Sam Smith - The last few weeks are the first occasion in my entire life that I have spent any time considering the fate of Ukraine. We now find ourselves in a major conflict over a place that previously hasn't been worth thinking - let alone fighting - about.
Before we get much deeper into this matter it might be worthwhile considering how much of the world we - purportedly a model of democracy - rightfully get to decide how it's run. If Ukraine's future is our responsibility and right, then where isn't and what is the correct description of a country that assumes such a role?
Admittedly, a few decades ago we might have been dropping bombs instead of threatening sanctions but the question remains: how much of the world's future does America get to determine? It's not a bad question to be discussing, especially with the fate of Taiwan still in doubt.
One alternative force has been the United Nations but it seems to have little impact at times like this. Another would be for the US to act in alliance not just with NATO countries but with a more varied collection. Unfortunately our politicians and the media prefer to cast this as just another US-Russia crisis.
If we want to describe ourselves as a democracy than we should act that way not only domestically but in dealing with global matters. We need to share our efforts with other countries for a collective result and not just another declaration by the US as to what we do next.
1 comment:
War is stupid, democracy critical. And the people of Ukraine have the right to self determination, We all know the US foreign policy establishment is a bunch of warmongering pigs and like Putin, have not asked the people of Ukraine what they want. I also doubt that the Ukrainian government has asked the people in far eastern Ukraine what they want. To me this is just another example of why nation states are not really a good idea, the borders and boundaries are rigid, when people are not.
I am not really sure that Ukraine is a really good example of a democracy, after all the US financed a coup there in 2014, but I do stand with the people of Ukraine in their right to self determination and resistance to invasion and occupation.
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