We talk about food waste all the time in our own country, but it’s a whole different experience to see waste in action.
And the newest instance of enormous waste comes from halfway around the world: Russia’s own President Vladimir Putin started a war on imported foods.
No, you didn’t read that sentence wrong.
Putin is actually waging a feud with the stuff people eat.
Not only has the Kremlin leader placed terrifying Russian bear stickers on sanctioned food, Putin has resorted to destroying food on his banned list.
The smear campaign against imported products began after last year’s sanctions created by the U.S., the EU and other allies against Russia’s aggressive actions toward Ukraine.
This pseudo war on the West includes an extensive elimination of imported products.
Like rolling tanks over imported geese and sending mounds of cheese and bacon to the incinerator.
At first we, like everyone else, laughed till our sides hurt.
Really?
You’re going to run tanks over food and tell the world you’re not going to eat their Western bacon bits? Come on, Vlad, get it together.
And yet, for a country that still has the recent memory of standing in lines for food only to be turned away, starving, this new attack on imported foods is blasphemous.
But the memories of famine aren’t just distant dreams for the Russian people; poverty rates are climbing fast and the presence of hunger is real in Eastern Europe.
The ones being punished are Putin’s own people, not Western importers who’ve already made their profit. And it’s time we put it in perspective for Putin.
Europe currently faces one of the greatest migration problems since World War II. If Putin is so vehemently against imported food, why not donate it to countries taking in refugees?
This would keep imported foods out of Russian hands, like Putin wants, but appease those who are outraged at the colossal waste.
Destroying valuable and useful resources in the belief that you’re “sending a message” doesn’t make you a powerful leader, it makes you the butt of a joke and a problem to be handled.
Though making fun of Putin is a great pastime and that boorish face is one of our favorite memes, the actions of Vladimir Putin are no laughing matter.
A harmful leader is nothing to scoff at. The discriminatory laws against the LGBT community, the continued threat on Ukraine and now the blatant waste of food are enough for the Editorial Board to add Putin to our naughty list.
Enough is enough, and it’s high time Putin puts the revolver down and stops playing Russian roulette with his own citizens.
Though there may be hope yet; according to Business Insider, more than 267,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org ordering Putin to stop destroying food and instead give it to those in need.
At this point, we’ll have to wait and see if this bully will take the words of his people to heart.
Until then, we’d like to remind Putin of the saying that you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you, but starving dogs are quicker to bite.
