Compassion & media coverage towards Ukraine but not the Middle East/Africa

[babyhaha]

This is something that has been on my mind for a little while so hopefully I'm able to word it correctly.

Since the invasion in Ukraine there has been constant threads about this on MN. This is also something that is constantly spoken about and written about in the media as it rightly should be. This is a major thing that's going on and people should obviously be informed about this.

However, why is this not the case when there's constant wars happening in the Middle East and Africa? Iraq, Palastine, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan etc the list really does go on. There's still innocent people in these countries that are getting killed for no reason. Now I've personally never seen threads about these countries on MN but as I don't spend too much time I'm on here, I could be wrong. What I am certain about, is these countries BARELY get any media attention from the West, if ever at all. Why is that?!

Is this because Ukraine is a European country and not a third world country where things like these are 'expected to happen?' Do people feel that as the people in these countries are minorities that they don't deserve the same sort of empathy that the Ukrainians are getting? I really am interested to know why there's such a massive difference in terms of media coverage and general compassion.

It's actually interesting because just a few days ago, supermodel Bella Hadid stated that Muslim suffering deserves the same level of outrage as Ukraine and she is absolutely right. And to those who may say I'm exaggerating or this isn't the case, I've linked a Twitter thread below which has clips of the most racist Ukraine coverage on TV and the wording used in each and every clip is very telling. I'd be very interested in hearing people's thoughts.

twitter.com/alanrmacleod/status/1497974245737050120?s=21

This thread shows how so many people just cannot think for themselves. They are led by the media and do not recognise their own bigotry and racism.

I think it is far too simplistic to attribute this to racism

I have friends and family in Ukraine. I have friends and family from Poland and Slovakia and Hungary too. It's deeply personal.

From talking to others here, I know I am not alone in having lots of links to Ukraine and eastern Europe.

All war horrifies me. I would love to keep all people safe.

@Lovingeveryrainbow

This. It’s clear as day.

There have been news reporters and politicians saying these aren’t “the usual” refugees- their whiteness affords them compassion where there is fury and contempt for those from the global south.

The same old same old.

Or their femaleness 🤷‍♀️

It strikes me that the OP seems to feel the the UK is totally white. Or is only referring to white people? 🤷‍♀️

@secretsqizzle

Simple explanation. They identify with Ukrainians more than Middle Eastern culture.

Their way of life is similar
Their cultural practices are similar
Their Colour is similar
Their moral compass is similar .

People are more likely to help those they identify with most.

I think thats true, byt also this war impacts us economically and possibly worse.

However, there was non stop reporting of Afghanistan evacuation for two weeks, we are on day 12 in Ukraine.
The war in Afganistan lasted 20 years, obviously it wasnt reported everyday.
There was a lot of coverage of Syria, has anyone not really seen the pictures of the boy that drowned for example.

It's a bandwagon. There's United with Ukraine posters up near where I live.

The poster doesn't say how they are united, why they are putting that message on a billboard or who it is that put the message up. In other words, completely meaningless twaddle.

If I were Ukrainian I'd want the money spent on that billboard to have used to pay for food or a blanket - not so some virtue signalling twat can feel a bit better about themselves.

@forcedfun you might have those links, most in the UK do not

These two statements sort of contradict each other, though, OP. Why would a young man be happy fleeing a war-torn country alone and leaving his wife and children behind?

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll but what on Earth makes you think he is 'happy' to flee his country and leave his family behind?! I think this conversation is pointless because you clearly don't know any migrants and it shows

Amazing isn't it. Syrians in their war torn country show compassion but a lot of people here seem to think because we look similar to Ukraine people that's why we care more. 😂

I think most British people have a sense of proudness that we are these be kind, nice
and tolerant accepting nation when in-fact we ain't.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Car-tejFU-c/?utmmedium=copyy_link

@VladmirsPoutine

Because by and large people are used to brown and black people being blown up, drowning, being poor, suffering and so forth but not so much when it's white people with ostensibly blonde hair and blue eyes. You'll notice a parallel to the floods in Germany, many people said things along the line of "You expect this in 3rd world countries but in Germany!?!".

Generally speaking bad things shouldn't happen to white people. That's what all this outpouring is for.

