.
Putin's pretence that the war of aggression / war of intended conquest against Ukraine is no war was ridiculed much, but it's a very serious thing. Some Russians go to jail for years because they publicly called it a war.
We should not forget that the attempt to suppress domestic dissent against warfare by denying war is war is not specific to this instance. The Korean War was called (counter to customs and the intent of the U.S. constitution) not a declared war and called a "police action" by the U.S..
Many politicians in the West have ever since played games with soldiers' and civilians' lives at no expense to themselves, and without proper political backlash by pretending that war isn't war.
I propose we get a "mirror Putin" law that criminalises for politicians to not call a war a war, and give anyone the right to go to court to prosecute (and deny the Generalbundesanwalt in Germany the right to take over the case, so it cannot kill off the prosecution). Sure, hundreds of politicians would still enjoy parliamentary immunity, but politically obedient state attorneys could not protect them and the cases would linger without statute of limitations counting down. Lying warmongers would fear to be delivered to justice, even if they stay in parliament (a changed majority after an election might lead to a nullification of their immunity). It would be a Sword of Damocles that might protect us from lies that make it easier for warmongers to launch and keep going stupid small wars.
S O
.
Take my like, Sire!
ReplyDeleteThe Russian and also the Chinese system like it, when their citizens have low agency outside of state sanctioned nationalism. This goes hand in hand with high levels of corruption, accepted by a rather apathetic population.
ReplyDeleteCalling the happenings in Ukraine by a name other than war, shows that there's a fear that calling a spade a spade, would create a level of agency that the government tries to avoid.
Military support for Ukraine is too little to throw the Russians out of the country, so we will see the next attempt, when their military has recovered. This time then they might be better prepared on the propaganda front and call it a righteous war for the motherland. Russians go to jail for calling it a war in Russian, not in English.
https://meduza.io/en uses loopholes to keep reporting from Russia.
Was the Korean War the only murkily named Western war or were there a few others that escaped proper parliamentary oversight?
When do you think will Russia get ready for the next round in reconquering the former empire?