Race Should Not Dictate Support for Ukraine
Widespread anger on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is justified, but the trend points to underlying notions of racial pride.
Too early to say definitively but good news are emerging out of Ukraine. The people are putting up a strong fight and the leadership is staying strong to stave off Russian invasion. There is also widespread global anger and an unseen unity in the west to ward off Russian aggression. But there is a caveat: this outpouring of support is limited in nature. This may be attributable to racial affinity. Ukraine is a European country with blond haired, blue-eyed people. Images of civilian casualties and suffering are wrecking people’s nerves. They otherwise stay cool when hearing news about genocides in other parts of the world. This inequity needs to be challenged.
Let us not kid ourselves. Western humanity is highly selective. It mostly activates when there is a threat to life among the cohort. Otherwise, a large section of western society is indifferent and some even actively cheer up the perpetrators. One does not need to look further than Syria, where people from the left, right and center came up with the vilest of excuses to justify Russian and Iranian genocide. While Syria is still suffering, another tragedy is happening in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, which has also escaped global conscience.
Thankfully for Ukrainians, there is no such animus. Previously anti-refugee states are opening up their borders without any limits to entry. The British government is eager to facilitate citizens eager to go fight the Russians. Americans are mostly outraged at the invasion, asking their government to extend military assistance or even join the struggle. The zealots among them are eager to overlook the fact it might trigger a nuclear war.
One explanation of that enthusiasm could be the hegemonic hubris. Another could be the racial affinity, as manifested in this snippet.
Another reason could be that Ukrainians are more civilized, a euphemism for being European.
One possible counterfactual to these affinities is that Russians are also Europeans, blue-eyed and blond haired. One might say we are opposing them and thus are not guilty of racism? That would be a valid point. Except if one examines the racial makeup of the Russian invading forces. Chechens and other minorities make up the bulk of those forces, and are also suffering heavy losses. Russia might as well be using them as cannon fodder to protect the Slavs. It would be interesting to see the reaction when the ethnic majority in Russia starts taking losses and images are broadcast to the world. Some on the right are already pro-Russia.
There is a long history of Russian genocide against its minorities. Insurgency in Chechnya was brutally crushed not too long ago.
Make no mistake. We all should be supporting Ukraine. Russia is clearly an aggressor here and needs to be censured for its brutality. But let us not overlook the stark realities of racial discourse. Racial pride is at play, in one way or another. Pundits are nonchalantly talking about eye color, skin tones and European civilization. This can seriously damage the already fragile movement for racial equality. Ukrainians need support but so do Syrians, Ethiopians, Yemenis, Kashmiris, Indian Muslims, Rohingya and the Uyghurs, among others. While it may be too difficult to empathize with people of color for some, it is not totally impossible. The sooner people in the west realize this, the better for global humanity.
Photo by Katie Godowski from Pexels