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[Photo: Alibin Alibin, Flickr, 4/14/2022]
By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD
We are in an era that is marked by many failures – environmental crisis, inequality, aggression, communication. Among the critical failures underlying them all is the lack of truth. We can point to many things chopping down this tree, from the capitalist success at “branding” and “marketing” everything from products and businesses to ideas and ourselves. This has led to what might be termed ‘the life of commercial’ where we are a living commercial. In commercials, the effort is to create an imaginary world where the product has magical powers – even when we are that product. There is little, if any, truth in the world of commercials. However, the commercialization of everything is but one threat to truth. However, it paves the way for our suspension of disbelief, which is critical to the erosion of truth and the ascendency of deceit and gaslighting.
Courtesy -Al Jazeera
‘Post-truthis a periodizing concept referring to a transnational and historically specific, empirically observable public anxiety about public truth claims and authority to be a legitimate public truth-teller. It also refers to the theories about the historically specific converging causes that have produced its communication forms and effects. The term was named Word of the Year in 2016 by the Oxford Dictionary where it is defined as “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief“. As Oxford Dictionary’s web page on post-truth explains, the term’s use spiked with reference to the communication context in the period around the 2016 United States presidential election and the Brexit referendum. Oxford dictionaries further notes that post-truth was often used as an adjective to signal a distinctive kind of politics – It continues to be used frequently in this regard.’
Trump’s role was (and is) multi-layered. First, he was highly public and at the top of the GOP, and then as President of the U.S. His actions, even more so than other elected officials, sent the message that his behavior was acceptable (and literally, unimpeachable). Given that he is a pathological liar, and in a position to gaslight the nation, his role model is having ramifications not just across the United States, but across the world. His example has shown that if you break every law and rule you are likely to get away with most of it – especially if you are very wealthy or powerful, or connected to people who are.
A message that has been sent with increasing frequency is that everything is a matter of opinion, and that fact is what one wishes it to be, or simply doesn’t exist. We could have a long discussion about how ephemeral a life or world can become when it is rooted in our beliefs and opinions rather than even a loosely anchored reality.
Lastly, and in part, a combination of all of the above is that war is based on lies. Some would argue this is the case for security reasons, but more honestly in the modern era is that too many wealthy people and nations benefit from the deceptions. Leaders lie to their own people to gain their support for war, and to perpetuate national myths about the goodness and righteousness of the nation.
We are in a different global environment than we have ever been in before. I agree with Dr. Khawaja that it is critical that we tell the truth to the best of our ability and knowledge. This is not just for the ‘greater good,’ but as a moral obligation. So many millions of people’s lives are on the line and the horrors that many have and are experiencing demand our honesty and our witnessing. We cannot let lies and deception make invisible reality and the extreme cost of not just our leaders, but that silence implicates us – individually and collectively.
Mahboob Khawaja, PhD
The paralyzing fear and distrust emerging from the horrors of war in Ukraine must make us conscious to record the truth of global leadership’s failure. The truth must be written in the annals of history that we all failed to stop the tyranny of war by the people against the people and that we had no idea how we continued to harm our present and cripple our sustainable future with weapons that should have protected our freedom, not destroyed our existence. (The Author).
How to Stop the Leadership Cruelty
All tyrants get corrupted by their own tyranny.
The global warriors have infested mankind with tyranny and transgression. The resulting killing of civilians, destruction of human habitats, cruelty, and global disorder are widespread across West Europe having an influx of millions of refugees and the Russian sphere of strategic influence go unchallenged. All tyrants get corrupted by their own tyranny. Russia, America, and NATO need to be wise, not to become Warrior Empires in global future destruction. Obsessed with weapons and the power of energy (oil and gas), Russian and Western leaders have embarked on reinventing global disasters by a relentless proxy war in Ukraine and its spill-over immediate impacts on neighbouring Poland, Moldova, and the rest of Eastern Europe. NATO, the EU, and Russia created strategic divides and now bombing perpetuates animosities. There is no check and balance strategy open to international accountability – no international law and no so-called ‘preservation’ of the Geneva Conventions. Contrary to the official statements, the daily killings of the civilians go unabated across the Ukrainian war theater. Russia’s end goal seems to be the destruction of the national freedom and identity of Ukraine as a free nation.
We, the People, We, the Humanity are reliving the unthinkable horrors, bloodbaths, and massacres of innocent civilians watching the daily news on Ukraine and what happened during the Two European World Wars – still fresh on the human slate of memories. Wars and aggressions kill people and do not produce peace and harmony but resentment and degeneration. History illustrates when a nation or its leaders challenge the limits of the Laws of God and approach near the end of their lifespan, insanity takes over common sense and they tend to ignore warnings and reject all voices of reason.
Analyzing critically and comparatively, most Western leaders defy the logic of reason and honesty while reflecting on the current war between Russia and Ukraine and its spill-over impacts on all nations. Most are not truthful about their capacity of strengths and weaknesses; they pretend to be stage actors to appease the masses as if they are doing something useful to protect human lives as endangered species in war zones across Ukraine. Not so, words do not replace actions. They are fearful of their own obsession with an animosity that could not be defined in a simplistic narrative against Russia – the outgrowth of the former USSR. Do the Western leaders (America, NATO, and the EU) have the capacity and determination to stop Russia and its almost three-month-long invasion of Ukraine? If they claim unity of minds, why can’t they challenge Russia to stop its war against Ukraine? They launched a bogus war against Iraq for hypothetical Weapons of Mass Destruction (2003), but Russia has far more superior advanced weapons against the West and its affiliated entities than Iraq did. Even the US Congress joined the wrongful war against Iraq. Do the US, NATO, and its allies realize the horrible mistakes of the past? Have they learned any moral and intellectual lessons from the living history?
Perhaps, Western leaders have weapons but not unanimity of mind and aim to challenge Russia and its unexpectedly prolonged capitulation of Ukraine on many fronts. Do they view Ukraine as a test lab – how the war will go to encounter Russia in future war zones of common socio-economic and strategic interests. It is fast becoming unpredictable when the fateful conjunction between the old and obsolete and the beginning of new age of visionary peace and sustainable future will grasp the human wisdom. Whatever happens in-between, Ukraine is at a great loss being allowed by the Western political mythologists to be victimized by the Russian onslaught. History will haunt Russian, Ukrainian, and Western political thinking and cultures for rational answers for generations to come. All parties involved in the war zones seemed engaged in unbridled ambitions and power to enhance their own fame and fortunes.
The UNO Is Missing Its Credibility and Usefulness
The UN Secretary-General should have asked President Putin for an immediate ceasefire in Moscow. If he had the courage and self-confidence as a leader, he should have demanded compliance with International Law, peacemaking, and respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The UN and its leaders act as if they are ignorant of what is happening on the ground and forgetful of their own Chartered-based role-play in global peace and conflict resolution. The UN and its organs were supposed to be active to prevent such horror stories and massacres of the civilian population across Ukraine as happened during the Second World War, but its leadership is no different than the inept leaders of many other global enterprises. They issue statements of “grave concern” while Russia bombs Khairve, charcoaled Mariupol lives and habitats, and most importantly, created 10 million or so refugees displaced forcibly in neighboring countries. What kind of UNO is functioning today to resolve emerging conflicts and usher in peace for 21st-century humanity? Its leadership failed miserably as did the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to evacuate the civilians in war zone emergencies. Are international law and the protection of civilians in war zones (Geneva Conventions) just paper-based conventions that nobody cares about or respects in actual conflicts?
Towards Understanding the Facts, Not Fiction, of the Universe in which Mankind Lives – Civilizations Grow out of Peace, not Wars
Many Western and Russian scholars falsify facts and articulate media-based fictions about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian leadership terms it a “Special Military Operation”, contradicting the global view of a war against Ukraine. In March 2003, it was not different when the US-NATO invaded Iraq under a false pretext of WMD. Sherwood Ross (“US Sponsored Genocide against Iraq 1990-2012 killed 3.3 million including 750,000 children.” Global Research: 12/06/2012), outlined many such pertinent facts. The encompassed picture showed Arabs and Muslims as if they were born in the eye of a dangerous storm that should be crushed by advanced American–NATO technology available to pilots when bombing the Iraqi-Syrian landscape. The push for war is instinctively part of human ignorance and arrogance and is alive in Ukraine. What if the same could happen to Russia? If Russia’s military operations are too confident, they could end up getting surprises from the Western alliances. Whatever remains in the future – and however improbable at this moment – could become the truth of the future. Wars contradict human nature and the Nature of the living Universe. It is co-existence and peace that brings people and nations together and helps life and relationships to flourish and benefit humans, Nature, the Earth, and the larger Universe. Civilizations grow out of peace, not fear and conflicts. The global leaders are destroying the Future – Our Earth – Our Universe of Peace and Harmony.
