Peter Manoukian. Dismantling the excuses for foreign intervention – a grave new dangerous approach justifying invasion

The year 2022 brought along a new “invention” of a strange “theory”, imperialism had a new strategy and tactics, the strategy is to create some sort of illusion Monster, a “Boogie Man”, the lesson of “fear” was once again resorted to, the tactic was the Russian Mas Media and propaganda, where they continuously repeated the same set of tales, tales about the smaller neighbor next door, Ukraine, they spread the same story over and over again, “The existence of Neo Nazis in Ukraine”

This logic is not only a huge threat to sovereign small to medium countries, but by not condemning it firmly, refusing it, or even reconciling or adopting/accepting it, is considered a huge threat to those countries, because it means that they accept that one day their neighbor who is militarily superior, will un doubtfully point out the existence of far right groups in any country, some of them will naturally be Nazis, fascists, this is inevitable, and who sets the criteria that such existence should be considered a serious threat, what is the basis, standards, capacity, is there a clear criteria.

Not only this, we are clearly forgetting the crucial obvious factors that make a Nazi group dangerous.

What makes a country dangerous is not the existence of extreme ideologies, and not even the fact that such ideologies are dominant; this is a clear intentional distortion of concepts,

So what makes an ideology, whether an extreme left wing, right wing, religious ideology dangerous?

These are some obvious guidelines

  • When a country has formed a superior military power, and has a history of hostility, invasion, aggression, interfering in internal affairs of a neighboring country

So in the case of Ukraine and Russia, this is not the case, Russia is far superior both in military capacity, mass, population,

Ukraine is not interfering in Russian internal affairs, but Russia does so

It is not Ukraine who is making territorial claims from Russia, it is exactly the other way around, and Russia has annexed Crimea,

Russia pauses a threat to Ukraine territorial integrity by demanding that Ukraine lands Donetsk and Luhansk regions be recognized as independent

So all this mean one thing, that it is the other way around, call it what you want, but when it comes to imperialism it is Russia is on the side of imperialism (Like Nazis were concerning Poland, Checkoslovakia….)

  • When a country is ruled by extremists who practice ethnic, religious of national discrimination, oppression, cleansing in some cases, they suppress the minorities

In the case of Ukraine, this is not valid, this is not the case, Ukranian president is elected democratically, he is from the Jewish minority

  • When a country becomes a harbor for terrorist activities

Which is clearly not the situation in the case of Kiev

 

Therefore, in the case of Ukraine, Kiev does not fall into the category of a Nazi far right extreme that should be considered a threat to anyone

 

As for the “proof of a Nazi existence situation” in Ukraine, I will not argue or deny that there are Nazis anyway, and I will try to show you, that this is not a unique situation, and every country has it’s right wing extremists

 

I will pick some countries randomly, and let’s see if there are signs of racism, right wing extremism there, let us start by the very aggressor and invader, Russia, are there any Nazis out there in Russia

 

But first, let me state this clearly, being a firm nationalist does not necessarily mean that this means being an extremist, racist, Fascist or Nazi

This Deluded propaganda is a false brainwash and distortion of facts, one can be patriotic, enjoy national pride, be nationalist yet this not necessarily makes him an extremist, racist, ultra nationalist

 

Nazism inside Russia?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNICvEhqZqs

Why Russia gets more nationalistic under Putin | VPRO Documentary

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/05/putin-ukraine-invasion-white-nationalists-far-right?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

‘Key to white survival’: how Putin has morphed into a far-right savior

 

The Russian president’s ‘strong man’ image and disdain for liberals has turned him into a hero for white nationalists

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV4v31azgQM

The Rise Of Neo-Nazism In Russia (2004)

 

In this video, a young Russian brags that he attacked and used violence on several foreigners because of their religious or ethnic identity or character that he does not agree of , watch the full video

 

Russia Neo-Nazis: Sky News Reveals Gang Training

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOLZPU40wMQ

 

Russia – Ultra-nationalist movements gain momentum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRYtzuEOZ8k

 

https://www.cidob.org/en/publications/publication_series/notes_internacionals/n1_128_russia_for_russians/russia_for_russians
“Ultranationalism and xenophobia in Russia: from marginality to state promoted philosophy…..”

