Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov analyses 2023's Russia
Russia's Nobel-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov, whose newspaper was closed by the authorities, speaks about Russia's war in Ukraine. Does president Putin have a support base he asks? He answers himself: an enormous one of mainly elderly people who see Putin as their own grandson as they are pleased he wishes them each year "Happy New Year". Many of those elderly wouldn't mind sending their real grandchildren to die for Putin. In contrast, many younger people oppose the war against Ukraine, and many of them are now even imprisoned. So, he hopes the future of Russia will be different.
But yes, while Russian propaganda tries to convince Russians that even nuclear war may be something positive, there are also people in the West who create their own propaganda to justify their support for Russia, and condemn Ukraine because it wants to remain a free democracy, and therefore opposes Russia's invasion.
One year war in Ukraine and protests to halt the war
We are already five months after the sad one year remembrances that Russia invaded Ukraine. On that remembrance day, in Western countries people protested against the war because normal people don't want war. Still, how blind can people be such as in Berlin where extreme left protested together with extreme right because they find that Ukraine should stop defending itself so they think that Russia will negotiate a peace deal. Of course Russian president Putin will not when he is handed over victory, but instead he will control Ukraine, and be encouraged to go further. Also elsewhere such as in London, radical left took to the streets to demand the capitulation of Ukraine, protests disguised as protests for peace; at least many supporters of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn didn't agree with him on this.
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| Brussels' opera house shows support with the many people killed, including children, in Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol |
Also the left-wing Brazilian President Lula da Silva told Ukraine it will have to give in, instead of condemning Russia's aggression towards another country. Can you even remain neutral, certainly when Russia threatens, even with violence, to block the export of food to the rest of the world so it may create a worldwide famine? Of course, people may say that in earlier posts I supported the invasion of the USA in the country Afghanistan; indeed, after earlier attacks against USA targets in Africa, nearly 3000 people were killed on 9/11/2001 by a terrorist who was protected by the Taliban. Would it be normal if the USA didn't act? The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is different as Ukraine didn't attack Russia first.
Remember Belarus where protests for more democracy were violently ended. I didn't hear that extreme left came on the streets in support of the demonstrators, in contrast to EU countries that spoke out against the government violence against demonstrators. The result of that violence: the Belarusian president is still in power with the support of Russia's president Putin, and now Belarusian president Lukashenko must support Russia in the war against Ukraine, including the storage of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. Already president Lukashenko helped Putin to survive as he claims he stopped the revolt of the Wagner mercenaries who fought against Ukraine but later seemed to have turned their aggression against Russia. Further, he may use them during next year's election to keep himself in power. Still, was that mutiny real, or a set-up as it seems odd?
Compare with protest in Brussels in support of Ukraine. Here Iranian women showed support for Ukraine because they know what it means that people want freedom. Indeed, Iran's regime sides with Russia as Russia doesn't condemn Iran's government when it uses violence against, and even kills, its own demonstrators of whom many are women who want freedom such as not wearing a headscarf, freedom that seems is only possible with a regime change, just as Ukrainians ousted their president in 2014 when he wanted closer ties with Russia, and just as Belarusians tried in their own country but failed. And thus Iran continues to side with Russia such as providing drones.
Such a déja-vue feeling with the 1930s when people said that countries shouldn't oppose Adolf Hitler's regime, and so nazi Germany could increase its army to invade Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, where it committed atrocities against people the regime didn't like, mainly but not exclusively against Jews. In the end, Hitler still ordered the invasion of Western countries where individuals worked together with Germany for "peace" in their own country, while other humans suffered severely as those individuals actively collaborated with Germany to arrest opponents. Hitler also broke the peace agreement with Stalin's USSR and invaded the USSR that ultimately, together with attacks by Western allies, resulted in the collapse of Hitler's regime. By allowing Hitler to grow, it didn't prevent WWII.
