Defending Democracy in Ukraine Requires a Rifle. Defending Democracy in America Requires a Ballot.
It has been a while since I wrote anything, and honestly, the news out of Ukraine and my feelings about it were all too intense to even begin formulating thoughts to write down. Again, I mainly write just to process my own thoughts and feelings, and if others resonate with something I’ve said, then great! So, here is a “catch all” essay about everything I‘ve been thinking about Ukraine.
Had I Heard of Ukraine Before?
Some people may not be familiar with Ukraine, and that’s okay. I only know some basic history having taught high school European History for seven years. I don’t know any Ukrainian bands, writers, or celebrities. Everton FC, the Premier League team I support, recently signed a Ukrainian named Vitaliy Mykolenko. My only impression of Ukraine comes entirely from the 2005 film Everything Is Illuminated starring Elijah Wood, which I used to show to my European History class every year towards the end of the spring semester. It’s an incredible film that makes you fall in love with Ukraine and its people. It might sound dumb to say that, but it’s true. You should go watch it!
Was I Surprised When Russia Invaded Ukraine?
Was I surprised when Russian troops invaded Ukraine? Yes, I was. I had been following the military buildup for a few weeks and it didn’t look good. It was clear that China had asked Putin to hold off until after the Olympics to do whatever he was going to do, but I assumed that Russian aggression would be limited to placing troops in the two territories in eastern Ukraine occupied by pro-Russian separatists. I was completely shocked that Putin actually ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with the goal of toppling its government. It was the worst-case scenario, and while the media loves to fixate on worst-case scenarios, they rarely happen.
In a world with lots of political instability, especially in places like the Middle East, this can seem like just another instance of something “bad” happening in a “faraway” place, but this is a really big fucking deal. Unlike Iraq or Afghanistan or Libya or Syria, Ukraine is already a functioning democracy. Yes, it has real issues with corruption, but it is a peaceful, sovereign, democratic state in Europe. It was just invaded by Russia unprovoked and Russia’s rationale for the invasion is a list of straight-up lies. Many of you know the recent history already from reading the news: Ukraine became independent after the USSR collapsed, the country tried to become more closely tied to Europe, but Russia intervened to prop up pro-Russian leaders. Most recently, the people of Ukraine revolted against Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 after he refused to sign a popular agreement establishing closer ties to Europe. This is when Putin invaded and annexed Crimea. Before invading the whole of Ukraine, Putin gave an insane speech where he claimed Ukraine wasn’t a real country and that it basically belonged to Russia. He said the Ukrainian government was led by Nazis and that the people needed to be liberated (totally fucking insane). Putin might think that what he is doing today in Ukraine is no different from what we did in Iraq in 2003, but they aren’t the same at all. If you’re not a fan of the Iraq War, and who is at this point, that is fine but don’t allow yourself to accept Putin’s “whataboutism” and propaganda. Regardless of the real reasons we invaded Iraq, we toppled an authoritarian and tried to establish a democracy. Putin is an authoritarian toppling a democracy. If you’re a freedom-loving American, then it should be obvious whose side you’re on and who the “good” and “bad” guys are in this situation.
Should the U.S. Intervene?
Should the U.S. intervene to aid Ukraine? Yes, absolutely! But, it matters a great deal what that intervention and aid looks like. It may be tempting to say to yourself, “this is what the U.S. military is for! To defend democracy!” Yes, after 20 years of interventions in the Middle East to presumably establish new democracies, it might seem like a no-brainer for us to intervene on behalf of an already existing democracy! Indeed, the United States fought in Europe to liberate democracies from Nazi occupation. So, why aren’t we sending in the best military in the world to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russians? You know the answer already. Nukes. There is a reason why the Cold War was “cold” and never involved direct military conflict between the U.S. and U.S.S.R; it’s because once you engage militarily things can escalate quickly in ways that don’t make rational and/or moral sense. No, neither country is forced to resort to nuclear weapons, but even if neither side intends to use nuclear weapons they can make assumptions or miscalculations that lead to the reluctant usage of them. Then, once one side does it, the other feels obligated to retaliate, etc. So, as infuriating as it is to watch the Russians invade Ukraine and not give the Ukrainians direct assistance, there are real reasons why it’s not a viable option. The sanctions regime that the U.S. and its allies have imposed on Russia is unprecedented in its severity. Time will tell how the conflict will play out and I’m not going to make predictions. It’s clear that Putin has no idea what he’s doing now that Ukraine is resisting the invasion. How is this supposed to end? Who knows.
