Invasions

George Bush's invasion in Iraq is, by many measures, already quite a low starting point. But something that was never on the table was the idea the that the USA was going to annex part of Iraq's territory. No, annexing other people's territory is no longer part of the game plan (as for example Y. N. Harari argues). It's something that hasn't happened since WWII. So, then, what is Putin's goal? Is it about ousting a supposedly Nazi (albeit Jewish) regime or is it about annexing Ukraine's territory? Well, it is a question that we don't even have to ask. Russia has already annexed part of Ukraine's territory.

 

Every country has its grievances. For example, Austria lost Trentino (= Southern Tyrol) after WWII. German's are probably unhappy about giving Alsace and Lorraine to France. The Ireland conflict is obviously still big. And here we are not even talking about all the African countries with their neatly straight lines drawn in French and British boardrooms, not reflecting any natural borders at all. Ever since recorded history, these kinds of conflicts were resolved by war. But, amazingly, no such territorial war has happened since WWII. So, what is at stake with Russia's invasion and attempted annexation of Ukraine? Our whole world structure assured by territorial integrity, putting peace and prosperity before pride and vanity.

 

In summary, even if all the pictures of bombed apartment buildings are fakes (which there is no reason to believe), even if Zelensky is an oppressive Nazi (which is even more absurd), even if one is unaware of the growing number of refugees, even then there is no way to compare Russia's invasion in Ukraine with the US invasion in Iraq (which is already quite a low starting point). Much more is at stake here.