Giving up on fellow Americans
My instincts to look at all information with equanimity put me in CANCEL danger.
Can’t fight the ignorance anymore
I try my best to separate what I know and believe about the NATO-US axis that promotes using Ukraine to “weaken Russia” (Biden’s and Blinken’s words) and the reality as seen in Moscow. The West has created a “Wall of Ignorance” that keeps out competing narratives and discourages the curiosity so vital to a real democracy.
When I stopped commenting in this column about the specifics war situation in Ukraine, I created another column “Russian News & Opinion” to fill my need to express myself and bypass the indifference to my viewpoint. Well after two months, I had to cancel that, and here is the announcement I published there:
This is to announce the suspension of this publication. Too few readers, and too little competence to attract more. I am disappointed that there is very little interest among my fellow citizens to get out of the narrative bubble to which MSM and the government has consigned you. You might as well live under an authoritarian government. I thought some info from the other bubble might be enlightening. All I can tell you that there is much truth and fact over here that you’ll never know. Let me assure, contrary to the reports of our demise, we in Moscow have fully stocked supermarkets, tolerable inflation, and a booming cultural life (thanks to the West sending all our world class performers home - as well as our athletes.) And despite what you hear, Russia is winning the war. A torn apart Ukraine can never join NATO or EU. Now Europe has to worry about a Russian army well practiced in urban warfare.
Since then I have repurposed the site from a curated presentation of articles to a gathering of links to other sites (pro and con) that are hard to get, plus one featured top story and a mini-editorial
Working both as a journalist and educator, I have built a career on a didactic commitment to eliminating ignorance in public discourse. We all have knowledge gaps that could be cleared up by experts or witnesses if necessary. Personally, I choose to remain ignorant of calculus and higher mathematics. My ignorance of the Russian language is insurmountable at my age. If one’s ignorance covered almost everything important, that person might be considered a self-centered hedonist. But someone who is mentally deficient cannot be called ignorant or stupid because there is no capacity there…and no expectations.
When I say someone is “ignorant,” I am not talking about their status as a human being. I am talking about a gaping hole in their knowledge — a condition related to circumstance that is totally curable. The following definition applies to everyone in some aspect of their lives:
IGNORANCE - noun
The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.
The state of being ignorant; want of knowledge in general, or concerning some particular matter; the condition of not being cognizant, informed, or aware.
The condition of being ignorant; the lack of knowledge in general, or in relation to a particular subject; the state of being uneducated or uninformed.
Being ignorant of the history and geo-politics of the Balkan region is one of many such uninformed areas in people’s mental portfolio. But many political, economic and social issues demand the attention of a taxpaying voter. We all have a responsibility to know what our government is up to. However, if you’re living your life on auto-pilot, you may have surrendered that responsibility to someone else. That’s how narratives take hold and bubbles are formed. When there is a moral need to know —as when people are dying or starving— that is an ignorance that is called “willful.” In such a case you are as morally culpable as the perpetrators, who will never face justice. Most Americans prefer to stay in the comfort zone of their own bubble with no access to ALL the facts, and hence the truth.
Every posting in my discontinued column was a curated collection of news and opinion that is now banned in the US and the EU. I led each posting with my “VIEW FROM MOSCOW” in the form of mini-editorials. One of my favorites has the touch of humor that I usually use in making points:
Rampant racism engulfs world. Now they won’t let Russians play at Wimbledon. Soon Russians will be locked out of bathrooms in the EU and US leading to a massive cleanup of floors in public places. It’s time to strike back and sue the perpetrators. Try targeting Black people, Muslims or Jews with such decisions. There are enough human and civil rights laws on the books to support litigation. The violated should demand that all who have jumped on the anti-Russian bandwagon outside the sanctions regime be charged with hate crimes and hate speech. The speed and ease with which uninvolved individuals struck demonstrates how close to the surface racism exists in the West. How nice to be racist in a safe lane!
Since writing this, some lawsuits have begun to emerge against organizations that imposed private sanctions outside the requirement of the official sanctions. America’s famous, unstoppable litigators will get justice and fairness served.
I consume a lot of media, and when I come across informative or amusing items, I often share without comment. And I expect no reaction. But I’m aware that some people reject any information from outside their bubble. So when you leave my forward from RT or TASS or Sputnik News unopened, you are indeed being willful.
And with that I wish you a happy return to Trumpville in 2024.