. That is why everything we model and teach is aimed at promoting, supporting, and expanding the growth and FREEDOM of individuals, organizations, and nations around the world.

Consequently, we are alarmed by events transpiring in the Independent Republic of Ukraine. 

Exactly one month ago—on February 9, 2022—Freedom Focused noted that,"history is scant when it comes to stories of massive troop buildups that all-of-a-sudden pull back and disregard their well-laid out dreams, plans, and hopes of conquest." In that same blog post, we predicted a Russian invasion of Ukraine was unlikely to proceed until after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics, but that "Putin [would likely] give the order for his troops to move relatively soon after that."*

* Click HERE to read 2-9-22 blog post: "Historical Events and the Growing Threat of Global Conflict."

February 24, 2022
"A date which will live in infamy."

Sadly, for Ukrainians, and for freedom-loving people all over the world, that is precisely what happened.

In an eerie repeat of Tuesday, August 4, 1914—Germany's invasion of Belgium signaling the onset of World War I—and Friday, September 1, 1939—Nazi invasion of Poland signaling the onset of World War II—Vladimir Putin unleashed the fury of the Russian Army across the Ukrainian Border in the early morning hours of Thursday, February 24th, 2022.

Putin's boldfaced and blatant invasion of an innocent and sovereign neighbor-nation occurred just four days following the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Thus, like Sunday, December 7, 1941, Thursday, February 24, 2022 will—to quote U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt—forever be "a date which will live in infamy."

"Private JJ" with "General Sam Houston"
following the 2012 reenactment of the  Battle of
San Jacinto, where Texas won its Independence
(on April 21, 1836), thus avenging the Alamo tragedy.

Freedom Focused joins governments and organizations around the globe in unequivocally condemning Vladimir Putin's insidious, tyrannical, and unprovoked aggression into Ukraine. Moreover, we honor the courage and resolve of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the freedom-loving citizens of the Ukrainian Republic who, like Texian defenders of the Alamo in 1836, are standing boldly and bravely against a much larger and more powerful military adversary. Like those intrepid Alamo defenders, many brave Ukrainians are currently being slaughtered—or have otherwise resigned themselves to an uncertain, or even terminal, fate.

Like the ultimately victorious Texians, Freedom Focused predicts Ukraine will eventually have its SAN JACINTO moment—although we do not yet know how far in the future that destined victory lies, nor do we know how many other nations may yet be drawn into the conflict before peace returns to Ukraine.      

For the time being, Putin's ominous order has ignited a powder keg in Eastern Europe that has the potential to escalate into a much broader—perhaps even a third global—conflict. After all, World War I did not officially begin on August 4, 1914; nor did World War II officially
begin on September 1, 1939. Nevertheless, the events of those dates provided the necessary spark that eventually set the world on fire not once, but twice. It is possible history will look back at February 24, 2022 through a tragically similar lens.

The potential for the war on Ukraine to expand into a broader conflict
remains a "clear and present danger" the West should take seriously.

While Freedom Focused is hopeful things never escalate to that degree or extent, we wish to issue a clear caveat to liberty-championing people and nations everywhere: the possibility of armed conflicts spiraling well beyond the border of Russia and Ukraine is a "clear and present danger" that Westerners everywhere should take seriously.

Gratefully, the West demonstrated over the second half of the last century that much can be done to prevent and avert conflicts on the scale currently unfolding in Ukraine. Sadly, the West has squandered countless opportunities in the first two decades of the twenty-first century to preserve that peace, which we now know came with an expiration date of February 24, 2022.   

Click HERE to buy The Fourth Turning

The time for the West to prepare for a wide-range of contingencies, including the current crisis in Ukraine, was yesterday, and more specifically, over the past 30 years. Since many opportunities to prepare over the past three decades have clearly been wasted, the time to refocus our efforts and put our shoulder to the wheel—redoubling our efforts to make up for lost time—is NOW.  

War has been and always will be HELL on Earth. This newest verse in humanity's melancholy dirge of armed conflict is no exception. Stories and visuals of this newest chapter of hell's fury pouring out of Ukraine are devastating, heartrending, and in many cases tragic.

