Jonathan Cook and Noam Chomsky have good pieces comparing western attitudes on the war in Ukraine to wars and occupation in Palestine and Iraq. Predictably, it’s fine to express righteous indignation towards what the Russians are doing in Ukraine but not against the US or Israel.
On one level, it’s a great relief to be in the consensus regarding the Russian invasion, but this should make us feel profoundly uncomfortable if we are not similarly anti-war-&-occupation in other cases too, when we are not within the consensus. Iraq and Palestine are excellent examples.
The mainstream press and public opinion are full of bull. We are blinded by propaganda and unconsciously drawn into hypocritical positions. The only good thing about the Russian war machine is its lack of apology and pretence, its “this is who we are” stance, though the lack of pretence is itself a pretence.
We the people lack sufficient power to stop nations in their tracks when they go on a war footing. If we are lucky, we can vote; we can register our opposition through protest. Or maybe we can grab the kids and go somewhere else – somewhere safe.
We can’t remove ourselves from the equation, however. As much as we try to exclude ourselves, we are responsible. The racism is our racism. The violence is our violence. I am the arms merchant. I am the pirate.
I am also the victim. Empathy and compassion are more appropriate than detachment, cynicism and despair. Looking for ways to help counts for more than being right.