Did Russia invade Ukraine because of western nations showing respect for people who are transgender, people adding their pronouns to the email signatures, or increasing political correctness?
That’s certainly a point of view being pushed by several prominent conservative commentators in recent days.
Jumping on the bandwagon today is former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, writing in the Wall Street Journal, and published in The Australian, Abbott argues that a variety of factors have lead to Russian leader Vladimir Putin having the confidence to invade Ukraine.
Among the steps that lead to war Abbott lists a reluctance from US President Joe Biden to put troops on the ground in Ukraine, moves to close down coal-fired power stations, and respect for people who are transgender.
“The worst contemporary folly is the constant undermining of Western civilisation, history and national virtues.
“Partly it is deliberate subversion by cultural Marxists, but mostly it’s the polite acquiescence of diffident and historically ignorant people conditioned not to give offence.
“These days the rights of men who want to be women routinely trump those of women who don’t want to face unfair competition in sport.” Abbott writes.
Victorian Liberal Tim Smith took to social media over the weekend to draw a link between the conflict in Ukraine and people’s use of gender pronouns.
The Liberal member, who recently returned to the parliament after some extended personal leave following a drunken car crash, closed off comments on his post after just over nine hundred responses.
Lyle Shelton, the former head of the Australian Christian Lobby, now spokesperson for Fred Nile’s Christian Democrats, was on Twitter praising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asking if he was indeed the most courageous man on the planet?
Before making a segue into “Our leaders don’t even have the will and courage to stand against 🏳️🌈 political activists demanding our children be taught their gender is fluid. No wonder the West is in decay.”
Leaving us to wonder if Shelton is potentially the highest user of the rainbow flag emoji on the internet.
On Sky News presenter Andrew Bolt took aim at the British secret service, saying they’d been more focused on learning about gender pronouns than the security of the nation.
“British spies are being urged to consider the white privilege and declare their pronouns, he, she, zed, ze, then, they, whatever.” Bolt ranted.
“This is just amazing, it’s very symbolic, no wonder Putin and Xi Jingping, they look at the west and think ‘this is our chance to strike, they’re so busy peeking down their pants figuring out what gender they are, they wouldn’t even know how to pick up a gun'”
“Maybe, just maybe, this war will shake us out of that nonsense.” Bolt said.
Over in The Spectator writer James Macpherson asked Will ‘woke’ survive the war?
“At the very moment Putin was surrounding Ukraine with rocket launchers, British soldiers were taking a break from tiresome military exercises to discuss ‘unacceptable behaviours’ such as bullying, sexual harassment, and racism.
“Doesn’t Putin know we have the most diverse, equitable, tolerant and trans-inclusive militaries in the history of the world?” Macpherson wrote.
One thing we do know, is that in region of the world which has some of the most homophobic and anti-transgender laws, Ukraine’s President has taken a different path and spoken out about having respect for gay, lesbian and transgender people.
Back in 2019 when asked heckled during a press conference, President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in support of LGBTIQA+ people.
“I don’t want to say anything negative because we all live in an open society where each one can choose the language they speak, their ethnicity and their orientation. Leave those finally at peace, for God’s sake!”
Graeme Watson
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