Any sentient human being who has followed the horrific invasion of Ukraine over the last few weeks could come to but one conclusion: Vladimir Putin is a delusional murderous thug. Delusional because he thought Ukrainians would lie down and cry “Uncle!” A murderous thug because he has no problem killing women, children and babies while razing cities in pursuit of his goal. Incredibly, 58% of Russians support the invasion. Apparently, they believe Putin’s big lie: he had to invade Ukraine to save their citizens from Nazism. Never mind that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky lost family in the Holocaust. Details, details.

Hmmmm….. gullible people willing to believe a big lie because they don’t want to admit that their guy is a narcissistic con man willing to bend the truth to his will, no matter the consequences to the country he purports to serve? Yes, it happens. Ever heard of the January 6th insurrection, the one sparked by the big lie trumpeted by Trump and his right-wing media stooges? He claims that he actually “won” the 2020 presidential election, all evidence to the contrary. And the majority of GOP voters have bought into the lie.

But wait, Trump diehards might argue, you can’t lump Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin. That’s unfair. Oh really? Let me count the ways.

Let’s talk about censorship and fake news. Putin has tried to shut down all independent media in Russia so that the citizens won’t get the real news. He won’t let the truth set them free. Trump has taken a different tack: Everything not favorable to him is “fake news.” And his supporters have bought the line.

Fox News proves the exception to the fake news rule. People like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity have long been willing to carry water for Trump, thereby currying favor with Trump and his base. Fox has also been kind to Putin and Russia. Carlson once asked, “Why should I not root for Russia, which I do?” Trump initially said Putin was a genius for invading Ukraine; now he’s backpedaling and claiming that Putin has changed. Too late, Trump, you’ve made your bed with the devil. And, it must be said, the devil is happy with Fox News. The Russian government has pressed media outlets to highlight Tucker Carlson’s commentary, which is favorable to Putin.

Trump and Putin tolerate no dissent. You’re either with them or you’re gone. The Russian government just sentenced leading Russian dissident Alexi Novolny, who survived a nerve gas poisoning, to nine years of prison for bogus reasons. Trump’s January 6th hooligans wanted to “hang Mike Pence,” the man who bowed down to Trump for four years, because the Vice President wouldn’t overturn the election. Trump remains furious with Pence; he even noted that he won’t have Pence on the ticket if he runs for president in 2024. (In my opinion, Trump has no intention of running, but he needs to keep the idea alive in order to squeeze more money from his gullible followers.) Trump is also working hard to oust any Republican who hasn’t toed the Trump line.

Trump and Putin are both happy to reward their wealthy inner circles. Putin’s oligarchs have Putin to thank for their riches, even though they might now lose their multi-million dollar yachts because of the Ukraine invasion. Trump got a huge tax cut passed in 2017; it’s estimated that one-third of the benefit went to the wealthiest one percent of the population. Shortly after the bill was passed he boasted to his wealthy friends at a gathering at Mara Lago, “You all just got a lot richer.”

Here’s the cautionary message of the Putin/Trump comparison: bad things happen when a megalomaniac takes control of a country. Fortunately, Donald Trump hasn’t been able to bring down our democracy. That said, Republican-controlled legislators around the country are trying to overturn election laws ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Every citizen from either political party who truly cares about America must remain ever vigilant if we are to preserve our fragile democracy.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.