Alexei Navalny has died in a Russian prison.
As all who care are aware, Mr. Navalny was perhaps the most prominent Russian critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin during Putin’s dictatorship, arguably the most effective voice in rallying a significant segment of the Russian people against the Putin regime during its tenure. For his efforts Mr. Navalny was imprisoned on a number of occasions, and survived multiple attempts by the Russian government to maim or kill him. After being poisoned in August, 2020, he was allowed to leave Russia for Germany in order to receive treatment; I assume that Putin expected that Mr. Navalny would die outside Russia, or that if Mr. Navalny did manage to survive, he would remain in exile. Instead, when Mr. Navalny did survive and was well enough to travel, he returned to Russia, knowing he would immediately be arrested and imprisoned, and undoubtedly anticipating that he would ultimately perish.
Mr. Navalny’s was the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. May his martyrdom be a stark reminder (although none should be needed) of the brutality of the Putin regime for those being lulled into complaisance about or denial of it.
While I have used this phrase a number of times in these pages to mark the passing of individuals who have made notable contributions to our world, I think if those individuals were alive today (the late U.S. AZ Sen. John McCain particularly comes to mind), they would agree that it has never been nor will it ever be more warranted than it is for Mr. Navalny.
Requiescat in pace.
McCoy's Noise 
Sorry, I think Alexi was dumb as a box of rocks for going back to Russia. What did that really accomplish? I’ll bet 90% of Russians never knew he came back and probably won’t know he died for years. He would have been much more effective staying in Europe and making comments that would be transmitted by relatively unbiased media as opposed to what he did.
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I thought he could have been more effective if he had stayed in Europe and spoken out from there.
Jim, do you think Putin is still alive? So many messages of him having cancer and not getting better. I also know he’s had several men made to look like him. with the idea that this “Putin” could be controlled.
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I know Putin uses doubles from time to time, but am pretty sure that unfortunately, he’s still alive. The war – despite now going a bit better for Russia — remains overall such a strategic blunder that it’s hard to believe anyone else who could disclaim responsibility would continue it!
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