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RE: You can't choose your neighbours
...But the effort to understand still counts for so much.
I'm in love with this sign... sometimes, that little gesture of connection feels like good neighbourliness across continents!
Wishing peaceful times upon every human being.
I don't want to rant under your post - it might derail the conversation. But I do understand, at least intellectually, if not fully emotionally. We each have unique experiences; I feel grief and frustration too, though mine is probably deeply rooted in my own country's experience.
To be blunt: we all know who's behind these wars and proxy wars. What country has the world's largest military budget and maintains bases globally? (My country hosts nine of them - which I find unacceptable.) What country has been heavily involved in major conflicts like Iraq, Afghanistan, plus various interventions disguised in the name of security? Whose foreign policy causes the most harm? The US.
As Robert Kaplan said, 'geography is destiny.' Your country is a perfect example. The countries that share your borders become your primary security concerns. And perhaps because of your country's close alliance with China - and we know who opposes China most aggressively - this creates additional pressure.
I understand this because both our countries' domestic politics are affected (and will always be affected) by these two superpowers. This is just how I see it; feel free to disagree. I guess I did rant a bit. I'm really sorry.
You don’t need to be sorry at all — in fact, I appreciate that you took the time to share your perspective so thoughtfully. These are difficult and layered discussions, and it’s refreshing when someone approaches them with honesty rather than blind allegiance.
You’re absolutely right — we all carry our own grief, frustrations, and historical baggage, shaped by where we come from and what our nations have been through. But no one truly knows the full picture. We’re constantly being fed from every direction — narratives, “truths,” and versions of reality tailored to suit agendas.
What you said makes sense. The way the world is structured, geography truly does play a defining role — and yes, alliances and rivalries of the superpowers ripple into our domestic politics in ways we often can’t control.
I’ve learned, over time, to be more of an extensive listener than an intensive one. I follow a wide spectrum of voices — different analysts, journalists, even the neighbours media outlets. And interestingly, I’ve started recognizing the patterns — when they overdo, overemphasize, or overjustify something. You can almost see where the narrative is being steered.
It’s ironic, really. I was never someone drawn to geopolitical affairs. Yet now, after sifting through all these layers, I’ve realized how complex and interconnected everything is — and how little we actually know. Maybe not even ten percent of the truth. 🤷♀️
We can never fully extricate ourselves from politics. Even in our indifference, it continues to shape the conditions of our lives. How we relate to our neighbours is, in a sense, a kind of 'foreign policy'.
The world isn’t getting any better, but for those who follow geopolitics, it’s never been more fascinating... :-)