We should condemn the Russian invasion, but also recognize that the United States has been violating other nations’ sovereignty for years.
By Stephen Zunes, The Progressive
Though U.S. and NATO policy in recent years has contributed to the current tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, responsibility rests unequivocally with the Kremlin. It is an illegal war of aggression which has quite deservedly resulted in worldwide condemnation.
Media coverage has been sympathetic to the civilian victims of the invasion and the Ukrainian resistance. Again, while it raises questions about why there hasn’t been a comparable response when the victims weren’t white, Christian Europeans, or when the aggressor was the United States or a U.S. ally, it is refreshing to see this acknowledgement of the horrors of war.
There’s no excusing the invasion, but the double standards and hypocrisy coming out of Washington, D.C., are quite striking.
For example, President Joe Biden has correctly asserted that “nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The United States, however, has been the only government in the world to formally recognize Israel’s illegal annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights and Morocco’s annexation of the entire nation of Western Sahara, both seized by force in defiance of the United Nations.
Recent Posts
Politicians Should Stop Hiding Behind the “Two-State Solution” Fantasy
Take Action Now Claiming to know what’s best for Palestinians is built into a colonial mindset that has propelled intervention in the region for more…
Nebraska Wants Data Centers to Come Clean About Water Usage
Take Action Now The industry can be a black box of information. But as the state deals with persistent drought, residents and regulators want more…
Johnson Says Pentagon Needs More Money for ‘Fighting Communism on our own Shores’
Take Action Now Trump has threatened to deploy the military against the “enemy within” and has recently promoted the idea that “democratic socialism…
Trump Says Iran War Has Restarted, Potentially Resetting War Powers Clock
Take Action Now Democrats have said they may sue the president if he doesn’t adhere to previous War Powers votes.By Chris Walker, Truthout…