Pat O’Dea – My war crimes are better than yours
Defending the indefensible.
Whataboutism reaches absurd new heights.
Brian Berletic a leading on-line cheerleader for Russia’s war against Ukraine, admits that Russia is committing war crimes, but that the US commit war crimes too.
(which makes it OK)
A must watch into the levels of depravity plumbed by Western supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
@ 3:25 minutes – “….Russia is committing war crimes. Well, that is true.”
@ 5:03 minutes – “The US did the exact same things in Iraq.”
Just as big countries will try to dominate small countries, small countries will resist
In the debate over the invasion of Ukraine, partisan opponents of US imperialism accuse those of us against this aggression of ignoring the terrible crimes of US imperialism. While they ignore the terrible crimes committed by Russian imperialism.
Putin’s imperialism in Africa
It isn’t just Ukraine: African dictators are just fine with Russia killing for money
Last week, at roughly the time that photographs and stories began to filter out of liberated Bucha in Ukraine, the NGO Human Rights Watch published a report of similar massacres which took place contemporaneously in rural Mali. What linked the two was the identity of the perpetrators. In Ukraine and across Africa, these atrocities are committed by Russians…..
…..It might be a little surprising to see how deeply involved Russia and its mercenary armies are in Africa, and how many massacres they seem to be behind.
“The day after the military staged a coup in Burkina Faso in January, supporters of the new regime took to the streets waving Russian flags,” writes Samuel Ramani, the author of the upcoming Russia in Africa, in Foreign Affairs. He documents a diplomatic and military strategy to become an indispensable player on the continent…..
Personally., I disagree with the headline of this above article, because it personifies Russian imperialism to the character of Vladimir Putin. This personalisation ignores the fact that every country with a growth economy needs to expand.
To gain control of markets, to gain control of the sources of raw materials, to deny their competitors control of these same markets and resources, to expand into every nook and cranny of the globe (and the environment). But infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible, sooner or later you wind up against natural or man made borders that put a limit on that growth. Humanity can obey these limits or try and force through them, thus imposing war on the human world and biosphere collapse on the natural world.
Yes, there are supporters of US imperialism on our side who ignore the crimes of US imperialism.
Like their opposites on the Russian side, they ignore the root cause of imperialism because they gain from it. New Zealand gains from being a junior partner of US imperialism and Western domination of the global markets and resources. And for this some of us overlook the crimes of Western imperialism. Successive New Zealand governments have even supplied cannon fodder to Western imperialist adventures.
Socialists Oppose All Imperialisms
Venezuelan socialists opposed to both US and Russian imperialism protest outside Russian embassy in Caracas against the war in Ukraine.
Caracas, May 13, 2022. In the morning hours, representatives of the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSL), the Toromayma Cultural Collective and the Citizens’ Platform in Defense of the Constitution, gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Caracas, rejecting the invasion of Ukraine, as well as in support of the resistance of the Ukrainian people and workers against Putin’s invading army….
…..As is known, the imperialist army of Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine last February 24. What some would have expected to be a stroll for one of the most powerful armies in the world, has turned into a bloody war in the face of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people.
Unfortunately, much of the world’s left wrongly supports Putin or assumes a neutral position, de facto endorsing the invasion of Ukraine, a country impoverished by years of brutal adjustments applied by the different capitalist governments that have taken turns in power since Ukraine’s independence in 1991….
…..In our country, the majority of the left has avoided taking a stance, while some directly support the invasion. Hence the importance of the act carried out by PSL, the Toromayma Cultural Collective and the Citizens’ Platform in Defense of the Constitution at the Russian Embassy….
…..Something to note is that a journalist from Agence France Press was there, who, upon realizing that in addition to rejecting the invasion, we did not suport NATO or any imperialist intervention, proceeded to leave without covering the protest, a reflection of the censorship exercised in Venezuela by mainstream media, which has its counterpart in the censorship and repression in Russia against anyone who demonstrates in opposition to the invasion.
Pat O’Dea is a trade unionist and human rights activist.
Pat, I think you miss the reality of what’s behind most of the whataboutism in regard to conversations regarding the behaviours of USA, Russia and other global power players and personalities.
You insert the
“(which makes it OK)”
in the above article. It must be stressed that this conclusion is both your own insertion and assertion. at worst it is a strawman.
Seldom, if ever, do I read that direct assertion from the people actually making such comments and comparisons of the behaviour of USA Russia etc..
In reality the whataboutism to which to refer, when it is used, is I believe, overwhelmingly used as an appeal from one party to another to exhort them examine their own possible double standards of reaction to the conflict and how it is framed just about everywhere.
In terms of the Ukraine conflict it is both inane and dishonest to apportion blame to Russia as the aggressor whilst simultaneously refusing to honestly examine the events leading up to it over several decades. in fact, factors involving the consequences of invasions unleashed on sovereign soil that go back centuries affect the psyche of the Russian and Ukrainian parties factors that most in the West, particularly the largely ignorant bulk of USA’s populace haven’t a hope of grasping.
Yet our government and media just feed us a steady diet of pro NATO, anti Putin, anti Russian propaganda. Those in the USA have had a non-stop diet of such crap for over a century and have no qualms about exporting their paranoia and dragging us into their manufactured problems.
Good on ya Pat, can’t see the Putin Apologists taking any of this to heart through.
Just a lot easier running with their ‘the West bad / anyone opposed to the West good’ worldview.
The ‘Putin apologists’ are too far down the rabbit hole to turn back.
The Putin curious following them maybe not.
There is no whataboutism here, only someone hearing what they want to hear and then cherry-picking what they want to be seen/read. Key wording here “if that is true”, not ….. “….Russia is committing war crimes. Well, that is true.” Secondary point, there is no doubts which side of this war the Venezuelan government is on, a government still largely supported by its people. Nonetheless, brave man for posting the link, looks interesting.
“if that is true”
There is no “if”. Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime, no matter who does it.
You misquoted Brian Berletic henceforth your “Whataboutism ‘ point is erroneous. You want to argue war crimes in general – have at it – because this argument relies upon, not so much the truth, but to whom we care to listen to.
Interesting that Brian Berletic shows concern for Ukraine, Ukrainian people and most of all, Ukrainian soldiers. As such, he’s more a critic of the mechanisms of power, namely the military industrial complex and mainstream media, cleverly using mainstream media coverage to make his points, than he is a cheerleader for Russia, granted that critiquing mechanisms of power borders upon blasphemy in this day and age. Such is the state of the world today…no wonder the calls for peace barely exist…there is no call/media coverage for it.
Thanks Pat, I tend to agree.
Whilst life is never black and white, we must resist all imperialistic moves across the globe.
Pat the Marxist, supporting neo Nazis. How do you reconcile that Pat?