DRAGGED INTO A WAR WITHOUT OUR CONSENT
Brussels, 2 Feb. 2023 – The USA announced they will send long-range missiles to Ukraine as their next military aid package of $2.2 billion value. This follows the ongoing escalation of the war which will put at risk Europeans population lives exposing us all to the immediate consequences of a likely incident at the border between Ukraine and Russia. Rockets (reportedly GLSDB) have a range of 150 Km.
It is rational to assume that the West is looking for a direct confrontation Russia. As a confirmation for that is enough to read the worrying statement of admiral Rob Bauer, chair of NATO Military Committee saying the Alliance “is ready for a direct confrontation with Russia“ raises many concerns as NATO therefore has already made its decision: on behalf of which countries?? USA? Or they, all members, decided that is high time for a nuclear war? because this is the direct consequence of their choice, though the top admiral said this is unlikely because Putin is still ‘rational‘.
This dangerous escalation is not our decision. Our governments are taking instead steps forward to enter a war with no mandate from the electorate they represent. Citizens in EU and wider Europe made no decision to fight Putin and Russia directly nor envisage to send F-16 to Ukraine (now US and UK say they rule out this, but it’s just a matter of time) nor missiles, while the US is sending long range ones.
Arms producers like the Italian Leonardo, British BAE Systems, US Lockheed Martin decided along with heads of state (how many?) and NATO’s generals, to escalate the war in Ukraine to a regional European one which inevitably will expand into a World war as the more long range weapons we send to Kiev the highest is the risk of incidents at NATO countries’ borders. The push to escalation comes from EU Eastern countries and the Baltics which fear Russia, a possible involvement of Belarus and the consequences of the international instability ranging from Iran’s nuclear proliferation to China’s silent assent on the war and to the folly of North Korea missiles threatening Japan.
Our countries are making day by day steps forward to drag us into a world war which is evidently in the interest of some few influent groups that think to survive (who knows how) a nuclear conflict.
But what it’s important to stress is that decisions are being made behind closed doors with few tactical statements and information filtered through friendly media to taste public’s reaction: for instance, Bauer’s statement did not raise outrage or widespread concern not because people do not care, but because the news was not published by popular mainstream media and state TVs, whose mission is to keep public opinion and tensions at bay: they managed to send a threat to Russia through a little known admiral without weakening up public opinion.
The pre-agreed common stance of our ‘owners’ (because when groups of interest decide to bring us all to war with no consent, means they own our lives) is heading towards sending jets and, in the near future, missiles. We are de facto at war. But as it takes time for NATO forces to set that massive operation out, they are exposing right now our countries, territories and lives to a pre-emptive reaction from Russia as Putin is not concerned of killing civilians with missiles as far as we are concerned, isn’t he? Therefore they are putting our lives at risk already.
In many countries like Italy and France, the movement for peace asking for immediate negotiations between Kiev and Moscow reflects the majority’s stance: next 24 February the Europe for Peace Coalition called for an international rally one year on the start of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Being labelled as pro-Putin or not supportive of Ukraine, of international law and human rights just because we ask immediate ceasefire, peace and negotiations is a trick that doesn’t work anymore: we have to challenge those lords of warfare who seat inside our parliaments and in our defense ministries, but this will be a tough job because taking to the streets, even if in millions, will not be enough to stop them.
Photo March 2022 – Over 100.000 protest in Berlin against the Russian invasion of Ukraine asking peace
The decision to turn the economy of peace into an economy of war must be challenged legally; governments’ imposition of emergency budgets to fund national defense upgrades must be stopped not just because this is reducing people into poverty by defunding social services, but also to prevent a World war.
While thousands and thousands die in the battlefield in Ukraine and in the indiscriminate shelling of civilians by Russia, the West is far from pushing for a solution of the conflict. The fact Putin and Zelensky do not want negotiations should not stop NATO countries and the Unite Nations from forcing the parties to seat at a table and find a territorial compromise in the Donbass. This does not mean those who ask peace do not want tanks and radars to be sent to Kiev. The issue regards the escalation and decision to fight Russia directly which do not reflect European population’s will.
If under Putin’s regime even a poster or peace of arts asking for peace is removed by the police, in our parliamentary democracies the establishment uses more sophisticated methods to mislead and distract the general public; how? through the media obviously: talk-shows on the war in Ukraine where one into six speakers support peace while the rest support an escalation of the war; continuous distractions promoted to relevant news on top of the frontpages while vital information on what exactly NATO is deciding and doing are omitted or sidelined; all critics of the veto power in the United Nations Security Council are shut up and made invisible or discredited with the narrative that anyway the UN count nothing.
Though protesting is vital and fundamental, this time will be not enough. Posting our individual protest on social is fundamental to spread information, but in order to challenge the lords of warfare it takes much more than this.
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