Feeling Useless? Me too. Let's talk.
Feeling Useless? Me too. Let's talk.
Derek B. Miller
6 March, 2022
My wife, Camilla, is the chief of staff to one of the most important and operationally-active humanitarian agencies in the world. She's often working from home and so am I. That means, as I work on a novel she's helping coordinate humanitarian relief operations; assisting the secretary-general work with the UN, the Red Cross, national agencies, the international media and more; and is generally elbows-deep in the war in Ukraine and the refugee crisis.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to make sure the plot elements in my novel align and whether I'm using a semi-colon correctly or at least defensibly when the copyeditor comes for my head.
I'm reminded of Billy Crystal and Carol Kane telling the cast of The Princess Bride of "have fun storming the castle!" except they were happy not to be storming the castle whereas I'm eating my heart out having so little to contribute.
It's worse, actually, because unlike those two old witches I actually have something to contribute. I'm a scholar of international relations and a long-time "Europe watcher" on security affairs and I worked at the UN for a decade. I know what's wrong with Mearsheimer's arguments about "NATO expansion" as a provocation to Russia (see my other blog); and I have some operational knowledge that's useful across a range of topics. But … you know … I'm out. I'm eating pistachio nuts watching the war and hoping a patriotic member of the FSB puts a bullet in Putin's head and ends all this (yes, I am in favor of assassinations and soon you will be too).
The consequence is that I'm left in a circumstance that results in a feeling. The circumstance is that I can see it all and there's basically nothing I can do about it but "spill ink," which is what certain people are inclined to do (like me, but I'm hardly alone). The feeling is one of frustration, weakness, impotence in the sense of powerlessness, but rather than it resulting in a sense of defeat or acceptance I'm burning with a drive to "do something" to move the world into a preferred condition.
The war against Ukraine by Russia is, unquestionably, the catalyst for my discontentment and my worries and my feelings. But that term — preferred condition — actually contains some hints at how to change these conditions and change my feelings. And, perhaps, yours. All me to explain.
Putin didn't wake up and think, "let's invade Ukraine." He planned for this. A (rock-solid in my view) argument can be made that his support for Trump and his efforts to get Trump to block $391 million in military aid to Ukraine was part of a long-term effort to prepare for this war, not to mention making Russia more economically self-sufficient to withstand sanctions and a host of other preparations.
While no Western actions could have deterred his ambitions, or motives, to attack and annex Ukraine, we certainly could have reduced his capabilities. How do I know? We're doing it now. You've read the news and you've seen the actions. Among others:
• Switzerland has seized Putin's money (I lived in Geneva for a decade and I'm shocked they were willing to do this, but also delighted).
• Cutting off Russia's access to SWIFT and international banking.
• Sending weapons to Ukraine from … everywhere, even Sweden which hasn't sent weapons abroad since 1939.
• Shutting down airspace to Russian aircraft.
• Britain's long-since-overdue crackdown on dirty Russian money in London real estate and in the City.
• Denying use of Mastercard and Visa to Russia.
… the list goes on and on.
All of this, of course, is a reaction and was not "proactive" (a term I still won't use without quotation marks). While some of it might only be justified in the context of Russia's most immediate actions, other actions could have been taken long ago and for full-valid reasons such as continued interference in democratic elections and our internal affairs; spreading lies and propaganda to undermine civil society and our domestic institutions; and otherwise being a monumental pain-in-the-ass in what seems to have been a consequence-free universe across eight years of a distracted and weak Obama administration and with active support for Russia from the Trump administration.
Our preferred conditions are only going to be reached "proactively." They are going to be achieved with a tremendous re-think and redirected action in democratic societies based on a more conceptual and practical reality which is this: Democratic societies exist in a broadly non-democratic world, and if they want to maintain their internal integrity they need to see themselves as distinct and needing of specific protections otherwise the bubble will burst and democracy — as a social practice and a pillar of primary structuring institution — will end.
To wit:
• All citizens should vote: That means non-citizens should not vote, and all barriers to voting for citizens should be as reduced as reasonably possible as part of an on-going agenda to bring our people into the democratic fold. That means all citizens. And if I'm not being clear enough: Stop block black people from voting. Voting should be easy and quick and encouraged. If we want voter IDs, all we need to do is create simple and free ways for everyone over 18 to have such an ID. If my iPhone can recognize my face, I don't see why the voting system can't figure it out.
