Opinion: Ukraine fights for the West as we fight among ourselves
As the world witnesses the largest conflict on the European continent since World War II, we should reflect on the circumstances that have led us to this tipping point. We in the West have developed a false sense of ourselves in which we assume all people of the world desire to live as we do.
In 1940 George Orwell wrote, “Nearly all western thought since the last war … has assumed tacitly that human beings desire nothing beyond ease, security, and avoidance of pain.” In attempting to understand Hitler’s rise to power, he went on to say, “Human beings don’t only want comfort, safety … and, in general, common sense; they also, at least intermittently, want struggle and self-sacrifice."
This is not to say the Russian population as whole meets these criteria (many have already passionately displayed their opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion), but to understand the psyche of an autocratic leader hell-bent on the destruction of global order. It is the failure of Western civilization to study and make sound inferences from history that has again led us to a utopian world view where we assume a higher moral ground and better quality of life alone should entice others to coalesce around our view.
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Globalization efforts, along with certain progressive policies, however noble they may be, have operated under the fallacy they might be adopted because they are inherently good. While the West has fought among itself on how to achieve these goals, we have created a global house of cards with dependencies on nations with nefarious intentions.
It is now easy for one player to see an opportunity to bring it all crashing down.
The United States has prospered for centuries because of its geography and abundant natural resources accompanied by a populace of determined, innovative and morally sound individuals. It is due time to remind ourselves why we have been put a position to lead the world and work to unleash our full potential. Our country has the resources and ability to provide needs (especially cleanly sourced energy) around the globe and in turn disrupt the strategic advantages being exploited by our adversaries.
Most people desire a better quality of life and the safety and security that Western civilization provides, but our worldview is not universal. There remain tyrannical leaders around the globe who deprive their populations of the opportunity to even recognize such a way of life exists.
The people of Ukraine have seen a better way of life exists. They are fighting and dying for it.
Will we continue to fight among ourselves about policies that often enrich and embolden our adversaries? Or will we unleash the full God-given potential of the most powerful nation on earth to create a more stable world order so we can safely focus on the problems of tomorrow? The people of Ukraine are sacrificing everything for a way of life that we take for granted. Are we willing to ensure that way of life remains a possibility tomorrow?
Robert Tegeler is an analytics consultant for a large insurer in Des Moines with a degree is statistics from Iowa State University. He lives in West Des Moines.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Opinion: Ukraine fights for the West; we fight ourselves
