In previous centuries, it was common for countries to invade each other. Russia has brought back this taboo, warns Yuval Harari.
Kiev – Russia’s imperialism as “one of the worst monsters in human history”: Historian Yuval Noah Harari has chosen meaningful words to describe the current Ukraine war, which the aggressor Russia started in February 2022. He made this statement at the 20th edition of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in Kiev.
He further said; “We thought we had buried it forever, this imperialism, but it is resurfacing. In human history, the fundamental prerequisite for the life of all people on earth was that neighbors could invade the territory of another country at any time, kill the population there, conquer and subjugate entire countries.
Russia’s war in Ukraine calls into question “fundamental values and norms of the world order.”
This was the situation “throughout human history” and “indeed the meaning of the term imperialism,” the Israeli university professor made clear. Harari described the Ukraine war as the most important conflict in the world. “It seems to me that this war is the most important conflict taking place in the world today. Maybe it’s the end of the Cold War.”
The war calls into question “all these fundamental values and norms of the world order, the world system,” said Harari. Taking over another country because you are stronger has become taboo in recent generations.
Ukraine War: Imperialism as a “forgotten” taboo
However, precisely because the taboo was so effective, many countries had forgotten what imperialism meant, even though cultural and economic imperialism was being talked about. The true meaning of the term has been forgotten.
Until now. The old imperialism came back into the world through Russia. “If Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, this imperialism will spread throughout the world,” Harari fears. Putin himself spoke of the destruction of Ukraine. Any conquered region would be annexed by Russia, he reminded. “This is very damaging to the international system and to people around the world.” If Putin’s plan worked, the result would be “the ultimate collapse of the global order.”
Are other countries taking Russia and Putin as an example?
If Putin wins, other countries, such as those in Africa or South America, could follow suit and spend exorbitant sums on the military instead of investing in infrastructure, education or health. He compared the current situation to the Second World War. “It can happen again,” he warned. Eastern European historian Martin Schulze Wessel called it Putin, however, as a “prisoner of his own ideology“. (cgsc)
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