The Hypocritical Denial of US Invasions

Anti-war and pro-accountability isn’t pro-Russia, and it’s an injustice to ignore our war crimes.

We live in a world where everything is efficiently itemized, packaged, labeled, displayed, and sold, and it shapes our thinking. Russia’s invasion doesn’t excuse the US’ war crimes, and the US’ actions don’t excuse Russia, but we can’t comprehend more than two options. You’re either with or against, wrong or right, left or right, and there isn’t any space outside the boundaries.

Hypocritical Americans hide behind denial while the US government increases military spending and de-funds public goods, and we wonder why our country is so fucked up. The tent cities, countless opioid overdoses, climate disasters, power failures, collapsing infrastructure, gun violence, mass incarceration, extreme inequality, unlivable wages, civil unrest, and nonexistent public health care are substantial evidence our government doesn’t value life. Yet, we believe US foreign policy is fair and just.

The US is the only country that doesn’t recognize the International Criminal Court (ICC) because we never do anything illegal. It’s shockingly corrupt, but no one can do anything about it. Heck, Democrats and Republicans desecrated Congresswoman Omar for mentioning the US’ disregard for the Court and demanded an apology for stating the fact. Meanwhile, whistleblowers sit in jail or flee for their lives, and we don't think once about any of this.

The past built the present, and countries still suffer from political instability from US interventions, but Americanism is superior. If the silly foreigners knew how to choose politicians favorable to the US, we wouldn’t have to step in to decide for them. Our government admitted to the countless soft and violent coups, but nations must accept their fate and the IMF loans that impoverish them. That’s American democracy for you.

Understanding complex situations requires evaluating the entirety of the problem, but who has time to think? It would be unpatriotic and insensitive to develop independent thoughts and question our governments’ actions. The corporate media’s narrative tells us how to feel, and our reaction must obey the emotional crowd. Disagreeing with the mob is challenging when society’s managers castrate anyone who doesn’t follow their moral regulations. Clearly, anti-war activists want to see dead Ukrainians.

Casting sanctions prohibits nations from buying Russian wheat, and governments buy weapons from private manufacturers to arm Ukrainian civilians, but it’s unclear if anyone has thought about the consequences. Starvation is a grave concern, and historically, dumping mass murder devices into a country leads to endless conflict and genocide, but hey, let’s try this again. As long as Russia suffers, it’s worth it.

Nobody teaches us, but we don’t want to learn anyway, and who has time to educate themself? We lost the working-class war, and our government can’t afford to mandate paid leave — we might start thinking. However, if we recall how the Taliban came to power and Suddam Hussein obtained chemical weapons to kill Iranians, we might understand the messes we create and stop them before they escalate. Undoubtedly, the best way to avoid unnecessary death and destruction is to address problems before they begin (like the pandemic).

Let’s not forget Ukraine isn’t the first European country since WWII to endure an invasion. NATO dropped thousands upon thousands of bombs on the former Yugoslavia when not a single NATO nation was under threat, but don't worry. Serbia erected a huge placard and left bombed-out buildings as a reminder.

Demand accountability and peace, or we’ll continually endure endless horrors, and the US still hasn’t called a ceasefire.