Whenever I see headlines like “IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials” or “Auschwitz Museum calls on UNESCO to move session from Russia”, the question I immediately have is “Where were you guys when America invaded other countries?”. The answer is pretty self-evident, right? America is a major donor and powerful member of these organizations, so even if they had wanted to punish the US, they wouldn’t dare, right?

But that got me to ask another question: “Is Russia the perfect enemy we all need?” As far as English-speaking countries concern, their economies and security are not too dependent on Russia. Their Russian diaspora don’t hold much political power. International organizations don’t lose much if Russia leave them. And the threat of a conventional military invasion by Russia to them is minimal.

So, you are free to do whatever you want to Russia, because ultimately it doesn’t matter. I’m willing to bet that if it had been China instead of Russia, people would’ve had busied themselves debating whether should they sanction a major trade partner. While the threat of nuclear annihilation is great, it is also abstract enough for a lot of people to dismiss. And thus Russia become “the perfect enemy”, threatening enough to care but not threatening enough to fear. You could see this attitude in people pleading for NATO intervention on the news and Twitter. These people don’t comprehend the prospect of a ruinous war that would probably doom Europe for generations.

Of course, there are many other reasons that could explain this. For example, this invasion happens in Europe instead of some countries no one care in North Africa or the Middle East. We could also not discount the fact that whenever America goes to war, they do with an entire media apparatus who gives them a veil of “legitimacy”. As for Russia, the US and UK for months have been hard at work painting them as the second coming of Nazi Germany.

In the end, I only feel bad for the peace movement in America. I know some Christians who’ve been protesting against nuclear weapons and drone strikes for years now, and the impression I have is that even they feel their protest is for naught. Neither the media nor the public care about what their own government are doing.

Of course, I’m not dissing any normal person who don’t pay attention to these things before. We all have got too much on our plates, plus Obama and the NYT murdered the peace movement. What I want to say that the things happening now are too low stake and look like a spectacle to too many English-speaking people. I’d be glad to know how the people in Poland, Hungary, Germany, France, etc. are responding to this invasion.