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Human beings are hardwired to recognize injustice. Even infants can demonstrate a distinct understanding of fairness and preference for fair treatment in the form of equal distribution of resources at 15 months old. A more primitive form of understanding may take place even earlier in human development. This fundamental tenet of morality may be the most basic principle governing social interaction.
This is why many people will experience a visceral, gut-wrenching reaction to something that seems obviously unfair. This is not to say that nuance should not be considered or that Ockham’s Razor is always the right way to go. (It’s a heuristic for a reason, but we need heuristics for the thousands of decisions we make every day). Essentially, if something feels “wrong”, chances are something about it IS wrong.
This is why I don’t think that those “negotiating” with Russian diplomats should even entertain the notion that Putin be rewarded for his illegal, murderous, and disgusting incursion into Ukraine, a sovereign country. That anyone is even talking about “letting Russia have” Crimea, and the Donbas region of Ukraine, which were “acquired” through invasion and protracted violence, astounds me. Do those people understand the implications of Russian rule on these populations? Are these Ukrainian people just sacrificial lambs whose lives are being served up for the “greater good”? Those who float this idea reek of the privilege of being an outsider to
a war whose very outcome determines the existence and identity of millions of people. It underscores to me that these people take for granted the protections we’re afforded every day. That—or they just don’t give a shit about people with whom they haven’t had personal contact. I would still say notions of fairness and justice trump tribalism, especially when those who are speaking from a sense of tribalism are not, they, themselves, directly threatened.
I saw an interview on CNN this morning (on Monday, 4/18/22) with Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of now-occupied Melitopol, Ukraine, who spoke to the world from Rome. This man was kidnapped—he was “disappeared”, as it’s called [anyone familiar with the mass graves and human remains still being found in Argentina and Chile, for example, will be familiar with this chilling practice]—for 5 days by occupying Russian forces. He was lucky to be released alive, which occurred when he was released in a prisoner swap with other Ukrainians in exchange for 9 Russian soldiers. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Ukrainians from local officials to everyday citizens unlucky enough to have the misfortune of living in eastern Ukraine in 2022, have been taken, tortured, forcefully relocated to Russia, imprisoned, and some have been killed. This is to say nothing of the widely-publicized and documented brutality of the Russian invaders on the Ukrainian people in the form of indiscriminate horrific killings, rape, destruction of infrastructure, erasure of heritage, culture, and spitting in the face of the national identity of a people whose only crime is to be caught in the crosshairs of an amoral megalomaniac for daring to defy his domination and iron-fisted authoritarian rule that he has wielded in his home country for 22 years. This is to say nothing of the millions of Ukrainian refugees created by Putin, displaced and expelled from their homes, both externally and internally, driven to leave their entire lives out of desperation, by a chance at basic survival.
The mayor of Melitopol, when asked about President Zelenskyy’s declaration that Ukraine will concede no territory to Russia as part of potential peace negotiations with Putin, replied, nonchalantly, “Of course”. If this was meant to be a form of “gotcha” journalism, it certainly wasn’t. If it was meant to destabilize or rattle this man, it didn’t. He did not give some sagely insight into the war that could then absolve the rest of the world of the responsibility of having to deal with the inconvenience and unpleasantness of a war they’d really rather be over quickly because dead bodies are tragic, but they’re also difficult to stomach splashed across the screen every day. Maybe, you know, some of those stalwart Ukrainians could just take one for the team, and give Putin a little something, a little consolation prize, because you know pesky Putin. Violable Vlad—HE’S not going to do what it takes to end the war he gleefully started after months and years of planning. He needs an “off ramp” in order to “save face”, I’ve now heard by countless “experts” on international relations dozens of times in the last 7 and a half weeks.
The following is not what the mayor of Melitopol said after that. These thoughts are mine. IT’S NOT EVEN A QUESTION! It should NOT require careful thought and consideration. Every Russian soldier who committed a war crime should be tried. Since illegally invading the country is itself a crime, I’m more than happy to see 200,000+ tribunals, not to mention trials for all Russian government members who supported and executed such a scheme that has already exacted an incalculable toll on Ukraine. Putin should suffer, and suffer dearly.
Whether these goals are realistic or practical is not really important. What is more important is upholding standards of human decency and morality and international order. We aim not to live in a world of glorified colonialism in which wars are fought for conquests of land and subjugation of peoples. We cannot, therefore, condone any subset of the notion that “to the victor go the spoils”. These convictions of yesteryear DO NOT have a place in our modern society in our present-day world. BULLIES SHOULD NOT BE PLACATED! TORTURERS AND SADISTS SHOULD NOT BE REWARDED FOR THEIR CRIMES! Besides the fact that doing so encourages further abhorrent behavior in the future, muddled messaging in the form of public finger wagging, but semi-private mollifying, sends a strong signal to other would be monstrous actors to hurt others, consequences be damned, because they aren’t really suffering consequences; in fact, their logic might go, that they could end up getting at least a little bit of what they wanted in the first place. Ultimately, though, should the valiant efforts of those who died or were captured defending their country, their freedom, their way of life, and their families’ futures be in vain? What did they fight for if those in power—especially outsiders—broker a deal that not only does not honor their tremendous sacrifice, but betrays them?
I’m with Zelenskyy. The Russian “war machine” deserves nothing. In fact, Russia should be conceding to Ukraine on Ukraine’s terms. Fairness. Fifteen-month-olds understand it. Children’s friendships heavily revolve around it in order to form bonds of trust. If not yet fully developed humans can figure this out, then TV talking heads as well as trained diplomats, should be ashamed of themselves for seeking to justify (or excuse) the unjust.
oohlaladeborah 