Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine must not go unpunished. E.J. Dionne writes:
The trial of human decency the world is looking at now should have been obvious long ago. It was seen clearly by some, including a humanitarian well versed in the workings of power politics. David Miliband, who served as Britain’s foreign secretary from 2007 to 2010, is president of International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s oldest and most respected refugee relief agencies.
In 2019, Miliband gave a speech that was unrelenting in describing the suffering of the time and eerily prescient about what was to come. Miliband called our era “the Age of Impunity,” a moment “when those engaged in conflicts around the world — and there are many — believe they can get away with anything, including murder, whatever the rules and norms. And because they can get away with anything, they do everything.”
And he meant “everything,” listing: “Chemical weapons, cluster bombs, land mines, bombing of school buses, besiegement of cities, blocking of humanitarian supplies, targeting of journalists and aid workers. You name it, we are seeing it, and seeing more of it, and seeing less outrage about it and less accountability for it.”
He specifically called out Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as “two leaders unencumbered by national institutions or by the fear of international law.”
Impunity, Dionne writes, is a characteristic of autocracies. Justice should be one of the defining characteristics of a democracy:
Impunity is a characteristic of autocracies. Accountability should define democracies. Democracy will not fare well in a world where impunity runs rampant.
What should apply to Putin also applies to Donald Trump. As citizens of a democracy, it should apply to all of us.
Image: BrainyQuote
