Collectivist thinking will not go away on its own. If we want the next generation to see each other as individuals rather than tribe members, we need to teach them a better way.
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to unfold, the rhetoric surrounding the war seems to get stronger by the day.
Just when you think the politicians have exhausted their supply of condemnations, they come back with more for our consumption. The remarks are, in many cases, deserved. Putin’s actions are deeply immoral, and they ought to be named as such.
But, as so often happens in war, the target of these verbal assaults has quickly become blurry. Some days “Putin” is the problem. Other days it’s “the Russian aggressors” or simply “the Russians”.
Unfortunately, this blurriness has not been confined to rhetoric. Around the world, Russian products are being removed from stores, not because they have anything to do with the war, but simply because they come from a certain country. “Russia must be punished,” we are told, “because of its egregious acts.” Continue reading →