Is this, as some Republicans are insisting, Biden’s fault?
Is President Biden to blame for the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Would this not have happened if Donald Trump were still president? These are fucking idiotic questions being posed by bad-faith political hacks. The only person responsible for Russia deciding to invade a sovereign country, kill its people, and topple its government, is Vladimir Putin. If Trump were President, he would probably be doing FAR less in response than Biden. Remember, Trump said he believed Putin over the CIA and FBI. And remember, the heroic president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is the same guy that Trump tried to deny military aid to unless he agreed to announce a bogus investigation into Biden to help Trump’s re-election campaign. So, no, things wouldn’t be better if Trump were still in office. When evil people do evil shit, it is the fault of the evil person. It’s that simple.
Has the U.S. or Europe or the world been “weak” on Russia? Not necessarily. It’s very easy, in hindsight after something like Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or Hitler’s invasion of Poland, to say, “this and that were obviously leading to what just happened, and if so-and-so had shown more strength at X point in time, then this could have been avoided.” I am not an expert in international relations or diplomacy, but my sense is that there wasn’t much to do in the past that would have avoided what we are seeing now without having further escalated earlier “conflicts” beyond what they were. It makes sense to compromise and “muddle through” if the alternative is a military conflict or economic harm. So, for the last 20 years, the world has muddled through with Putin. Now that he has done something that threatens the basic norms of the international order, there will be a robust response. Does it suck for the people of Ukraine that something really horrible had to happen before the world “stood up” up to Putin? Yes.
Am I Upset About the Invasion of Ukraine?
Do I, as an American, care about the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Abso-fucking-lutely. Let me be clear, like any “real” American, I hate Vladimir Putin. I hate authoritarians. I hate dictators. I love freedom. I love democracy. I am livid that Putin, so far, has been able to just do whatever the fuck he wants without “consequences” and disrupt the lives of millions of peaceful people. I mean, I am SO fucking angry. I am still wrapping my head around the fact that people my age, with young kids, living in modern cities, are fleeing their homes and careers because the Russian military is firing missiles at them. Why do I seemingly care “more” about Ukrainians than, say, people in Syria being repressed by Assad? I’m not sure. It’s not that I care “more” about Ukrainians, but I have to admit that I am having a much stronger emotional reaction to this conflict than recent events in the Middle East. Is that some sort of Western “implicit bias”? Maybe. Perhaps, in some way, I do feel more connection to a European country that is more similar to my own culturally, religiously, and politically. Is that wrong? I will let you decide. All I know is that my reaction has been very strong. Like, so strong, that I understand more, I think, other events in history. Like, why were Muslims traveling from all over the world to help the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in the 1980s? Why did Americans volunteer to fight in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s? Why did Lord Byron and others from across Europe join the Greek war for independence in the 1820s? I get it now. The second I saw photos of regular Ukrainian civilians standing in line to receive their rifles, I sincerely wanted to join them. Why? Because, fuck Putin. Because, freedom. For me, it’s just such a simple black/white, good/evil situation. Who doesn’t want to help good triumph over evil? Isn’t that like the most meaningful thing you can do in your life? Isn’t that why we are always inventing “evils” to fight? Except, this is “real” evil. Not “Obamacare” evil or “CRT” evil. Like, people are saying goodbye to their families as they flee west and they stay behind to fight. I think the Ukrainian resistance is possibly the most inspiring and heroic thing I have witnessed. For me, the only thing that compares is the selflessness and sacrifices made on 9/11. The passengers on flight 93 who stormed the cockpit. The first responders climbing stairs toward the flames in the Twin Towers. Those people…there are thousands of them in Ukraine. They are constantly on our Twitter feeds. When you see them, you are drawn to them. If I didn’t have a family, I might actually try to join them. I hope they succeed.
Trump Trash
I’ll be quick here. Trump is trash for praising Putin’s invasion. It’s so sad to see conservative media figures like Tucker Carlson leave their viewers confused about whether Putin is a bad guy. And, just remember this, Putin is Trump’s idol. If he could, Trump would silence the free press that criticizes him, just like Putin. If he could, Trump would imprison his political opponents that challenge him, just like Putin. If he could, Trump would use his public office for private gain, just like Putin. If he could, Trump would use the military to silence protest and dissent, just like Putin. If he could, Trump would rig elections to stay in power, just like Putin. Democracy is under assault in Ukraine. Democracy is also under assault in the United States. I want democracy to fight back. I want democracy to win. In Ukraine, doing so takes a rifle. In America, doing so takes a ballot (for now).
