“Why some wars matter and some wars don’t,”
I think America is the epitome of this statement. Wars only matter, when they can impact us in a positive way. I think it’s safe to say that Americans do not start fights that we cannot finish, whet
her we are successful in that way of thinking--well, that’s another conversation. However, I think it is evident that w
e learn about the wins a lot more. I cannot count how many times I learned about the revolutionary war. Whether it was in my civics class or American history--we spent a lot of time covering this war and understanding it. Not to say that they only matter when we do win, because there have been more U.S losses, but, another thing to take note of, is the fact that when we lose--a lot of information in the media is directed towards the casualties, but, no one thinks about the casualties we caused in Iraq. President Bush claimed that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was to disarm them of weapons, however, there was no evidence of the weapons he claimed were stored in Iraq.
Alternatively, in this class, and another class, I am learning in real time why some wars matter more than others, and the biggest thing that I continue to read about--is media coverage. The media in Ukraine, and Russia are currently not depicting the war as it is, and ultimately sharing what they want us to know. Only thanks to a few brave journalists, do we have the information that we currently are learning about, but at what cost? How many people have to risk their livelihood, be removed from their homes, or have their information withheld, or stolen by their government? For many, the risk seems worth it, but for others--there is just no way around this. Especially when the information has to get to other countries to stay relevant and actually get coverage
, which is not easy, as we continue to learn about throughout this course. Similarly, if it weren’t for this course, and another one that I am taking--how would I get this information? How would I know where to look? How can regular citizens determine if Russian media is giving out information with a political agenda, or if what we see is even true?
Through the reading provided, I was able to choose certain quotes that further helped me to better understand the current war, and why it’s important. The first quote that stuck out to me reads; “ and by Thursday, the EU had unanimously agreed to fast-track residency permits for everyone fleeing the war. The commissioner was not naive or sanguine about the situation: “We need to prepare for millions,” she said.” I chose this quote because, as I’ve previously mentioned, before this class I had very little knowledge about what has been going on in Ukraine, and Russia--and so far it has all seemed pretty ter
rible. Whereas this is the first positive thing that I’ve read so far, and I had no idea there was any type of protocols in place to handle these types of things, being that the government is allowing so many other things to continue, I just figured people were being forcibly removed, with no hope of returning.
Secondly, I chose this quote because it was an immediate contradiction of what I assumed in the previous section--as someone with little knowledge of what is going on, I see how it is so easy to be fooled by media, and things going on in Europe. The quote reads, “The EU’s commendable displays of sympathy and hospitality toward Ukraine’s mostly white, mostly Christian refugees stand in violent contrast to its policies of deterrence, detention, and state-sanctioned death targeting African and Middle Eastern asylum-seekers by the millions. “We are wondering,” As you can see--this protection plan they have in place, only benefits a certain stereotype, which, tells me something that I continue to learn, no matter what subject I’m learning--You cannot question why thing
s like racism, war, world hunger, or any of those things exist, because sociology tells us that if it exists, and persists, then it must serve a function. I think this quote is a perfect example of that, it is a clear case of prejudice and racism, and we can ask ourselves why it exists, but the answer is found in the previous sentences--it serves the function of only benefitting white Christians, and making sure that minorities do not have access to the same things.
This last quote was chosen because of the analogy that was present; “had found themselves stuck in an endless back-and-forth between detention on land and interception at sea — a deadly game of snakes and ladders” I really liked this quote because I felt that Harsha Walia did a great job of minimizing confusion in relation to this topic, but also covering exactly how difficult, and hopeless it feels to be in this situation.
Sources:
Granger, Max. “As Europe Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees
, It Leaves Other Migrants Caught ‘between Two Deaths.’” The Intercept, The Intercept, 8 Mar. 2022, https://theintercept.com/2022/03/08/ukraine-refugees-europe-border-policy-libya-sally-hayden/.
https://theintercept.com/2022/03/08/ukraine-refugees-europe-border-policy-libya-sally-hayden/
Mari, I found your response moving and familiar. I told a similar side of the story. How I also believe that the US can pretend to be caring and supportive of other countries. If they do not benefit from the war or can not come out of it looking good them we don't really care about the war. I also appreciate that you talk about race as one of the biggest factors of war, because I completely agree. As we talked in class, if the people are not white, then there is typically less coverage.
Mari, I also had underlined your last quotation in the The Intercept story by Max Granger. For me, learning about how Europe is condemning migrants' to Libyan detention centers, if they don't meet some other fate first (drowning), was alarming. And I think that is another great juxtaposition between the handling of migrants in the Middle East and in Ukraine. The broad acceptation of all Ukrainian refugees contrasts starkly with the lack of such acceptance of Middle Eastern refugees. However, even worse, when we consider how the EU and The West are perpetuating violence on Middle Eastern refugees by way of contracting the Libyan Coast Guard to do their bidding. It is not simply a question of who get's int…
Mari, I really enjoyed how you focused on the media's control over what stories get told and how it molds our view of the war. I thought the quotes you used really worked well together and pushed the narrative that only some communities get international support. I also noticed your second quote while I was reading the articles. It's a powerful quote that essentially puts all focus on the imbalance of support given to non-white, non-Christian communities. One last thing I'd say is to check the formatting of your post before you publish it. Sometimes the website will mess up the formatting.
I can relate to you in that I'm taking two classes in particular where I have learned what really happened and is happening with the wars. And as you mention if it weren't for these reporters who really want the truth to come out one would be consuming information the way the mainstream media paints or tranginverses information. And again, we cannot forget the real cause of most disputes and wars, racism. Nice job, Mari.