Exactly what our politics needs: Stalinist applause police in the Dáil

This came just after both the Irish people and Government unhesitatingly offered the Ukrainian refugees a level of humanitarian assistance that was more than a token gesture in scope and spirit.

Some of us — politicians in particular — sulk a little at Zelensky’s unintentional bad behavior. Diplomats smoothed out ruffled feathers. Ireland has been added to the long list of parliaments to receive a virtual visit.

And this time Zelensky would be properly informed.

Most of us weren’t the least bit upset by Zelenskyy’s comments in March. No one should expect a pat on the head for helping people in trouble.

Also, Zelensky is pretty busy at the moment – he has a lot on his plate.

And he can never be sure that his next moment might not be his last. He has been the target of several failed assassination attempts. At any moment, some Kadyrov thug could come out from behind a garbage can and it’ll all be over.

Zelenskyy does not waste his time with food and accommodation – others are responsible for that. He wants guns and missiles, and if you can’t—or don’t want to—serve him with guns, then he has little to say to you.

Zelensky is one of the two main reasons Wladimir Putin‘s war plan is currently up in the air. Putin himself is the other main reason.

Like all dictators, Putin did not appoint the most capable people, but the most loyal.

His appointees are loyal, servile, but prove incompetent and very, very cowardly.

High state officials are visibly nervous in Putin’s presence. Days before the invasion, Putin let in cameras to record his Security Council’s infamous public barbecue. Men wielding great power stuttered as they searched for words they hoped might be the words Putin wanted to hear.

Even as the self-deluding gangster shuffled toward war, his loyal crawlers were afraid to tell Putin his expensively “modernized” army was in tatters.

The second reason Putin’s war stalled was Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a brave man.

Putin had expected a quick, overwhelming victory. Within days the Ukrainian army would be on its knees. At that point, the political leadership of Ukraine would be sane and flee the country.

And no one would flee quicker than lightweight showbiz politician Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Across Ukraine, local leaders would follow his example and run away.

To the surprise of everyone – even his fans at home and abroad – Zelensky shot a video in which he announced that he was not going anywhere. He and his cabinet would fight.

It was a breathtaking moment, a leader who publicly displayed the bravery of the best of his leaders, standing at his post and ready to win or die.

Local leaders across Ukraine followed his example.

A proud, dedicated and motivated Ukraine defense prevailed against the cocky Russians.

In the face of fierce opposition, Putin adopted the savage’s response. He aimed his artillery at civilians. He apparently believes that if you kill enough women and children, the fighters will lose heart.

If the Russians win this war, there will be no Ukraine for at least a generation or two.

Meanwhile, evidence of Ukrainian atrocities – the murder of Russian prisoners – inevitably surface on the battlefield.

There’s a difference. There are atrocities in all wars, shooting prisoners is a war crime.

What Putin is doing is a different order of crime. He uses widespread atrocities against civilians as a weapon of war to intimidate the enemy.

Zelenskyy is a nationalist – his only goal is to ensure that Ukraine survives as a sovereign state. That’s all that counts.

So. On the one hand, a clownish, nuclear-armed dictator whose need to save face pushes him beyond the bounds of morality or caution. On the other hand, a nationalist president who sees his country’s existence at stake.

NATO stands behind Volodymyr Zelenskyj with two goals: to undermine Putin and to ensure that this conflict does not escalate.

European and American leaders know how quickly this can lead to a nuclear conflict, so they don’t agree with everything Zelenskyy wants.

There is real danger.

Zelenskyy has no hesitation in risking such an escalation – nothing matters except to save Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Whether he wants a no-fly zone or “military aid without borders,” the consequences be damned — he holds his goal sacred.

Some of Zelenskyy’s supporters in this country – the people who “call Putin’s bluff” – are demanding that we support Zelenskyy with every word. They seem to think that a nuclear weapon makes a slightly bigger bang when it goes off.

Before this is over, they can experience the difference.

When Putin’s technicians are ordered to unleash all hell, they are unlikely to overlook a specific American military transport hub – at Shannon in Co Clare. And the Russians have far more missiles than they care about.

Theoretically we are neutral. But there is a strong anti-neutrality lobby here that has already compromised that neutrality.

Which brings us back to the political and media search for TDs who didn’t applaud Zelensky – what a beautiful tribute to Mr Putin!

All the scanning of the Dáil chamber to identify those who did not applaud. “Look, he’s moving. Was that a clap?”

“No, he scratched his nose.”

Such a thing flourished in Stalinist times, when signs of deviations from the party line were noted.

It’s not an agreed, organized party line – it’s a shared mindset, groupthink, by those who share the FF/FG centrism that is the birthright of all Irish people.

I think it was instinctive to note the names of the TDs who deviated from the official line.

did he confess did he clap How hard was he clapping? Were his hands sore from clapping? Was his voice hoarse from cheering?

The culprits last week were some leftist TDs who had reservations about Zelenskyy’s policies.

They stood with the other TDs, but they didn’t applaud – I doubt it was worth making a fuss about, but there you are.

Oddly enough, the TDs who have reservations about Zelensky seem to be the only ones who realize that his goal may not be in our best interests.

I’m not interested in the reservations about supporting Zelenskyj uncritically, but rather those who thoughtlessly cheer on the man.

I mean, when they gave Zelensky full support, what did our centrist TDs think “military support without restrictions” means?

I think our parliament saw Zelenskyy as a celebrity – clearly preferable to the loutish Putin.

The Ukrainian horror is another chance for some to reflect on Irish neutrality.

For many of our politicians and their cheerleaders, the end of neutrality just means they can spend billions of euros more on weapons systems, we get new positions on NATO committees, on European Union military committees.

Think of the prospect of political maneuvering and jobs opening up for the young.

Even in an international crisis, Irish politicians do not forget what matters.