Such is the depth of feeling over the Ukrainian conflict I feel it is necessary to begin my article with a declaration. I oppose all wars and violence to obtain political goals.I am a unilaterlist when it comes to nuclear weapons. I think a Ukrainian life is just as important as a Palestinian or Somalian life. All life is precious irrespective of colour, class or creed. A Syrian mother loves her child just as much as an American mother loves her child. A Russian mother worries about her soldier son as much as a Ukrainian mother worries about hers.
Sadly in the media propaganda world in which we inhabit, they have different values. Some of the media coverage has frankly been barely disguised white supremacy racism. What is the most distressing is that some of the same people who rightly criticise the BBC for even their skewed weather map of the UK are believing the BBC lies about the Ukraine situation!
The western media are as much a propaganda outlet for UK government as RT is for Russia. You all know that,why are so many of you falling for their propaganda now? Once you accept that the west lies too then seeing the truth becomes easier. It applies equally to Scottish independence news as it does to the narrative being deployed over this conflict. How do you know the BBC are lying? They are speaking is the answer!
6. ITV (UK)
"The unthinkable has happened…This is not a developing, third world nation; this is Europe!" pic.twitter.com/Bot92XT9vN
— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) February 27, 2022
These are just a couple of examples exposed by Alan MacLeod on Twitter. Ukrainian lives are more important because they look just like us. This if course implies that people from the Middle East or Africa or Asia are expendable and war in their regions is acceptable and justifiable.
We have also had the British Foreign Secretary encouraging British subjects of the Crown to enlist in mercenary armies and go and fight in Ukraine against the Red Army. She sat on the British propaganda channel BBC encouraging violence. What type of person would encourage untrained citizens to go and fight a modern highly trained army?
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she supports individuals from the UK who might want to go to Ukraine to join an international force to fight.
She told the BBC it was up to people to make their own decisions, but argued it was a battle “for democracy.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60544838
We, of course, have not heard the same rhetoric for people to go and fight beside Palestinians against the illegal occupation and annexation of their land by the apartheid state of Israel. Simply put Israel is on the good guys team alongside top good guy USA. Any action, bombing, killing, regime changing incursions and coups or state assignation are fine if you are on the good guys team. The same can be said of Syria where Israel has annexed the Golan Heights by force of arms. It should also be noted within a few days of illegally attacking Ukraine all Russian football teams including the national side were banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions.Remind me again how many times has Scotland played Israel in the recent past?
Shamina Begum a young British born and bred Muslim lass is one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria in February 2015 to join the fight alongside ISIS.
She was born in the UK to parents of Bangladeshi heritage and was 15 when she left for Syria.
Ms Begum travelled via Turkey to IS headquarters in Raqqa, where she married a Dutch recruit who is the father of her children.
She was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019. The baby later died of pneumonia and Ms Begum said she had previously lost two other children. After she was found, the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, cancelled her British citizenship on security grounds. Now we have a Foreign Secretary encouraging British citizens to do what Shamina did. The difference being if the UK Government approves and you are white you can fight for your principles.If you are brown or black, and it is not in UK interests do not even think about it! Democracy in UK comes with lots of caveats.
From my position there is no difference, if Shamina was deemed a terrorist for defending what are her political beliefs in Syria how is that any different to Billy Whiteguy going to Ukraine to fight for his political views? Hypocrisy and double standards are everywhere in this Ukrainian tragedy.
Something else the western media and politicians will never do is actually educate you on the background to the conflict. They prefer to give you a version that shows Russia and Putin as the bad guys wearing black hats. The good guys are, of course, us and the Americans who are supporting the Ukrainians. A few facts you have not been told in 2014 there was a coup in Ukraine that deposed the elected President. He was seen as too pro-Russian by the Americans so they engineered the coup and had him removed. In his place there came a pro west, pro NATO, pro EU, Ukrainian government. This was always going to end in tears.
While Washington felt quite pleased with itself in getting a friendly government, it had the polar opposite reaction in Moscow. There lies the seeds of this present war. That and the NATO Summit in Bucharest in 2008 where US announced both Georgia and Ukraine would be welcomed into NATO. The only dissenting voices were France Germany and of course Russia from outwith the alliance.
