It’s a fair cop guv. I’m always prepared to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong big time about Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
I fully expected Russia to steamroller and flatten the place, and everybody in it, within weeks of their incursion – like our side does when we decide the ruler of some far-off land is not bending to Washington’s (and our) will.
So accustomed are we to shock and awe – the merciless destruction of everything and everybody in sight, and over the horizon too, when The West conducts a military operation, it was a bit of a surprise that ‘evil Putin’, or ‘Putler’ if you prefer, didn’t do the same in Ukraine War week 1.
Taking a logical, rational approach, it seemed obvious that a small, largely corrupt nation of limited resources in terms of people, military capability, minerals, and intelligence, would stand no chance against a Goliath nation with unlimited manpower and resources, and a well-proven iron will to resist, when it, and its people’s lives and survival is threatened. This stereotype of Russia was certainly true in the past, and seems to remain so today.
But what I hadn’t factored in was the reality that when the West destroys other nations, they are always far, far away, and peopled with brown or black persons, who have little or no realistic chance of striking back where it hurts.
The Russians are having to deal with a nation of Slavic Brothers and Sisters, with centuries-old ties, and much shared history. They are next door neighbours after all, so the Russians had to take a rather different approach.
It seems, then, that Russia’s war strategy was, and continues to be, to maintain a slow and steady process of degrading Ukraine’s forces, and by extension, NATO’s ability to destroy their country using Ukraine – while endeavouring to minimise ‘collateral damage’ (to use the Yank’s euphemism for ‘the inadvertent killing of innocent civilians’) to their neighbours.
Because the Russians have to live next door to the Ukrainians in perpetuity.
In those early days of the Russian incursion, there seemed to be several opportunities to bring the affair to an early end, but when Boris Johnson suddenly dropped everything, and rushed to Turkey to stop *elensky signing a peace treaty with Russia, the die was cast.
The average Russophobe will have cheered, as did the flag industry, because virtually everywhere has been draped in the ‘blue and yellow’ since then – as if a few years of NHS ‘blue and yellow’ Covid branding wasn’t already enough. It’s almost as if the two events were designed to have a seamless branding transition. But let’s not go there.
We all see the blue and yellow everywhere – on Twitter and X accounts, and on Facebook pages – although many of the Ukie flags flying outside people’s properties, and on flagpoles have seen better days, and quite a few have now been quietly ‘removed’.
Also, the blue and yellow attitude, and sometimes the colours, still appear mercilessly in MSM comment posts by ‘people’ who sound distinctly like brainless government psychological warfare bots, or employees of the MSM themselves.
It’s just so easy to ‘Stand with Ukraine’ – just click a button for a Ukraine frame around your profile picture, or a lovely new blue and yellow colour scheme for your site. You don’t even have to think about what standing with Ukraine really entails.
The Territorial Integrity Argument
I can see Ukraine Standers’ point that we have to resist those who invade other countries either as conquests, or to right some perceived wrong, or to nullify a potential ‘threat’.
But don’t our side do that sort of thing from time to time – often without permission? And can that sort of intervention never be justified? Even whether diplomatic negotiations have been attempted, or not, or have failed, and whether or not agreements have been honoured?
The Democracy Argument
I can also see Ukraine Standers’ point that we have to defend ‘democracy’. But where were the Standers when the EU, doing Washington’s bidding, were big players in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Ukraine?
Was that coup really in the interests of the Ukrainian people, or was it really designed to serve long-term Western interests and plans instead?
Other Arguments
I’ve tried to find other reasons for supporting the war, and the push for the inevitable ever-greater escalation, plus the deployment of increasingly powerful and longer and longer range missiles to strike deeper and deeper inside Russia. But it’s not easy.
Certainly attacks on Russia’s military equipment facilities and civilian targets inside Russia will cause difficulties, but surely will only deliver a relatively modest benefit for Ukraine’s oft-stated aim of ejecting the Russians from their territory – completely.
The best other argument I can come up with for escalating the war (rather than seeking an end to it), is that it’s a great real-world opportunity for testing and improving the kill power of NATO weapons, and great sales promotion for Western arms manufacturers.
There may be other reasons, but not being a military expert, or strategist, they aren’t immediately obvious to me.
Maybe all those with blue and yellow in their social media profiles, who keep pushing an inferior force to fight for some kind of Utopian ‘ultimate victory’, whatever the cost, and however long it takes, rather than wanting an end to the conflict, and a just and rational settlement, need to take a good hard look at themselves, because there certainly are some negative aspects to this conflict:
There’s a great risk of escalation to open conflict between NATO and Russia – and that means nuclear – either in the short-term (by accident), or as an inevitable consequence of a long and ever-widening conflict.
The acceptance of the senseless waste of so many lives in what is a totally unnecessary war.
The ruination of the ‘Breadbasket of Europe’.
The seeding of Ukrainian territory with unexploded ordnance, mines and cluster bomblets, that will take forever to clear up, and will maim and kill Ukrainians for many years to come.
The diversion of billions of Western taxpayers money to the offshore bank accounts of corrupt Ukrainian and Western politicians.
Black Market sales by corrupt officials of sophisticated Western weaponry supplied to Ukraine, and those weapons ending up in the hands of criminals and terrorists.
The elimination of the best and fittest male members of the Ukrainian population on an industrial scale.
The souring of relations for generations to come between neighbours Ukraine and Russia.
The extension of the policy of genocide of Russian-speaking civilians in the former East Ukraine, to Russian civilians in Russia.
The continued isolation of Russia forcing the country to become ever more self-sufficient and self-contained.
The transformation of Russia into a formidable weapons development and manufacturing nation, and the boost to the profile of the Russian military.
The bolstering of extreme Ukrainian nationalism, and Nazism.
The depletion of the arsenals of Western nations, leaving them ever more vulnerable to attack and possible defeat.
The weakening of Western influence, and the increasing rejection of Western nations because of their warmongering, duplicity, unreliability, and colonial attitudes – and the consequent strengthening of Russia and non-aligned nations.
The damage caused to Western nations through self-harming ‘sanctions’, leading to higher energy prices, increased production costs, and declining sales in world markets.
Mass immigration from Ukraine into European countries that can’t cope with the floods of people they’ve already been seeing for years.
The acceptance of the US-organised coup that started the whole thing off.
There are other aspects too, which some might consider benefits:
The consolidation of globalism in Ukraine, and the country’s loss of national identity and sovereignty.
A booming Ukrainian refugee prostitution business in EU countries, with vendors’ wares no doubt available at bargain prices due to a glut in supply.
A boost to the so-called ‘child factories’ producing identity-free children for the use of paedophiles, and for body parts.
A massive boost to the people trafficking industry.
A booming new trade in human organs taken from dying, euthanised and dead Ukrainian and Russian soldiers.
And of course the huge profits being made by the MIC, and its investors.
Despite the desire of ordinary peace-loving people around the world to see an end to the death and destruction that’s been unleashed, the sad fact is that the new Uke fans with their blue & yellow, and their hatred of Russia and its people and values, will make sure there’s no end to it any time soon.
And don’t forget the crooked politicians and media, and the corporate interests making ever-growing profits from the conflict. Blessed are the peacemakers. But where are they?
© text & images NeverUpToTheJob 2023
