Hard to be a God

Last week I wrote an article that I am scared of the possibility of the war between Ukraine and Russia and that I wish that other countries, such as the USA, the UK, and others, would leave this conflict alone.

Naïve and impossible desire. After all, we have United Nations, especially to prevent conflicts and stop the aggressors!

And yet…

When I was nineteen years old, one of the most popular sci-fi writers were brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. One of their most famous books was a book named Hard to be a God. Almost everyone I knew read this book in my days, but the times have changed. My kids, for example, love sci-fi but don't know who brothers Strugatsky are.

So, I will relate the plot.

The novel follows Anton, an undercover operative from the future planet Earth, in his mission on an alien planet populated by human beings whose society has not advanced beyond the Middle Ages.

Anton and his team were real heroes, people with pure hearts and the best intentions. They were highly intelligent and educated people and didn't try to conquer the Planet with weapons, force the new government, or impose their views of Democracy on the people. Oh, no! They were acting very carefully. They found the most advanced scientists and nudged them with the ideas of new technology and discoveries. They patronized the poets and artists; they did everything to help the people of that Planet avoid the mistakes that we, people of the Earth, made. The result? Some people had noticed the work of the 'Gods' and used it for their benefit. In the end, the evillest military-religious junta took over and started on this Planet a terror that made the tortures of a Spanish inquisition look like children's play.

This book was written in 1964. And so, in my young years, I already learned that it's not easy to impose your will or moral principles on others.

I wish the politicians would read this wonderful book. I mean, make it mandatory reading for all members of the United Nations!

One of my American friends, after reading my article,  accused me that I don't like Americans, that they are friendly people.

I know that! After all, I am an Information Technology Consultant, and more than half of my contracts were in the United States.

I lived two years in Tulsa, OK, two years in Denver, CO, one-and-a-half years in Atlanta, GA. I had lengthy contracts in Endicott, NY and New York, NY, in Philadelphia, PA, in two cities in New Jersey. During 9/11, I was in Tulsa and was grieving and crying with my American friends. I had lived in the USA; I had worked with Americans and have so many American friends! I, honestly, love the country and its people, but…

America, as a super-power, took upon itself the role of the world policeman, and I suppose America should have this role than another country. But police officers find the criminals and pass them to the judicial system. On the other hand, America is often trying to be much more than a policeman.

Here is a couple of examples…

 Was Saddam evil? No question about it! Was it a good idea to get rid of him? Of course! But then, Americans imposed a rule that everyone who belonged to Saddam's Ba'ath Party couldn't work anymore for a Government. The problem with this ruling was that in Saddam's days, only members of the Ba'ath Party could work for a Government! So, all levels of bureaucracy were replaced by the people who had no idea how to govern the country. And the people who were doing their jobs for decades became unemployed and with no means to support their families. This fact was one of the reasons ISIS was born.

Should the girls be educated? Yes, yes, and yes! Should women have equal rights with men? Of course! Is Democracy better than tribal autocracy? No qquestion about it. And yet, after twenty years of Americans trying to impose Democracy, Afghanistan had reverted to its tribal ways.

It's not that Americans were wrong, or that they are bad people or had evil intentions, oh no! It's just it's hard to be a God!

Are the people of Vietnam had become happier because of American help? What about the people of Yugoslavia? How about Libya? The crazy and evil Qaddafi, I suppose, needed to be killed, but even ten years after his assassination, the country is still unstable.

American Government decides which dictator to support and which to kill. It had provided military and strategic education to Bin Laden. It supported Panamanian Noriega and Cuban Batista… It made sense at that time! It was the least of the evils! But the results for the peoples of these countries were not always beneficial.

And now, a bit of history.

More than 350 years ago, Ukraine was losing the war with Poland. And to be free of Polish occupation, the ruler of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, asks the Russian Tzar to help. Russians helped. Of course, why not help a good neighbor?1 That's how Ukraine became part of the Russian Empire and later one of the Soviet Republics.

The Ukrainian people always dreamt of independence. They fought hard for it. They went to Gulag, died for it. Two recent Maidans were for strong and independent Ukraine.

Now, they are asking NATO and USA to help them to preserve their independence. But what will be the ultimate price? The millions of dollars that Ukraine is receiving now, the arms, the American and NATO troops congregating on the Ukrainian border. Is this all for free?

And, it's good that the United States is trying to help Ukraine. It's very noble. But I hope they will be cautious while deciding the fate of two countries, Russia and Ukraine.

After all, it's hard to be a God.