“Putin Puppets”
Over the last two months, we’ve seen and heard a near-uniform drumbeat, a corporately funded chorus of news people, pundits, and Hollywood stars pushing for pretty much every form of military escalation in Ukraine. Curiously, there has been very little to no discussion of the possibility of negotiations, of a peace settlement put forth by anyone of prominence in government or the major mainstream media. In fact, the few scholars and pundits of pedigree that have mentioned the option of a settlement over the past month have been labeled “Putin puppets”. (1)
In This World, The One We’re Living In
It’d be nice to live in a world where everything that we think should happen is exactly what happens. It’d be nice to live in a world where perfect justice is always served. It’d be nice to live in a world where the underdog always wins and we chant our team song after the victory. It’d be nice to live in a world where the Rocky-like character never fails to eventually pull through in the end. I’m sorry to say, this is not the world we live in though folks. In this world, the one we’re living in, sometimes hard compromises have to be made in order to save lives and to move forward as a species that continues to avert extinction.
The Two Options
Every war ever fought has ended in one of two ways: 1) With negotiations that led to a cessation of fighting, or 2) With the destruction of one opponent by the other. To date, no other method for ending a war has ever been discovered.
Right now there are two options on the table when it comes to the future of the people of Ukraine. One option is a treaty involving hard compromises that will provide an out for Putin. Not a very pleasant idea, but nonetheless, an option. Is a settlement possible? Well, the way you find out if a settlement is possible is by attempting to negotiate one. The US is refusing, at this point entirely, to pursue this option.
The other alternative, the other option is to continue to steadfastly push for the elimination of any possible escape for Putin and the small enclave of men at his side. To give no other option but an eventual war crimes trial for Putin and his circle no matter what course of action they choose. In fact, UK leader Boris Johnson recently said “Sanctions will continue no matter what you do.”(2) The US and NATO, as of now, have committed fully to option number two.
By Choosing Option Number Two
By choosing option number two the US and NATO have committed to the sacrifice and destruction of Ukraine and the death of, very likely, hundreds of thousands more Ukrainian men, women and children. Option number two also lays the foundations for yet another long drawn out war that ends up harming just about everyone except the mega-rich speculators and investors who own large shares of stock in weapons manufacturing companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.(3)
Let’s not forget also that Russia and the US are, respectively, the number 1 and 2 nuclear powers on the planet right now. I trust that everyone reading this understands, at least roughly, what lies ahead if the current levels of escalation continue pushing toward this point.
The Difficult But More Humane And Sane Option
It’s important to see clearly what we’re cheerleading for when we advocate for more war between Russia and Ukraine. No matter how well meaning our intentions might seem, no matter how in the right we may feel, what we’re advocating for with our “Go Ukraine” coffee mugs, t-shirts and our yellow and blue Facebook profile pics, is the destruction of Ukraine and the deaths of thousands of innocent people, not to mention a continually increasing chance of a global nuclear war. This is why we must take a stand for the first option, the difficult but more humane and sane option.
Citations:
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbOUqWbumE&t=616s
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_2cxpkPy2Q
(3) https://theconversation.com/ukraine-the-worlds-defence-giants-are- quietly-making-billions-from-the-war-178806
