Opinion is not the same as truth. How do we winnow the wheat from the chaff when reading about current events? Mainstream news outlets have their prejudices regarding what to report and how to report it, no matter how much they claim to be fair, balanced, and unbiased. Alternative media often leans into that bias, for better or worse, but at least usually with some honesty about their angle. Social media sometimes seems like just a cesspool of outrage masquerading as information.
Continuing on from part 1, how do we navigate all of this? Today's topic:
Image credit
The Russo-Ukraine War
After the Soviet Union collapsed, the former constituent Republics and countries in the Soviet sphere of influence in eastern Europe were thrust into independence. Old political borders often had little bearing on ethnic and cultural groups. This created internal conflict, particularly obvious in the former Yugoslavia, but also simmering under the surface in parts of Ukraine.
Russia
I don't trust Putin. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's running a shadow version of the old Soviet Union through his old KGB affiliation like some of his critics claim, but neither would I argue he's an exemplar of virtuous authority. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Putin appears to want absolute power. I didn't expect his invasion of Ukraine last year, thinking at the time that his maneuvers near the border were just more posturing like we have seen for decades by all major powers. I was wrong there. He was crazy enough to wage open war.
The US and NATO proclaim their outrage at Russian belligerence, but even a cursory look at history reveals their hypocrisy, especially that of the US which had officially wrapped up two decades of bloody pointless wars for regime change. There is also reason to suspect the US and/or other NATO powers sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline. As is often the case, an adversary was blamed for something they had no reason to do. Picture a water hose. Russia has the spigot. Germany has the nozzle. Either one can shut off the flow without harming the hose. Accusing Russia of destroying the pipeline makes little sense without showing what they have to gain by losing a major economic bargaining chip.
War is insanity, but people do things for a reason. This doesn't justify their actions, but there is always some kind of explanation. I firmly believe the political class in any country is evil, but they aren't stupid.
Ukraine
The government of Ukraine is corrupt. The Hunter Biden Laptop story wasn't a story because of hookers and drugs, but because it indicates a long history of business dealings and political favors. Ukraine and Russia have had a simmering conflict since the 2014 "Revolution of Dignity" where Russia and NATO both intervened. For years the US has been sending arms to Ukraine, and NATO/EU membership has been a point of contention.
I have a degree of sympathy for those who live in the Donbas region and wish to secede. There is nothing sacred about national borders and government territorial claims. People do need to be free to choose their allegiance. However, I very much doubt these feelings are unanimous, and those who hate being ruled by Kyev have no authority to compel their neighbors to be ruled by Moscow. As with all wars, people who have no part in these disputes are sent to kill and die to serve the vanity of the political class and line the pockets of their corporate cronies.
Meanwhile the US continues to intervene with money and supplies at the expense of Americans while escalating the risk of open conflict and even potential nuclear war. I don't think Putin would launch nukes, but I didn't think he'd launch missiles at Ukrainian cities, either. Nationalism is the most dangerous and deadly religion devised by mankind.
Conclusion?
I'm not Ukrainian. I have no connection to the situation there if not for "my" government's intervention. I can't help but feel like I'm only getting propaganda instead of news. Russian news outlets have been squelched, and while I don't imagine their perspective is any less skewed and dishonest, it's far easier for "our leaders" to lie when the other side has been silenced. Can we trust anything they say? Are lies by omission any less destructive to public discourse than outright falsehoods we could easily disprove? When the State demands war, know that there is an agenda, even if we don't know the full story.
We also get what I heard someone else call "Forrest Gump history." All of a sudden, for no reason at all, a thing just happened. Who has time for context? What has been happening for the past few decades to build to this point?
Again, explanation is not justification, but we need to try to understand what is really going on instead of relying on nationalism and grand plans of action to fix the problem. Ask your own questions below! Let's hash this out and try to find out how reliable any given narrative really is once subjected to inquiry.
XD
Think everyone that blathers on about how war is necessary for whatever reason should be the ones going off to fight so that's where all the fearless leaders should be right now.
Wait, isn't that GIF from the BBC Horrible History show?
Yep, my kids used to watch that all the time XD (they still like it though obviously don't watch it as obsessively now, the box set continues to reside in our house and that rat amused me no end, and is probably one of reasons my boys keep cracking those awful, awful puns)
In todays politics I guess we are left to make distinctions between bad and worse. In my opinion, Putin is bad, Nolensky is worse, my gov is worse, as is yours.
So in that way I dare to declare that Putin is better ;)
For sure, one can make quite similar distinctions using the words 'idotic' and 'even more idiotic'. Especially handy when discussing e.g. the EU.
I instead prefer to turn to my people, my photographic explorations, and my cats. Thoughtfulness, observation, moments of brilliance, pleasure, good food.....
Trying to choose the lesser evil is still inevitably choosing evil, and "lesser" is at best merely conjecture. Society exists in spite of politics and governments. Our communities built on voluntary associations are our most powerful weapon. And cats are better than people. :D
That's exactly why I choose not to choose. In reality I rather ignore 'mundane' things like 'politics', as it is too much of an artificial construct to me.
