Joe Biden often speaks from the heart. Whether it was good strategically to make the statement he made, I will leave to others to ponder. But can anyone not saturated with Russian state propaganda and totally isolated from the truth, doubt that the world would be better off without Putin in power?

The choice is ultimately up to the Russians. But here is their choice. They can remain a pariah state, isolated from the western economies, financial markets, and technology or they could rid themselves of Putin. They can embrace their status along with him as war criminals or they can rid themselves of Putin. They can continue to risk the escalation of the conflict he created for his own ego or they could rid themselves of Putin. They can continue to suffer the needless deaths of their own soldiers in a pointless war or they can rid themselves of Putin. They can continue to live in a ruthless autocracy where they are in fear of their lives and freedom for speaking the truth or they can rid themselves of Putin.

No, the Russians do not have to rid themselves of this unhinged autocrat with his head firmly planted . . . in the nineteenth century. But they do have some choices to make.