Ukraine Problem

Letters from O'Brien #6

Dear Mr Smith,

It is a little difficult not to think about the Ukraine right now. I feel it is therapeutic for myself to write down the thoughts - and who better to write to than you, Mr Smith, and of course to share with your readers.

As you are well aware, we are - for the first times in the lives of many - witnessing another war between first world powers. The commonly held belief by intellectuals that the days of large scale warfare was behind us has - like most public intellectual beliefs - been proven false (please pardon my complete cynicism toward such intellectualism). 

The specifics surrounding the happenings within Ukraine are still mirky. The reality being portrayed by the media may or may not be accurate - who can believe what the ‘mainstream’ media portray these days? Regardless, the situation within Ukraine has forced us to face certain realities. 

SOVERIGNTY

If all of what is being reported about Ukraine is true, then I believe the response of the West will be essential in shaping the future of the world. This will directly impact Chinas view on expansion, Indias view on reliability, Turkey and Irans view on increasing regional power, etc. 

My point, dear Mr Smith, is not to bore you with geopolitics, but rather highlight what I feel are a few important points. Firstly, it is necessary for us to recognise national and individual sovereignty regardless of the political noise. For example there have been claims of corruption within the Ukrainian government. Is this a problem? Of course. Should it dictate the outcome of national sovereignty? Almost certainly not. 

The Ukrainian people may have leadership problems, but as it currently stands so do most nations. This has blinded some people to the negative consequences of Russian aggression. What happens in the Ukraine will shape what inevitably happens in Kazakhstan, and of course Taiwan, to name two of the nations where foreign interference will have a huge impact in coming months.

What is disturbing - but not at all surprising - is the unapologetic justification of Russian actions by American citizens that I’ve been reading. Social media appears full of posts trying to spin a narrative in which Russia’s actions are a direct fault of the US, and therefore - despite being thousands of miles away - America is ultimately to blame for the conflict. 

To my surprise, the same even holds true in conspiracy communities online. Many of these communities have been vital in broadcasting what would otherwise be State censored information, however in recent weeks there has been a shift in tone. Whether it be the ties between Ukrainian and US statesmen doing questionable things, to the belief that this is a CIA operation to help usher in the Great Reset, each and every narrative appears to be painting America as the ultimate evil. By the current logic, all of Russias actions are not only justified, but America should further withdraw to nullify any more ‘evil’ emerging from its mere existence.

REALITY 

The true scale of what is happening is not exactly clear, however if history tells us anything, it is that what is currently taking place will dictate the geopolitical outlook of tomorrow. Americas ability to project power may still be strong, but its reliability as a nation representing liberty and justice will dwindle - much damage has already been done. 

While I have no doubt that many conspiracies surrounding what is currently taking place may either be true, or at least true in part - particularly groups taking advantage of the scenario - this should not detract from the point; that national sovereignty is important, and often brushed over by many US citizens. 

The idea that this is merely part of an act to usher in a one world government is not necessarily ridiculous - we have seen such large scale moves in the past - but it is decisive in a population backing a particular show of force. We saw this in Vietnam; with the exception of the Battle of Hue, the US military was pushing the communist North Vietnamese to the breaking point, and lost no major battles against them. However, the population believed the US was on the run, and that greedy businessmen were behind such a war (many Vietnamese immigrants would say otherwise), and as such the only logical response was passivism. Several Viet Cong and NVA leaders would admit after the war that they cared more about the ‘battle on the streets of New York’ than the fighting in their own country, since they knew that it would impact the outcome of the war. 

It seems obvious to me that we in the West are living in a state of social and political disarray. The truth cannot easily be distinguished, nor can we tell who to trust, who to support, or what to fight for. The US is resoundingly similar to 1930s Britain, which was a superpower on the decline. Both the British and French were raised with a strong anti-war mentality following the First World War. Students were taught that war was meaningless bloodshed on both sides, funded by greedy bankers and weapons manufacturers (the military industrial complex idea gained strength during this time), and that the only alternative - the right alternative - was passivism. This perpetuated to the point where the UK and France had both heavily demilitarised and under-developed in the weapons sector, and were even planning to disband the Royal Air Force (who would ultimately save Britain several years later). 

Neville Chamberlain - with good intentions - went to meet with Hitler, who had executed several invasion and annexations across Europe. Chamberlain believed that Hitler only wanted certain ends, and that remaining passive with Nazi Germany would guarantee peace. The reality is that Hitler was aware of France and Britains intellectual and morale weakness, and took advantage of it. He openly admitted to his generals in 1940 that the French - who had a larger army - were ‘not the same French we fought in the last war’ and would quickly be defeated, as they lacked the morale to fight, even in defence of their own country. France fell in six weeks.

At the same time, the United Kingdom - still considered the worlds greatest superpower - was on the run from German forces in Western France and the border of Spain. The under-funded Royal Air Force could not hold back the Luftwaffe, and hunter squadrons of BF109s patrolled almost unchallenged across England. The RAF would ultimately survive, and come back to fight when Hitler ordered the bombing of civilians later in 1940. All of these problems can be attributed to a weak and naive leadership throughout the 1930s. The ‘peace at all costs’ mentality resulted in war, which ironically could have been averted if Britain and France had taken a firm stance earlier on.

I highlight these issues, because America is facing the same problem. There is no doubt that the United States is dwindling socially and politically in the eyes of the world. The will of the American people echoes that of the French before the war, and the mentality abroad appears to be similar to the British of the 1930s. The problem the United States needs to realise is that passivism will not solve problems. China and Russia do not hate the United States because of something they have done. The hate the United States purely because it exists, and no amount of passivism will change that. China in particular is aware that the Marxian system will suffer if a better alternative exists, and the United States (with all of its current flaws) is proof of that better alternative. These nations will not rest until the United States and the ideas it was built on are eradicated.

The belief that this will simply ‘blow over’ if we sit it out is uncertain at best and logically absurd at worst. Russia - like Germany in the late thirties - is testing the resolve of international leaders. In the east, China is once again sending fighter aircraft into Taiwanese airspace - a move which puts massive strain on Taiwanese pilots and aircraft who are forced to respond every time. 

I am not suggesting war with China or Russia, but strength as deterrent. The US must return to its roots, and show itself strong in the face of its adversaries. The enemies of the US are pleased to see Americans burning their own nation, because they know the alternative is a nation of people in support of individual sovereignty, liberty, and justice, united against the enemies of freedom.

Sincerely yours,

O’Brien