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMQSTgsgABA

The Rise of Russia’s Hate-Filled Ultra Nationalist Movement

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbhYBZsM0-4

Russian ultra-nationalists rally in shadow of Ukraine war

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx5UXNzTm2E

A Look Inside a Bastion of Russia’s Far Right

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcT3Zx7-SUo

Russia’s New Nationalism

 

Conclusion

All These links indicate one thing, that there does exist a far right nationalist extremism in Russia

So should the world invade Russia, if it adopts Kremlin logic?, Russia is a very large country, with more than 3 times the population of Ukraine, a much larger in territory size, with one of the armies most equipped with aggressive weapons, and a country which is the successor of the Soviet Union, and both Russia and the Soviet Union have invaded countries,

Russia invaded Georgia, Russia annexed Crimea, Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian war planes take part in bombarding Syrian cities,

So should the world consider, by the same Russian logic, to take action against Russia?, I am against wars and never wish for any country to attack another country

The Strange delusion of some Communists in the region

I always get astonished at the sight of a certain phenomenon, in this particular region, I see some people who seem to think they are socialists, suddenly raise slogans of praise to Russian president Vladimir Putin, alongside flags of communism, this is really astonishing, I am unable to understand, I start to really wonder if this people are indeed really left wing communists, personally I doubt they know anything about communism, I think they are confused, they have some sort of ideological delusion and misconception, and if you ask me how can I tell, the answer is very simple, I am a left wing patriotic democratic socialist, and I have often exchanged political discussions with communists, I do not approve of their version of Socialism, but still, never the less that Communism denounces and disapproves of a larger nation attacking another nation, they denounce imperialism, despite the fact that the Soviet Union practices extreme imperialism, and the examples of the eastern countries that were forced to enter the Warsaw pact camp is undeniable

But, I still do not understand, is it possible that some people do not understand that Putin’s Moscow is no longer the capital of the Soviet Union, and that Putin is in fact a right wing authoritarian

 

Excerpt from Wikepidia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Russia

 

“United Russia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Russia (Russian: Единая Россия, tr. Yedinaya Rossiya, IPA: [(j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə]) is a political party in Russia. As the largest party in Russia, it holds 326 (or 72.44%) of the 450 seats in the State Duma as of 2021, having constituted the majority in the chamber since 2007. The party was formed in December 2001 through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland – All Russia parties.

United Russia supports the policies of incumbent president Vladimir Putin; despite not being the official leader of United Russia nor a member of the party, Putin operates as its de facto leader

Ideology

This means that the supposedly left wing Communists in the region are supporting a Russian Nationalist political line

Nazism and ultra nationalist extremism in Turkey?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A01rCWoKhpQ

Turkish neo-nationalists assault U.S. Navy sailors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TkBKH5rOow

Turkey’s Grey Wolves in Europe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GICzoVqIf2s

Grey Wolves ban shows Europe waking up to Turkish influence networks

https://thearabweekly.com/grey-wolves-turkeys-neo-fascist-group-banned-france

Grey Wolves, Turkey’s neo-fascist group that is banned in France

Excerpt

“During its founding as part of a covert, US-funded anti-communist Gladio operation, the Grey Wolves integrated into Turkey’s “shadow state” and later emerged as a military tool employed by Ankara.

 PARIS – The Grey Wolves, a right-wing ultra-nationalist Turkish group, is under increased scrutiny after engaging in violent confrontations with members of the Armenian community in Paris and Lyon”

 

https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/grey-wolves

Grey Wolves

Excerpt

“The Grey Wolves is an international fascist, Turkish nationalist, and pan-Turkic organization and movement which rose to prominence in the late 1970s in Turkey.”