For many years now, Freedom Focused has been warning about an impending CRISIS to come in the early-mid 2020s whose scope and scale would be on par with the First and Second World Wars and the Great Depression of the last century. Rooted in the generational scholarship of William Strauss and Neil Howe—and our own expanding understanding of history—it seems the "Crisis of 2020," marked by the lingering Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of a potentially large-scale war in Eastern Europe, is clearly in its opening acts.

Click HERE to learn more about the Crisis of 2020.  

A patriotic American poster from the
Great War era (1917-1918)

Why is it that collective humanity continues to repeat the same old errors of the past? Why is it the "War to End All Wars" (WWI) had the exact opposite effect—planting a seedbed for a conflict twice as disastrous (WWII) a mere quarter-century later?

And why is it that a second World War—which cost some 100 million lives and destroyed much of Europe and Japan—failed to prevent current events so hauntingly reminiscent of Germany's "Rape of Belgium" in 1914 and Germany and Japan's subsequent hostile takeovers of multiple countries in Europe and Asia throughout the 1930s and early 1940s?

At Freedom Focused, we suggest the answer to these questions is two-fold. First, a lack of individual CHARACTER and SELF-ACTION LEADERSHIP rooted in love and morality, particularly among the leaders of nations around the globe. And second, weakness in leadership and the collective will of nations, which have promoted geopolitical strategies designed to appease dictators and maintain the status quo instead of guaranteeing PEACE through STRENGTH.  

Freedom Focused exists to educate individuals,
organizations, and nations in principles of
Self-Action Leadership & Freedom

Freedom Focused is not a political entity; it is an EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. As such, we will never seek to dictate or influence specific policy decisions among military or governmental leaders and organizations. Our consistent and perpetual aim is to model and promote true (albeit general) principles of thought and action that will foster individual growth and collective peace. In so doing, we steer clear of partisan politicking and the promotion of specific policy directives or initiatives. Such objectives and tasks belong to leaders and specialists authorized to operate in relevant fields. 

Providing specific political or military advice would be a deviation from our appointed lane and duty. Rather than lobbying for various policies or strategies, we remain laser-focused on loadstar generalities, or in other words, on fundamental principles of ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, and ACTIONS aimed at bringing about desired long-term results for individuals, schools, organizations, nations, and the world-at-large.

In this spirit and vein, Freedom Focused WARNS Western leaders and citizens everywhere—generally speaking—of the dangers of weakness and appeasement. 

Lions are safe because Lions are STRONG

The relationship between STRENGTH and PEACE is at least as old as Hadrian's Wall and the Roman Empire. This geopolitical principle and military mantra remains as relevant today as it was then—and in all the intervening years.

STRENGTH  +  UNITY  =  PEACE

It was, after all, united Allied resilience and STRENGTH (bolstered by American military might in 1917-18) that triumphed over the aggressive and invasive Central Powers—led by Germany—in the Great War.

And it was Churchillian leadership, vision, determination, resilience, and STRENGTH (bolstered a second time by U.S. military might from 1942-45) that led the Allied triumph over the AXIS aggressors in World War II.

More recently, the STRONG and steady leadership of U.S. Presidents Kennedy and Reagan averted potentially disastrous nuclear confrontations with the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1980s. And it was the strength of a united front of 35 nations from around the world, led by the United States, that repulsed and reversed Saddam Hussein's unprovoked invasion of Kuwait in 1990. 

However the Present Crisis may evolve—and Freedom Focused bleakly warns of its potential to morph into something far larger and more costly than its present size and scope—there is only one pathway to victory, and that is the pathway of STRENGTH and UNITY. 

The current crisis unfolding in Ukraine should not be a surprise to anyone. Vladimir Putin has been lamenting the loss of the former Soviet bloc and threatening the peace and sovereignty of his neighbors for decades. For those who have been paying attention, his actions over the past 22 years have been unmistakable—and relatively consistent.

Sometimes, EVIL wears a SUIT.

Many in the West call Putin crazy. At Freedom Focused, we suggest "EVIL" is a more accurate description of the man. 

Crazy people usually don't possess the means or power, much less the organizational capacity required to undertake a large-scale invasion of a country the size of Ukraine.

But cunning and evil people sometimes do.

We know Putin is evil because his actions carry all the behavioral indicators of evil, namely: deceit, manipulation, violence, and larceny.

