About the smear campaign promoted by some against him

Yesterday Churchill, today Zelensky: the raison d'être of certain critics in a time of war

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the figure of Volodimir ZelenskY, the president of that country, has been the target of constant smear campaigns.

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I think it is necessary to clarify that criticizing a politician, whoever he is, is something legitimate. Zelensky, like any other human being, makes mistakes and can give rise to the most varied opinions. If I were a Ukrainian citizen, he surely would not have voted for him in the elections that brought him to the presidency. But even from the discrepancy, it is fair to give Zelensky enormous merit: he stayed in his country to lead the defense of Ukraine. Other politicians would have fled as soon as they found out that a power had invaded his country. That is what has greatly strengthened Zelensky's leadership in Ukraine, and also the pro-Russian campaign against him. A campaign that is already very brazen.

Obviously, the Russian and pro-Russian propaganda media are not attacking Zelensky because he is imperfect, but because he personifies the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion. A resistance in which the Ukrainian people are showing heroism and patriotism that are worthy of admiration, and should be especially admired by all who regard patriotism as a virtue. It is really strange and absurd to see so-called patriots attacking Zelensky for not surrendering to Putin after the Russian dictator ordered an invasion of Ukraine. It is incomprehensible that people who praise patriotism detest Zelensky precisely for refusing to see his Homeland humiliated and surrendered in the face of aggression.

This is not the first time something like this has happened in history. At the start of World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was subjected to much the same smear campaign, not only by the Nazis and their sympathizers, but also by those Brits who thought the best it was to make peace with Hitler and disengage from the allied countries that had been attacked by Germany (such as Poland and France). Churchill was as imperfect a character as Zelensky, just like King George VI. Perhaps when it comes to wishing for leaders, many expect to see fantastic characters like Superman appear, but the reality is very different . What is admirable is not that a superhero does great things in a mythical story. What is admirable is that real and imperfect people are able to lead a country with courage and success in very dark times, where others would have given up their position and risk.

Smear campaigns against Zelensky, like those suffered by Churchill, are not intended to legitimately criticize a person's imperfections. I am convinced that many of those who contribute to such campaigns would not mind looking the other way if a flawed or even obnoxious guy were politically sympathetic: just look at the number of attacks Zelensky receives from those who don't give a single critique of a criminal tyrant like Putin. In fact, it's tremendously hypocritical that the same people who point out all kinds of defects in Zelensky, at the same time remain silent when talking about Putin or even applaud that dictator.

If some people attack Zelensky, they do so for what he represents, and not for what he is. The attacks are aimed at the surrender of Ukraine, although many useful idiots don't realize it. That Zelensky is not a perfect person is not the problem. What they find wrong is that Zelensky refuses to do something that those same people would consider an act of treason if it were done by the government of his country in the face of a foreign invasion.

For my part, there will be time to criticize Zelensky when Ukraine has won the war and expelled the invaders. As long as the president of Ukraine continues to symbolize his country's resistance against Russian aggression, he will have my my support and respect, just as the government of my country would have if it did the same in the face of an invasion, regardless of the political color of the government.

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