Share this page!

Maybe Scrolly?
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Twitter logo
Apr 29 • 8 tweets • 7 min read
The now infamous open letter by 'intellectuals & artists' calling on #Germany to stop supporting #Ukraine [&, effectively, for 🇺🇦's capitulation to #Russia] is very revealing. As well as being patronising as hell & totally wrong I think its shows something else too ... 1/
Many of us have been truly inspired by #Ukraine's incredible struggle to survive, but for others it seems that this rare show of courage, & decency and the valiant defence of country, values, rights & ideals is deeply troubling. Why? ...2/
#Emma #Germany
dw.com/en/war-in-ukra…
Because it shines a light on their own unwillingness to do so. It threatens to reveal the deep cowardice, cynicism & selfish will for an easy life (never mind the suffering of others or the lost potential for progress at home) that is all too common ... 3/
#Emma #Germany
This is combined with a massive superiority complex & the need to be recognised as superior by others. Its deeply ingrained, cherished & is fundamentally threatened by Ukraine's courageous fight, which shows many Europeans what they would not be willing to do themselves 4/
#Emma
Like the obnoxious complaints (in #Germany but also around Western Europe & in the Brussels bubble) about #Ukraine's "excessive nationalism" - supposedly incompatible with the #EU & 'European values' - 'We've overcome all that nasty outdated stuff - but look [down] at them. 5/
It's a way of reinforcing this facade of superiority, but its haunted by the recognition that they themselves would not undertake this struggle & have, in too many ways, given in to cynicism about (geo)politics, ideals & progress more widely. 6/
#EmmaRose independent.ie/regionals/wexf…
Its that attitude of false superiority & patronising selfishness, combined with a lack of will to actually fight (metaphorically & literally) for progress - or to spread its benefits more widely - that is the real danger to #Germany & #Europe's future not - WW3. 7/
#Emma /7
We have to challenge this attitude & make sure it doesn't guide our policy -on the war, on reconstructing & integrating #Ukraine & in our own societies. False superiority won't get us anywhere. Let us be inspired by🇺🇦 & let us act in way that again genuinely inspires others. /end

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦

Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @bctallis

Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 30
A quick follow up on dangers of German exceptionalism & 🇩🇪's insular political culture arising
from yesterday's thread on #Germany's approach to #Ukraine (& some great responses to it) in the context of #Emma #offenerbrief (open letter to Olaf Scholz)
1. Many ppl claim '#Germans have been told for 70 years that nothing but diplomacy & non-military solutions are acceptable' They're wrong but prove the 🇩🇪insularity point.
This was the message INSIDE #Germany for (some) understandable reasons. But OUTSIDE it was very different: Image
#Germany has been warned by allies (in #CEE, #US, #UK) for years about #Russia
& about Cheap-riding in #NATO.

But, as (e.g.) this piece shows,🇩🇪ignored those warnings & went its own way on defence, on🇷🇺& ended up trampling #CEE & #Ukraine's agency
warontherocks.com/2015/07/are-ge…
Read 12 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 27
It's not enough for #Russia to lose its aggressive war.
▶️#Ukraine must win.
It's not enough to win a military victory
🇺🇦needs a viable future.
That must include a clear path to #EU membership.
Here's why🇪🇺should offer that
(& what's getting in the way)
a🧵
It's clear that the immediate priority for #Ukraine is to defeat #Russia & repel its unprovoked invasion.
What defeating #Russia means has been increasingly discussed in recent days - especially after @SecDef's comments on weakening 🇷🇺
theguardian.com/world/2022/apr…
There have been many good interventions on that topic, including from @shashj in discussion with @DrRadchenko
Read 27 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 25
V. interesting ongoing discussion in this event.
Excellent points from @DLidington @RosaBalfour & @GeorginaEWright
some more concerning though:
- alternatives to #EU candidacy for #Ukraine
- over-estimation of #Germany's #zeitenwende & EU role in countering #Putin's aggression
@DLidington particularly compelling on the need for #Russia to lose - anything else will be a defeat for the West - & as on keeping the #US fully involved in European security (and the need for #France & #UK to work together on that & on helping #Germany reach security potential
@GeorginaEWright outlined potential French (public & politicians) objections to #Ukraine's #EU membership aspirations & thus the need to consider alternatives. - something, I strongly challenge here. How to convince 🇫🇷 to embrace 🇺🇦 - its in 🇪🇺 interest!

foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/07/ukr…
Read 4 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 24
#Germany's leaders, especially Chancellor #Scholz seem reluctant to really help #Ukraine-especially by providing #heavyweapons.

(Too) many reasons are given for this, even avoiding #nuclear war, but there's a problem with these excuses for🇺🇦- AND for🇩🇪& its #NATO allies
a🧵
Here's the latest interview with #Scholz in @derspiegel He steers a question about supplying proper weapons to
1) #Germany becoming a party to the war in #Ukraine
2) The danger of a direct confrontation between NATO & Russia
3) WW3 & Nuclear war

spiegel.de/international/…
As you can see from the quotes below
- and despite the best efforts of the journalists -
there's a lot of diversion, deflection & flim-flam going on here ...
The key point seems to be to keep stoking and manipulating fear among #Germany's population
Read 18 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 18
Germany’s response to #Russia’s assault on #Ukraine is an abject disappointment.

Why be so hard on #Germany?
Because:
- Ukraine needs & deserves much better

- We all need a Germany that does much better
(including Germans). A 🧵
#Germany has not unequivocally endorsed #Ukraine's #EU candidacy bid;
- was slow to provide weapons of any kind;
- is dragging its feet over providing #heavyweapons;
- delayed the #EU ban on🇷🇺coal, &
- STILL buys the most🇷🇺gas, giving billions of Euros to #Putin.
This is particularly hard to bear as #Germany COULD do so much more.
A fully engaged Germany COULD make such a difference - as when it boldly accepted millions of refugees - in the 1990s and in 2015.
It believed in its best sides & promised "#wirschaffendas" "we can manage it"
Read 15 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Apr 13
What to do with a problem like #Steinmeier getting refused an invitation to #Kyiv by #Zelenskiy?

A 🧵 on why it's better for #Germany to get proactive instead of getting offended over #Ukraine. Image
Steinmeier being unwelcome in #Kyiv is bad.
I'm not criticising #Zelenskiy's decision (which is justified) but that it came to this is everyone's detriment.
As such, it's an important moment to reflect & consider, why it happened & what to do better. Image
#Steinmeier was not welcomed because of his past closeness to Putin's #Russia. He has publicly regretted this but its clear that for Kyiv apology ≠ atonement. Let's be honest the ill-judged harmony concert & FWS' spox criticism of @MelnykAndrij didn't help, BUT
Read 22 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(