What I have written above was meant to illustrate how someone bad still can be conceived as better. For sure this is only part of a terrible construct. A successful one, unfortunately, as many believers in democracy are ready to accept it.
The Varangian has given his two Satoshis on this matter twice now, first back in October, and second a few days ago. The official Russian narrative is indeed propaganda; no-one believes it other than this guy:
That being said, the western narrative is a load of crap as well. But, as we all know, there are two sides and only two sides to every story. /s
There was a Wizard of Id cartoon where the
finkking comments that on the one hand [bad outcome A,] and on the other hand [bad outcome B], and he only has two hands.I've always said that we only hear half the truth... And that is the truth of it..
I don't support putin in any way whatsoever but neither do I trust NATO... I think I may trust them even less.. And the fact that the world couldn't see the troops massing at the borders.. Well that's just turning a blind ey... I know they always moved about at the borders but surely you will see a high increase of activity?..
Yet if Ukraine was always at risk of an attack from the Russians why didn't they solidify their borders? It's like a burglar walking around your house every night for ten years and you go an sleep without locking the doors...
But if I can be a little sceptical and well spit out a bit of a conspiracy theory I think that whole situation is happening to blind us or distract us from something else happening
Funny, that was more my suspicion of the Chinese balloon story.
Hahaha 😂 I heard about that.... Do you think those are really the chinese balloons though 😂😂
!PIZZA
!LUV
@jacobtothe, @technicalside(2/3) sent you LUV. | tools | discord | community | HiveWiki |
NFT | <>< daily
The essence of the scientific method is doubt. Treating any new hypothesis as heresy, scientific debate seeks to falsify it and defend the extant paradigm. 'Trust the Science' transforms this principle to religion and extant paradigm is defended only by faith. It is the replacement of science with dogma, and the elimination of the scientific method by which progress is made.
Many point to this aphorism and assume it is true, but it is not, and in fact diverts inquiry. What is actually true is that evil people seek absolute power and utterly corrupt institutions. You point this out in your very next sentence.
You note that Putin isn't being corrupted by his position of power, but sought that position to gain that power. Assuming that power corrupts forces people to accept evil overlords, because that assumption means that benevolent authority cannot exist, and we ourselves will not be benign if we are sovereign.
That is false. That lie furthers the imposition of the global technocratic tyranny ongoing that seeks to eradicate sovereignty of individuals in practice, which can only cause universal suffering and enslavement, not the happiness we are (laughably) promised by Schwab when he says 'You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.'
The preclusion of grasping the globalist paradigm as a coups by evil overlords also prevents us from understanding that our politicians are their puppets, corrupted and groveling minions, that when considered to be acting on their own understanding seem to be drooling morons or madmen.
Putain isn't some sovereign individual acting on his own recognizance, but is in fact a WEF Young Global Leader performing his role to destabilize our civilization in order that it can be replaced by a global technocratic tyranny. NaZelensky is a WEF Young Global Leader too, and their pretense at opposition has been noted by others who point out that both Putin and Zelensky are Jewish, despite then interpreting their mutual act as an example of 'Da Joos' destroying slavs, rather than the reality that is evil overlords creating slaves.
Stump and Bidet are also WEF minions. In fact, all significant politicians are today, and the Young Global Leader program is apparently training in how to betray their countries and further the WEF globalist conquest of the world. In this context it's not Russia attacking Ukraine, and not even the USA attacking Russia using Ukraine as a proxy, but rather the countries of the world being sabotaged and pitted each against the others in order to be replaced by the globalist totalitarian tyranny.
Thanks!
Have you ever read the source of that aphorism? It is from an 1887 letter from Lord Acton to Archbishop Mandell Creighton.
The context is both religious and secular authority. He and others have long studied both how power corrupts those with virtuous intentions and how power draws the corrupt. The question is not whether authority is benevolent, but whether it is legitimate. Can you demonstrate how any political authority is legitimate?
No, I don't think Putin is acting like a monarch making decisions entirely on his own. He's not as senile as Biden, but there is always a "deep state" of oligarchs and power brokers behind the figurehead in a modern government just as there was under the old monarchies. But Putin claims to be the chief executive. He gives the orders. He bears responsibility for his own actions.
I have no doubt there are organizations like the WEF which have grand plans to variously nudge or cudgel society into subservience, but the grand plan conspiracy theories insisting nothing happens by chance don't really hold a lot of water. The unity people imagine is not really demonstrated. War inevitably enriches bankers, arms makers, and other connected interests, but there is always contention within those circles too.
[/my2¢]
Thanks for the reply!
I had not read that source, and it is mitigating my understanding considerably. I deeply appreciate you bringing it to my attention.
I completely concur that no authority is legitimate, except that people themselves have over themselves, which inures to them by virtue of their natural existence. While Putain may, as all 'leaders' do, toady up to his masters, that is a choice he makes, as he is invested no less with authority over himself. Nothing could sever his responsibility that comes with his authority for his actions. Nothing except dementia, which Bidet well illustrates.
I appreciate your substantive reply.
I gifted $PIZZA slices here:
@technicalside(2/5) tipped @jacobtothe (x1)
Learn more at https://hive.pizza!