Extreme left blames, at least partly, the West and its NATO as their extreme left ideology is anti Western, and thus anti-democracy, whereby for them the West is always wrong. Extreme left is an ideology that claims people should stand-up against their oppressors, but when people do so such as in Ukraine and Belarus but also in Syria, than extreme left criticises the West when it wants to protect people that it wants to control those areas. Still, why is it that most East European countries that were part of the USSR, or under its influence sphere until the collapse of the USSR, want to be on the side of the West if belonging to Russia's influence sphere was such a positive experience; or was it not? Countries that want to be under Russian influence are often run by dictators such as in Belarus (see higher), Chechnya, Syria, Myanmar, or where governments have questionable relations with the media and jurisdiction so people protest against possible greater influence by Russia over their country, such as in Georgia.
Many of the extreme left claim to support
- equality between women and men,
- LGBTQ+ rights,
- workers rights,
- multicultural societies.
Still, following an ideology without thinking is wrong as dictators often oppose those rights. Yes, also in the West not everything is perfect. But, ironically, by blaming the West, they may bring extreme capitalists in power, such as the Republicans in the USA of whom many don't see anything wrong with Putin while they oppose support for Ukraine. Further, President Putin seems to be extremely wealthy something communists hate in the West, although no-one really knows, thus he could be a target for anticapitalists. (Now, it seems Putin no longer likes to share so he alienates previous supporters who he considers to be enemies, and many wealthy even died since the start of the war in Ukraine. But yes, Putin has reasons to fear that he may be ousted now that he appears weaker than originally thought, although the mutiny still seems strange to me.)
Of course, the West made mistakes when it supported Iraq's Saddam Hussein. This was not only for cheap oil and gas as many claim, but also in the ideological division between the democratic West versus communist USSR whereby Iraq was used against Iran. This has been corrected by the second invasion of Iraq that removed Saddam Hussein from power, although this should have been done during the first war. But instead of gratitude, Iraqis killed each other but also US soldiers who removed a brutal dictator. Extreme left protested against the removal of this dictator while they want to arrest previous UK PM Blair who campaigned in favour of that invasion, even when the leftists know many people have been executed under Hussein, or gassed (a weapon of mass destruction which use is forbidden by the UN), and he started wars with neighbouring countries.
Protesting against the right of Ukraine to defend itself is similar to telling a woman who is raped to relax and enjoy so it is not too bad. A similar argument: criminal gangs use violence because police exist. NO. Rapists and criminal gangs are wrong and will use violence that harms others to get what they want. President Putin could have been a trustworthy partner who doesn't arrest opponents, who doesn't support dictators so they can remain in power, so countries didn't need to fear him, and didn't need to wish they are part of the NATO for protection. The invasion of Ukraine by Putin showed their fears were right.
War, a waste of talents
What a waste of talents war is. Not only because of the loss of ordinary people who together contribute to society, but also because of the death of people who create not only for today's world, but also for future generations. And thus
we lost the writer Victoria Amelina who warned that by a Russian invasion Russians will successfully execute another generation of Ukrainian culture. She became one of those victims. Also buildings, including theatres and churches such as the
cathedral of Odesa, are heavily bombed.
Thus, do people need to accept such an invasion to live afterwards in a dictatorship where they can't be themselves? Or should they oppose the invasion and risk being killed while their culture is destroyed by bombs? The brutal actions by the Russian army convince at least part of pro-Russian Ukrainians to turn away from Russia.
Maybe referenda before wars start can bring solutions when a group of people want another future than the rest of the country. But, such referenda are condemned by many as countries may split. Now a referendum is difficult as that may be seen as a victory for Putin; it is for the Ukrainians to accept such a future referendum, or not. But, no country exists until eternity.
Extreme right
And extreme right? Indeed, that is a question as in the past they were the loudest opponents of the USSR. Likely reasons for their support of Putin are opposition to the higher listed bullet points that support human rights, while Russia represents oppression of people who are different. Look to Florida where governor
Ron DeSantis doesn't seem to be worried about Putin's Russia but says he will destroy the left in his country if he may become president. The "left" for him includes LGBTQ people and people in mixed race relations and people with religions that differ from his beliefs and are practised by non-white (he is anti-woke), and atheists. Indeed, he trusts a dictator in another country more than his own countrymen.
