The self-immolation of the West over Ukraine
The western world’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine increasingly looks like a collective act of self-immolation. More specifically, the round after round of sanctions against Russia have already begun to lead to shortages and hurtful inflation in the West (especially Europe), not to mention parts of the rest of the world. They also seem to be having little to no immediate impact on Russia’s offensive.
If continued, the economic forecast is dire and will cripple the West at a critical time when other regional powers are on the rise. In fact, with these sanctions, it is hard to see how the West can maintain its economic vitality at the very time it needs it most.
Of course, the aim of the sanctions is noble. Despite Russia’s legitimate security concerns about the advance of NATO eastward, the invasion of Ukraine was an unjust act that deserves unequivocal condemnation from the West, the United Nations and from other nations concerned for peaceful resolution of international tensions.
Yet, despite good intentions, the massive and unparalleled sanctions are misguided, for they seem to be hurting the West more than Russia.
Self-immolation is almost always an act of desperation by the weak against the strong. It is a burning of oneself in hopes that death will draw attention to the plight of the suffering and perhaps motivate popular sentiment against injustice.
The problem is the West is not weak and should not feel desperate. There is no need for self-immolation. There certainly is a need to come to the assistance of Ukraine, but that need does not require the devastation of the West’s strength. In fact, effective robust assistance to Ukraine can only be given from a position of strength, not growing weakness.
The problem with being so powerful for so many decades is that hubris begins to work its way into foreign policy. My fear is that the West has been so strong for so long it thinks it can burn its economy and still retain its hegemony.
However, as we know, no matter how strong or moral or right a person is, self-immolation almost always ends in death. And
in the odd case of survival, the scarred person is barely able to function.
Is the death (or crippling) of the West’s economy really going to help Ukraine? I think not. Perhaps a better way forward is to provide assistance to Ukraine, bolster the strength of
NATO, encourage a quick diplomatic solution, enact specific sanctions that primarily hurt Russia not the West, and pursue long strategic aims from a position of economic vitality.