You'll notice a parallel to the floods in Germany, many people said things along the line of "You expect this in 3rd world countries but in Germany!?!".

@VladmirsPoutine it's crazy that you mentioned this because I literally had this in mind when writing this thread! I remember when a local was on the news saying 'you don't expect this in a country like Germany, this is happening to good people who have good lives. Not some third world country where this happens all the time.' I genuinely couldn't believe it? As if the people who suffer from natural disasters aren't good people who live good lives

@babyhaha

So people will only show interest/care/compassion when there's a possible threat of something similar happening to them? Surely that's wrong. Are people not capable of having empathy even if it's not a situation they may ever be in?

Human beings will always be more empathetic if they can imagine themselves in the same situation. People who are closer neighbours and who look like us and have similar lives will always be more easy to identify with. I am not saying it is right or admirable but it is pretty human and to deny this is not helpful. As to an outcry there was certainly a lot of coverage about the Afghan the situation but it has all died down and year there is a massive catastrophe going on there with famine killing so many people The difficulty there is that the population are not able ( or willing) to actually fight the Taliban so there is a limited amount we can do about it.

The main reason we are more sympathetic
about Ukraine though is twofold - fear of the war spreading and affecting us directly and also admiration for the tough stance of Ukraine in fighting and not allowing men to leave . Against those two emotions of fear and admiration people will forgive racism as it is obviously not that important ,.

If it becomes almost certain that the war in UKraine won't spread , which will happen if it goes on long enough and no other countries get involved, then we will start to forget it too and start treating Ukrainian refugees almost as badly as we treat all the others.

@Ylvamoon

The Ukraine has the infrastructure to document the war via social media channels. We don't rely on journalists on the ground to document the plight of ordinary people... Then there are also the geographical implications and the fact that it is relatively easy to go to Poland to deliver aid = no visas or other travel restrictions.

I very much remember the the reports about families in Afghanistan having toselltheir daughters in order to survive the winter. Or how much women's & girls lives are getting worse.Where are the people from these reports now? Yet there is very little reporting now, because most journalists have left, thanks to the Taliban.

The same is happening in Russia, we will know very little about a possible opposition to Putin or how they are silenced due to media blocks and the journalists exodus.

I think people/ keyboard worriers need to put things into perspective. Saying that the help offered is about race is very simplistic. It is about geography, infrastructure and how & who reports about the suffering and displacements. And then there is politics...

I agree this is definitely a factor. Seeing the images of Kabul airport when the Taliban retook it was awful. Some of those images will stay with me forever- women passing babies to unknown foreign soldiers, people climbing on moving airplanes etc. Sheer desperation. It was heartbreaking and I know many people in this country were very upset and wanted to help. However I definitely feel that there is much more footage coming from Ukraine, it’s constant and very hard not to feel moved.

The worst thing for me is that the Ukrainian government and people are directly appealing to the West for help save their country. Their president is very good at winning over the international media. It feels like we are responsible in a way.

However I totally understand why many people are upset that other conflicts and refugees are not getting as much attention and I do think cultural differences play a part, sadly.

@ParsleySageRosemary

I’m tired of this kind of attitude.

We in the U.K. live in a continent called Europe. The war in Ukraine is occurring on the borders of that continent, and involves a longstanding enemy of that continent. It really is that simple.

People of Africa and the Middle East are naturally going to be more concerned about war involving peoples they know, in areas they are familiar with.

One is not more racist than the other.

@ParsleySageRosemary if that's what you believe then great. Just because I live in the UK does not mean I can't care strongly about what's happening on another continent. It really is that simple

@babyhaha

These two statements sort of contradict each other, though, OP. Why would a young man be happy fleeing a war-torn country alone and leaving his wife and children behind?

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll but what on Earth makes you think he is 'happy' to flee his country and leave his family behind?! I think this conversation is pointless because you clearly don't know any migrants and it shows

Exactly!

I can assure you, majority of these men are not happy.

My father in law left Afghanistan when the Russians invaded, leaving his small family behind while he traipsed all over the world trying to find a stable location but sending money to keep them above float.

Gone from being a highly respected professional in office to working in markets and taxi driving just to find a safer life for his family. Riding a bike for 5 hours a day to the only jobs that accepted him.

After working hard for 5 years his family then joined him.