Four (4) Indicators of Putin's EVIL Actions

1. Lies, Propaganda, and other Deceit

2. Manipulation

3. Unprovoked violence

Evil dictators only speak one language:
The language of POWER

4. Forcibly taking things that are not his

Aside from being evil, Putin is also rich, powerful, and relatively organized. In the twentieth century, the West paid a terrible price for underestimating Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. Similarly, the West underestimates Vladimir Putin, his ally Xi Xinping of China, and other dictators like them at our collective peril.

Unfortunately, there is really only ONE thing that evil people understand, and that is hard POWER. That is why it is critical Western Leaders show unity and STRENGTH in the face of evil imperial ambitions of twenty-first century totalitarians like Putin and Xi.

In discussing dictators like Xi Xinping and Vladimir Putin, it is important to not conflate their nefarious actions with the character of the Chinese and Russian peoples-at-large. There are, no doubt, millions of honest, hard-working, upright citizens of both countries who do not support the evil objectives and behavior of their iron-fisted tyrants.

The present war in Ukraine is a massive example of
the manifold injustices that exist in this world and life.

Moreover, many (and perhaps most) Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and North Koreans are largely unaware of what is really going on because of strictly scripted intra-national propaganda and State-wide control of the media. Freedom Focused empathizes with these heavily subjugated citizens, and further acknowledges the harm Western sanctions have on countless innocent citizens because of our otherwise noble efforts to curtail the unjust aggressions of their wicked leaders.

I remember back in elementary school when a teacher would occasionally punish the entire class because of the inappropriate behavior of one or two rascals. I recall how unfair that felt to me as a little boy. I am confident there are many Russians who must feel as I did—magnified and multiplied, of course, by about ten thousand times over my own relatively petty and minuscule juvenile experiences with injustice.

I'm sure there are many Chinese citizens who are aware of Xi's Concentration Camps in Uyghur Province and his intimidation of Hong Kong and Taiwan. And I'll bet they feel the same way many Russians feel about Putin's invasion of Ukraine: they don't like or agree with the behavior and policies of their leaders, and if there was something they could do without putting themselves and their family in grave danger, they would take actions to stop them.          

China, with its 1.5 billion citizens,
has been on the rise now for decades.

Speaking of Xi Xinping's China... its rapid economic rise, burgeoning and modernizing military strength, growing global hegemony, genocidal crimes in the Uyghur Province, and sobering saber rattling in the South China Sea have been years in the making. 

China was already a rising world power when it hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing—an occasion I remember well because the Summer Olympics are one of my favorite celebrations of sport and I watched several of the events on television with my new bride on our honeymoon in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being married on 8/8/08—the same day as the Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Summer Olympics. 

If you've been following the news even peripherally the past 13.5 years, you know Xi and his nation and armed forces have been very busy—and their flurry of activity has not been aimed at allying themselves with Western values or goals. Moreover, Putin's official meeting with Xi on the opening day of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics further solidified a deepening alliance between China and Russia that serves as a capstone to a partnership that took root many years ago and has been evolving dangerously ever since.

Winston Churchill in the 1930s was a
relatively lone VOICE crying in the Wilderness.

Winston Churchill is famous for warning the British Empire and its Western Allies of the imperial (and impetuous) rise of Adolf Hilter and Nazi Germany in the 1930s—years before Hitler's Luftwaffe and Wermacht's fateful pre-dawn assault of Poland on September 1, 1939. Sadly, few bothered to listen to his "voice in the wilderness."

Once again, Great Britain has not been the only nation asleep in recent years and decades. Indeed, the entire Western World (led lethargically by the United States) has been collectively caught dozing at the wheel.

While individual voices, including ours at Freedom Focused, have been sounding the alarm for many years now—and in an array of different ways and means—such voices have done little to change the drowsy status quo. Sadly, the consequences of failing to heed said voices are unfolding in violent fashion (as we speak) throughout the Republic of Ukraine.

It is, of course, too late to go back and change the past. But it is NOT too late to wake up to and embrace present realities in order to better prepare for future challenges that are sure to come. But doing so will take COURAGE, RESOLVE, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, and UNITY.  

We join Westerners and citizens everywhere who rejoice in, and heap praise upon, the courageous Ukrainian leaders, military personnel, and citizens who have demonstrated so much bravery in defense of FREEDOM. However, we simultaneously caution the West to avoid underestimating the power, capacity, resolve, and growing strength and unity of Putin, Xi, and other EVIL dictators around the world. 

