iDEOLOGY: By agreeing on a suitable 'enemy', a disintegrated society finds coherence, energy and meaning. A totalitarian propaganda has led to the conclusion that Ukraine will now be allowed to use F-16 jets against the nuclear power Russia – with the major consequences this may entail.
FUTURE: For the first time in its long history, humanity is – possibly inevitably – facing an increasing and real risk of extinction due to the reckless activities of Homo sapiens. The effects of greed, violence, ignorance, fanaticism, political short-sightedness, overpopulation and over-exploitation of all available resources are the prerequisites for an expected disaster.
UKRAINE/RUSSIA: The authors of this book believe that the European countries should loosen their ties with the United States in order to achieve constructive results in what can be considered a European security problem. Two parties can only achieve security together with the other party – not at the expense of it.
VISUALLY: Graphic satire has become a weapon. The first 'caricature war' arose between Protestants and Catholics. Caricature is about – also in Ukraine and Russia – increasing morale in one's own ranks by ridiculing the enemy with all possible means and stereotypes – and praising one's own side.
COMPETITION: The weapons are sanctions, subsidies, dumping, hostile takeovers and theft of industrial secrets. The goal is simple: to weaken a country's economy so that it cannot offer political, economic or military resistance.
SATIRE: MODERN TIMES has spoken to seven Ukrainian and one Russian cartoonist, all associated with the Libex network, about how they view their work in relation to the war in Ukraine.
UKRAINE: MODERN TIMES' regular commentator, John Y. Jones, gives us here in this essay (via Jacques Baud) an overview of the balance of power, the progression of the Ukraine war, the propaganda threat, the Russians' intentions and Western reactions, the Nazi accusations and lies campaigns.
Civil: The two researchers justify a mixture of civilian and military installations, against Amnesty's Ukraine report (2022) which criticizes the use of civilians as shields in Ukraine.
UKRAINE: There are many indications that the war in Ukraine has been provoked and desired by the USA and NATO. The mass media have turned into effective ideological institutions that perform a system-supporting propaganda function.
SCENARIO: MODERN TIMES here tries out an imaginary scenario to compare two irreconcilable conflicts. It is up to the reader to make up their own mind as to what this might mean.
All hindsight notwithstanding – the Russian #invasion# came hard on the vast majority of us. In terms of peace policy, we were also ill-prepared for it...