• No more "dark money." Better yet, no more money at all. Democracy should be paid for in our taxes. Our submarines are. So … what's the problem?
• Change the media laws. News organizations (or divisions, etc.) should not be chasing ratings. Will this up-end the entire news system of the United States? Yes. Which is what we want. Think bigger than the problems.
• Update our educational systems: Americans can vote at eighteen years old. That means they will be entrusted to help direct the future of the state at eighteen years old. Are they being prepared for that responsibility? Obviously not. The world is not a "safe space." Ask the Ukrainians. Teenagers need to be prepared to make the world safe for democracy not make democracies safe for themselves.
I could go on.
But won't these undermine civil liberties? Won't they limit free expression? Isn't that a gateway to tyranny?
The GOP would have you believe that protecting our democracy from actions that will undermine it from within are tyrannical. So allow me to be clear about this: If our legislatures recognize (based on valid reasoning) that our democracy will only survive under certain conditions, then we need to make sure those conditions exist.
Here's an analogy no one is making: The military is a volunteer military. You sign yourself in, and you sign yourself out. Once you're in, you follow orders. You don't wander off the base or else you're AWOL. You accept some measure of mental and physical abuse as you're being prepared for war. You follow the chain of command. If you're not to this, don't join or get out. Why? Because the military can only function as a system if certain conditions are met and showing up, being prepared to fight, and following orders are at least three of them.
Our democracy is the same. We must voluntarily give up certain civil liberties so that civil liberties continue to exist. We do that in a formal manner by passing laws that protect democracy from internal and external threat. It's really not that complicated.
So far, we all seem to be going the opposite direction. Money is the driving force in politics. Freedom of speech exists for those who can afford it. Voter suppression is everywhere. Gerrymandering is choosing the voters rather than the voters choosing the politicians. No one is willing to give up anything for the greater good.
If no one is willing to sacrifice for the greater good, we won't a country. Ask the Ukrainians.
What this all means is that there's plenty of work to be done at home and abroad because what's happening now was not unforeseeable; was not inevitable; and will happen again in one version or another. So one thing to do is focus on what gets you most motivated and attack. Find out who is working on this and get involved. Don't complain. Build strategies for change, based on clear theories for change (i.e. arguments that withstand scrutiny) and then execute them.
Let's stop waiting until we fail to try and succeed.
Derek B. Miller
6 March, 2022
My wife, Camilla, is the chief of staff to one of the most important and operationally-active humanitarian agencies in the world. She's often working from home and so am I. That means, as I work on a novel she's helping coordinate humanitarian relief operations; assisting the secretary-general work with the UN, the Red Cross, national agencies, the international media and more; and is generally elbows-deep in the war in Ukraine and the refugee crisis.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to make sure the plot elements in my novel align and whether I'm using a semi-colon correctly or at least defensibly when the copyeditor comes for my head.
I'm reminded of Billy Crystal and Carol Kane telling the cast of The Princess Bride of "have fun storming the castle!" except they were happy not to be storming the castle whereas I'm eating my heart out having so little to contribute.
It's worse, actually, because unlike those two old witches I actually have something to contribute. I'm a scholar of international relations and a long-time "Europe watcher" on security affairs and I worked at the UN for a decade. I know what's wrong with Mearsheimer's arguments about "NATO expansion" as a provocation to Russia (see my other blog); and I have some operational knowledge that's useful across a range of topics. But … you know … I'm out. I'm eating pistachio nuts watching the war and hoping a patriotic member of the FSB puts a bullet in Putin's head and ends all this (yes, I am in favor of assassinations and soon you will be too).
The consequence is that I'm left in a circumstance that results in a feeling. The circumstance is that I can see it all and there's basically nothing I can do about it but "spill ink," which is what certain people are inclined to do (like me, but I'm hardly alone). The feeling is one of frustration, weakness, impotence in the sense of powerlessness, but rather than it resulting in a sense of defeat or acceptance I'm burning with a drive to "do something" to move the world into a preferred condition.
The war against Ukraine by Russia is, unquestionably, the catalyst for my discontentment and my worries and my feelings. But that term — preferred condition — actually contains some hints at how to change these conditions and change my feelings. And, perhaps, yours. All me to explain.
Putin didn't wake up and think, "let's invade Ukraine." He planned for this. A (rock-solid in my view) argument can be made that his support for Trump and his efforts to get Trump to block $391 million in military aid to Ukraine was part of a long-term effort to prepare for this war, not to mention making Russia more economically self-sufficient to withstand sanctions and a host of other preparations.
