Do all those who lie here know why they died
did you really believe them when they told you the cause
did you really believe that this war would end wars
well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
the killing and dying it was all done in vain
oh willy mcbride it all happened again
and again, and again, and again, and again
Once again, we're getting bogged down by the images the media is projecting on us, namely that this charade that is politics actually matters. It does not, though.
I'm shocked at how many people are refusing to see a step further than what the media is showing them. I was talking to an American (Conservative) friend, and her immediate reaction was "oh, this would've never happened if Trump was president". Which is word for word what Donald Trump said in an intervention for Fox News, only moments ago.
First of all, that's a stupid, limited, and highly egotistical argument, though if you take a quick peek into the comments, you'll see that an alarming number of Americans think this way. Oh, it's all because of Sleepy Joe! Joe Biden is a puppet, a figure on a string. At this point. And someone is going to extensive lengths to strengthen this image of Biden, for good reason. It's worth remembering that Joe Biden has been an American politician for many, many years. A lot more than my friend or myself have been alive. Now, he didn't do that by shitting himself and saying stupid things. True, he is now old, and that's definitely showing - but if you're buying the whole crazy man Biden spiel, you're letting them lead you by the nose.
Don't let them do that. Don't let them blow this politics smoke all over your face, because there's more to this. Usually, if a stance seems super easy to understand, then something is missing.
You can say "Putin is a crazy dictator, and that's why all this is happening". Obviously, this is easier to accept than going to all the trouble of geographical and economical research into NATO-Russia relations in the past 20 years. But it's also wrong.
While what Putin is doing is wrong and unfair (duh.), it's not a despotic move, but an expected, and justified one, from the POV of Russia, as a super power. If your enemy moved in across the hall from you, you'd be pretty tense, too. I was listening to an old Romanian journalist commenting on the crisis, and he put this very well, saying "Russia's been pushing for a seat at the table for a long time now. We had two options here: squeeze together to make room, or push for war". Obviously, so far, it was war. But you need to consider the reasoning, as far as you can see it, behind these moves, not just what the media is spoon-feeding you.
It's dangerous, (not) thinking like that.
Then, you can say, like my friend here, "Oh, this would've never happened if Trump was president. It's all Biden's fault". I do agree that, if we're to compare Churchill, Roosevelt, and the "greats" of WW2, our lame assembly of Boris, Macron, and Biden is pathetic, and disheartening. Once again, things are more complex than that. I know it's tempting for our American friends to assume that the Sun rises and sets from their ass, but it is skewed, and it's making you make poor judgements here. Yes, the US is a very important country in this world. Not the only one, though. To think that everything that happens in the world is a result of your petty Democrat vs Conservatives puppet-show is narrow-minded.
What we need to remember here is that most of our politicians don't matter. Look at how quickly Boris Johnson changed his tune about the covid restrictions when things were threatening to end poorly for him. Look at Macron's posturing about "preventing the Ukraine crisis", what with French elections in little over a month. I'm sorry, but if these people are truly the ones leading the way, we're screwed, regardless of what happens in Ukraine.
Similarly here, in Romania, I was recently approached by an acquaintance about protesting this weekend to overthrow our politicians. I immediately found that strange, because even if our President is kicked out on his ass tomorrow, in retribution for all the injustice and abuse of power of the past 2 years, it won't matter an inch. Interestingly, the protest is organized by a nationalist political group who are, no doubt, looking to take over. Always pay attention to who's telling you a story. Always.
But then, what other option do we have?
Ignorance is tempting.
I know. We're all coming off two harrowing, nerve-wrecking years. It's tempting to throw in the towel, to say you're no longer interested, and come what may. I get that. But ignorance is not, as you may have been told, bliss. Ignorance is what they're hoping for. Your turning around and scrolling through your TikTok feed because you don't want to know is exactly how this world dies.
So take a moment, and try to look at what's happening in a larger perspective. Because we're definitely living through interesting times. I'm reminded, once again, by that great George Carlin quote:
