A source of international conflict: hypocrisy in regards to self-determination

I know this might annoy many people, but… LOL. A huge source of international conflict is plain hypocrisy. And it’s not innocent hypocrisy; it’s hypocrisy rooted in political interests of super-powers. It doesn’t actually benefit the people anywhere, just certain parts of the ruling elites, but that’s what dictates the situation.

A simple example! The West embraced the independence of Kosovo and made it happen… but also makes it clear that if Republika Srpska tried to do the same and breakaway from Bosnia, it wouldn’t be tolerated. Why? In both cases, it’s the same scenario, no? A group of people who constitute a majority in a certain area and want to exercise their right to self-determination and decide their own destiny. Why do Albanians in Kosovo get a carte blanche to do what Serbs in Bosnia can’t?

But it goes the other way round, too! Russia supports Palestinian independence, but physically prevented Chechnya from doing the same thing (and appointed cutthroat barbarian Kadryov to impose it).

Another example! The international community made it clear that it wouldn’t recognise Crimea rejoining Russia in 2014 – and by the way, Putin’s attack on Ukraine in 2022 was (and is) a horrendous war crime, right? One doesn’t justify the other. But it is a fact! The people of Crimea, the overwhelming majority of them, genuinely want to be a part of Russia. In fact, what they never wanted was the 1954 transfer from Russia to Ukraine. That’s why the casualties were so low in the 2014 Russia-Crimea reunification!

It’s also the same story with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Putin being a murdering criminal doesn’t change the fact that the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia never wanted to be a part of Georgia and were given to Georgia as a “gift” by Stalin.

That’s before even mentioning the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, a historically Armenian region that declared its independence in 1991 and was annihilated by Azerbaijan in 2023 in a horrendous attack accompanied by displacement and war crimes, something that was mostly ignored by the mainstream media.

But again, it works both ways. While Russia is very adamant in bringing up the right to self-determination in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Crimea, it sees Taiwan as an enemy. I’ve said it many times already: Russia in the 21st century is China’s bitch (no other way to describe it), and everything that Russia does goes through China first. But it’s pure hypocrisy (or as Russian politicians call it, “double standards”). Why shouldn’t Taiwan have a say about its future?

Now, let me be clear: I think Kosovo, Republika Srpska, Palestine, Chechnya, Crimea, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Taiwan should ALL get to exercise their right to self-determination. All of them! Without exception. There’s no moral argument to justify the prevention of a group of people to declare independence or rejoin another country if the majority of that region wish so.

Why? Because the moment a different standard is set for different people, conflicts happen. The moment you prevent people from exercising their right to self-determination, conflicts happen.

The way to bring order and peace is through fairness and consistency. That is, the same rules must be consistent and fair to all.

In the next episode of annoying people: while there’s no reason to not respect trans WOMEN and address them by their pronouns, they are NOT FEMALES (as “female” is a biological term) and shouldn’t be allowed to compete in female sports.

That’s all folks.