It might be worth pointing out for any other readers that Ukraine had a referendum on the subject many years ago and every region that is part of Ukraine wanted to be so. While I'm not sure how free and fair that was, it would have been a damn sight freeer and fairer than a referendum polled by soldiers of an invading country after much of the population had been chased away.
Almost no-one[1] recognizes Crimea as part of Russia because it was entirely manufactured. Unmarked foreign soldiers invaded a country, pretended to be local rebels, staged a referendum and immediately asked to join the invading country to give the shameless land grab a veneer of legitimacy. It's a total joke that has nothing in common with genuine ethnic conflicts. The referendums in Crimea and elsewhere had to be staged because even internal polling leaked from the Russian military admin showed that nowhere did the local population support the invasion; speaking German doesn't mean that you want to live in the Third Reich.
You missed my point. People outside the West have a different idea of what 'riles based order' means. This does not mean they are right or that you have to agree with them. However, the fact is that they see the world differently to you. You like the West and people outside the West see the West as parasites that have used constructs such as 'rules based order' to get away with colonial exploration and whatnot.
As mentioned, you don't have to agree with them, however, it has to be acknowledged that not everyone thinks like you, and that 'rules based order' means different things to different people.
Incidentally, the global majority are not blue and yellow fanatics. China, India, Africa and South America are not on team blue and yellow.
Idk, i quite like the West, doesn’t mean that i can’t see the rule based order and the UN as instruments of American imperialism etc. People that just realize this now seem to never have bothered imho. The same politicians that can lie to you about trickle down economics and social reforms can also lie about foreign policy and good vs evil.
> Crimea, where everyone speaks Russian and identifies as Russian
Blatant falsehood. In 2014 it was about 65% (ethnicity) and 80% (language).
In addition the referendum happened after the invasion and de-facto annexation, without the option of "keep the current situation with Ukraine". If you ask me "do you want to be punched or stabbed?" then I'll choose a punch. Doesn't mean I want to be punched.
My point is that the 'rules based order' means different things to different people. In the West it means one thing and in the rest of the world it means something else.
My point still stands and must be acknowledged even if you are waving the blue and yellow flag, the rainbow flag and the stars and stripes. In any country that the West has brought war to, they know exactly what 'rules based order' means. You don't have to agree with them, they are just on a different team to you.
