Political Leaders Guilty of Mass Murder of Millions

It is not necessary to have an assault rifle or the knowledge which makes one able to build a bomb to be labeled a mass murderer. Throughout history, men who led nations and used religion as a rationale are responsible for more mass murders than any deranged man with a military weapon or a mad bomber.

This tragic fact continues into the 21st century.

Just 50 years ago, Idi Amin took control of the African nation of Uganda. Over nine years, he began a process of “ethnic cleansing” and was responsible for an estimated 300,000 deaths.

While Rodrigo Duterte led the Philippines, he declared war on drug dealers and drug users. Deaths from his murderous purge range between 12,000 and 30,000.

One of Donald Trump’s friends, Kim Jong-un, has ordered 340 executions since he came into power. One hundred forty of these were government officials and at least one member of his own family. No one knows how many of his own people have been locked in virtual concentration camps and left there to die.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, began attacks on the civilian population of Yemen in 2018. So far, approximately 377,000 men, women, and children have been murdered. During his term in office, Trump approved the purchase of weapons of mass destruction by the Saudis for a price in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Not counting the number of opposition leaders poisoned by Vladimir Putin, and looking only at the number of deaths in Ukraine since February 24, approximately 1,300 civilians and military have been murdered by Russian soldiers. Not only is Putin responsible for their deaths, but he is also responsible for approximately 13,500 deaths within his own military.

Early in 2021, CDC officials claimed that about 13,000 deaths from COVID-19 were the result of Trump’s failure to take immediate action to slow the spread of the coronavirus. His claim that “it would just go away,” was directly responsible for a large number of deaths.

All of these deaths occurred within the last 50 years. All of these men had complete control of their governments. One crazed man is responsible for the deaths of innocent people in every situation. This must stop.

I do not care who you are, life is hard. For some, it is a physical impairment. Others face mental problems or problems that create stress and sadness, and all of the above for a few others. To allow one madman to add unnecessary pain is unthinkable.

“The truth lives here,” and from the time when recorded history began, men with power were responsible for mass murders. Monarchs, Emperors, and religious leaders waged wars on weaker opponents. Some of the deadliest battles in history were ordered by two religious leaders during the Crusades.

As more powerful weapons were invented, the number of lives lost increased. The evilest man in history, Adolf Hitler, is directly responsible for 70-85 million lives taken too soon from 1939 through 1945.

Another of my favorite quotes that are all too true: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Today the people of Ukraine are suffering because the Moscow Madman has absolute power over Russia. I would like someone to explain to me why President Biden was wrong to suggest that Putin must be removed from power.

The truth is, Putin can only be removed by a revolution. Like all dictators, he and he alone controls elections and every government official in Moscow. If threatened by outside forces, he will retaliate in any manner possible, including launching ICBMs carrying nuclear warheads.

There are monsters out there, and they are rich and powerful, seldom facing the punishment they deserve.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Sources:

CNBC News: Ukraine suspends evacuations amid safety fears; Russia, Ukraine prepare for face-to-face talks; by Chloe
The Economist: How many people have been killed in Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs?
History: Idi Amin

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of occupyDemocracy’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Jeon Han Courtesy of Republic of Korea’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License