The Patriot Scam

 

Before the latest war in Ukraine, anyone who accused Russia of imperialism met the objection that Russia doesn’t occupy any colonial territories anywhere in the world. Now that it is very visibly in occupation of part of Ukraine, everything seems to have changed overnight. Did Putin want this war, produce it and prepare it, or was it forced upon him by Ukraine

 It is a popular custom of the ruling class to portray war as if “we” were the defensive side and the enemy the aggressor.  It isn’t very difficult to convince “our own” people that “we” are protecting ourselves, while “they” are the attackers. If all are defending themselves! Who then is the aggressor? 

Every country at war claims:

That it is engaged in a defensive war 

That it fighting for the just cause.

That the enemy wanted the war and was preparing for it long ago.

That the enemy began the war and attacked “us”.

That the enemy is conducting a war of conquest

That the enemy is trampling underfoot the rights of the people.

That it is fighting for freedom and democracy for all peoples.

That it is striving for lasting peace.

That the enemy is conducting the war with barbarous means.

That it will fight until the enemy has been beaten.

That it will be the victor, beyond a doubt.

That it is winning and has suffered only slight losses.

That it attacks only the military targets of the enemy 

That its attacks are always great successes.

That it is planning new offensives which promise success.

That its churches assure God is on its side.

That the enemy is conducting the war with illegal means.

That the enemy mistreats and kills prisoners.

That the enemy violates women, murders and plunders.

That the military courts of the enemy are a mockery of the law.

That the enemy bombs cities and kills women and children. 

That the attack of the enemy is always defeated and beaten back That the enemy suffers great losses 

That the enemy is needlessly preventing neutral trade.

That the enemy's media is fake news 

That the enemy influences the neutrals by intimidation and bribery.

That the enemy is egging the neutral states on to war 

That the enemy is suffering from a lack of money, rising living costs, and industrial crises.

That unrest and discontent are rife in the enemy homeland.

That the enemy’s ministers and generals are incompetent.

That the enemy is growing war-weary. 

The media of all countries say the same thing, use the same misinformation methods, the same techniques of deception to “its” people and so those exposed only to the media of “their” nation can only repeat parrot fashion the propaganda of their own rulers. Some of the specific details and events may differ to a degree but governments and politicians behave very similarly in all wars.

There is but one thing left to do and it is to place the name of one fatherland and add the name of another motherland e.g., Ukraine in place of Russia. 

If all the wars are “just” wars which side should working people support. That is why the question of wars of defence are absurd.

When the capitalists want a war, they begin it and then hire zealot patriots to prove that right is on their side.

A workers' movement that obediently falls in line when capitalists demand war is not a part of a genuine internationalist labour movement.