“All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” Leo Tolstoy wrote and was mistaken. In fact, happiness is always different. And an unhappy family always starts with the same thing: with mutual reproaches. So, as soon as “you” is heard in response to “you,” that’s all, start the countdown.
But never start a countdown in a family where, in response to “you,” on the other hand, “yes, dear.” Well, or “yes, dear” - depending on who in this family is wiser, more responsible and more patient.
For some reason, it’s completely wrong between the countries. There is an ancient diplomatic custom called the principle of reciprocity. From which it follows that you simply must do the opposite side the same thing that she did to you. Sent a diplomat - and you sent a diplomat. I didn’t issue a visa - and you didn’t issue a visa. And if you did nothing in response to the actions of the opposing side, then, firstly, you are a wimp, and secondly, the opposite side may even be offended.
I am not a diplomat, it is difficult for me to judge whether this ritual is really necessary or not. But closer to me is the principle of icy contempt. Well, if we proceed from the fact that the family is built on a unity of interests, and diplomacy, on the contrary, on a difference of interests, then it is true that it is not worth agreeing with the actions of the opposing side. But ignoring them from above, it seems to me, is more beautiful.
Moreover, they do just that with us. Here take the very notorious "chemical attack" in the Syrian city of Duma in 2018. The fact that all the messages of all "White Helmets" and "observers" sitting in London about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian authorities are nothing more than feverish fantasies, I wrote before the mythical "attack" in the article "Two Barrels of Chlorine." Where he simply asked me to explain what the military meaning of using two barrels of chlorine in order to get 11 victims.
However, the tsunami of publications condemning the atrocities of the Bashar al-Assad regime swept through the Western press. After that, Russia brought to the UN a boy who, according to the Western press and the White Helmets, was one of the victims of that “chemical attack” (as you remember, it’s actually just a statement where random people were involved against their will) . What did the Western press answer? But nothing. She said nothing.
She did not say anything after one of the OPCW employees told about the falsification of the organization’s report. She did not say anything even after the OPCW itself corrected its report on the incident, which was not there, removing from it the mention of chlorine, which was not there.
And now Russia again submits a report to the UN, according to which the residents of the Duma who were interviewed do not know about any attack, and patients with symptoms of chemical poisoning did not enter the city’s hospitals.
Do you want me to tell you what will happen next? Yes, you know without me. There will be nothing further. The collective West will ignore this report in the same way that it has ignored everything that has been said before.
Firstly, a massive American missile strike against Syria in response to an event that was not already done. And now do not apologize to Syria. And secondly, all unhappy families begin with mutual reproaches. And the collective West wants to be happy. And therefore, ignores any reproaches.
The head of the British Anti-Doping Agency said for days that she would not allow the World Anti-Doping Agency to recheck the samples of one of the British athletes. And that will allow this to be done only if “reliable evidence” appears that the samples contain prohibited substances. And so it was possible? Of course, it could be. This is exactly what they do in Norway, where they continue to make a face with a brick and say, yes, the Norwegian athletes all need polls for asthma. And any doubts about this will be ignored.
So why do we need this “reciprocity principle"? Rather, what does this reciprocity consist of, if there is no reciprocity? For each reproach of the collective West, we are rolling out our reproach. “You” - “and you”. Instead of just ignoring all their reproaches. With icy contempt ignore.
Of course, you will tell me that a massive missile strike cannot be ignored. And I’ll answer you that no one responded to the massive missile strike. And this also has a certain wisdom. But if we have already learned to ignore something, then why not just extend this practice to all aspects of the relationship between us and those who do not love us? It is better to hurt the opposite side once than to continue to hurt your whole life.
To continue explaining in the hope that one day they will love us, because how can we not love us, since we are so cool, this is a dubious matter. They will not love us. They don’t need us, it would be good for them if we weren’t at all. Such a relationship is hopeless. And to pretend that they can be corrected, as they say now, is “unconstructive”.
However, I repeat: I do not understand anything in all this diplomacy. And of course, it is not my business to question the work of the best foreign minister in the world.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.