The Cost of US obsession. Can Britain be a game changer?

By Nita Chicooree-Mercier

Anti-war demonstrators in the U.S. Pic – Getty Images

While the planet is burning and countries worldwide are grappling with post-pandemic economic woes and industrialists’ predator policy in unfair hikes of transport and foodstuffs, an unsolicited war is heaping further miseries on mankind. By and large, Asia, barring South Korea and Japan, South Africa and most of Africa and South American countries have turned a deaf ear to the US and its western allies’ war cry to isolate and boycott Russia. As from March 2022, this column drew attention to the American obsession with Russia. An opinion which is recently echoed by the brilliant Indian Minister of External Affairs, Dr Jaishankar in a statement whereby he states: ‘I am baffled by the American thinking and, to some extent, Europe’s obsession with Russia.’

Not only India’s MEA, but the world is baffled by the specific enemy culture the US political leadership is indoctrinated with. The question is: which western ally can withdraw support to the US and bring back some sanity on the world stage.

By now, there is increasing awareness that democratic principles apply in domestic politics and, conversely, the habit of lecturing other countries, giving advice in running their lives and threatening them with reprisals in case of disobedience smacks of autocratic behaviour on international stage. This has to stop. The West needs the world, and the world needs the West, but on their own terms, not as stooges and blind lackeys of imperialist powers who brought enough sufferings and miseries in two western wars, wrongly labelled as world wars in the 20th century, and extended the rampage in three invasions in the 21st century.

There has been a well-crafted strategy to push Russia into a conflict with Ukraine and spark a proxy war with the intention of finishing off Russian power.

Step One: Prepare the ground to provoke Russia by encircling it with NATO forces. Non-implementation of Minsk agreement to anger President Putin. Educational policy by former American ambassador, who took up Ukrainian citizenship and became Minister of Education, to wipe out Russian history and heritage in schoolbooks, and forbid the use of Russian language in Ukraine. Appoint neo-Nazi forces as head of the army to attack, to persecute and kill civilians in eastern Donbas regions.

Step Two: western media manipulate American public and world opinion to believe in the bad guy and good guy narrative. Roughly, so-called imperialist goals of Putin and champions of the free world represented by western democracies.

Step Three: Let Russia and Ukraine get at each other’s throat. Sit on the fence and watch Europe grappling with Ukrainian refugees at taxpayers’ expense.

Step Four: Spotlight on the woes of Ukrainians. Convince the world Russia is the incarnation of the Red Devil itself. Time for military intervention in Ukraine.

Meanwhile Putin’s discourse on the Empire of Lies did not reach the ears of all American and European public. The US strategy worked out well. The dichotomy of the nasty Russian dictator and the innocent Ukrainian president in khaki green tee-shirt created mass hysteria in European public to open their doors to the flow of Ukrainian refugees. The conflict developed into a full-fledged war causing destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Ukraine, immense sufferings, and loss of lives on both sides. It leaves the world struggling with shortage of wheat, an energy crisis and rising cost of living. The killing of a dozen Russian generals was a deliberate move to enrage Putin further and drag him into a devastating war for his dwindling military forces. As of today, America has gained 200 billion dollars from the sale of LNG, weapons, and warplanes.

Britain has often been criticized for its loyal support to its former colony, the US in all circumstances even against the will of the people as in the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, for instance. Newly appointed PM Rishi Sunak has been chosen for his skills as Chancellor of the Exchequer to sort out the mess of inflation, devaluation of the pound, national debt, poverty, high cost of living, and tackle increasing public discontent and threats of street protests and strikes. He is also there to save the Tory party from rising unpopularity. A big hot potato in his hands in an unavoidable series of austerity measures to haul up the British economy. There are high expectations on him to deliver the goods for the interests of the British population.

Can he bring a change in British-Russian relationship and review the unwavering British support of reckless American foreign policy? Britain has always teamed up with America and France in conducting ruthless attacks on other countries ever since the 19th century burning of the Summer Palace of the Chinese emperor. Not only the highly condemnable cut-throat competition in controlling other countries’ resources is a contentious issue, the national character and ego rivalry of the Anglo-American family together with their European counterparts pitched against Russia as a major power in Slavic Eastern Europe poses an obstacle for world peace. Needless to recall communism and competition in space technology, armament, and J.Kennedy’s refusal to allow the first astronaut Yuri Gargarine to visit the states in the 1950s.

Putin has scored points on the chessboard of geopolitics, and the threat to dollar-based trade transactions is likely to drive the US crazy and push for more military assaults. Republican victory in Congress may impede the Democrats’ military agenda. But what can be more effective is a constructive fresh vision of international relations, a review of NATO’s policy so as to avoid conflicts with Russia. Europe and the West need more wisdom in their relation with other countries.

There is no need to meddle in China’s and Iran’s internal affairs, either. Germany is already adopting an independent stance in its relation with China. The US and Europe have no business intervening in other countries. NATO forces have to pull out from Russia’s backyard. Let Slavic countries settle their own quarrels. There is no other option. Can Rishi Sunak swerve from Britain’s position regarding Russia, and create a domino effect in Europe? Or is it going to be realpolitik and blind following of US dictates? The charismatic and energetic British PM can embody the change the West needs if he tones down the senseless US obsession of hunting down Russia, China and Iran. It is a golden opportunity to reverse the tide and promote a multi-polar world to ensure peace on world stage.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 11 November 2022