Conclusion

All these indicate that there is a certain presence of far right ultra-nationalists in Turkey, Turkey’s population is 80 million strong, it has one of the strongest armies in the worlds, the general impression is that it’s ground troops are the strongest inside the Nato, it has a long history of being an empire, young Turk Ittihad Walatarakki party has committed the Armenian Genocide, it has invaded and occupied parts of Cyprus, It’s troops are launching military operations inside Syria, it has tense relations wit Greece, it; ties with Islamic extremist Muslim groups in Syria have been documented

So should the world follow the Kremlin logic, should Kremlin use the same logic to invade Turkey, the irony is that on the contrary, Putin has formed a very tight cooperation with Erdogan

 

Racism in Azerbaijan

Anti-Armenian sentiment in Azerbaijan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Armenian_sentiment_in_Azerbaijan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anti-Armenian sentiment or Armenophobia is widespread in Azerbaijan,[9] mainly due to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.[10] According to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), Armenians are “the most vulnerable group in Azerbaijan in the field of racism and racial discrimination.”[11] A 2012 opinion poll found that 91% of Azerbaijanis perceive Armenia as “the biggest enemy of Azerbaijan.”[12] The word “Armenian” (erməni) is widely used as an insult in Azerbaijan.[13] Stereotypical opinions circulating in the mass media have their deep roots in the public consciousness.[14]

….
Contemporary Armenophobia in Azerbaijan traces its roots to the last years of the Soviet Union

 

How does racism manifest itself in Azerbaijan?

https://www.meydan.tv/en/article/how-does-racism-manifest-itself-azerbaijan/

How does racism manifest itself in Azerbaijan? Youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LtcbrLV_w

This is a comment made by a person with African roots on this video on youtube:
“As black person who lived in Azerbaijan for some years, I can say the primary racism there is against Armenians.”

Sumgait pogrom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“”Sumgait massacres”; Azerbaijani: Sumqayıt hadisələri lit.: “Sumgait events”) was a pogrom that targeted the Armenian population of the seaside town of Sumgait in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in late February 1988. The pogrom took place during the early stages of the Karabakh movement. On February 27, 1988, mobs of ethnic Azerbaijanis formed into groups and attacked and killed Armenians on the streets and in their apartments; widespread looting and a general lack of concern from police officers allowed the violence to continue for three days. “

Conclusion

Azerbaijan racism in Sumgait massacres, neutral resources talk about Armenophia in Azerbaijan, Russia proclaimed itself the champion who took the mission of fighting Nazism, yet mobilized the Azeri Army who attacked the Armenians over Nagorno Karabagh

 

General Conclusion

All these links indicate that racism and far right ultra-nationalism is not a case common only to Ukraine, it is a world wide spread phenomenon, it even exists in the most advanced western cultures

USA

There is this misconception that there is no more white supremacist active groups in the USA after the decline of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), but this is not true, it is true that the KKK has declined both in numbers and strength and political influence, but other groups have merged,

One such reminder is the case of Timothy Mcvay

Oklahoma City Bombing

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing
“On the morning of April 19, 1995, an ex-Army soldier and security guard named Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. He was about to commit mass murder.

Inside the vehicle was a powerful bomb made out of a deadly cocktail of agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals. McVeigh got out, locked the door, and headed towards his getaway car. He ignited one timed fuse, then another.

At precisely 9:02 a.m., the bomb exploded “

New Right Wing groups in the USA

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-kkk-today/4/

“The Ku Klux Klan is the oldest American hate group, and while the number of active KKK chapters declined in 2016, members of the Klan are trying to regain ground. The SPLC estimates there are between 5,000 and 8,000 Klan members nationwide, split between many factions.”