Global leaders are obsessed with war. They need to learn how to co-exist in universal harmony. They should take a trip to outer space to view the existence of the Earth and how the all-powerful God has created it and continues to manage it harmoniously despite large-scale human ignorance and violations of the Laws of Nature. Could the warmongers grasp the basic knowledge – how the planet Earth exists and moves at its axis and rotates at 1675 km per hour or 465 meters per second which is 1,040 miles per hour. The Earth’s circumference at the equator is 40,075 km. And the length of time the Earth takes to complete one full turn on its axis is 23.93 hours. And how do all living beings get lifelong nourishment within the splendid Universe? Do people ponder and realize how human beings are created by the Divine process and how societies flourish since time immemorial? This understanding is critical for peacemaking and peaceful co-existence within the Universe.
History speaks loud and clear how in every age and time few powerful warmongers often mentally retarded individuals have always driven mankind to large scale slaughters, victimization, deprivation, and long term ripple scars that it never goes away from the human memory and written pages of human history.
To challenge the deafening silence of the American, Russian and Europeans, and of all the authoritarian rulers for global peace and security, the global community must find ways and means to look beyond the obvious and troublesome horizons dominated by the few warlords and continued to be plagued by daily massacres, displacement of civilians, barbarity against human culture and civilizations, destruction of the habitats and natural environment as if there were no rational being and people of reason populating the God’s created splendid and living Universe. The global human conscience feels an urgent need to organize peaceful public protests and sit-ins against the warmongers. What is happening between Russia and Ukraine must not be viewed indifferently by all the global war players. If Russian, American, and NATO leaders are honest, proactive, and accountable to the global community, they urgently need people with new ideas and creative strategic THINKING to cope with multiple scopes of the political conflicts and humanitarian crises and to find peaceful and workable solutions away from the entrenched political box of the few global warmongers.
Recall what this author proposed (or here) recently to the leaders on both sides of the iron curtain:
To stop the war in Ukraine, the US, the EU, and NATO should have direct face-to-face communication with President Putin. It could be facilitated under the G20 auspices. It is logical when people of diversity and opposing ideals come to talk directly, tensions and evil mongering are reduced to reason and mutual interest. This has not happened except for military options for weapon supplies and enlargement of the scope of regional conflict. Time and history will not forgive nor forget any of the leaders if they failed to agree to an immediate ceasefire and peace deal.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace, and conflict resolution with keen interest in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012. His forthcoming book is entitled: One Humanity and The Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution
Posted by admin in CURRENT EVENTS, Europe, RUSSIA, Ukraine on March 19th, 2022
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” – Frederick Douglass
Obtaining Situation in Ukraine
Biden has announced a $ I billion military aid package and decided to send long range anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. NATO has increased its forces on the eastern flank of Russia in the Baltic States, but has no plans to send troops into Ukraine. Physical clashes and battle of minds are raging and both sides are slapping sanctions. Much against the expectations of Putin of a short and swift outcome, the war is dragging on and President Zelensky is not giving up. Moscow-Kiev parleys are going on, but Zelensky has not agreed to the Russian demand of making Ukraine a neutral country. He is egging on the US and NATO to send forces and is equating the situation to Pearl Harbor.
Third World Wooed
The USA and Russia are trying to win over as many countries of the third world to their side to swing the diplomatic balance on their side.
Russia and China stand on a higher moral ground to win the support of the countries of Asia, Middle East and Africa since they were not harmed by the two. China in particular has been helping the debt ridden and low income countries by providing easy loans for social programs, developing infrastructure and improving their economies.
Russia helped Iran in its missile/ nuclear programs and in easing sanctions, and had a key role in saving the Assad regime in Syria.
Both Russia and China are against the fascist and racist policies of the US and Israel, apartheid, the capitalist system and the monopoly of petrodollars.
On the other hand, prejudice, malice and discrimination against the non-whites have been the guiding principles of the western world. The only exception is India, or their close allies like Japan and South Korea. Putin has called the west an empire of lies.