Most of these "young men" "Middle Eastern immigrants" have literally left their careers to come here because our countries cannot stop bombing them.

@madroid

This thread shows how so many people just cannot think for themselves. They are led by the media and do not recognise their own bigotry and racism.

I'm reading some of the comments as if I'm reading a daily mail article. Some viewpoints are straight from the media and it's as clear as day

@babyhaha, thather than repost anyone you agree with, or challenge anyone who disagrees with you, why not read some of the alternative suggestions pp have put forward, e.g. fear of nuclear attack and contemplate those?

I understand you OP. I get the significance of the coverage from a geopolitical and economic perspective but on a human level I haven’t felt more about this than say Afghanistan and I don’t really get the level of outpouring.

Ukraine is basically shielding us all at the moment. Next to Ukraine are NATO countries and this can spill into a WW3.
Plus Putin has nuclear weapons and threatens to use them.
Plus this war has brought much more refugees to Europe in such a short span of time.
Also the situation in Ukraine is different because it’s not a civil war, they were attacked by another country.

@Elissax

Amazing isn't it. Syrians in their war torn country show compassion but a lot of people here seem to think because we look similar to Ukraine people that's why we care more. 😂

I think most British people have a sense of proudness that we are these be kind, nice
and tolerant accepting nation when in-fact we ain't.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Car-tejFU-c/?utmmedium=copyy_link

@Elissax wow I haven't seen that picture before. How beautiful and sad at the same time

@Elissax How is Syria showing compassion?! Syria literally SUPPORTS the Russian invasion of Ukraine

I don't know anyone from Syria/ Afghanistan but I do have work colleagues who are Polish/ Ukrainian so it feels closer to home.

Certainly the local polish community is pushing the aid effort. They're sending hundreds of new bunk beds, with hundreds of new rolled up mattresses and new bedding etc. in a truck to a refugee centre in Poland. Do I think perhaps money would be better spent directly buying beds locally; quite probably but a bit like donating to a food bank people like to give stuff.

The cynic in me thinks the news coverage will die down in a few weeks when we hit the next crisis.

I feel like a magic 8 ball of doom could be the way forward; extreme weather caused by climate change, a new covid variant, war in Europe caused by a land grabbing tyrant, war in Asia as China snaffles up Taiwan emboldened by the land grabbing tyrant, giant asteroid heading for the earth etc.

From the way Black and Asian refugees are being treated in the midst of WAR! I have to sometimes catch my breath and just wonder at how whiteness must be like sniffing the purest of cocaine. For so long brands/corporations/governments told us that certain things were 'difficult'. But the war in Ukraine has shown us that it really isn't. The difference is just you have to be 'white' and 'European'.

[quote MacaroniBaloney]@babyhaha, thather than repost anyone you agree with, or challenge anyone who disagrees with you, why not read some of the alternative suggestions pp have put forward, e.g. fear of nuclear attack and contemplate those?[/quote]
@MacaroniBaloney I literally commented back to a poster saying, 'Yes this is exactly what I mean tbh. Due to some of the comments I can now see why media coverage may be so frequent as Ukraine is relatively closer to us. People have also mentioned nukes which isn't something I've thought too much about.'

Instead of suggesting that I'm only reposting comments where people agree with me, maybe you should read the full thread so you can see that's not the case?

Ukrainian refugees and their situation is more relatable to the average person in the UK and it’s also more likely to affect us in the UK. If Putin continues to Poland we are in WW3.

But I am tired of attacks on Ukrainian refugees. Bring up racism towards refugees when the crisis is affecting those you wish to help. Now is it the time to attack Ukrainians or those helping the refugees.

@lonelyapple

Why are you so surprised? It's an unfortunate reality that it's human nature to empathise with people who seem similar to you or share the same race/religion/culture. I doubt that many Middle Easterners are getting worked up about all the Ukrainian/Russians victims/refugees of this war or going on huge anti-war rallies.

Spot on. Same way the OP may not feel overly sympathetic to the Ukrainians by comparing it to other countries with different cultures.

Also, disgracefully only 50 Ukrainian people have been granted Asylum here. I’m sure if you compare that to the countries you mention you’d see how unfair that is too.

Now is not the time to attack Ukrainians that should say!