Apart from the Ku Klux Klan, there are many other extreme right wing groups, like the Neo Nazis, White Nationalists, there are a variation

Some defend that the USA must be only ruled by Aryan White Anglo Saxons, Some are extreme radical Christian radical groups, some are conspiracy theorists who believe they combat the “New world order” which will bring the Antichrist, there are groups known as Jude-Christians who believe they must support Israel so that the Antichrist comes to Jerusalem, and therefore the revelations of the Holy Bible fulfillment will be hastened, some are Antiemetic against the Jews and believe that the USA is controlled by Jewish Freemason Zionists, some are against the “new world order, Illuminati, Globalism”, some believe that the democrat party is preparing a “communist conspiracy” and that the United Nations is planning to occupy the USA, some believe that the Democrats are Satanists, the list is long

In the past, some 50-60 years ago, the KKK used to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist, and that the KKK must combat the Jews, Catholics, African Americans, they also believed that the central government and the FBI are communist agents

Today, some right wing groups like the Judo Christians mentioned above defend Israel

The major difference between the KKK and the Neo Nazis is that the KKK advocated Evangelic Christianity, it called for “Socialism under GOD”, while the Nazis called for a rather secular nationalist movement, they both called for the Aryan race domination, Hitler was a catholic, and many considered the Nazi Army the “Army of the Catholic”, some Jews were members of the KKK, Anti-Semitism was not such a stressed line for the KKK, they hated the African Americans, Hitler hated the Jews

General Franco, the fascist leader of the Phalanges in Spain, an ally of Adolf Hitler, years after Hitler’s death, described Hitler as a “True catholic”

The KKK emerged in southern USA, they were a continuation of the confederate movement of the south which lost the civil war to the north

Of course, hate groups largest target is the immigrants

 

https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_white-nationalist-groups-increase-despite-drop-us-hate-entities-report-finds/6186045.html

White Nationalist Groups Increase, Despite Drop in US Hate Entities, Report Finds

After 9/11, some hate groups focused their attention to Muslims and Arabs

 

Greece

The Golden Dawn

https://www.dw.com/en/golden-dawn-is-down-but-far-right-rises-again-in-greece/a-59528529

“Golden Dawn is down, but far right rises again in Greece

A year after the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn was banned; other nationalist groups are cropping up across Greece. Extremist attacks have become more frequent in the past month.”

Conclusion

The list goes on and on and on, I doubt that we will be able mention a single country, that part of it are not right wing extremists

 

What about Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/25/vladimir-putin-ukraine-attack-antisemitism-denazify

Excerpt

“When Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at dawn on Thursday, he justified the “special military operation” as having the goal to “denazify” Ukraine. The justification is not tenable, but it would be a mistake simply to dismiss it.

Vladimir Putin is himself a fascist autocrat, one who imprisons democratic opposition leaders and critics. He is the acknowledged leader of the global far right, which looks increasingly like a global fascist movement.

Ukraine does have a far-right movement, and its armed defenders include the Azov battalion, a far-right nationalist militia group. But no democratic country is free of far-right nationalist groups, including the United States. In the 2019 election, the Ukrainian far right was humiliated, receiving only 2% of the vote. This is far less support than far-right parties receive across western Europe, including inarguably democratic countries such as France and Germany.”

 

Final Conclusion

If every country decided to invade its neighbors because it felt that there are Nazis over there, the world would not a single moment of peace, it seems to me that it is Russia who is acting as an imperialist hostile aggressor, using the “Nazi Boogey man” as an excuse to practice imperialistic fascism, annex territories from independent sovereign peaceful democratic countries

This is clearly an implementation and practice of the “logic of strength”, The world needs to take an immediate decisive united stance, SPECIALLY the smaller nations, if this unprecedented approach becomes a standard, what would tomorrow, for example, prevent Turkey from saying that there are followers of the nationalist leader karekin Njteh in Armenia and invade, what would prevent Syria from claiming that the Lebanese nationalist Christian Lebanese Forces and Phalange are fascists and one again invade Lebanon

 

Peter Manoukian
Lebanese and Armenian blogger