The Old War-Makers
Do you know who suffers most from the decisions of aging, authoritarian politicians? Do you know from where these old men issue their grand decrees in this 21st century? It’s certainly not from the battlefield, nor from atop a horse as Alexander the Great or Napoleon once did, men who understood the weight of the conquering carnage they delivered. Nonetheless, the core of their decision-making process remains unchanged: egomaniacal, despotic behavior fueled by a profound sense of avarice.
As of the first quarter of 2026, we’re witnessing an eternal backlash against freedom and the absence of conflict. Four major “grandfathers” stand at the center of the perpetual conflicts they themselves ignited: Putin, Netanyahu, Trump, and Xi. These four have never held a weapon in combat; they don’t know the suffering of a trench or the pain of a wound. They’ll never send their own offspring into battle, nor will they ever personally endure an economic crisis. The only thing these men will eventually face is death, likely accompanied by the decay of the mind and body.
Vladimir Putin (73): It has been four years since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His stated goal was to “protect” the Russian community in the Donbas and “denazify” the Ukrainian government. The irony is staggering, coming from a man who works relentlessly to build Russian nationalism with the Orthodox Church as his primary driver. A mirror to his soul reveals a leader plagued by mythomania and a bipolar disconnect from reality.
Donald Trump (79): Already exhibiting signs of senile behavior and requiring frequent naps, his body is clearly preparing for the afterlife. Yet, in his second term, he has ordered the bombing of Venezuela, Nigeria, Iran, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. He continues to threaten the annexation of Greenland and has established the “Board of Peace,” acting as its eternal chairman. There, he demands countries pay one billion dollars simply to hear him deliver incoherent, fact-free ramblings.
Benjamin Netanyahu (76): This is a man who has spent nearly forty years orchestrating the Palestinian genocide and the current war with Iran. After four decades of social manipulation, one can only imagine his private thoughts. He likely uses cardboard diagrams to explain to his family why he’s somehow different from the very executioners of Jewish history.
Xi Jinping (72): While he has not yet driven his country into an open, large-scale war, the “Justice Mission 2025” naval blockade served as a chilling message to the world. Domestically, he continues to hold his citizens under an authoritarian whip. His infamous “Social Credit” system allows him to oversee the minutiae of every citizen's life, even as he maintains the brutal oppression of minorities such as the Uyghurs and Tibetans. Furthermore, he remains obsessed with folding Hong Kong and Taiwan into his “pocket,” finding it inconceivable that independence or freedom could exist within his sphere of influence. Like a predatory patriarch, he has forced developing nations to seek economic aid under terms that amount to little more than total submission to his will.
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