[The intent, in this first substantive piece for The Space Between Us, had initially been to survey the terrain of ideological division in Canada, and to explore some of the effects of social media, disinformation networks, radical identity-based social movements on the left and right, etc. on public discourse in the West. Events have overtaken this effort, now that Putin has invaded Ukraine, but have also put some of the issues facing liberal democracies into stark relief. In the West we are at a crossroads, and how we will handle the current challenge is very much a function of remembering who we are. ALH.]
Mr. Putin is here to remind us that might makes right. Somehow, in our free, effete, Western democratic societies, we managed to forget this fundamental brute fact governing the preponderance of human history. Putin aims not just to remind us in passing -- but rather to ensure we won't ever be able to forget again. Unfortunately, in so doing, Mr. Putin has brought us all to the most terrifying brink since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Whatever opportunity remains while we teeter at the brink requires us to at least understand -- appreciate -- why neither side can back away. Why both sides perceive -- genuinely if not legitimately from their respective perspectives -- an existential threat so extreme as to permit no option other than proceeding regardless of consequences.
According to Russia-based Interfax, Russia's Foreign Ministry yesterday warned European countries providing weapons to Ukrainian defense forces: "There will be a harsh response to the EU actions. Russia will continue to ensure the achievement of vital national interests irrespective of the sanctions or their threat. It is time Western nations realized that their complete dominance in the global economy is long gone."
But why does Russia's Foreign Ministry, on Mr. Putin's behalf, refer to Western dominance? There is no Western dominance with Russia and China making common totalitarian cause in this realigned era. There is nothing dominant in helping Ukrainian resistance to delay Russia's devastating aggression. How can desperate, ultimately hopeless resistance be confused with domination? From Putin's perspective it cannot be anything else, since -- in his rubric -- might makes right. From his perspective, three decades ago the mighty Soviet empire was defeated by the West. Not honourably but insidiously and ignonimously. The Euromaidan revolution in 2014, during which Ukrainians toppled the country’s Putin-friendly arguably puppet governance, piled further humiliation onto the Russian regime. For Mr. Putin this humiliating domination by the West would not and could not be regarded as other than utter existential threat. Because, by his rubric, only might makes right. Domination is everything. From Putin's perspective, a Westernized Ukraine can constitute nothing but the stepping stone to Russia's final defeat. From his perspective, crushing Ukraine — something Putin has positioned himself to do since 2014 — is in fact Russia's last stand.
From Western perspectives, however, Ukraine is no less pivotal. With the decline and fall of the U.S. to ideological bickering and repudiation of Western values, freedom and democracy have been in disordered retreat since nearly the time of Francis Fukuyama's premature declaration of victory. But the European West clings to its own constitutive orientation towards core principles of liberal democracy: that right should make might. There can be no permit or allowance for replacing discourse with naked coercive force. At this increasingly vulnerable time, with Russia and China increasingly galvanized in opposition to liberal democracy, there is no abiding Ukraine’s aspiring free and democratic society -- where right struggles for more viable might -- casually crushed by obscene naked force. Moreover, even were the Western world to abide and attempt appeasing Mr. Putin’s obscenity of force — would he then stop subsequent to crushing Ukraine? Of course not. Mr. Putin offers no such assurances -- nor would anyone believe him if he did. Because, to Mr. Putin, only might makes right. Thus, not only does Europe feel itself cornered -- there is a very real sense that as Ukraine goes so go we all. That this may be a last stand for freedom, democracy and Western values as well.
This is the brink at which we now stand. Might making absolute crushing right. Or right surviving to make at least conceivably legitimate might. With nearly no hope for diplomacy, no option to minimally tolerate each other's differences, all sides existentially threatened.
It seems, however, that we in the West yet remember who we are. While Ukraine president Zelensky's heroism has absolutely provided a powerful catalyst, the Western reaction in shunning Mr. Putin's regime runs much deeper. Despite all the petty ideological bickering poisoning our discourse and public spheres, we cannot abide such starkly triumphal reminders that might continues making absolute right anytime, anywhere Mr. Putin chooses. Consequently, the West stands united in opposition. More united than ever before in shunning Mr. Putin's regime.
Within a matter of days the unity of the West has proven extremely effective. What about weeks -- or months? The unity of the West shunning Mr. Putin's regime will amount to changing that regime. Russia cannot persist in North-Korean pariah isolation very long — not even with China’s assistance. Nor, of course, can Mr. Putin afford, even survive any appearance of weakness or incompetence. We must therefore expect any and all conceivable escalation may result. Since neither side can conceive how to back from this brink.
At the same time, there is evidence that Russian citizens -- silenced by the Putin regime but nonetheless having had a taste of Western life -- are nearly as horrified by the invasion as Westerners are. And why is this? Because in the West, Right Making Might is for everyone. Western values, at their best, are about tolerance, negotiation.. and, yes, sometimes bickering over values. For Putin, might making right serves only one aim: the perpetuation of imperative power.