Today the West has no reason and justification to cry foul and dub Russia as a war monger and an aggressor since Russia didn’t for once step into the backyard of USA, nor meddled into the internal affairs of other countries, or brought about regime changes through proxy wars and clandestine operations, or imposed sanctions on any country.
USA’s Policy of Sanctions
“Remember when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given, a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” – St. Francis of Assisi
To compel Russia to pull out its troops, the US and EU took no time to impose a series of tough sanctions on Russia, and have closed airspaces for the Russian air movement. Anything Russian has been boycotted. The US has told Europe not to buy oil and gas from Russia. Russia’s $ 300 billion have been frozen. Purpose is to isolate Russia, crash its economy and bleed it to death through sanctions. Fifth columnists in Russia have been activated by the CIA to create trouble. Consequently, Russia has become the most sanctioned country after Iran.
Bugles of Pax-Americana sounded by George Bush after 9/11 have now been blown by Joe Biden. He has made it clear to the allies to submit to the US dictates or get perished. Neutrality is not an exercisable option.
Moscow-China’s Foreplaning
Russia is not wilting since in collusion with its strategic partner China, it had foreplaned how to deal with the hardships of sanctions.
Russia has amassed some $600 billion, yuan and gold in reserves, stored huge stacks of grain and other commodity items, and reduced its trade in dollars by 50%. Russia has replaced visa and master cards with Chinese cards.
China and Russia are trying to build an alternative monetary system in order to overcome the dilemma of sanctions imposed on Russian banks.
China’s central bank operationalized its digital yuan CBCD in 2015 to break the monopoly of petrodollars in trade of oil and gas through US controlled SWIFT. China’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) is equivalent to the SWIFT financial transfer system developed in 2014. SPFS is likely to be integrated with China based Cross Border InterBank Payment System (CIPS).
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and China have agreed to design the mechanism for an independent international monetary system. China’s forex reserves are $3222.4.
Gas supply to Germany from Gazprom has been cut off by Russia.
In case Russia and China succeed in importing and exporting oil and gas in ruble, yuan and gold, it will cause a deadly blow to the power of the dollar.
Sanctions are painful but have never been productive. They proved ineffective against Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and Venezuela and wouldn’t bend Putin.
USA’s Relations with Arabs & Iran
Some cracks have appeared in the US relations with Saudi Arabia and UAE. The two princes didn’t answer the phone calls made by Biden and have declined the US desire to increase production of oil so as to lower oil prices in the international market that have touched $ 140 a barrel. They are going by the policy of OPEC in which Russia is a key member. Saudis and UAE, the two largest oil producing countries are considering trading oil in yuan. Boris Johnson air dashed to Riyadh on 16 March on a one-day visit to convince MBS to enhance the oil production but couldn’t get a commitment. UAE, which has put the F-35 jets deal on hold has been put in the grey list by the FATF.
Iran has made the renewal of the nuclear deal with the US subject to clearance from Moscow. Iran doesn’t want its oil and gas trade with Russia to get affected by the 2015 deal to which Russia is one of the signatory. Russia is among the largest oil producing countries and is the largest producer of gas.
Contrasting Foreign Policies
Although Russia’s past is as sinful as of the west, with Stalin presiding over the massacre of 20 million people in the 1930s, however, after the USSR’s dismemberment in 1991, Russia has not embarked upon any external military adventure, nor has meddled into internal affairs of other countries, or ridiculed Islam. By and large it has pursued a peaceful foreign policy.
Likewise, China also adopted a defensive policy of peace and friendship after 1978, although it is accused of persecuting the Uighur Muslims. Xingjian is being developed at a fast rate so as to curb extremism and separatist movements.
Russia and China increased their spheres of influence in the developing world through peaceful means. Putin adopted friendly policies towards the Muslims in Russia and made Chechnya a close ally.
Conversely, the US used its military might, financial power and diplomatic clout to enlarge its presence all around the globe. War on terror was used as a ploy to rob the resources of the Muslim world and to neo colonize it.
Tools of US Blackmails Against Nations
Sanctions, embargoes, human rights, World Bank, IMF, FATF and proxy wars are other tools of coercion. The UN, ICJ and other world institutions are the US handmaidens.
