Ewald Engelen is an opinionmaker who is willingly or unwillingly helping Putin. Quite ignorant in the field of international relations but still people listen to him too much. At least he has summarised his thoughts in an essay that can be discussed.
There are many flaws in his reasoning, one striking is the ommission of any free will of Ukraine where people actually want to live in freedom. https://braveneweurope.com/ewald-engelen-sleepwalkers-redux #Ukraine#Russia#ewaldengelen#geopolitics@geopolitics
@ErikJonker
Now, this is pure comedy:
"Even when one argues for the minima moralia of “strategic empathy,” which does nothing else but ask for treating the Russian leadership as rational human beings who stand for interests of their own.."
Haven't he heard about the russians being imprisoned for opposing the war? @geopolitics
@ErikJonker
I have read his piece in the NRC, and based on that, I don't think he is intentionally lining with the russian narrative. Denying the agency of countries in the 'bufferzone' is not just a flaw in these arguments. It is more like an assumption of a world view from the 80's. I am not convinced that thinking in these obsolete terms is useful, but peacelinks/tankies and the so-called 'realists' love this idea. I personally find it arrrogant and offensive. @geopolitics
@Szipek@geopolitics what i find the most difficult to digest that people livng there apparently are not entitled to living in freedom and democracy, he just sees them as pawns while Ukraine has actually quite a history, also a nation (for those who have read european history of the last 500 years)
@Szipek@geopolitics ...he is probably right about one thing , there is a great chance this conflict will end with some kind of armistice agreement (probably not a peace agreement), but only if there is no clear military progress possible for Russia in Ukraine.
@ErikJonker
I wouldn't dare to make any prediction because I lack the insight and knowledge, and I think more people (especially with great audinences) should be reluctant to make bold claims about the outcomes. Simply because there are too many uncertainties. @geopolitics
@ErikJonker@geopolitics solid attempt to make Kremlin propaganda sound reasonable, have to give him that - but for me the question I’m stuck with is why on earth an intelligent person such as Engelen would, as it appears he does, prefer Putin over what he calls “US imperialism”
@mkoek@geopolitics ..exactly the same question i have, how has he come stuck in his rabbit hole. An explanation would be he has some debts we are unaware of and is paid/controlled by Russia but that seems a bit far-fetched. On the other hand he is very rigid and stubbornly repeating some russian disinformation themes.
@ErikJonker@geopolitics also, that typical far right demand to be debated respectfully, while himself calling the EU corrupt, the US imperialist etc etc, without any argument to support those qualifications, in the very same article
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