I agree with every single word, Chris--and especially agree with the decision to locate the beginning of our moral collapse in Syria. I was in Turkey when the civil war broke out and the refugees began streaming across the border, bringing with them accounts of Assad's industrial-scale torture and murder. I simply couldn't believe it when I realized the United States wasn't going to lift a finger. These days, that wouldn't surprise me: I've adjusted my expectations severely. But then, I still profoundly believed everything we told ourselves about our exceptionalism and our role in maintaining the postwar order--things that were, at that time, still more true than false. We've since degenerated into the outright moral and strategic madness you describe here. But it definitely started in Syria, with that massive moral compromise. Once we decided it wasn't so difficult to avert our eyes to crimes like that, we got a taste for it.
I'd love to cross-post this, if you'd consider taking off the paywall. I completely agree with this assessment--not one word seems to me out place.
Thanks for those kind words, Claire. We obviously had the same sinking feeling as those horrific events in Syria unfolded over a decade ago. I remember having an argument over Moscow's budding romance with blood-soaked Assad with the Russian ambassador in Ottawa, who had previously been considered a reformer by just about everyone. His rebuttals had a hard edge. There was still behind his usually urbane words. The time for calculated politesse was clearly over. They were going for broke, daring us to stop them, knowing in advance we would not. They are still at it. When will we awaken from our dogmatic slumber, our laziness, our amoral torpor, which is what appeasement really is, is it not? Paywall has been removed: thanks in advance for cross-posting.
One more thing: "the most reliable estimates today for Twitter/X, the platform still used by most journalists and politicians to level-set their takes on any and all current issues, indicate that up to 50 percent of active news-related and political accounts may be directed by Russia." Where are you seeing these estimates?
In various takes on Twitter. But some fairly authoritative had put their estimate at 30 percent before the locations were revealed: now the early takes seem to point towards 50 percent. Either ay, it's astonishing. This also does not mention influence or dynamism, where the Russian assets also score high.
Could I ask you to direct me to those sources on Twitter? I'd like to have a look. If the claim is correct, it is simply astonishing. And it should be widely publicized.
I agree with every single word, Chris--and especially agree with the decision to locate the beginning of our moral collapse in Syria. I was in Turkey when the civil war broke out and the refugees began streaming across the border, bringing with them accounts of Assad's industrial-scale torture and murder. I simply couldn't believe it when I realized the United States wasn't going to lift a finger. These days, that wouldn't surprise me: I've adjusted my expectations severely. But then, I still profoundly believed everything we told ourselves about our exceptionalism and our role in maintaining the postwar order--things that were, at that time, still more true than false. We've since degenerated into the outright moral and strategic madness you describe here. But it definitely started in Syria, with that massive moral compromise. Once we decided it wasn't so difficult to avert our eyes to crimes like that, we got a taste for it.
I'd love to cross-post this, if you'd consider taking off the paywall. I completely agree with this assessment--not one word seems to me out place.
Thanks for those kind words, Claire. We obviously had the same sinking feeling as those horrific events in Syria unfolded over a decade ago. I remember having an argument over Moscow's budding romance with blood-soaked Assad with the Russian ambassador in Ottawa, who had previously been considered a reformer by just about everyone. His rebuttals had a hard edge. There was still behind his usually urbane words. The time for calculated politesse was clearly over. They were going for broke, daring us to stop them, knowing in advance we would not. They are still at it. When will we awaken from our dogmatic slumber, our laziness, our amoral torpor, which is what appeasement really is, is it not? Paywall has been removed: thanks in advance for cross-posting.
Have you read these articles? You probably have, but I'll post them for people who don't subscribe to CG:
https://claireberlinski.substack.com/p/why-didnt-syria-matter
https://claireberlinski.substack.com/p/a-syrians-advice-to-ukrainians?utm_source=publication-search
One more thing: "the most reliable estimates today for Twitter/X, the platform still used by most journalists and politicians to level-set their takes on any and all current issues, indicate that up to 50 percent of active news-related and political accounts may be directed by Russia." Where are you seeing these estimates?
In various takes on Twitter. But some fairly authoritative had put their estimate at 30 percent before the locations were revealed: now the early takes seem to point towards 50 percent. Either ay, it's astonishing. This also does not mention influence or dynamism, where the Russian assets also score high.
Could I ask you to direct me to those sources on Twitter? I'd like to have a look. If the claim is correct, it is simply astonishing. And it should be widely publicized.
Good if discouraging summary.