My experience in Ukraine is limited; much of it came many years ago. Yet one thing that
struck me about the country then that is, quite obviously, playing itself out now is the fact that the country is very complicated. It seemed like (as in the old joke about a different ethnic group) for every 2 Ukrainians you'd find 3 opinions about any given issue. Maybe that is why I always felt refreshed by my visits there - here to the east there is the tendency to push toward extreme positions, and if you find yourself in a minority position you tend to have a hard time.
So when the dominant voices in the Russia media cover events in the Ukraine, I'm frustrated and disappointed (to put it mildly), but not terribly surprised at what I hear - "The people on Maidan all fascists;" "They are given payments / training / arms by Western secret service agents;" "The new, so-called government in Kiev wants to forbid people from speaking Russian..."At the same time, I wonder why other media sources (from what I can tell about what is being read / said / seen in the U.S., for example) would be just as simplistic in their analysis - "The crowds on Independence Square oppose corruption and seek equal rights for all;" "Russia undermines the Ukrainian democracy movement;" "Putin planning Soviet Union Lite..."
These approaches are not helpful. I see a much healthier search for understanding developing on social media among the pastors and other church leaders that I know, both in Russia and in Ukraine. (And, in fact, among Novosaratovka graduates throughout the former Soviet Union). While some are subject to the general patriotic feelings that tend to arise at such times, most tend to be self-critical of their own countries and to search for paths to help their sisters and brothers on the other side of the border.
To say that the situation is complicated is not to say that every side is equally right or wrong. I hope that all of those responsible for violence in this conflict will face trial, and that this will open up a new, peaceful chapter in the history of Ukraine. I hope that Ukraine, Russia and the other powers engaged in this situation will all learn to respect international law, to build democratic institutions and trust them, to reject the temptation to put aside rule of law for expediency's sake.
I know that I'm not alone in these hopes. Yet the voices speaking in this way are not well heard. Perhaps part of the reason is that some lack (or have forgotten about) the unique point of view we can have when we really try to apply our faith to complicated situations. I, personally, am convinced that everything looks so much different in the light of the cross. When we consider our own, common, frail human state in contrast to the One who created us for so much more, how can we possibly busy ourselves with condemnation, with jockeying for power and influence? The cross puts into perspective the idiotic and dangerous games we play, pretending to be much more important than we actually are. The cross calls us to be thankful that we have no utterly drowned in our own faults, and calls us to strive toward a new point of view, and a new way of being. A way that has something to do with love.
(As a side note - as I was preparing this text, I found pictures on Facebook from a Pastor in Ukraine (who last month was beaten at a peaceful protest) whose congregation held an event showing an example of how games are not always negative, but can help us deal creatively with a situation. I'm sure the costume party they threw helped them to deal with the stress that they must all be feeling.)
So when the dominant voices in the Russia media cover events in the Ukraine, I'm frustrated and disappointed (to put it mildly), but not terribly surprised at what I hear - "The people on Maidan all fascists;" "They are given payments / training / arms by Western secret service agents;" "The new, so-called government in Kiev wants to forbid people from speaking Russian..."At the same time, I wonder why other media sources (from what I can tell about what is being read / said / seen in the U.S., for example) would be just as simplistic in their analysis - "The crowds on Independence Square oppose corruption and seek equal rights for all;" "Russia undermines the Ukrainian democracy movement;" "Putin planning Soviet Union Lite..."
These approaches are not helpful. I see a much healthier search for understanding developing on social media among the pastors and other church leaders that I know, both in Russia and in Ukraine. (And, in fact, among Novosaratovka graduates throughout the former Soviet Union). While some are subject to the general patriotic feelings that tend to arise at such times, most tend to be self-critical of their own countries and to search for paths to help their sisters and brothers on the other side of the border. To say that the situation is complicated is not to say that every side is equally right or wrong. I hope that all of those responsible for violence in this conflict will face trial, and that this will open up a new, peaceful chapter in the history of Ukraine. I hope that Ukraine, Russia and the other powers engaged in this situation will all learn to respect international law, to build democratic institutions and trust them, to reject the temptation to put aside rule of law for expediency's sake.
I know that I'm not alone in these hopes. Yet the voices speaking in this way are not well heard. Perhaps part of the reason is that some lack (or have forgotten about) the unique point of view we can have when we really try to apply our faith to complicated situations. I, personally, am convinced that everything looks so much different in the light of the cross. When we consider our own, common, frail human state in contrast to the One who created us for so much more, how can we possibly busy ourselves with condemnation, with jockeying for power and influence? The cross puts into perspective the idiotic and dangerous games we play, pretending to be much more important than we actually are. The cross calls us to be thankful that we have no utterly drowned in our own faults, and calls us to strive toward a new point of view, and a new way of being. A way that has something to do with love.
(As a side note - as I was preparing this text, I found pictures on Facebook from a Pastor in Ukraine (who last month was beaten at a peaceful protest) whose congregation held an event showing an example of how games are not always negative, but can help us deal creatively with a situation. I'm sure the costume party they threw helped them to deal with the stress that they must all be feeling.)
2 comments:
I really appreciate this line, below, and I am confident you won't object to an amendment (in parentheses) as I and my peers in the "West" need to apply it to ourselves, as all democratic and/or well-meaning institutions should:
I hope that (United States of America,) Ukraine, Russia and the other powers (including corporations and places of worship) engaged in this situation will all learn to respect international law, to build democratic institutions and trust them, to reject the temptation to put aside rule of law for expediency's sake.
I think that Bradn wanted to write an article about different point of view in the media, in which objectivity was more than propaganda. I really believe that.
But we are all human, and we subjective. Bradn in the beginning of the article leads "dried" propaganda slogans such as "on Maidan all fascists", "Putin wants to restore the USSR lite" and others.
Such messages are good for titles of articles of inferior Newspapers, but to the context of propaganda is not relevant. The context of the propaganda is much more precise about more objectively reflects the positions of the parties. This context deeper and closer to the audience. This can be seen in recent polls of residents of the USA and Russia, for example. They now as never before negatively concern to the countries to each other. I.e. сontext, details of propaganda does not cause rejection, comes and acts on its audience.
In the second part of the article I wanted to find an unbiased view of the situation.
Bradn is American with German roots long enough living in Russia have a unique opportunity to try this look to imagine. But it did not succeed. For example, to hide a part of the main participants "I hope that (United States of America, EU) Ukraine, Russia and the other powers.." is the reaction of the American to Russian propaganda, and not as a reaction not prejudiced person on the situation in Ukraine.
With regard to international laws, looking at the history of Texas, Poland, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Ossetia, Libya, Ukraine, you can say that International law does not exist, have economic interests of the countries.
And "International Law", "democracy", "human rights", "the choice of the indigenous population" is something that lives only in propaganda messages serving the economic interests of the countries.
In pursuit of these interests they were ready to take any action: genocide, war, nationalism etc.
Excerpt from an interview with Albert Einstein.
---Miss Dukas appeared with a tray laden with tea things. While we enjoyed this treat, Einstein underscored the neccessity of finding additional ways to control the uses of atomic energy. International law, he declared, would be a prime means of achieving such control. "But international law exists only in textbooks on international law," I remarked. "Every treaty, with few exceptions, ever signed between nations has been broken." Einstein at first seemed inclined to dispute this but stopped in his tracks and thought for what seemed to me to be several minutes. "Yes," he finally decided, almost mournfully. "You are quite right."---
Post a Comment