While no Western actions could have deterred his ambitions, or motives, to attack and annex Ukraine, we certainly could have reduced his capabilities. How do I know? We're doing it now. You've read the news and you've seen the actions. Among others:
• Switzerland has seized Putin's money (I lived in Geneva for a decade and I'm shocked they were willing to do this, but also delighted).
• Cutting off Russia's access to SWIFT and international banking.
• Sending weapons to Ukraine from … everywhere, even Sweden which hasn't sent weapons abroad since 1939.
• Shutting down airspace to Russian aircraft.
• Britain's long-since-overdue crackdown on dirty Russian money in London real estate and in the City.
• Denying use of Mastercard and Visa to Russia.
… the list goes on and on.
All of this, of course, is a reaction and was not "proactive" (a term I still won't use without quotation marks). While some of it might only be justified in the context of Russia's most immediate actions, other actions could have been taken long ago and for full-valid reasons such as continued interference in democratic elections and our internal affairs; spreading lies and propaganda to undermine civil society and our domestic institutions; and otherwise being a monumental pain-in-the-ass in what seems to have been a consequence-free universe across eight years of a distracted and weak Obama administration and with active support for Russia from the Trump administration.
Our preferred conditions are only going to be reached "proactively." They are going to be achieved with a tremendous re-think and redirected action in democratic societies based on a more conceptual and practical reality which is this: Democratic societies exist in a broadly non-democratic world, and if they want to maintain their internal integrity they need to see themselves as distinct and needing of specific protections otherwise the bubble will burst and democracy — as a social practice and a pillar of primary structuring institution — will end.
To wit:
• All citizens should vote: That means non-citizens should not vote, and all barriers to voting for citizens should be as reduced as reasonably possible as part of an on-going agenda to bring our people into the democratic fold. That means all citizens. And if I'm not being clear enough: Stop block black people from voting. Voting should be easy and quick and encouraged. If we want voter IDs, all we need to do is create simple and free ways for everyone over 18 to have such an ID. If my iPhone can recognize my face, I don't see why the voting system can't figure it out.
• No more "dark money." Better yet, no more money at all. Democracy should be paid for in our taxes. Our submarines are. So … what's the problem?
• Change the media laws. News organizations (or divisions, etc.) should not be chasing ratings. Will this up-end the entire news system of the United States? Yes. Which is what we want. Think bigger than the problems.
• Update our educational systems: Americans can vote at eighteen years old. That means they will be entrusted to help direct the future of the state at eighteen years old. Are they being prepared for that responsibility? Obviously not. The world is not a "safe space." Ask the Ukrainians. Teenagers need to be prepared to make the world safe for democracy not make democracies safe for themselves.
I could go on.
But won't these undermine civil liberties? Won't they limit free expression? Isn't that a gateway to tyranny?
The GOP would have you believe that protecting our democracy from actions that will undermine it from within are tyrannical. So allow me to be clear about this: If our legislatures recognize (based on valid reasoning) that our democracy will only survive under certain conditions, then we need to make sure those conditions exist.
Here's an analogy no one is making: The military is a volunteer military. You sign yourself in, and you sign yourself out. Once you're in, you follow orders. You don't wander off the base or else you're AWOL. You accept some measure of mental and physical abuse as you're being prepared for war. You follow the chain of command. If you're not to this, don't join or get out. Why? Because the military can only function as a system if certain conditions are met and showing up, being prepared to fight, and following orders are at least three of them.
Our democracy is the same. We must voluntarily give up certain civil liberties so that civil liberties continue to exist. We do that in a formal manner by passing laws that protect democracy from internal and external threat. It's really not that complicated.
So far, we all seem to be going the opposite direction. Money is the driving force in politics. Freedom of speech exists for those who can afford it. Voter suppression is everywhere. Gerrymandering is choosing the voters rather than the voters choosing the politicians. No one is willing to give up anything for the greater good.
If no one is willing to sacrifice for the greater good, we won't a country. Ask the Ukrainians.
What this all means is that there's plenty of work to be done at home and abroad because what's happening now was not unforeseeable; was not inevitable; and will happen again in one version or another. So one thing to do is focus on what gets you most motivated and attack. Find out who is working on this and get involved. Don't complain. Build strategies for change, based on clear theories for change (i.e. arguments that withstand scrutiny) and then execute them.
Let's stop waiting until we fail to try and succeed.
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