Putin made it quite clear to Washington that this was a red line and that Russia would not under any circumstances allow either Ukraine or Georgia to be a US bulwark in the Russian sphere of influence. Russia’s position has remained the same throughout. Leave Ukraine and Georgia as neutral states and no more expansion of NATO eastwards. Sadly, the American hawks won out in Washington.
https://www.nato.int/docu/update/2008/04-april/e0403h.html
Below is a video of retired American Air Force Officer now Professor Johm Mearsheimer who eloquently lays out the facts. Those of you thinking this is a black and white issue should find this informative. It might trigger Cognitive Dissonance in others.Unlike the UK and US media and politicians, I will not insult you by telling you what to think. I only ask you look at the facts and reach your own conclusions not what the war mongers,media and profiteers want you to think!
Meanwhilem the innocents in Ukraine are suffering and dying because of US/Russian geopolitics and the greed of the American industrial military complex. The peddlers of weapons always need a bogeyman. Sooner or later it will be China. Making money is all that matters to these people there is no profit in peace! If we meekly accept the narrative been given to us they will just keep doing what they have been doing since 1945, manufacturing wars for profits, not principles!
can’t see the Professor John Mearsheimer video Roddy
Read today’s blog it is there
Thank you Roddy. I’m beginning to feel like a pariah because I won’t agree with all my “friends” on Facebook who are falling for the propaganda and spouting “Russia bad,West good” crap. I’ve deactivated my account because I’m going to fall out with people big style. An awful lot of virtue signalling from people wanting to jump on the bandwagon.Really sick to the back teeth of all the hypocrisy.
yes, it is quite sickening and coming from supposedly intelligent people too.
Yep.
I was already on a week’s Facejail for expressing my own thoughts about the Nazis who rule us so I’ve been unable to comment which is probably as well, given all the blue yellow flegs popping up on friends’ profiles.
I’m going to respond by putting a Star Wars Rebel Alliance badge on mine.
😉
Other than that and my hobby related Twitter page, my time on social media is over.
As is my wasting time looking at any other Fakestream Media, seeing as we are no longer permitted to see the other side of the story.
I’m just going to get on with my life, minding my own business until the Gestapo come for me.
https://youtu.be/Nbj1AR_aAcE
Never a truer word, “There is no profit in peace.”
Calling things as many of us see them to be: 100% correct!
Thanks, Roddy – it’s good to know that I’m not alone in this. I’m in a difficult position at home because of this – my wife was born and grew up in a country occupied by Russians until 1989, and she has a very one-sided view as a result. Trying to put any perspective other than “Russians wrong. Must fight” just leads to arguments – as do comparisons and contrasts with other conflicts engineered by the west over the last few decades.
The west, and the UK in particular, are going to do as they have done at least three times in the last 110 years – use central and Eastern European countries as disposable counters in another continuation of “The Great Game” that started with Britain and Russia, and now continues with the USA. The unfortunate people of those countries are externalities to the conscienceless leaders of capitalist countries, especially the USA who will do anything to make sure not one US soldier, sailor or airman is killed or injured.
I stand in support of the Ukrainians, and those citizens of countries now afraid of what comes next, but I know who to blame for the mess.
A brilliant article which I fully agree with. I have had the good fortune to visit Palestine several times n the last few years. How they cope with the daily abuse I find astonishing, I know I wouldn’t be able to do so without responding in a way that would either get me killed or imprisoned.
I do not excuse Russia’s intervention, but I try to understand why. As you say, I also think this goes back to 2008. Most Western media appear to be purposely blind to context and history. Of course to do so would upset the narrative of Russia = Bad and Putin = Mad.
Some balance would of course result in people in the west protesting our involvement not only anti-Russian protests.
I only hope it ends soon. But the geo-political landscape has probably changed for the worse and for a long time
It’s always useful to bear the following in mind:
“Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray’s case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the “wet streets cause rain” stories. Paper’s full of them.
In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.”
– Michael Crichton (1942-2008)
That leaves the open question of whether it’s driven by stupidity or malice.
Thank you, BB. Good to get the history leading up to the present situation.
Thanks Roddy,
Cancel culture is rife out there (sadly close to home) if you even attempt to broaden the debate.
Good article. Hard to believe the lecture by the professor was 6 years ago. Would think it was given just yesterday. He is spot on with his analysis of the situation which is very complicated with many sides to it.
