In the Global South, Europe’s problems do not necessarily dominate the discourse.
by Krishen Mehta, ACURA Viewpoint
In October 2022, about eight months after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the University of Cambridge in the UK harmonized surveys that asked the inhabitants of 137 countries about their views of the West, Russia, and China. The findings in the combined study are robust enough to demand our serious attention.
- Of the 6.3 billion people who live outside of the West, 66% feel positively towards Russia, and 70% feel positively towards China.
- 75% of respondents in South Asia, 68% of respondents in Francophone Africa, and 62% of respondents in Southeast Asia report feeling positively toward Russia.
- Public opinion of Russia remains positive in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
These findings have caused some surprise and even anger in the West. It’s difficult for Western thought leaders to comprehend that two-thirds of the world’s population is just not lining up with the West in this conflict. However, I believe there are five reasons why the Global South is not taking the West’s side. I discuss these reasons in the short essay below.
1. The Global South does not believe that the West understands or empathizes with its problems.
India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, summed it up succinctly in a recent interview: “Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.” Developing countries face many challenges, from the aftermath of the pandemic, the high cost of debt service, and the climate crisis that is ravaging their environments, to the pain of poverty, food shortages, droughts, and high energy prices. Yet the West has barely given lip service to the seriousness of many of these issues, even while insisting that the Global South join it in sanctioning Russia.
Recent Posts
Is The Democratic Party Embracing Bernie Sanders-Style Politics?
Take Action Now Maybe. Let’s hope it is not too late for Democrats to win back the working class and WashingtonBy Dustin Guastella, The Guardian…
War On Venezuela Is A Lie
Take Action Now The growing discussion of the responsibility to disobey illegal orders is not unrelated to this threatened war. The UK has reportedly…
The Trump-Mamdani Show Was Amazing. But Downsides For Progressives Could Turn Out To Be Steep
Take Action Now It’s all well and good to laud Mamdani’s extraordinary political talents and inspiring leadership for social justice. At the same…
ICE Sent 600 Immigrant Kids To Detention In Federal Shelters This Year. It’s A New Record.
Take Action Now This year ICE has sent more immigrant children into the federal shelter system than in the previous four years combined. New data…