Ukraine - it’s nothing to do with us.

[Greyhop]

I don’t often go on Facebook for exactly this reason. A friend had written this post saying Ukraine is nothing to do with us, and slamming Boris for getting involved. I want to reply, I want to articulate a good reply. A kind reply. Or should I just leave it? AIBU to respond to her offensive post?

@LiveintheNow

For Whom the Bell Tolls By John Donnee_

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

This is the best response, apart from ignoring people being twats on Facebook (or not using Facebook at all - people being twats is one of the many reasons I have never done social media).

Nothing says 'I'm politically naive' like a Facebook 'opinion' based on whatever.
Silence is golden in this case, OP.
Read rather than fire up the keyboard. The best source of information? Independent journalists who have lived and breathed geopolitics.

Thebestwaytoscareatory dig deeper into the history of Stalin and gulags. Hitler and Stalin were two sides of the same coin.

I’ve got one of these nut jobs on my FB and Insta. He’s not very stable at the best of times, I’m just relieved I have nothing to do with him in real life. I’d unfollow but there’s a part of me that secretly enjoys watching his meltdowns, it’s good preparation to help understand the extremities of opinions people have.

Ask her to look up the Budapest Memorandum, because actually morally it is a lot to do with us

@HotPenguin

Well there's a conflict in Mali at the moment and noone's suggesting we get involved there. So it isn't just about helping others, it's about self interest - we care more about Ukraine because it's in Europe and it's impacting on us. So while I don't agree with her I also don't think she's necessarily being unfeeling or immoral because there are lots of conflicts around the world that we take no part in.

What? the French have been fighting there for several years! with UK air cover.... only just withdrawing after a coup and the ruling govt asked Russia to come in instead :(

@Greyhop

I think her point was that people are suffering here - and we should be focussing on that. I watched Newsnight last night. Putin is probably the wealthiest man in the world, he has immense resources and he is capable of doing this. He is invading Europe. The West can’t just take a back seat, I was looking at the countries bordering Ukraine. I was listening to the Russian links with China. I didn’t feel scared during Covid - I do now.

Me too 😢

Ask her if she knows where her gas comes front.

@girlmom21

Ask her if she's hoping everyone else will "stay out of it" if we ever get invaded. People like this piss me off. They're willing to watch innocent civilians die and stand by and do nothing.

It wouldn't feel the same if it was our children running for their lives.

Problem is with this is if we got invaded,, no one would jump in to help us .

She's probably very worried tbh I don't want us to go up against Putin either . He's a maniac .

@WouldIwasShookspeared

There's no point. She's just said she doesn't care about people suffering in other countries I'm not sure there's anything you can say to someone who feels that way

It's not about not caring, it's about fear

I think you’re wrong about ‘no one stepping in to help’ if we were invaded. You think countries like America aren’t rattled at the moment? Europe being invaded by Russia is a very big deal indeed and if it came to it that would indeed trigger WW3.

Problem is with this is if we got invaded,, no one would jump in to help us

That's untrue and you know it's untrue

I have an old friend who is perfectly nice and sane in real life unless someone mentions politics. She is one of these awful shrieking leftie corbynistas who will threaten death on Facebook if anyone disagrees with her. Most of her friends don't even respond to the endless vitriol she spews out.
I unfollowed so don't have to read it.
I remember when Facebook first launched and it was a fun way to make new friends and connect with old ones. Now it's just a cesspit of bullying and threats which is why I rarely use it now

@Ionlydomassiveones

“Problem is with this is if we got invaded,, no one would jump in to help us .”

We are part of NATO. ‘An attack on one is an attack on all’. Please don’t post if you don’t know what you’re talking about.

But it isn't tho is it .

@NobodysGonnaKnow

I don’t think ‘Russia’ is being tarred with any brush at all. The Russian people don’t get to choose who their leader is. Putin on the other hand aligns very nicely with the Hitler tag. He fits the mould beautifully.

I know a few Russians and they are lovely and are not huge Putin fans However, I have been absolutely shocked that their view generally is that while Putin is in the wrong he has had no choice really due to aggression from The US and NATO

@gingerhills

Just paste Pastor Niemöller's First They Came under her post:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

This is so relevant. I'm not surprised but utterly saddened that we aren't collectively as the west supporting Ukraine with what they need, which is men on the ground! We followed a path of appeasement before and look how that turned out!

If your friend thinks that we should stay out of this because it's nothing to do with us, does she also think we should stop sending aid to countries who are suffering poverty, civil war, corruption, famine , flooding ,earthquakes or epidemics none of which affects us directly. Does she also think that Putin isn't crazy enough to invade Poland or some of the other Baltic nations ? He's a megalomaniac and his latest obsession is rescuing the world from what he sees as fascism . He is totally ruthless, its amazing how many of his critics die by falling from high windows or mysterious illnesses brought on by being poisoned. He is a terrorist in the truest sense. When he has overcome resistance and controls what was the Eastern Bloc does your friend think he will sit back and say job done, I won't bother the capitalist West?

@NobodysGonnaKnow

I think you’re wrong about ‘no one stepping in to help’ if we were invaded. You think countries like America aren’t rattled at the moment? Europe being invaded by Russia is a very big deal indeed and if it came to it that would indeed trigger WW3.

Yes I do think other countries are rattled but they also no if he wants to push the button he will . We are no use to America in the grand scheme of things

•know

@duvetdayforeveryone

YABU for still being on Facebook. The sane people left Facebook a long time ago.

Follow better people, then, instead of boring relatives and local mouth breathers. I wouldn’t bother trying to get the woman to develop any intellect or empathy, sounds like it’d be impossible.

However, I have been absolutely shocked that their view generally is that while Putin is in the wrong he has had no choice really due to aggression from The US and NATO

You are shocked that the propaganda machine in Russia has actually worked to convince some of the people that the Russian leader is correct in his actions? That’s literally the purpose if it!

Yes I do think other countries are rattled but they also no if he wants to push the button he will . We are no use to America in the grand scheme of things

Again not true. It might suit you to believe it but alas, not true.

Your friend is a selfish idiot.