Freedom is not FREE

Make no mistake: The current crisis unfolding in Eastern Europe poses a real threat to FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY—not just in Ukraine, but everywhere. And while the unity among Western Powers seems to be galvanizing in (hopefully) helpful and steady ways in the early stages of this conflict, let us ever be vigilant—recognizing that the greatest tests are likely still to come. As such, lovers and supporters of LIBERTY and FREEDOM everywhere should be wisely and pragmatically preparing themselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and where necessary—financially, logistically, and militarily for whatever the future might hold. 

Just as Freedom Focused echoed Strauss and Howe's prediction of the onset of this current crisis, we further echo their optimism that the freedom-loving democratic nations of the world will ultimately prevail in whatever conflicts and disasters may yet come throughout the 2020s, which seem destined to be unusually tumultuous. But victory can come only if we UNITE as morally-grounded and results-focused self-action leaders committed to the cause of TRUTH and FREEDOM.  

STRENGTH through UNITY

One of the greatest by-products of a global catastrophe is its tendency to unite large blocs of leaders and people in a common cause rooted in goodness, freedom, and truth. During times of great crisis, lesser squabbles tend to become relatively unimportant as populaces unite to focus on shared values in an effort to combat more pressing problems at hand.

This is a good thing.

But why must it take a disaster for us to unite? Why can't we choose to be consistently unified so as to circumvent catastrophe in the first place? The answer to these questions is, once again, individual moral inertia and entropy and collective moral decline.

Sadly, history has demonstrated over-and-over-and-over again that human beings are seemingly incapable of uniting indefinitely—speaking collectively and not individually.

Tragically, many Ukrainians have had to leave their
homes and seek safety and peace in other nations.

Gladly, however, history has also demonstrated that glorious achievements are possible when people come together for a common purpose rooted in righteousness. We hope and pray this current crisis will continue to pave the way for past divisions to be healed, that we might, through greater unity, defeat those evil and nefarious forces in our midst that seek to subjugate—or even destroy—us. 

We are not going to sugarcoat current events. The present crisis unfolding in Ukraine is an unmitigated disaster—complete with rising casualties, the commission of heinous war crimes, and a rapidly growing humanitarian crisis marked (at the time this article was published) by more than two (2) million refugees fleeing in utter desperation to any other peace-loving nation that will accept them.

Nevertheless, inside the throes of this catastrophe lie many opportunities for the kind and degree of growth and unity that will pave the way for peace, productivity, and prosperity the likes of which humanity has yet to experience in its history. Thus, despite any and all terror yet to come, Freedom Focused positively and optimistically affirms that the future can remain bright for nations everywhere, and more especially in the liberty and freedom-loving, democratic nations.  

Freedom Focused believes that whatever problems
perplex the present, the possibilities of an
 even greater FUTURE are endless—and real.

In the meantime, and in the inspirational words of Benjamin Franklin, let us "all hang together ... [so we do not] all hang separately." In so doing, we will lay the groundwork of a strong, united, and ultimately victorious defense that has the potential to create a future brighter than any in the past—despite any and all perplexities of the present.

To learn more about Freedom Focused's VISION of the FUTURE beyond the Crisis of 2020, click HERE.    

—Dr. JJ

March 9, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 255th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 254 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

 

Historical Events and the Growing Threat of Global Conflict

The Iron Cross: an historical symbol of the German Military 

On the fourth of August, 1914, the Imperial German Army belligerently crossed the Belgian border with three-quarters of a million soldiers.

The invasion that followed—which has since become known as the "Rape of Belgium"—took the lives of 30,000 Belgian soldiers. Along the way, thousands of Belgian civilians also lost their lives as collateral damage in the violent and destructive rampage that desolated the Belgian homeland.

Germany's subsequent invasion of France was similarly bloody and destructive. Penetrating deep into the heart of Northern France, the Germans progressed to within 25 miles of Paris before finally being halted by French and British troops at the Battle of the Marne in September 1914. 

Aerial view of World War 1 trench systems

The ensuing stalemate led to the construction of 500 miles of intricate trench networks that began at the English Channel in the north and extended southward all the way to the Swiss Border. The violence and death that would follow on the Western Front and beyond would prove unprecedented in the annals of human history. Sadly, this "War to End All Wars" proved to be anything but, and instead planted the seeds of an even greater conflict to come a mere quarter century later.    

