‘Blue Eyes and Blonde Hair’

In human history, no word could imply more harm and horror other than the term ‘superpower,’ a firmly established phenomenon, which is still hell-bent on playing havoc with minor power with little or no defence at all. Though Russian President Vladimir Putin has a litany of reasons to vindicate his disastrous decision to launch a full-scale military attack on Ukraine, the overarching vision behind the recent invasion hinges on neo-Sovietism, a political movement aimed at reviving the Soviet Union back to its former glory.

However, when things are seen from a historical perspective, it helps us to determine who’s to blame. For instance, when such European nations as the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1999, Russia warned the United States to stop adding other nations to NATO or else Russia would be forced to react. At that time, the United States showed its willingness to comply with the request. However, despite Russia’s warning, in 2004, the NATO memberships were extended to Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Yet again, when Moscow asked the U.S. the reason behind the relentless expansion of NATO, the U.S. said the promise made in 1999 was merely verbalism as there was nothing assured in writing. The same saga was repeated in 2009 when Albania and Croatia became NATO members, followed by Montenegro in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2020. The watershed moment came in 2021, when some more countries, namely Herzegovina, Bosnia, Georgia and Ukraine were lining up to join the NATO club. Calling it ‘enough is enough’, Russia warned particularly its neighbouring country Ukraine to set aside the NATO dream since Moscow would never tolerate the installation of nuclear warheads along its borders. Thus, behind the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, there also lies the arrogant attitude of the United States, marked by delusions of grandeur, discourtesy and a sheer disregard for others’ rights and sensibilities.

Not a long time before, Washington employed all its might and power to burnish and endorse its superpower credentials by invading Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, taking millions of innocent lives in those countries without any remorse or guilt. This also applies to Western media that stood by America to justify its gross war crimes committed against the Muslim nations. In contrast, the same media now find it difficult to see ‘European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed,’ since ‘Ukraine is not Iraq, Afghanistan or a developing, Third World nation,’ and ‘is a relatively civilized nation’. ‘This is Europe!” It is clear how simple or trouble-free it is for the world’s so-called superpower nations to invade, bombard and destroy any country by using lame excuses or by acting on pre-conceived threats or the likely danger they think they may confront in the fullness of time. However, when it comes to divine retribution, every dog has its day. The West, the United States, coupled with their media, are no exception.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief