Russia: Out In The Cold by Daniel Dilworth
The downed Malaysian Airlines plane has created quite a stir in western circles, with its fallout eclipsing that of even the Israel-Hamas conflict. Within minutes, the “pro-Russian separatists,” as they have been so lovingly referred to as by American and European figures and media, were the immediate suspect. No investigation necessary, guilty party found.
And perhaps the rebels did shoot down the plane. There is a good chance of that. However, their target was most definitely not a commercial flight operated by the troubled Malaysian Airlines. Rather, as has become the frequent target in this conflict, Ukrainian fighter planes. But because of the rebels’ sympathies, Obama has been strongly critical of Putin, and others have followed suit, providing us with their opinions on why Russia is now a pariah state.
The simple reason? They see Russia, and Putin in particular, as territorially ambitious, and that is not good for the people brought up to fear everything coming from Moscow. Does it matter if a substantial population of the Donetsk region are supportive of the rebellion? Of course not! Freedom to identify with a nation is universal, unless that wish is to join with Russia (or, on a separate note, is the wish for an independent Scotland, a possibility for which Obama has publicly declared his abhorrence.) Then there are also the numerous condemnations on “freedom of speech.”
So, in a nutshell, it is the West’s wish to keep Russia down, to humble them, to condemn any action which the US sees as ‘interference.’ Of course we can all see the hypocrisy in this. The United States of America is a country that invaded nations such as Panama, Grenada, Afghanistan, Iraq, et al, whilst also funding the overthrow of many dictatorships and replacing them with many others, simply because they deemed them “rogue” states or regimes.
And last year, we were told by Edward Snowden of the worldwide spying the US has undertaken. This revelation expanded, and by the end of the year it was revealed how American intelligence had even tapped Angela Merkel’s phone.
Recently, the US and the UK were prepared to launch intervention of some description in the ongoing Syrian conflict. Even when Cameron’s proposal was sent with its tail between its legs, following its being shot down in the House of Commons, the US were still obstinate about the need for intervention, citing the use of chemical attacks as evidence enough. Step forward Putin and Lavrov, his foreign minister, who came to the agreement that Bashir al-Assad surrender his chemical stockpile. Thus, an escalation in the crisis was averted, the chemical weapons disposed of, and the US made to look foolish. And yet, Obama has one Nobel Peace Prize to his name, Putin has a big fat zero.
Now, I am not saying that the rebels are right to take on a violent stance in all of this, but the intolerance the current Ukrainian government has taken gave them little choice in the matter. Their support for unification with Mother Russia earned them the West’s ire and condemnation, and they are being forcibly trundled into a vastly Ukrainian dominated state. So, is it really that bad? And is Putin really doing anything wrong in supporting their hopes and ambitions? To the West, he clearly is.