Thus, in an eerie repeat of history, Germany's Adolf Hitler ordered upwards of two million soldiers across the German border into Poland before dawn on Friday, September 1, 1939, commencing one of the largest military invasions in human history. Less than two years later, Hitler gave the same order to nearly FOUR (4) million Wermacht soldiers, directing them to invade the largest nation on Earth (the Soviet Union) in the most expansive invasion in world history. No military campaign has ever been waged on the scale of Operation Barbarossa—before or since.

In addition to Poland and the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany also invaded Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Few others in history (i.e. Alexander the Great, the Romans, and Napoleon Bonaparte) had undertaken such an ambitious conquest of Continental Europe. And no preceding conquerer had ever proceeded with such an evil aim of genocide roiling in his heart, mind, and soul.   

 

The threat of a a major land invasion once again looms large in Europe.

The prolonged series of cascading calamities that accompanied these invasions was unprecedented and has been well chronicled along the historical timeline of World War II—the deadliest armed conflict in humanity's long and colorful history.

In consideration of the fateful events of 8/4/14 and 9/1/39—and others like them throughout history—any thoughtful observer of history is understandably alarmed by current events transpiring along the Ukrainian border in Eastern Europe and off the coast of Taiwan in the South China Sea. 

It is no secret that history tends to repeat itself, at least generally speaking. And while individual historical events rarely presage future occurrences precisely, the foremost purpose of studying history is unquestionably to inform current issues and infuse them with wisdom to avert future disasters. Sadly, this recurring harvest of collateral wisdom is too often ignored by power brokers in the present, thus leading the human race into calamity-after-calamity that could and ought to have been avoided. Indeed, it seems as thought the temptation for a dictator to think he is "different" or "special" compared to conquered conquerers of the past is all-too-often too great to resist. 

Queen Victoria of Great Britain
Grandmother of King George V
and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In 1914, the power brokers were Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King George V of England, and Tsar Nicholas of Russia. Amazingly, all three of these monarchs were first cousins, with the former two being grandsons of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of Great Britain. The ensuing calamity brought on (in part) by the strained relations of these three cousins resulted in the Great War (World War I), which claimed the lives of 10 million soldiers, another 10 million civilians, and wounded another 20 million combined (40 million total casualties).  

In 1939, the aggressors were Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito of Germany, Italy, and Japan, respectively. To a lesser extent, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union was also an aggressor when he invaded Poland from the east, thereby carving up the country after Hitler invaded from the west. However, Stalin later joined the Allies after Hitler predictably reneged on their alliance and invaded the Soviet Union.

The Allies were led by Winston Churchill and King George VI of Great Britain, and Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States. The ensuing calamity was twice as costly as the First World War in terms of human deaths, to say nothing of the unprecedented material destruction.

In 2022, the power brokers on the aggressor side are Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Xinping of China, and the tyrannical regimes in Iran and North Korea. Those defending democracy and freedom include a quasi-united front of Western Allies spanning the balance of the globe from the Ukrainian border all the way to Australia in the South Pacific and Southern Indian Oceans. 

Have we not seen this story and sung this song before... more than once?

          Will the third chapter/verse of this story and song be different than the first and second?

                    Is World War III imminent? 

The answer to the first question is unquestionably "YES."

The Winter Olympics may be the last thing standing in the
way of Vladimir Putin's well-chronicled imperial ambitions.

The answer to the second question is: We do not presently know for sure. If I were a betting man, I'd wager good money that Putin will not pull the trigger on any kind of major invasion or minor incursion into Ukraine until after the close of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Any action against Ukraine before the closing ceremonies of the XXIV Olympiad would upstage Putin's ally, Xi, something that is not in either of the rulers' interest. Chances are, however, that Putin will give the order for his troops to move relatively soon after that.

Although I'm sincerely hopeful Putin will choose to pull back his troops and abandon his imperial aims and designs, history suggests that such an abandonment is unlikely. 

The answer to the third question is: hopefully not! 

Nevertheless, the threat of such a dire calamity remains, and citizens of nations everywhere should recognize the growing threat inherent in events transpiring along the frontiers of Eastern Europe and the shores of Southeast Asia.

Initially speaking, a Russian invasion of Ukraine will no more bring about World War than Germany's invasion of Poland. After all, it took 21 additional months before Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and 27 more months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, turning a bi-regional conflict into a full-fledged, multi-fronted world war. Broader conflicts do not materialize overnight. They develop incrementally over time. That is why NOW is the time for Western Leaders everywhere to take clear, strong, wise, and united actions aimed at preventing present events from entering the slippery slope that leads treacherously and inevitably toward global conflict.  

There are different opinions about what Vladimir Putin will decide to do. Some say his troop buildups are a bluff intended to obtain leverage and other gains without having to invoke military action. Hopefully, such voices are right. Unfortunately, history is scant when it comes to stories of massive troop-buildups that all-of-a-sudden pull back and disregard their well-laid out dreams, plans, and hopes of conquest.

On the other hand, history is replete with examples of the foolhardiness of attempting to appease bullies without invoking clear and strong RED LINES and then inviolably defending them.

Perhaps the most famous historical example of appeasement involved Great Britain's Neville Chamberlain signing the infamous "Munich Agreement" with Hitler in 1938. Chamberlain flew back to Great Britain with the signed treaty and a smile, claiming he had secured "Peace for our Time." In reality, he merely handed over Czechoslovakia to Hitler while emboldening him to accelerate Nazi imperial ambitions by turning them towards the West, imperiling France... and then endangering Great Britain itself. 

Neville Chamberlain (forefront/center) with Adolf Hitler (far left).

After Chamberlain's return to England, Winston Churchill famously scolded him by saying: "You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war." 

Churchill was right.

Chamberlain's appeasement strategy was well-intentioned—Europeans were understandably loathe to incite a fight after enduring the horrors of the Great War just one generation earlier. Nevertheless, history has judged Chamberlain dishonorably and war indeed came to Europe... in a fashion twice as devastating as the previous world war he trying to avoid replicating.  

For this—and other historical instances like it—Freedom Focused recalls Winston Churchill's warnings of the 1930s and ECHO'S them clearly and distinctly to all Western Leaders in the 2020s. Appeasing Putin and Xi will only further imperil the very PEACE you are trying to protect.

This geopolitical caveat is not complicated. It is something even kindergartners must learn on the playground: if you don't stand up to bullies, bullies feel empowered to continue (and extend) their bullying.

That's just the way things are in this war-weary world of wayfaring woe.   

I learned this lesson myself in middle school, and my life forever took an empowered trajectory toward greater confidence and peace because I chose to stand up to my bully. Fortunately, I was able to solve things diplomatically (through my parents and school administrators). Obviously, diplomatic solutions should always be exhausted before resorting to brute force. But, if a bully will not respond to any other stimulus, force is (sadly) necessary to terminate the bullying and ensure the peace moving forward.  

Last Friday signaled the beginning of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Sadly, the global harmony that has often marked Olympic Games in the past seems like a distant memory, as these games have been badly stained and soured not only by Russia's aggressive behavior against Ukraine, but also by a variety of human right's abuses coming out of mainland China; and that is to say nothing of the CCP's (China's Communist Party) ongoing military buildup in the South China Sea and the looming threat of a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan. Highlighting these ominous events was China's Xi Xinping and Russian's Vladimir Putin's much publicized meeting the day of the Opening Ceremonies, aimed at further solidifying their own alliance while amping up their united rhetoric against the West.

Make no mistake, Putin and Xi have their eyes and hearts set on commandeering their weaker neighbors just as surely as Adolf Hitler and Emporor Hirohito had their eyes and hearts set on Europe and Southeast Asia in the 1930s. Both are driven by historical legacies that affirm global hegemony for both the Russian and Chinese nations and peoples. After all, what did Vladimir Putin label "the worst geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th Century"? Answer: the Fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ever since that famous fall from power, Putin's every thought, word, and action has been channeled toward one, focused objective: right that perceived wrong by re-establishing the lost legacy of Soviet dominance in the East—and beyond.  

It is worth noting—and vital to remember—that the calamities of 1914 and 1939 did not begin in 1914 and 1939. The Great War's roots stemmed back nearly half-a century to France's defeat in the Franco Prussian War in 1870-71, and Germany's subsequent unification, advancement, and armament.

