SSP Diaries | War for world dominance: A nasty affair

THE WAR between Russia and Ukraine continues with little sign of an end to hostilities. Both sides have increased the use of their propaganda machinery and with the West throwing their weight behind Ukraine, it has become overwhelming in many respects. The use of media to deliver real-time activity in conflict was introduced to the world in the War on Iraq, March to May 2003. We had blow-by-blow descriptions delivered to our living rooms by the predominant Western sources, and, in the absence of anything to the contrary, they told the world a convincing story.

War today is a very nasty business, void of the principles of old that respected friend, foe and the innocent. In reality, atrocities are a part of the repertoire of all the parties concerned and not just one side, as is being depicted. It may be difficult for us to understand, but in defending one’s country, you don’t always have the luxury of deploying in locations of your choosing. If that were the case, then Ukraine would invite the Russians to invade in places that would spare their infrastructures as opposed to urban areas. It follows that Ukraine would have considered its options based upon perceived Russian axes of advance and prepared their cities. Whichever buildings or features that are significant in the execution of such a defence, are therefore fortified or manned to thwart the Russian offensive. No building that is key to this requirement will be spared such preparations. Such positions are never revealed, for obvious reasons, but history has shown that oftentimes this has occasioned the suffering of innocent parties. We have witnessed this in our own backyard in the invasion of Grenada in 1983, which saw the patients in an asylum being armed by forces retreating from the US-led advance on the capital, St George’s. The rest is history. So although the Russian advance cannot be described as using proportionate force, or being void of its own misleading stories, we should understand that there is more to this conflict than we currently know.

The world condemns the Russians for the aggressive actions taken against Ukraine, and rightly so. In recent times, one can’t help but notice rising concerns that openly question the real intent and displayed behaviour of the US, now largely perceived as the party that created the conflict for its own designs. The US, in using Ukraine as a political football, has supplied more arms and funding to Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) than any of the nations in Europe, and has only stopped short of providing troops in Ukraine’s defence. The philosophy of any superpower is such that whenever armaments are ‘expended’, they must be replenished to maintain the desired state of readiness. In replenishing the arsenal, jobs will be created, and manufacturing outputs will increase, research and development enhanced, triggering an economic revival in this industry, one of the largest in the US.

In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there is economic, political, ideological and military powers at play; the US is bent on retaining superpower status, and the Russians’ aim is to hasten the demise of that waning power. It has becoming more evident that the real political footballs are now Ukraine and the NATO states in Europe; they seem to have been drawn into an egotistical battle between the US and Russia. And in the midst of this debacle is a silent referee in the form of China, with India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Venezuela, etc, running the sidelines! Note also that once again, the tainted fossil fuel features as a commodity of enormous value, capable of turning heads 360 degrees!

TAKING SIDES

Caribbean states should be mindful of these situations and give due consideration before taking sides. It is quite clear that today you can be under sanctions imposed directly or indirectly by the US, yet tomorrow, without your situation changing, if it suits them, you can be designated a most favoured nation in order to satisfy their personal designs. Venezuela is a case in point. History is replete with examples of the US leaving countries in limbo after their interventions, from the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, conflicts in Europe, their involvements in Haiti, and up to the unimaginably abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 that has left that country in turmoil ever since. The trend is by no means something to be ignored. History continues to repeat itself. Europe must silently be fearing a possible withdrawal of the US from NATO and where that would leave them with regard to Russia and its new-found relationship with China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India. In my humble opinion, a number of nations in NATO will not be ‘cutting off their noses to spite their faces’ in this conflict; despite the sanctions, they will still be quietly receiving supplies of gas and oil from Russia. Their survival – politically, economically and otherwise – depends on these supplies, and the trust deficit with their major ally does nothing to allay their fears. The situation is definitely not pretty.

The US will forever be a country that puts its interests before everything or anyone else. Europe has a rich history of surviving conflicts, even though many empires have long set. The Caribbean is emerging from colonialism and trying to chart its path. Being mindful of the shaping of a new world order and what it will take for small island developing states to survive and achieve their aspirations, a policy void of taking sides, and one that seeks to recognise the right to peaceful co-existence in harmonious environments, is probably the way to go. Standing up for what we believe in, as an integrated region and learning from the mistakes of others, is what is important. We must not take on the posture of the ‘wagonist’. Our struggles have taught us many things; learn from them!