GUEST BLOG: Pat O’Dea – Three Wars in One. Which one is Ukraine?

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Three wars in one. Which one is Ukraine?

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Three Wars in One

World War II was a war between the major imperialist powers of the day for a new redivision and carve up of the world’s colonies and resources.

World War II was a war against fascism, an extreme and aggressive form of capitalist exploitation, slavery, oppression, racist conquest and subjugation with mass surveillance and industrial scale mass murder of ‘undesirables’ and dissidents.

World War II was a people’s war for national liberation from imperialism and colonialism.

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The Second World War was three wars in one.

An anti-fascist war, an anti-colonialist/anti-imperialist war, and a war of imperialist colonialist redivision of the world.

So which of these three types of war is the war in Ukraine?

I will argue here that the war in Ukraine is principally a people’s war fought for National liberation against an imperialist takeover by a hostile foreign power bent on colonial conquest.

Like the war in Ukraine the war in Vietnam was a war for National liberation from imperialism fought, first against the Japanese imperialists, then French imperialists and then the American imperialists.

During WWII the Vietminh fought to liberate themselves from the Japanese imperialists, like the Ukraine nationalists today the Vietminh were supported by the US who were also at war with the Japanese empire.. After the Japanese were defeated the French tried to reinstate their prewar colonial empire in Indochina. The Americans switched their support from the Vietminh to their French ally. After the French were defeated the Americans sought to take control of Vietnam themselves, and in their turn the American imperialists were defeated as well.

This is the power of people’s war. The Americans support for the Vietminh against the Japanese empire was not out of altruism, any more than the American’s support for the Ukraine nationalists today fighting against the Russian imperialists is out of altruism.

Ho Chi Minh became a communist in the 1920s and launched a revolution back home in the 1940s after the Japanese occupied French Indochina during World War II. Again, he looked to the US for help.

Agents of the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services — the precursor to the CIA — were parachuted into the jungles of North Vietnam in early 1945 to make contact with him; in fact, a US medic helped nurse him back to health from dysentery and malaria.

The initial US intelligence assessment of Ho Chi Minh was that he was more nationalist than communist and was an acceptable partner. So, the US provided him with weapons and training teams to help teach his Viet Minh guerrillas how to fight.

After the Americans withdrew their support for the Vietminh the Vietnamese successfully sought support from the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union who supplied the Vietnamese with the weapons they needed to defeat the Americans. The Soviet imperialists who were in a cold war with the American imperialists never supported the Vietnamese out of altruism either.

Adolf Hitler – (Peace Activist)

Hitler’s speech after Germany’s invasion and occupation of Poland in 1939.

“A state of no less than 36,000,000 inhabitants… took up arms against us. Their arms were far-reaching, and their confidence in their ability to crush Germany knew no bounds…” Adolf Hitler, October 6, 1939

Sound familiar?

Swap the word ‘Russia’ for the word ‘Germany The exact same lie that Ukraine is the aggressor out to ‘crush’ Russia is being spread by Kremlin propagandists, and believed by Western self titled ‘peace activists’.

Hitler then offered the olive branch of peace to France and Britain. He condemned war as an enterprise where all participants were losers after enduring millions of deaths and billions of lost wealth….

“My chief endeavor has been to rid our relations with France of all trace of ill will… I have always expressed to France my desire to bury forever our ancient enmity… I have devoted no less effort to the achievement of Anglo-German friendship… To achieve this great end [of peace], the leading nations of this continent will one day have to come together in order to draw up, accept and guarantee a statute on a comprehensive basis which will insure for them all a sense of security, of calm – in short, of peace…. Adolf Hitler, October 6, 1939

Sound familiar?

It should. Here is another so called ‘peace activist’ saying almost exactly the same thing.

“I am against sending any lethal arms there. It prolongs the war. What is the goal?…..This is mad”

And what now? Our governments, our Consuls, our businesses, we need every link possible to say: There must be a cease-fire and people beyond the warring countries will be brought in to negotiate settlements. THE KILLINGS MUST STOP.

 

Lapdog of the Western Democracies

Just as modern pro-war peace activists believe that Ukraine is a proxy puppet of the West, in the same speech, Hitler accused Poland of being “a lapdog of the Western Democracies”. Adolf Hitler, October 6, 1939

Why did Germany invade Poland?
Why did America invade Vietnam?
Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

 

Imperialism

Understand that one word, and you will know why Germany invaded Poland, you will know why America invaded Vietnam, and why Russia invaded Ukraine.
Understand that one word and you will also know why the climate boundaries of the planet as well as national and international boundaries are being over run.

In regards to the Russian Federation invasion and war in Ukraine, you will never hear the word imperialism pass the lips of the pro-war self titled ‘peace activists’.

Finally;
In 2010 have traveled in Syria with the Kia Gaza aid convoy I witnessed the monstrous Assad regime close up. This is the regime where the Russian imperialists have a large military base and where the Russian Federation partnered with the Assad regime have committed genocide against the Syrian people for wanting liberation and freedom from imperialism and colonialism.

This is what awaits the people of Ukraine if they succumb to Russian imperialism.

 

Pat O’Dea is a trade unionist and human rights activist.

52 COMMENTS

  1. If your argument has any validity it is that this is a war by Russian people for liberation from tyranny imposed over them by an ethnic clique from the west of a territory named Ukraine.

    • Through the looking glass darkly.

      “A state of no less than 36,000,000 inhabitants… took up arms against us. Their arms were far-reaching, and their confidence in their ability to crush Germany knew no bounds…” Adolf Hitler, October 6, 1939

      Just as Hitler claimed that Poland was the aggressor and Germany was the victim.
      Repeating Kremlin chauvinist war propaganda verbatim Nick+J does the same switcharoo.

      “….this is a war by Russian people for liberation from tyranny imposed over them by an ethnic clique from the west of a territory named Ukraine.” Nick+J

      The illogic of imperialism.
      According to Nick;
      The aggressor is the victim.
      Ukraine is not a country.
      Ukraine is the territory of Russia that is being invaded by Ukrainians and liberated by Russians.
      Russia is not bombing Ukrainian cities, but bombing Russian cities.

  2. Or, Russia is North Vietnam, and Ukraine is colonial South Vietnam, the militarised proxy against the “domino” – Nato-fuelled into Russpohpbes and Nazi revanchists (instead of “moderate muslim rebels).

    You’re right that the country fighting for its souls and existence will win. you’ve just got your nose too close to the screen and can’t see which is which. The US has been run and educated by psychopaths for decades now, the Iraq invasion was the first step of its downfall, the world is only just bearing the fruit of its ruin. Time is up the Psychopaths actions have forged Putin, Russia and the Global south into a vast majority willing to oppose them.

  3. If I needed reminding that NZ has lost the people needed to be able to discuss real political issues in a logical fashion, with actual facts that can be demonstrated, rather than just supposition based on second/third hand gossip, then this article, and the accompanying “comments” did that for me….
    Why is it so hard for so called “intelligent” people to keep a rational perspective regarding the FACT that since the fall of the Soviet, NATO has broken every undertaking it promised to honour regarding their dealings with a newly minted Russia… Every… Single… Agreement made has been broken by a US controlled NATO..
    Does the prospect of a line of missile batteries placed along their border within minutes of Moscow not give them the right to be nervous? Does the fact that what was done by the CIA in Ukraine is being done in Kazakhstan not give the right to acknowledge that there is a deliberate plan in place to permanently hobble them, to the point where they would end up becoming in thrall to the “New World Order” that the USA leaders have been working towards since WW2?
    For such “intelligent” people as NZers like to preen themselves as, this is rank stupidity, based on nothing more than bigotry, hubris, and a telling lack of reason.. This is how we make way for the next attempt to develop a truly intelligent species on Earth.. By removing ourselves from a stage we don’t have the talent to occupy…

    • While I agree that the USA is not to be trusted Russia under Putin is probably worse so how do you decide if there is a good side?

      • One one hand you have the imperialist USA with their endless wars and color revolutions with estimated deaths of 30 million and then there’s Russia.
        There’s a clear historical timeline of Russia raising concerns about Western imperial aggression since at least 2008 People like Pat enjoy gaslighting Russia.
        There lots of blogs and sub-stacks covering the issue and numerous ones link to Western media sources including Western reports on the atrocities in the Donbass by Human rights watch and the OSCE, NBC and CBC documentaries on the Ukrainian Neo Nazis, (2014 on-wards) the Western overthrow of the Ukrainian government in 2014 and the racial discrimination laws in Ukraine as well as the government murders of opposition politicians and corruption.
        It’s all there to see, you just have to be brave enough to challenge your pre conceived views of western “Democracy” and it ain’t pretty.

      • We don’t get to decide.
        You don’t interfere, you don’t intervene.
        You don’t start coups or putschs and try to tell countries who to trade with or talk to or make deals with, and you don’t bribe and promise those countries to do things that threaten their neighbours and make bad relations with their neighbours.

        Unless you’re Pat and his friend the USA and its vassals. Then you do all that and more, and when there are consequences, blame everyone else.

    • You are not exactly demonstrating your intelligence here Stefan. You give an unbalanced view of the situation and claim the higher ground! How infantile! And cynical!
      You obviously know nothing about Russian history or politics.

  4. Pat why don’t you spell it out? Who are the ‘modern pro-war peace activists’ you hold in contempt?
    Code Pink perhaps?
    People who call for ‘negotiations not escalations’ perhaps?

    • First off Lois, I don’t hold them in contempt. That’s a particularly loaded term. I just think they are simply wrong.

      The quote that I used comparable to Hitler’s, was written by someone called Marie Venning, whose byline is Christchurch Peace Activist. I have no idea who this person is. But I was struck by her quote now that Putin has occupied a large part of Ukraine, by how similar her quote was to Hitler’s after he had occupied Poland.

      Driven by need for perpetual economic growth and expansion Russia has invaded Ukraine. But infinite growth on a finite planet is unsustainable. Not only is infinite economic growth on a finite planet the cause biosphere collapse, it is the root cause of all modern wars. Biden accuses Putin of being an imperialist. Putin accuses Biden of being an imperialist. They are both right. Collapse or expansion is the iron rule of capitalist economy. But not once does Marie Venning mention the word imperialism, which shows she has no understanding of the underpinning exigencies of this war. And why the Kremlin thinks that the invasion of Ukraine was an existential necessity.

      But despite all this, this is still a war of choice for the Kremlin, they could have decided to reorganise their growth economy to become a more fairer more equitable more environmentally sustainable steady state economy. Russia is not facing an existential threat, the capitalist kleptocracy that rules Russia is facing an existential threat.

  5. “..In 2010 have traveled in Syria with the Kia Gaza aid convoy I witnessed the monstrous Assad regime close up. ..”
    Please elaborate.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/4051192/Kiwi-aid-heads-to-Gaza
    Kiwi aid heads to Gaza
    DAVID TAURANGA
    05:00, Aug 24 2010
    RIGHTEOUS STAND: Kia Ora Gaza, a six-member team of Kiwis led by Mangere stalwart Roger Fowler, will join an international convoy attempting to break Israel’s blockade around the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.
    SIMON WATTS
    RIGHTEOUS STAND: Kia Ora Gaza, a six-member team of Kiwis led by Mangere stalwart Roger Fowler, will join an international convoy attempting to break Israel’s blockade around the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.
    PEOPLE power got nuclear warships banned in New Zealand waters and Roger Fowler’s hoping it will win the day for the people of Palestine.

    The long-time campaigner and Mangere fixture is leading Kia Ora Gaza, a six-member team of Kiwis joining an international convoy of 500 vehicles that will try to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip next month.

    Israel and neighbour Egypt have run a blockade around Gaza for three years, allowing only a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the area.

    The blockade has been condemned around the globe with world leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron even comparing the Gaza Strip to a prison camp.

    The latest convoy will be the fifth and largest organised by London-based Viva Palestina in the past 18 months.

    On May 31 the last convoy of six ships attempting to break the blockade was stormed by Israeli commandos. Nine civilians and workers died.

    “Israel’s attack on the peace flotilla was totally outrageous – it was a huge tipping point for many people in New Zealand and around the world,” Mr Fowler says.

    “But the attack brought the blockade to the world’s attention and helped show that Palestinian people are living in dire straits.”

    Mr Fowler acknowledges Kia Ora Gaza’s involvement with the convoy is controversial but believes the bulk of “fair-minded New Zealanders will rally behind us”.

    Kiwis have a good history of making a righteous stand over issues of justice, he says.

    The team leaves for London on September 14 and will begin its five-week journey four days later.

    The 500 vehicles will leave in three groups from London, Doha and Morocco. The plan is to meet in northern Egypt then attempt to cross the border into Gaza from Rafah.

    Twenty-five Kiwis volunteered for the convoy and the six chosen represent different sections of New Zealand society, Mr Fowler says.

    “We chose solid people who would be able to handle different situations and able to work together. Five of the six have families, there’s two young students, a mother with journalistic experience and a photo journalist.”

    Also included in the team is Mr Fowler’s 25-year-old son Hone who lives in London and works with at-risk youth.

    The convoy will be made up of civilian volunteers but communications, medical and security teams will be attached to it.

    There’s some nervousness about safety but that pales in comparison to “the plight facing the Palestinian people”, Mr Fowler says.

    And there’s security in the convoy’s size and the media’s glare, he says.

    “It’s not a peaceful area and with so many unknowns there are levels of anxiety. But they are not on the radar compared to the possibility that our little contribution may help.”

    If the convoy is not successful in ending Israel’s seige, larger convoys will be sent “until something has to give”, he says.

    The team is now trying to raise $100,000 to cover the cost of vehicles and humanitarian aid as well as its travel.

    Realistically it’s been a 10-week campaign for a venture that really needed 10 months to raise the money required, Mr Fowler says.

    Kia Ora Gaza has the added burden of getting the team to the other side of the world and back again.

    “We do have a public appeal for financial support and have received tremendous offers of donations and support.”

    See http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com for more information about Kia Ora Gaza.

    • Sure I could elaborate, but it would take a post of its own. I’ll have to get back to you.
      Today I have to catch the 11:56 train to Penrose for a meeting at the First Union office in Onehunga.

      Watch this space.

  6. Pat I asked a simple question. Who are the “modern pro-war peace activists”? Name some.

    Stephen Cohen in his 2019 book War with Russia? writes of the ‘new McCarthyism’ ..one just does not question the line of Russia evil end of story ..we saw this all of last year..Chomsky said he’d never seen anything like it
    It is not for someone in NZ to say that Russia is not facing an existential threat. We should try to understand why the Russians think they do.That’s called diplomacy.
    Russia experienced millions of deaths in WW2 . Yet Gorbachev agreed to approve of the reunification of Germany provided NATO did not move “an inch” closer to the Russian border. He was lied to. Gorbachev disbanded the Warsaw Pact, expecting NATO to be disbanded as well.
    There is too much to say in a short column. There are often helpful articles in consortiumnews.com There are books that talk of the role of the US..of Victoria Nuland especially.. in the 2014 coup.. The US has a first strike nuclear policy..The US is the only country in the world to have used a nuclear bomb on a civilian population,,and this was when Japan was surrendering.
    One should read what Jeffrey Sachs has to say about the situation in Ukraine,,what Medea Benjamin has to say ..
    and we should be seriously discussing the NORD STREAM 2 SABOTAGE exposed by Seymour Hersh. WHY THE SILENCE?

    A cease fire must be called..negotiations must begin..the RISK of a NUCLEAR confrontation maybe by accident , maybe by a misunderstanding, is frighteningly REAL

    • If you have a top down view of history, you don’t understand history.

      “Gorbachev disbanded the Warsaw Pact,…” Lois Griffiths.

      Like hell he did.
      The people of the Warsaw Pact countries disbanded the Warsaw Pact. They did it unilaterally, and without regard to any other powers. Gorbachev was left with no other option but to make the best of it. He may even have made claim to being (partly) responsible for it. He wasn’t.

      When Ronald Reagan went to Berlin and stood on a podium to say “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” It was already being torn down by the German people. Reagan had as much to do with tearing down the Berlin Wall as Gorbachev did. Which is to say that neither leader had anything to do with it.

      You may say Ukraine should surrender to Russian imperialist aggression because of Russia’s enormous nuclear weapons stockpile.
      If Putin ever used a nuclear weapon from this stockpile on the Ukrainian people, the Russian people would tear him a new arsehole. And no military force on Earth could stop them. And Putin knows it. Nixon came to the same realisation when he was contemplating using nuclear weapons on North Vietnam. The American people would have torn Nixon to pieces, and not one stone would have been left standing on another at the Whitehouse.

      https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB195/index.htm

      What is the most important thing in the world?

      He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata!

    • “So why were no arseholes torn after Hiroshima, Nagasaki?
      And whats changed?”       Francesca

      This question occurred to me also.
      The total secrecy around the Manhattan Project plus war time censorship of the bombings itself, probably had something to do with it.
      Initially not many people were aware of the true nature of nuclear weapons, imagining them to be an enormously big conventional bomb, not dissimilar to the bombs that had been falling on European cities for the previous five years, except in magnitude.

      The Americans secrecy and tight censorship of any reporting of the full horror and devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, prevented full knowledge of what had occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki from being known. The reality of nuclear weapons was first revealed to the world after the American journalist John Hersey managed to get past the US occupation military cordon and into Hiroshima that he was able to bear witness and report back. It was only belatedly that through the work of journalists like Hersey and others investigation and reporting, often in defiance of the authorities, that the true nature of nuclear weapons was revealed to the world..

      Today there can hardly be anyone on the planet who isn’t aware of the full horror and nature of nuclear weapons.

      The nuclear bomb is a weapon of genocide.

      The Legacy of John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”
      Seventy-five years ago, journalist John Hersey’s article “Hiroshima” forever changed how Americans viewed the atomic attack on Japan.

      August 20, 2021

      https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/john-herseys-hiroshima-1946

      The Black Reporter Who Exposed a Lie About the Atom Bomb
      Charles H. Loeb defied the American military’s denials and propaganda to show how deadly radiation from the strike on Hiroshima sickened and killed.

      https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/science/charles-loeb-atomic-bomb.html#:~:text=Beverly%20Deepe%20Keever%2C%20a%20professor,1945%2C%20a%20month%20after%20Mr.

      The use of nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity.

      No power on Earth could stop the Russian people dragging Putin out of the Kremlin and hanging him from the nearest lamp pole, if he used a nuclear weapon.

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