Dostoevsky argued that “people are prone to irrationality, self-sabotage, and cruelty, and would rather use the freedom available to them to undermine their own well-being than to follow reason or intellect.”
By: Frans H. Micklinghoff
Planet Earth on collision course
The James Webb Space Telescope, having arrived at its destination at the end of January, 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, sends razor-sharp photos of the Magellanic Cloud. Hundreds of thousands of stars can be distinguished individually on these photos. The telescope is able to capture light from galaxies that can be used to look back 13 billion times in time. The dust between these stars is also clearly visible. Dust? Perhaps that 'mote of dust' is as big as the Earth. Or perhaps a thousand times as big! If such a mote of dust were inhabited, these inhabitants might be able to catch a glimpse of planet Earth. After some observation, they would have to conclude that this planet is inhabited by an extremely feeble-minded people. Shrugging their shoulders, they would conclude that these earthlings mainly use their limited intelligence and primitive means to destroy their habitat and especially to exterminate their own species and everything on which they are so dependent.
Tolerance and fake news
In this day and age, you have to come from a good family to be able to contradict Dostoevsky's conclusion. But there are philosophers, such as Turgenev, who searched for answers to the question of how to deal with radicalism, revolution and social disillusionment. They thought about forms of protest, moderation and idealism. It is a pity that these philosophers receive so little attention and are hardly studied today. Tolerance is the highest value of our time. The contemporary concept of tolerance includes not only the acceptance of other opinions, it includes the peaceful and democratic coexistence of all population groups, regardless of their history, culture and identity. It is also the active will to understand the other in the reason for that different thought. Here fits one of Spinoza's many statements: "One must necessarily allow the freedom to judge and govern people in such a way that, however different and opposite opinions they may openly cherish, they will nevertheless live together in harmony". But when we follow the news, it turns out that this is certainly not so self-evident. The corona monster crept in and the tolerant society, which we were so proud of before, had disappeared into the realm of fantasy in one fell swoop. It seemed as if everyone was suddenly on a collision course with all the 'others'. The 'fake news' flourished and it became difficult to search for the truth between real and quasi facts and opinions.
Resistance, resistance, resistance
At the end of February 2022, Russia invaded the sovereign state of Ukraine with a huge army and expected to be welcomed into the streets of Kiev within a few days, waving residents with flowers. That was a miscalculation! “A people that succumbs to tyrants, Will lose more than life and property, Then the light goes out” … These are three lines from a poem by Hendrik Mattheus van Randwijk (Gorinchem 9 November 1909 – Purmerend 13 May 1966, journalist and poet, resistance leader and co-founder and first editor-in-chief of Vrij Nederland). These lines are on the monument in memory of the resistance fighters who were shot on the Waalsdorpervlakte. Probably no Ukrainian knows Van Randwijk's poem, but they do act in that spirit. Because they realize that if they do not fight, they will lose more than life and property!! Let us limit ourselves to the facts. Ukraine did NOT invade Russia with a large army. Russia DID invade Ukraine with a large army. It seems to me that we can designate Russia as 'the aggressor'. And no matter what arguments Russia gives for this attack, you don't just invade a sovereign state. Whatever name or qualification Putin gives to this invasion ('special operation', 'peace mission'), it remains a violation of international and international law on all sides. The Russian troops must return to their barracks. Ukraine is therefore rightly resisting! Just as the Netherlands rightly resisted after 10 May 1940 after the German invasion. Because when a people yields to tyrants ... then the light goes out!
Truth
The first casualty in a war is the truth. In Western Europe, we are fairly reliably informed about the state of affairs on the battlefield. Anyone who follows the news about this war knows how ruthlessly the battle is being fought on both sides. But the Russian troops are breaking through all boundaries of permissibility (as far as that can be said in a war situation) and the law of war with their shelling of civilian targets. It is therefore a good thing that all kinds of facts are already being recorded, so that war crimes committed can be prosecuted later. It will not help much, because it will remain 'after-the-fact' and, as we have seen in the MH 17 trial, Russia does not care about international law and the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in particular. The truth is that Putin's invasion is achieving the opposite of what he wanted to achieve. Sweden and Finland now want and will also join NATO. The EU is now looking for a way to involve Ukraine in one form or another. Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now receiving additional support and aid so that they can maintain and defend their independence and sovereignty. And Russia is losing sympathy in large parts of the world by threatening to use tactical nuclear weapons.
Cultural difference
The real truth about how Russia and Ukraine differ from each other? In Russia, everyone who is known as a Jehovah's Witness is behind bars in a labor camp in Siberia. In Ukraine, Jehovah's Witnesses were and are free to spread their message and no obstacles are placed in their way. That is now 'difference in culture'! With the opening lines of Van Randwijk's poem in mind: Ukraine fights so that the light will continue to burn; in Russia, the light has not been burning for a long time. Unfortunately, we cannot see into the future, but we must fear that it will take a very long time before the guns fall silent and common sense prevails. How will this end? Just about everyone in Russia who was against this war is behind bars. The man who wanted to lead the opposition, Putin's challenger, has been arrested and sentenced to years in a penal camp somewhere far away in the Urals. Perhaps we are just waiting for a new Russian Revolution. But we doubt whether the Russian people, if they wanted to, can rise up. The truth? If you give in to tyrants, the light goes out. It becomes very dark! Perhaps a few more months, perhaps a few more years and we will wake up in a completely changed world, in a 'new world'. The well-known line from the Bible: 'Behold, I make all things new' - thus takes on a very deep meaning!