Was explaining the situation to a colleague at work who didn’t know much about it and by the time I had finished she was saying that it was so complicated that she’d hate to be the one negotiating a peace deal and that it is going to take time to sort it all out. It is a pity those who seek to merely virtue signal and jump on the latest bandwagon do not likewise take the time to fully appreciate the complexity of the situation. End of the day you have 2 neighbouring states pitted against each other by others seeking to profit from the situation. Russia and Ukraine both have territorial and national security concerns that must be addressed and a long term peaceful solution agreed upon. Ukraine can start the ball rolling by ceasing the attacks on the 2 republics and turning up to diplomatic meetings and importantly sticking to their word. They are being manipulated by the 2 biggest warmongers on the planet – US and GB who are playing on their fears. Russia in turn is trying to protect itself and its citizens from these aggressors who are deliberately fostering animosity towards Russia and placing numerous military bases on their doorstep. What would you do if you were in that situation? Sit back and say it’s fine? No way. Put yourself in their shoes. How would Scotland react if it was us in Russia’s position? If Scots elsewhere were being attacked by foreign governments and their militia? After seeking peaceful resolution and the agreements ignored how would we react? Would we seek more of the same or step it up a notch in the hopes that we would be taken seriously? This is a complex situation where good faith has been eroded and external forces are seeking to capitalise on the outcome whether it be Ukrainian or Russian. Others need to step back and let Russia, Ukraine and the 2 republics who are caught in all of this sit down with truly neutral diplomatic ambassadors and iron out a peace deal they can all be happy with. My heart goes out to all the innocents and I hope peace wins out. There is no good guy bad guy in this situation. They are pawns in another’s chess game.
If only Neale Hanvey had done his own homework and researched before writing. There would not be the backlash there is on YFS today…A helluva lot of ALBA members are not happy with him at all coming out with that post onYFS. Quite a few saying they are done with ALBA..It was as if he had to put something out because Sturgeon did so. I do not remember Alex ever ripping to bits any other countries government. Except for the one that dictated to our country, the corrupt nasty WM Gov..
We are a small country, we should mind our own business. & hopefully IF we ever get Independence, I hope we never again join the EU or NATO, the EU is behaving as badly as the USA or U.K.
EFTA & EEA are the way our country should go..
As a founding member of ALBA I will be at the conference later this month, I hope to God Hanvey has done some research by then, & does not try to lecture us on who the bad guys are. If his take on Russia is also the view of the ALBA Party, then I too will be out..There are faults on both sides, I feel for Ukrainians but I also feel for the Russian people. But I do believe that the West with NATO USA. & U.K. Left PUTIN with no other option..The professor in this video makes complete sense..
Well said Kate. As an Alba member I too was disgusted to read what Neale Hanvey had said and thought oh oh…this is as bad as Gethins spouting UK foreign policy in WM when I was an snp supporter. Sometimes better to say nothing!
I am so pleased that you have written this article Roddy. The rhetoric and propaganda coming at us wall to wall from the media is making me feel sick. It comes with absolutely no background information and a hysterical hatred for Russia which is ridiculous. When the media is caught lying it should encourage us all to question what the real agenda is. As Independence supporters, we were disgusted at the treatment dished out to Catalunya by the Spanish government. What people don’t realise is that the treatment to citizens in the Donbas republics has been 100 times worse.
When Yanukovych was overthrown in the western backed coup, LPR and DPR declared their independence in 2014. Zelensky subsequently denied them a vote for their Independece and passed anti-Russian language laws, affecting the largely Russian-speaking population of the two Donbas republics. Only Ukrainian is the officially recognized language now.
But even worse….they have been under constant attack and shelling from the extreme right wing military units now for 8 years. I don’t ever remember any sympathy or outrage in the media about that.
We, more than most, should have sympathy for people who are trying to gain self governance, just as we did with Catalunya.
Professor Mearsheimer highlights key issues. Ukraine a country linguistically divided. The 2014 coup seeking to make Ukraine part of the west. The failure (by US/EU/Nato) to recognise Ukraine’s position as a buffer between east and west. The Monroe Doctrine ignored. Ukraine really has no strategic interest to US. Best statement by far, is that ‘the US has the midas touch in reverse’ – Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and now Ukraine – everything it touches turns to dust. Has UK noticed? Solution is to re-create the buffer and make Ukraine neutral, finance its economic development, abandon NATO expansion in east. NATO will disappear in time anyway. US interventionist foreign policy ‘is losing all the time’. The SNP and Alba it seems could do with listening to Professor Mearsheimer, who more or less predicted ‘the wrecking’ of Ukraine as an outcome of western policies.
Whose who thought against Facism have now become fascists themselves, or prehaps they are now in plane view and not bothering to hide it. Our Democracy’s have become a farce both here in Britain and America . Trump ,Boris and the Brexit fiasco. Blair and Bush were the first to cross the line and take us into illegal wars.
The Anglo American alliance is a Warmongering syndicate for the arms industry. Americans economy is built around the war machine and needs conflict to thrive. We must disassociate from aggressive expansionist ideology that enriches a greedy arms industry and perpetuates war. I want Scotland to mirror Switzerland and be neutral and join EFTA. Surely we have had enough of other peoples Empires and being used as cannon fodder.
