Brussels overlords and assorted EU leaders, taking turns at the UN General Assembly podium beating the Western war-drums against Russia — all in the interest of “peace,” neglect to ascertain what the average European actually wants.
Contrary to their leaders’ desires, the average European is only willing to personally give up so much “for Ukraine” — whatever that means, since it’s pretty obvious that the people of Ukraine aren’t benefiting from the current state of perpetual conflict the EU and the US are enabling, either.
It’s one thing for the average EU citizen to get behind lofty values, voiced from high above the daily struggles if it doesn’t cost them anything. Or at least if the waters are sufficiently muddied that citizens can’t easily connect the dots from their wallet to their leaders’ relentless spending.
Selling this seemingly endless conflict in Ukraine, a notoriously corrupt country, as a defense of “democracy,”only works until it means choosing between paying your own bills and paying for all the blank cheques that you’re writing to Kyiv.
In his UN address this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said with respect to countries sitting out the Ukraine conflict that “those who are silent today are serving — whether against their will or secretly with a certain complicity — the cause of a new imperialism.”
Macron then paid lip-service to the “feeling of injustice”felt by those paying the price in rising food, energy, and inflation costs. The message is clear: The average citizen must tolerate these demands foisted on them by Western elites because it’s a moral imperative.
Those citizens have heard that all before, with Covid restrictions and climate change regulations. Now it’s come full circle, setting limits on home heating and cooling, but this time “for Ukraine.”
It’s no wonder that Macron is trying to chastise the global South, which has largely opted out of the current fiasco and refused to participate in the Western sanctions on Russia. Nations of the South are actually doing what they figure is best for their own citizens, unlike the EU.
Their approach is likely to make their own countries and people more prosperous, which risks being noticed by Europeans as their bills pile up and everyday life becomes increasingly taxing. So, it makes total sense that Macron and his fellow EU leaders would want everyone in the same sinking boat. If only because it’s tough to argue that Ukraine is a world problem that requires more imperialism disguised as Western-led global governance when a huge swathe of the world isn’t buying into it.
...if populist surges in recent elections across the bloc are any indication, resentment is growing towards the EU establishment. If they continue to ignore the will of the people, then they shouldn’t be surprised when it turns out to be at their own political peril.
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