Another reason why extreme right hates "the left" is that who they call left wants to change the oil and gas obsessed world into one that uses clean energies that doesn't mainly benefit big companies and their shareholders who give money to politicians who want to be (re)elected, on condition they support big fossil fuel companies. Similar with stricter gun laws, whereby the
National Rifle Association (NRA) pays politicians who oppose stricter gun laws, even when more guns mean more deaths. And they know.
Websites from extremist religious Conservatives discuss the Revelations in the Bible, and many Conservative politicians and their supporters refer to the Bible whereby they hope that being extreme will gain them heaven, the
Tea Party movement is an example. This extremism concerns issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ issues (
Ron DeSantis ridiculed Donald Trump who condemned violence against LGBTQ+ citizens, so DeSantis seems to endorse such violence) but also support for Israel to rebuild the Temple as prophesied, but without much respect for Jews. Similar with what extremist Muslims say. Still, all these groups hate each other, unless on their common enemies such as LGBTQs who they fear may gain power to end their influence.
Those websites also identify Russia as the evil that comes first while they warn that evil will side with evil. And while Republicans and many Democrats in the USA were and still are afraid of communism, whereby those US politicians didn't/don't make any nuance and considered everyone on the social side as wrong, hence they equal socialism with communism under the USSR, it is difficult to understand why Republicans are now almost supporters of president Putin while they fear their own citizens. Unless their opposition for above mentioned bullet points, and because they know their ego-centrism hurts ordinary Americans, so they fear the day those people will no longer accept this. That is why they hate "the left" as they understand that "the social left" doesn't make them richer and more powerful, but instead empowers democracy by educating others so they too can influence policies. This is not limited to the USA as in Norway an extreme right mass murderer killed young people on the left who wanted to discuss how to create a better multicultural society where his ideology has no longer any existence. And throughout Europe certain people hope that extreme right will gain power; it is beyond belief they hate a society in peace, although this is also because of terrorist attacks and migrants that radicalised people. Still, the problem with extreme left is that they too don't seem to understand why people oppose Putin's invasion of Ukraine as he must be good because he is anti-West, and thus they too wouldn't mind dictators, but someone else than extreme right wants, therefore they hate each other.
Ukraine has the right to defend itself
Russia invaded Ukraine, destroying buildings and killing people in Ukraine. Russia doesn't suffer except for the death of Russian soldiers who shouldn't be in Ukraine while president Putin doesn't care about their death. Still,
slowly also Russia may come under attack as more Ukrainian deaths and destruction without effect on Russia becomes untenable.
Just after the Russian invasion, Amnesty International (AI) seemed to blame Ukraine for atrocities in Ukraine as Russia attacked villages while AI suggested Ukraine located soldiers near them. I nearly ended my subscription but then remembered AI also defends others in a weak position. Afterwards
AI made a pitiful apology while AI should have condemned Russia as Putin decided to bomb civilian locations, including a
theatre with possible hundreds of deaths, including children. I acknowledge, a country that knows the enemy also kills civilians will avoid placing soldiers close to cities. But, Russia doesn't mind and continues to attack civilians, resulting in more deaths.
Now those human right groups oppose that
Ukraine can use cluster bombs in their own country against the Russian invader. Yes, those bombs can kill even after war, but again it will be Ukrainians who will die in their own country when in future unexploded bombs detonate when someone steps on them. Still, I also understand that Ukraine may one day run out of patience and use them against Russia so also Russians suffer.
Thus, at every level Ukrainians are hurt, still human right groups say they should not be allowed to defend themselves. The hypocrisy of those groups. If they really care about Ukrainians, they should go and help the Ukrainians defend their country against the aggressor, instead of pretending they care for lives, but tell Ukrainians to surrender and live in a dictatorship. Will that stop Putin to invade the next country? But, when this war continues, it becomes more likely that Ukraine will attack Russia.
