Following the lies and misinformation which the Russian government kept publishing as of when it invaded the Ukraine, one can only conclude that Russia’s war aim is to annex the country and achieve full territorial control over it.

For centuries, European wars were fought according to this logic – that of territorial conquest. But are such conquests meaningful in today’s world? After they have been successfully achieved, there will be a need for huge forces of physical repression to be organised over the conquered lands and peoples. This will drain the conquerors’ potential to sustain their country’s place in the technological progess that will have proceeded across the rest of the world.

And methods other than those of physical control exist by which to  ensure that the people of a targeted country will back the power that would wish to take them over. Such methods can be a lot more sophisticated and effective in this task.

The conquest of a “foreign” country might with reason appear as an anachronistic goal in a globalised world. The formulae of the past do not necessarily fit today’s exigencies.

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THE USSR AND RUSSIA

Now, if by conquering the Ukraine, the Russian President is aiming to create a Russia like it was in Soviet times or when the tsars ruled, quite complex considerations become relevant. His aim would be to recreate a Russia that would extend beyond and beneath the Urals. Right through this expanse it would rule again over quite a number of European and Asian peoples.

In Soviet days, this was carried out via a federative (if not federal) system in the name of a communist ideology that rejected the free market. It was not based on ethnic criteria, despite its authoritarianism. Stalin was not a Russian.

Today’s Russia is no longer communist. It seems like it wants to  reintroduce the concept of an empire in which other peoples must accept Russian rule This kind of Russian state would be a step back on the structures of the Soviet Union.

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DO YOUR SUMS!

A characteristic feature of the election campaign during these past weeks has been the number of promises made. In all other campaigns of course, promises were always being flashed. But it seems that now, their momentum has picked up.

It is to be noted too that all those making promises keep back from saying how they will be funded. This is not a minor issue. All commitments come with a price, which must be paid. One way or another, the price will be met through the taxes people pay.

Yet only a few seem to care about how much the promises being made will amount to. In the political practice of other countries, generally when a project is beng proposed, it is accompanied by estimates regarding how much the promises being made will cost and how they’re being financed. Polemics then arise as to whether the estimates and financial coverage envisaged are realistic.

Admittedly it sounds more like a technical discussion than politics... Even so, it makes sense. For instead, as happens in Malta, all that could be done under the sun to improve life will be set before the people as a done thing... once one votes in a certain way.