Re the roots of Russophobia, I think much of it stems from the 1950s and 60s when in UK and US in particular, the very first threats of nuclear war arose. The Russians were spoken about as the main threat for outbreak of nuclear war, which would bring about the end of the world. There was thought to be the possibility of a chain nuclear reaction throughout the world if nuclear bombs were dropped. Even as a very young child in the early 60s and onwards, I remember the generalised deep fear of the Soviets in the Scottish population, probably in the UK and US populations, and I believe the US pushed the nuclear soviet threat and the ‘red under the bed’, (russian/soviet spies) to combat ideas of communism. We grew up with a soviet-phobia due to these perceived threats, which of course became Russophobia. I hope this makes sense to younger people today. The fear in these days was very strong and very real.
Re where the intense Russophobia has come from, in my opinion it probably dates back to the 1950s and 60s, when the Russians/soviets were portrayed as warmongerers threatening the very viability of the world with their nuclear weapons. They were portrayed here in the west, certainly in UK and likely US also, as promoting the nuclear weapon proliferation and the belief was that US had to keep up with the Russian nuclear weapon programme to keep us safe. There was also that mad rush to land the first person on the moon to show which was the strongest, most advanced country, US or Russia. As far as the nuclear threat went, people were under the perception that if nuclear bombs were set off, the whole world would blow up in a huge chain reaction. I remember as a very young child, being scared of the Russians due to these narratives picked up from adult discussion and newspapers. The other big narrative concerning the Russians was the dreaded communism, with Russian spies everywhere, the ‘reds under the bed’ narrative of the time, you couldn’t trust anyone who might be a Russian spy. Of course the fear didn’t take over life in general, but the threat was always there, in the background, so that Russiaphobia was very real and ran very deep. It was only through exploring the Russian language that I discovered another side to the stories.
It’s the hypocrisy and double standards I find nauseating:
https://declassifieduk.org/while-media-focuses-on-russian-money-uk-ministers-allow-gulf-tyrannies-to-invest-140bn-in-britain/
I think I read that Russia is now being investigated by the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile in the USA:
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/us-threatens-families-international-criminal-court/
Like your good self, I can’t condone Russia’s actions – but intellectually, I understand them: if, as Professor Mearsheimer says in the video, Russia views Ukraine in NATO – NATO on Russia’s borders – as an existential threat, then… what else could be done?
The US told us (lied) that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction that could be airborne and on their target in 45 minutes (apologies if I’m mis-remembering). If nuclear missiles were on Russia’s borders, they (the Russians) would have 5 or 6 minutes to react, before those missiles struck Moscow. The US destroyed Iraq based on those lies, but Russia WILL only have 5 or 6 minutes before a hostile NATOs missiles were detonating in Moscow.
The US denied Cuba’s sovereignty when Cuba was hosting Russian missiles and threatened nuclear Armageddon if the missiles were not removed, but Russia has to just sit down and shut up if nukes are on THEIR borders?
Like I said, the hypocrisy and double standards makes me want to bolk. In all this, still, we should never forget that innocent lives will again be lost. Every one is one too many.
The vast majority of folk out there have drank the Cold War koolaid. Very few people have bothered to inform themselves of the lead up to this – over the past few decades. The ease with which people buy the media narrative should have all of us in the independence movement very worried.
Of course, if you do try to broaden the debate you are labelled a putin sympathiser. Putin’s actions are inexcusable but failure to acknowledge the west’s part in all of this means we will simply lurch from conflict to conflict. That of course, is what the billionaires and the arms industry want.
Why are the SNP opposed to the independence of small states?
They should be suggesting a democratic solution, not backing a war.
The whole problem could be solved by allowing each region to have a referendum, duly monitored by say the UN, and then honouring the result.
I was disgusted by the SNP jumping on the imperial bandwagon for war.
Ukraine was persecuting and militarily attacking two smaller countries that had the temerity to declare independence because they thought where they lived should be run by the people who live there.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is abhorrent, but also abhorrent is that our SNP politicians have shown their true colours. They have nailed their colours to the wrong mast.
Roddy, are you and Iain Lawson still on speaking terms?
It would seem not as others have expressed much what you have written, on his bog and have been shot (sorry) down by him as being irrelevant.
I do find the likes of the IOC as hypocrites. Banning Russia and Belarus from sports, I don’t recall them doing the exact same with the USA, UK, et al when they illegally invaded Iraq.
We are the best of friends and although on this we are in different places we respect each others viewpoint,
Fair enough.