The Civilisation is in Crisis and Democratic order is dead. It’s Democracy for West and Dictatorship for East
BY SHAHID MAJEED MIR
The contemporary world order rests on the sovereignty of people and their rights. This order is known as Democratic order of governance in common parlance. The order came through Renaissance of Humanistic tradition of ancient times. It accords a highest place to worth of human rights, their sovereignty through liberty, equality and fraternity. As is believed the order is supposed to be Ideological end of Human Beings. In fact the sobriquet of “Democratic ideal is common heritage of mankind” is given for its genuineness by former PM of India Dr Manmohan Singh. So the ideal supposed to be coil of snake revolving round human beings was meant to ensure the enjoyment of rights. This tradition evolved through huge conferences, elephantine charters, treaties, covenants etc. But as Joseph Nye once commented “ American glut in hard power power usage eroded their worth as they make rules for others to follow but wants exemption for themselves”. The present situation of Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine, Kashmir and the plight of teeming millions seems perverted form of this Democratic order in line of above comment. The genocide of Ukraine could never be explained if not placed in context of big powers hunting game. What is rule meant.
Invading Russian forces advanced on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, today as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged citizens to fight and called on Moscow to negotiate. The Kremlin sent mixed messages on potential peace talks, “pausing” an earlier attempt at negotiations after Ukraine proposed they occur in Warsaw, Poland instead of Minsk, Belarus. More than one hundred thousand Ukrainians have fled their homes since the invasion began, according to the United Nations (Reuters). In addition, Zelenskyy said 137 Ukrainians were killed during Russian attacks yesterday. Washington announced new sanctions on Russian banks, and the European Union unanimously agreed to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Meanwhile, thousands of people across Russia participated in anti-war protests, leading to more than 1,700 detentions. Ukrainian and Russian officials wrapped up a critical round of talks Monday near the border with Belarus. Officials from both countries said the sides could hold more negotiations amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.. Ukraine’s armed forces continue to hold off Russian troops, defending and retaining control of key cities, and slowing Russia’s advance on Kyiv.
Meanwhile, the central bank of Russia more than doubled its key interest rate on Monday, as the rubble plummeted after heavy sanctions were imposed on Moscow by the West. Russian tanks and armoured vehicles rolled into Ukraine on three fronts in a large-scale invasion that began early this morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law and called for Ukrainians with battle experience to take up arms to defend the country. Ukraine said more than forty soldiers and up to ten civilians have been killed so far, and at least six Russian planes and one helicopter had been shot down during the ongoing invasion. U.S. President Joe Biden said “the world will hold Russia accountable” and announced new sanctions today, which could target four of Russia’s largest banks, its oil and gas industry, and U.S. technology exports to the country (NPR).European Union leaders also announced new sanctions, pledging they would be “the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented”. U.S. troops in Poland are preparing to receive Ukrainian refugees.
Australia, Canada, and Japan Join Countries Sanctioning Russia Over Ukrane. The three countries joined the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom in announcing sanctions against Russia after it sent troops to two Ukrainian regions and recognized them as independent states (The Hill). U.S. President Joe Biden called Russia’s actions the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine and warned of harsher penalties if Moscow escalates (New York Times). U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled a meeting planned for tomorrow with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, but said the United States would continue to pursue diplomacy if Russia de-escalates. Meanwhile, Ukraine announced a nationwide emergency and called on its citizens to leave Russia and military reservists to report for active duty. It felt in recent weeks like a scene from the Cold War, a perilous episode from a bygone era. An unpredictable Russian leader was amassing troops and tanks on a neighbour’s border. There was fear of a bloody East-West conflagration. Then the Cold War turned hot: Vladimir Putin has sent his forces over the border into Ukraine, with repercussions that were immediate and far-reaching. In the days ahead of the invasion, even as Russian forces reached an estimated strength of 190,000 and they formed a pincer around Ukrainian territory, and even as the United States warned in increasingly dire tones that a military strike appeared inevitable, there was hope. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, kept up his message of optimism. Mr. Putin was claiming that he was open to diplomacy, and European leaders were working desperately to persuade the Kremlin to stand down. Then just before 6 a.m. Thursday, the Russian president, addressing his nation, declared the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine. The goal, he said, was to “demilitarize” but not occupy the country.
The possibility of all-out war is also a distant dream on the ground of incompatible alliances in the fighting. Germany and Ukraine is on one page in the escalation including America which has never accepted eastern influence. This is therefore an opportunistic alliance for the sake of commercial and geostrategic Interests as far as Russia alongside China is concerned. The Alliance purported to be an Aesopian towards all-out war and more worryingly a world war has not come into being through consensus but the individual preferences and Interest with Russia. This alliance would indeed boast the morale of Russia China and Pakistan to claim its legal territorial integrity with force from neighbouring countries but may not be of large scale as Putin poised it to be like Bosnia case of WWII.
Summing up the grief with Dr Iqbal “
Yay khamoosh mizaji tumhe jeenay nahi daygee
Is dour ma rehna Ho kohra macha do
Let’s hope to get some bolt from blue as the rivers of Ukraine has turned red now. The civilisation is in crisis and democratic order is dead. It’s democracy for West and dictatorship for East through Putin, Biden and Asad regime. Salute to this civilization!
Writer can be reached at mirshahid363@gmail.com