Remember Hitler was allowed to invade East European countries in the hope it would stop him attacking West Europe and the USSR. It didn't stop him. Weakness encouraged Hitler. Similar after President Obama and Western allies who didn't impose their own "red lines" as they feared to attack the Syrian army when Assad used, again, bombs against its own people. It was this weakness that Putin used to defend Assad, and later used to attack others such as Ukraine. At least President Trump showed he was not afraid to attack when Assad used chemical weapons,
And, as in nazi Germany, now Russian groups seem to rise against Putin's presidency, while also neighbouring countries may advance their own agendas now Russia shows its weakness.
In conclusion
The above doesn't always seems very coherent, but what to expect from the situation? That extreme left protested together with extreme right whereby their logic that Ukraine should accept the invasion so Putin will negotiate a peace deal is difficult to understand. But, that people protest against wars is understandable.
It is normal that younger people think extreme when they want to shape the world as they envision it. However, growing up means seeing reality such as extreme left communism resulted in dictators such as Mao in China, Stalin in the USSR, the family Kim in North Korea, Pol Pot in Vietnam to name only the worst that resulted in millions of deaths. It had consequences for decades to come.
On the other hand, the West also supported its dictators while closed its eyes when those regimes abused human rights. But, increasingly this is no longer the case, hence the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and the Taliban in Afghanistan until their return to power. Also the arrest warrant against Chile's dictator Pinochet illustrates this change (although old British PM Thatcher had her own ethics and protested against this as her dear friend mainly killed those on the left). Unfortunately, because of the strong opposition by the public against mainly the invasion in Iraq, the West was too scared to side with Syrians against their dictator, and this allowed Russia to defend Assad in Syria; now Assad is back at the World stage while Syrians died and others had to leave, and they may even be sent back to their country when that seems stable. The West's refusal to stop Assad killing his people convinced Russia it can do as it wants as the West is afraid.
When people grow up, they can understand injustice such as exuberant wages for a few at the top while those at the bottom have difficulties to survive, but they should no longer support left-wing dictators, or those who oppose the West as they should understand that communism and capitalism are equals where a few take everything and the rest have less. And thus, while Jeremy Corbyn calls for the end of weapon deliveries to Ukraine so Ukraine can't defend itself against Russia, previous Corbynites no longer agree with Mr Corbyn as they understand that democracy and liberty are not given on a golden plate, but sometimes needs to be defended. Many Ukrainians, but also Belarusians, Syrians and many in other places want to live in a democracy, and for this they sometimes start revolutions. That extreme left doesn't seem to understand that people want to live in a democracy is beyond my understanding. Communists claim to be on the side of ordinary people and that people should liberate themselves from the top, in reality they don't seem to understand why people living in countries outside the West oppose leaders who oppress them, and why those people want to be part of the Western block, including the NATO in the hope it will bring stability.
When we see the destruction of lives and buildings, including a dam where Russia continued its aggression against people who wanted to leave the danger zone, instead of helping the people if it is serious it wants to liberate Ukrainians. When Russia even threatens with a worldwide food crisis and bomb a seaport and ships where grains are exported from. Than it is difficult to understand protests against a Ukraine that tries to defend itself. Than it is difficult to understand why certain countries seem to support Putin while they suffer from increased grain prices, although now Russia wants to reward their support by giving them food. Than it is difficult to understand why the International Criminal Court only wants to arrest Putin for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children although now the USA is helping to provide evidence of war crimes committed by Russia. I would have thought the ICC would be stronger so to show that no leader who orders the invasion of other countries is save from arrest. Criminals don't want police and judges, but society have them; similarly, countries don't need to recognise the ICC to understand that it can still arrest and prosecute war criminals, even when their country is a permanent of the UN's Security Council.
Yes, Ukraine needs our support because it has been attacked by a madman who has no respect for human lives, whether Ukrainian or Russian.
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