Islam was ridiculed and demonized by the Western media under a calculated agenda. Caricatures of the Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH were repeatedly published to injure the feelings of the Muslims and to undermine Islam.
The US has the biggest stockpile of nuclear missiles and well knowing that Russia has the second largest nuclear arsenal with 4497 nukes, the US has constantly been provoking Russia by militarily encircling it and breaching it’s perimeter of security.
The US administration under the hegemony of Military Industrial Complex is anti-peace and pro-war and has established over 800 military bases all over the globe. Since WW 11, the US indulged in 19 wars causing deaths to over 21 million people. It has striven to control the sea lanes in all the oceans, and Eurasia. Domination of global supply chains by the emerging superpower China is one of the major reasons for the US antagonism against China.
The US is a Bully
The US has never directly locked horns with a big power and always chose a weak country to fight and yet never won. The two glaring examples are its humiliating defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The US has behaved like a bully. It has warned China to stay out of the conflict and not to provide a lifeline to Russia. The US has also made it clear to its allies to cut off relations with Russia.
For the first time the US is provoking the two titans, Russia in Ukraine, and China in South & East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Biden declared that the US will defend every inch of NATO territory with full might of a united and galvanized NATO, but will not fight war against Russia since he cannot risk a 3rd WW.
The US-Russia showdown has commenced and the US-China showdown is in the making. Both Pakistan and India will get sucked into the fight of the big elephants.
NATO’s Prestige Smeared
Although the Ukraine crisis has given a new lease of life to the west and has helped in uniting the divided EU and NATO, and both the US and EU are taking punitive steps to pressurize Russia to step back, they have yet to prove whether they can stand up to the challenge and turn the tide.
Russia has exposed the impotence of NATO which has already tarnished its reputation in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Paranoia in India
India has got hedged between the USA, Russia and China and is finding itself caught between the devil and deep sea. On one side is Russia with which it has had a strategic relationship since the late 1940s. 60-65% of India’s defence equipment is Russian origin and Russia never blackmailed India.
On the other side is the glowering USA to which it had got married in 1990 out of expediency and has been drawing huge economic and military benefits and has been helping it to become a global power. China is closely aligned with Russia and nuclear Pakistan is breathing over its neck in the Himalayas.
Today the US is demanding that India should pay back by severing ties with Russia and also become an effective member of QUAD to counter China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. For India, joining China-specific QUAD is getting highly risky.
Coming weeks will see whether India bends down to the dictates of the US, or makes another volte face, quits QUAD and reverts to nonalignment and extends a hand of friendship to China and Pakistan.
Reinvigoration of Cold War
The Cold War has reemerged with a big bang and the two belligerent camps are forming up. President Erdogan is eagerly awaiting the revival of the caliphate in 2023 that was terminated in 1924 by the European powers. War mongers and spoilers are pitched against peacemakers. The Ukraine crisis, if not defused, could lead to the worst global economic crisis which will have a catastrophic impact upon the unprivileged classes.
With so many flash points, and the climate crisis due to global warming morphing into an existential threat to humanity, the world has become a powder keg and needs a matchstick in the wrong hands to ignite. Standoff in Ukraine has revived fears of a nuclear clash and possibly a third world war.
Ground Realities
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The realities that cannot be ignored are that dwarfed Russia has bounced back on the global central stage, China is the emerging superpower and the US is a declining power, and its global hegemony is unsustainable.
Unipolarism has been replaced by multipolarism.
The Zionists and extremist Jews wishing to rule the world, after pitching Christianity against Islam have now pitched USA against Russia, and will soon pitch USA against China. Depopulation of the world is also the Zionist game.
Democracy has waned and Far Right and Far Left have become stronger.
Arms industries of the big powers are contracting huge defence deals with the needy weaker countries, which is adding to the suffering of the deprived classes.
Wars, conflicts, civil strife, intrigues, deceit and lies have become a norm.
Piety, tolerance and forbearance have been replaced by immorality, intolerance and egotism. The world as a whole has become turbulent and insecure.
May Allah guide the megalomaniac powers to follow the path of righteousness, tolerance and co-existence!
Concluded
The writer is retired Brig Gen, war veteran, defence & security analyst, international columnist, author of five books, and 6th book under publication, takes part in TV talk shows and delivers talks on current issues. asifharoonraja@gmail.com
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