By Cliff DuRand
There are those on the left who put the main blame for the invasion of Ukraine on U.S. imperialism and its aggressive westward expansion using North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This position falls prey to the narrative of the realist school of elite foreign policy circles, that argues the world is divided into security spheres and great powers naturally react to threats around their borders. Such threats create insecurity, and should be avoided to maintain peace and a balance of power. Other leftists put the socialist principle of independence and self-determination as the central point by which to judge the Russian invasion. This includes the right to armed self-defense. Rather than simply calling for negotiations, they recognized Russia will only come to the peace table when faced with unacceptable losses.
There is a range of views found within the U.S. left. Some emphasize how the U.S. created the situation by threatening Russia via NATO expansion. That then makes the U.S. responsible for the war in Ukraine. Others see it as a deliberate provocation by the U.S. in order to strengthen NATO. Others see the invasion as an imperialist expansion aiming at a greater Russia. Some see the Ukrainian government as a liberal democracy, others see it as neofascist. There is a similar range of views internationally. Some condemn the invasion. Others, like Cuba, Venezuela, and even Mexico are more favorable to Russia.
There are also differing views on how the war is going. Some claim the Russian army is being defeated, others say Russia is winning. Is Russia deliberately murdering civilians or are such incidents being staged? There isn’t even agreement on the facts.
With all the diverse views floating around, it’s hard to see how there can be unity on the left. Jerry Harris will set off our debate by presenting his views. Others are invited to join in the debate so as to clarify differences and test differences against each other.
Harris is head of the Global Studies Association. He has authored “Global Capitalism and the Crisis of Democracy,” and “The Dialectics of Globalization: Economic and Political Struggle in a Transnational Era.”
This webinar is part of a weekly series featuring thought provoking speakers on a variety of social issues. The Center for Global Justice is devoted to research and learning for a better world. We offer these webinars every Monday at 1pm. Tune in at www.globaljusticecenter.org. You can also view past programs there.