Nazi flag flies over Paris in 1940

Likewise, long before Adolf Hitler had any power or influence in Germany, the seeds of World War II were planted the moment the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918—in French General Ferdinand Foch's personal railway car. Less than 22 years later, Adolf Hitler would receive the surrendering French leaders in the exact same railway car following the fall of Paris to the Nazis. It was the perfect revenge for the former German Corporal who felt "stabbed in the back" by his own nation's leaders and was rancorously bitter about Germany's defeat in World War I. 

The roots of the current crisis go back to China's humiliation by Japan in World War II, and more recently, to the fall of the Soviet Union and the dismemberment of its 15 satellite nations, of which Ukraine is one, in the early 1990s.  

Anyone who follows geopolitics knows that China—and to a lesser extent, Russia—has been modernizing and strengthening their military for many years now (much like Germany in the final quarter of the nineteenth century and then Japan and Germany [again] throughout the 1930s). Moreover, Putin's incursions into Georgia and his outright annexation of Crimea in the last decade remain a fresh memory in the minds of the geopolitically-informed. 

As much as virtually everyone throughout Western Civilization would like to avoid another global military crisis on par with the First and Second World Wars, the indelible pages of history paint an ominous picture of unfolding events, which are so strikingly portentous of crises to come. 

In the SAL Textbook, I touch briefly on a subject known as the "Crisis of 2020," which is a term employed by generational scholars William Strauss and Neil Howe* to describe an impeding worldwide calamity that they predicted (back in the early 1990s) will occur in years surrounding the year 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke in March of 2020, it seemed evident that we now knew just what the "Crisis of 2020" would entail. But... is it possible the pandemic is really just a relatively mild precursor (a warm-up or opener of sorts) to the main act, which is still yet to play out in coming years as the buildup of Chinese and Russian power and aggression finally comes to a head?

We don't know the answer to this question... yet.

Like the original 13 Colonies in their fight against the British in the
18th Century, Western Nations must ally themselves together in the
fight against Communism & Tyranny in the 21st Century.

But this much we do know: if Western Civilization—and the principles and values of democracy it claims to cherish and champion—is to prevail in the face of this newest threat to individual liberty, personal freedom, and government of the people, by the people, and for the people,* then we better be prepared to abandon the divisiveness that has so cancerously cankered our politics in recent decades. We do not know for certain what the future will bring. But this much we do know: when confronted by any serious foe, be it internal or external, we must, in the words of Benjamin Franklin: all hang together, or many of us will undoubtedly hang separately.  

In 1860, a political outsider and prairie lawyer named Abraham Lincoln became his party's unlikely nominee and victor of the U.S. Presidency after building his campaign on the universal principle and premise that, "A House divided against itself cannot stand." Lincoln was right then, and his rightness (and righteousness) steered our nation through our greatest crisis, maintained our Union, and brought liberty to the captive souls of four million enslaved persons. We would do well now to embrace the same aphorism—which originates in none other than The Good Book—as a panacea to the divisions that have so deeply fractured our nation.  

Click HERE to buy a copy of Generations

According to Strauss and Howe:

"We project ... the Crisis of 2020 [will last] ... from 2020 to 2029. ... [It] will be a major turning point in American history and an adrenaline-filled moment of trial. At its climax, Americans will feel that the fate of posterity—for generations to come—hangs in the balance. ... Sacrifices will be asked, and given. America will be implacably resolved to do what needs doing, and fix what needs fixing." (1)

Why is it that Freedom Focused, and by extension, I personally, take so much interest in this subject known as the Crisis of 2020? 

Part of the reason stems from my personal passion for history, current events, and leadership. And part of the reason stems from the fact that I personally was born at the crossroads of two generations (GenX & Millennial) that Strauss and Howe predict will play consequential—and even pivotal—roles in the Crisis of 2020. 

On the one hand, I am one of the youngest members of Generation X (or 13ers, as Strauss and Howe refer to those born between 1961 and1981). According to Strauss and Howe, my generation "will see, and evaluate, the Crisis of 2020 with the sharpest eye of all living generations. [Moreover], by lifecycle position and peer personality, they will have the most capacity for maneuver and can be expected to produce the Crisis era's most colorful leaders and stigmatized traitors—reminiscent of... [Civil War] commanders ... [and] the managers of D-Day ... as well as isolationists and fascists." (2)

On the other hand, I am married to a Millennial (born 1982-2000), and am almost young enough to qualify as one of the eldest Millennials myself. Like the G.I. soldiers of World War II, the Millennial generation will serve as the primary generation combatting whatever horrific realities arise from the Crisis of 2020. Put the two together and those born in the late 1970s or early 1980s are—for better or for worse—destined to play prominent roles in the ensuing drama.

In addition, the Baby Boom generation (born 1943-1960) will assist Generation X as leaders, coaches, mentors, and other vital role-players throughout the crisis. Strauss and Howe underscore the unique contribution that Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers (13-ers) are destined to make, and provide counsel to both generations, as follows:

The West needs LEADERS like Washington & Lincoln for Crises ahead.

"Two generations have especially important roles in the drama ahead ... [as] the vortex of history is inexorably moving toward the Boom and 13th [GenX]. No less is riding on them than once rode on Franklin and Washington, Lincoln and Grant, or Roosevelt and Eisenhower. [In order to meet the challenges of this crisis] Americans must rely on aging Boomers to build a very unyuppielike ethic of community responsibility and principled self-sacrifice. Where[as] their G.I. parents were heroes young, history warns Boomers to expect their greatest test in old age. Similarly, future generations are counting on 13ers [GenX-ers] to graduate from Liar's Poker and mellow into midlife cautionaries, guardians of family life, and protectors against ... excess. ... Just as we are all heirs to ancestors we mostly admire, so too are we all ancestors to heirs whose admiration we should wish to earn ... [a reminder] of our sacred obligation to act as kindly toward the future as ancestral generations once did toward us." (3)

While Strauss and Howe acknowledge the reality that "any crisis with a bad ending could bring unprecedented tragedy" (4) they are ultimately optimistic about Western Civilization's capacity to triumph over whatever crucibles lie ahead. Freedom Focused concurs with this optimistic outlook.

Why?

Because we believe that in the end, goodness, rightness, and TRUTH—in which collective liberty, personal freedom, and existential growth are rooted—always win. Nevertheless, we shudder to think of the individual and collective prices that may have to be paid to claim the ultimate victory for posterity. 

Freedom & Democracy vs. Tyranny & Communism  

Make no mistake: What happens in coming days, months, and years in Ukraine and Taiwan—and beyond—will reverberate around the world for years and even decades to come. And regardless what shape and scope the fight ends up taking, it will pit tyranny against LIBERTY and dictatorships against DEMOCRACIES.

Let it be known here and now, far and wide, that Freedom Focused stands immovably, unshakably, and inviolably in solidarity with democracy and against all forms of tyranny.

As our name suggests, we are eternal supporters of LIBERTY & FREEDOM and forever pursuers of TRUTH... and if necessary, we will defend all three to the death.  

Freedom Focused holds no grudge against, nor do we bear any ill will towards, the Chinese and Russian people (or any of their allies' citizens). Indeed, we believe that most Russians and Chinese individuals are intelligent, industrious, and productive peoples who want to do the right thing. 

However, we stand definitively and unequivocally against any and all imperialistic policy aims fueled by the aggression of their misguided and power-hungry leaders.

We further oppose the communistic and dictatorial forms of government that grant such unbridled authority and power to the few or the one. While we will always remain non-partisan in our message and approach, we will never demure from our strong stance in support of democratic-republicanism and its ideological embrace of collective liberties, personal freedoms, and the supporting TRUTHS rooted in Universal Law that uphold them.    

Freedom Focused stands FOR liberty, freedom, truth, and democracy.

May God Bless the United States of America—and all of Western Civilization in this fight against totalitarianism, tyranny, and aggression, and for liberty, freedom, and truth.

May God further bless Freedom Focused to stand as a beacon of strength upon the defensive watchtower of righteousness and truth for however long said conflict(s) may last.

Lastly, may God bless each one of us to stand up for, speak out in support of, and defend unto the death those principles of Liberty, Freedom, and TRUTH upon which we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.   

—Dr. JJ

February 9, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 251st Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 250 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Notes:

* Final phrase of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

1. Strauss, W. & Howe, N. (1991). Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. New York, NY: Perennial. Page 382. 

2). Ibid. Page 415.

3). Ibid. Page 427.

4). Ibid. Page 426.