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Earlier this week, I (and some Russian dissidents) got into a conversation with a Ukrainian man. He suggested something I heard before, and he was fairly polite and conciliatory about it, in the "I know I may be asking a lot, but hear me out" kind of way. And what he suggested was a valid perspective - if you're a Ukrainian. But I'm not, and since I highly doubt this is the last time I'd run into this line of arguments, I thought this would be a good opportunity to set the response down in one convenient post I can refer people to (unless I change my mind - hey, stranger things have happened).
The argument boils down to this. Americans are losing interest in the Ukrainian War, and are less inclined to support aid to Ukraine. By the time the next presidential election rolls around, they may vote for candidates who would want to pull American support altogether (the gentleman specifically mentioned Trump, but others mentioned nationalist Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and politicians play-acting as nationalists for votes, like Ron DeSantis). Therefore, we should be doing everything in our power to call for support for Ukraine. The rallies the aforementioned Russian dissidents have been organizing are a distraction, because they threaten to pull the already limited American attention span away from what really matters - Russian defeat in Ukraine, which would benefit Russians, too.
Like I said, it's an understandable position to take if you're Ukrainian. You want to do everything in your power to help liberate your country from an occupier who, by the way, seeks to stamp out your country's culture and its distinct national identity. If I was in Ukrainians' shoes, I would all but certainly be saying the same thing.
But I'm not Ukrainian. I am Russian. I do believe that freeing Ukraine from occupation is a worthy cause, but it is not my cause. Just as Ukrainians must do everything they can to liberate mine.
I made many of those arguments in the earlier post, and I since had a chance to mull over and develop them. My position boils down to these points.
( No one can save us but us | SIlence is complicity | No to zero-sum games )
The argument boils down to this. Americans are losing interest in the Ukrainian War, and are less inclined to support aid to Ukraine. By the time the next presidential election rolls around, they may vote for candidates who would want to pull American support altogether (the gentleman specifically mentioned Trump, but others mentioned nationalist Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and politicians play-acting as nationalists for votes, like Ron DeSantis). Therefore, we should be doing everything in our power to call for support for Ukraine. The rallies the aforementioned Russian dissidents have been organizing are a distraction, because they threaten to pull the already limited American attention span away from what really matters - Russian defeat in Ukraine, which would benefit Russians, too.
Like I said, it's an understandable position to take if you're Ukrainian. You want to do everything in your power to help liberate your country from an occupier who, by the way, seeks to stamp out your country's culture and its distinct national identity. If I was in Ukrainians' shoes, I would all but certainly be saying the same thing.
But I'm not Ukrainian. I am Russian. I do believe that freeing Ukraine from occupation is a worthy cause, but it is not my cause. Just as Ukrainians must do everything they can to liberate mine.
I made many of those arguments in the earlier post, and I since had a chance to mull over and develop them. My position boils down to these points.
( No one can save us but us | SIlence is complicity | No to zero-sum games )
