I think it's becoming increasingly important to abandon outdated concepts like "the West" and begin to be a bit more conscious of our wording. What do we have currently comprising "the West"? The EU, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and some even throw in Japan and Taiwan for good measure. It might be becoming a little unwieldy - and unclear. (Besides the consideration that every one of those entities I mentioned there is anything but monolithic.) I think the days of both the British "Empire" (can't tell for sure if that's still alive) and the EU may be coming to a close - but maybe not. And not many people seem to have been able to distance themselves from old prejudices about the US to figure out what the hell President Trump is up to. Everything screams for clarity of language.
Legitimizing russia doesnt help orphaned westerners. russia has always been legitimate and mature in seeking to maintain a neutral unified Ukraine open to both european and russian capital, resisting the partition and persecution of neutralist ukrainians, and pushing for Minsk reunification until the zelenski administration officially rejected it in early 2022. The westerners foolishly divided and expanded into ukraine, and the second step of reconstituting europe after ceasefire is to thoroughly criticize russophobia and reintegrate european economy and cultural canon. if a western politicial doesnt apologize for the discretionary war and deaths in ukraine - they will never have the conceptual or ethical wherewithal to lead europe.
It's a bit simpler than all that. The new principle is the oldest of principles: Might makes right and the powerful shall do as they wish while the weak shall suffer what they must. Just that, with a little Christmas wrapping now and then.
In my opinion Russia was always legitimate in its action for example towards Ukraine. For example, there is no much information that Ukraine military forces invaded Russia on 19 February 2022 and then after this special military operation began. Also, not many people understand that Russia was acted according to UN charters but NATO was based bombing Yugoslavia without UN approval.
Nice piece, thanks for sharing, we continue to speak as if diplomacy, international law, and “the rules-based order” still bind us. But this language belongs to an earlier ontology—one in which words anchored reality and institutions commanded belief.
I also wrote an article on this if you're interested - grateful if you would take a look
I think it's becoming increasingly important to abandon outdated concepts like "the West" and begin to be a bit more conscious of our wording. What do we have currently comprising "the West"? The EU, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and some even throw in Japan and Taiwan for good measure. It might be becoming a little unwieldy - and unclear. (Besides the consideration that every one of those entities I mentioned there is anything but monolithic.) I think the days of both the British "Empire" (can't tell for sure if that's still alive) and the EU may be coming to a close - but maybe not. And not many people seem to have been able to distance themselves from old prejudices about the US to figure out what the hell President Trump is up to. Everything screams for clarity of language.
Well said.
Though I think the EU’s issue is “philosophical legitimation” - mostly in relation to NATO - not “linguistic legitimation” per se.
Good read. Thanks for keeping it short
Legitimizing russia doesnt help orphaned westerners. russia has always been legitimate and mature in seeking to maintain a neutral unified Ukraine open to both european and russian capital, resisting the partition and persecution of neutralist ukrainians, and pushing for Minsk reunification until the zelenski administration officially rejected it in early 2022. The westerners foolishly divided and expanded into ukraine, and the second step of reconstituting europe after ceasefire is to thoroughly criticize russophobia and reintegrate european economy and cultural canon. if a western politicial doesnt apologize for the discretionary war and deaths in ukraine - they will never have the conceptual or ethical wherewithal to lead europe.
It's a bit simpler than all that. The new principle is the oldest of principles: Might makes right and the powerful shall do as they wish while the weak shall suffer what they must. Just that, with a little Christmas wrapping now and then.
In my opinion Russia was always legitimate in its action for example towards Ukraine. For example, there is no much information that Ukraine military forces invaded Russia on 19 February 2022 and then after this special military operation began. Also, not many people understand that Russia was acted according to UN charters but NATO was based bombing Yugoslavia without UN approval.
Nice piece, thanks for sharing, we continue to speak as if diplomacy, international law, and “the rules-based order” still bind us. But this language belongs to an earlier ontology—one in which words anchored reality and institutions commanded belief.
I also wrote an article on this if you're interested - grateful if you would take a look
https://substack.com/@beingandpolitics/note/c-204284008?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=j4dtk