Recently, German feminist Alice Schwarzer and left-wing politician Sarah Wagenknecht published an “open letter” signed by German intellectuals, scientists and artists, in which they spoke out against arms supplies to Ukraine and called for immediate peace talks with Russia.
The list of 69 first signatories brings together voices from various political camps, from the far right to the far left. The far-right Kremlin branch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has recently been trying to position itself as a “party of peace,” in the sense of “peace” as seen by the aggressor Putin, immediately enthusiastically supported the call. Many of the initiators of the appeal have been known for years as avid apologists for Russia’s aggressive policy, including Schwarzer and Wagenknecht.
Schwarzer, a pioneer of the West German feminist movement, has been campaigning against Germany’s commitment to Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. She has called for understanding of Vladimir Putin, who advocates an extremely misogynistic masculine cult of violence. This phenomenon requires detailed research to understand why a feminist icon would support an autocrat and mass murderer.
The open letter follows two main lines of Russian disinformation operations that aim to undermine the West’s readiness to defend itself against Putin’s war of destruction. One line suggests that Ukraine and Western democracies are unjustifiably prolonging the war by refusing to negotiate with the Russian side. The other line aims to fuel the fear of a nuclear strike, which is widespread in German society, and which Putin uses to intimidate the West.
The open letter fails to acknowledge Russia’s genocidal intentions and practices in Ukraine, and it implies that tacit consent to any compromise that would leave Moscow in control of the Ukrainian territories it occupies would be tantamount to aiding and abetting genocide. It does not mention the horrific crimes against humanity that Russia is committing against the Ukrainian nation, implementing its openly proclaimed plan to destroy it.
This raises questions as to why such a brazen falsification of the reality of war and such a callous disregard for the victims of the war of extermination is considered by a large part of the “progressive” establishment to be a manifestation of a noble love of peace. German intellectuals are renowned for learning the right lessons from the comprehension of the National Socialist civilizational breakdown, which culminated in their maxim: “No more wars.” However, this “anti-militarist” purified Germany should stay away from wars that involve other nations, even if these wars are associated with acts of genocide.
Therefore, it is logical that those who hold this allegedly progressive position now find themselves on the same side as right-wing nationalists, supporters of Putin’s authoritarianism. This illustrates that what is passed off as “pacifism” in Germany and mistaken by many for it is, in fact, nationalistic selfish neutrality and abstinence disguised as high universalist moral claims.
In conclusion, the open letter signed by German intellectuals, scientists, and artists, which called for peace talks with Russia and urged against arms supplies to Ukraine, is concerning. It reflects the mood of a large segment of German society, despite its alignment with the Kremlin propaganda. This raises questions about what is being passed off as “pacifism” in Germany and its true intentions. The reality is that the so-called pacifism is, in fact, nationalistic selfish neutrality and abstinence disguised as high universalist moral claims.
Source: Richard Herzinger/Ukrainian Week
