What is a ‘meme’? Well, despite common usage, it is not some ‘trending’ internet social media post, tweet or other widely spread catchy idea. Such phenomena do not meet the defined concept of ‘meme’ in that they are usually not naturally evolving but being affected by interaction to alter or expand the original meme concept – if only by comment in passing. Britannica has a good description of the real ‘meme’ concept, its origins and definition, here.
Perhaps I should continue by asking another question. What is an ‘SMO’? …since that may not be clear to everyone.
‘SMO’ is an acronym for ‘Special Military Operation’. An acronym which would translate to ‘CBO’ in Russian (‘SVO’ in Anglicised Russian), those facts deemed relevant because the SMO that I and so many other people would have in mind, is the Russian CBO which began in February 2022 (though its roots go back much further).
Is the SMO meme then, actually a meme, as the heading above suggests? Well it is recurring, while evolving by mutation and imitation in the minds of a great many people. And it doesn’t seem to want to go away or diminish any time soon. It has definitely evolved, not by any human intervention but perhaps by largely unforeseen events surrounding it. It is certainly now, at least in many of its imitations, not what it was 16 months ago when it began. But is that true? …and why am I so interested in pursuing this line of thought?
But wasn’t the Russian SMO only concerned with the protection of the peoples of Donbass region? Yes, of course it was, and kudos to you for knowing that. And that is all it was. There was no connection whatsoever (as far as I can ascertain) between the insertion of Russian forces expressly to serve that singular purpose, into those regions (which were subsequently legally absorbed as being part of Russian lands), with the separate issue of Russia defined Security Guarantees as specified in communications between Russia and the west in the period leading up to December of 2021- which were dismissed without response from western authorities the following month. No connection whatsoever, let me emphasize, between those two issues. The fact that the west mistakenly tried to make such a connection as a result of subsequent events (namely their own failures to subdue Russia) is entirely immaterial. There was, and still is no such connection. They are separate issues.
So, when the west, as put forward a number of times, tries to tie conditions for some kind of ceasefire or peace agreement based on documents both Russia and Ukraine were prepared to sign in April of 2022 – before the west intervened to prevent such a closure – such a proposal in no way covers the present situation and it would not be in Russian interests to agree to anything like that now. I can make that statement, in all honesty, without actually knowing what that documented agreement actually stated, simply because it could not have been formulated with foresight as to what has transpired since that time. I repeat, it would in no way cover the current situation.
The Russian SMO in Ukraine has been a constant theme of my writing here in the past year or more and, I suggest, it will continue to be so for some time at least. Why? [I love it when I get to ask questions] Simply because it is the single most important global event of our day – no matter which day it is at this time. It is because of the relative importance of that event that I and a great many other people around the world, including many important, influential and leading persons, and many who are able to lift their heads from the suppressive grind of daily living, are following its progress on a daily basis. We need to know how it is shaping and the possible directions it may choose to take in the future. All of our futures, all of our lives, depend on it – more than any other single feature of modern life, within or beyond our control. I shouldn’t need to state this but that, more than anything else, makes this a supreme meme – does it not? Not convinced? I will explain more further on.
If you were not aware of that importance or have dismissed it in the past as something you do not need to care about, then you have been ill-informed or misled (which my dear but poorly educated father used to pronounce as ‘mizzld’) by the world around you. A world which would increasingly prefer you not to care or even to know about such things.
So, what is it that is so different now?
OK, so, as far as the SMO goes, not much has changed. Russia still needs to protect its newly acquired areas, since there are still hostiles occupying parts of those lands. And because the weapons available to those hostiles (who are now mostly non-Ukrainian nationals but a motley bunch of criminals drawn from the swamps of NATO, plus assorted actual NATO troops) now have a further reach potential than that which they had available in Feb 2022 – as demonstrated by their willingness to destroy and harm Russian civilians living peacefully in distant areas – Russia needs to extend its borders (or to provide a security zone) to include such areas as can negate those threats. Such border area may need to be up to 300 Kms in depth depending on any agreed retention of weapons of aggression by whoever is the bordering nation.
Now, if that was the only consideration then I feel sure Russia would be prepared to sign off on such an agreement. But it is not the only consideration. The SMO still stands. The reasons for the SMO still stand. But the conflict, due entirely to the intransigence of the west (I will say more on that in a moment), has trans-… trans-… trans-something. Let’s just say, it has ‘grown and altered’, changed, into something much more sinister and vile. And that is the connection the west is not permitted to allow itself to consider. At all. Let alone make any kind of agreement about. It is not something the west has ever considered. Ever needed to consider. Which is why they are now entirely at sea in knowing what to do. They have no plan, and the only solution thay can contemplate is to therefore continue doing whatever it is they think they are doing right now. Which is to string the whole thing out for as long as possible. No, for even longer than that. That is, for ever. Can you not see that is exactly what they are doing? They have cleaned out their larders of munitions, both legal and illegal, and must now turn to leveraging ever more diabolical weapons. Eventually they will need to resort to the most diabolical of all. Except they know that would bring an end to their own existence. Existence will be all they have left. Supremacy has disappeared from the rear-view mirror. Only existence remains. Can they give that up? Would they, if all else fails? And what about the ‘all else’? Can that keep them going for ever? No. Absolutely not. Do I need to spell out the horrors of western societal decadence? Immorality, debauchery, corruption, deception (self and others), a system based on lies and held together by debt. And most recently, the last thing to decay in any society – loss of respect for either self or anything else. Nothing can save western society from that fate. If bullets or bombs don’t get them, their own human failings will.
But that is the end-game. Anyway, they now know they are in an existential conflict. I doubt they could be convinced it is all their own fault. But could they be convinced all that is required is a simple turn in direction to modify their belief system in some way that would allow them to conform to that which can be considered to be human? To realise the best they can be is as ‘equals’ with other humans? That that might be of benefit to them (and everyone else)? It’s a big ask. Especially for those who have always thought of themselves as superior beings. I don’t know whether they can. Perhaps some of them can. But the ones who hold the power to destroy everything? I’m not sure on that. Not sure at all.
But, even having said all that, I have still not answered the whole question. I have only given one side of the story. The dark side.
You see, not only is the west in an existential situation – from which they may not escape – but the rest of the world, with Russia in particular (and mostly alone at the moment) working at the leading edge of possibilities to preserve and secure its own existence (and coincidentally that of everyone else) at great personal cost, which is unlikely to ever be repaid or fully recognised (thank you, Russia).
Only in the case that Russia succeeds – that is, continues its sovereign existence – can there be a happy ending to this story. Can you see yet, are you aware, that this is the human story we are discussing? Russia dies, we all die. But that is not going to happen – even if the west opts for that ending.
I am assured, and you can be too, that Russia will succeed. It would do no harm though if a few more upright nations would quickly lend their backs to assist in that effort. I am thinking especially of China. Taking the moral high ground, especially when ‘existence’ is threatened, cannot be labelled a standard of courage.
Finally, I arrive at the article whic in particular drove me to write this piece. The Russians still refer to the conflict as the ‘special operation’ but when they speak of ‘goals unchanged’ – which they do continually, and have done since December 2021, they are not talking about settling for what the west is prepared to offer, but about the immovable demands they laid down during that month. Rest assured they will not settle for anything less, no matter what it takes, and they have the power to achieve all their demands.
Russia does not officially refer to this situation as a ‘war’. Russia has not yet declared ‘War’ against any nation. Watch out, if they find a need to do that.
Russia to continue special operation in Ukraine, goals unchanged — Medvedev – TASS – July 12, 2023
Not Something Else 
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