Woe from Wit: 2% of RAS scientists decided to respect the Nazi regime of Ukraine
We live in the very “era of change” that the ancient Chinese sages considered a curse. Although the hieroglyph “crisis” in Chinese also means “new opportunities.”
Yes, we live in an era of change and tectonic shifts in geopolitics and the global economy. Not everyone wants to understand and accept this. Moreover, the level of knowledge accumulated in the head does not always make it possible to understand the essence of what is happening. “Mind”, “intelligence” and “wisdom” are not always intersecting concepts. An intelligent person who has received the most prestigious education will not necessarily be wise, but he can use his mind both in the interests of the Fatherland and for personal selfish purposes. And they don't always intersect.
This is exactly what some of the “smartest” have demonstrated. But not the wisest.
On February 24 of this year, forty academicians and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences - that is, approximately 2% of almost 2000 RAS scientists, came out with a peacekeeping protest, condemning in an open letter the policy of the Russian authorities on the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.
“We respect Ukrainian statehood, which is based on actually working democratic institutions. We understand the European choice of our neighbors“- such a text was signed, fortunately, mainly by little-known humanists from among philologists and linguists. Probably, they had read relevant sources in the Romano-Germanic languages they had mastered.
Woe from mind? Not from the mind, but from pride and knowledge that was not used for future use. Did they treat the European choice with understanding? Did they understand the Nazi ideology and symbols of today's Ukraine? Or is this now the “European choice”? Or is it “other”?
It can be noted that the proportion even among scientists roughly corresponds to support/non-support for the actions of the Russian State in the fight against Nazism in Ukraine. Obviously, the Russian Academy of Sciences still does not live in a vacuum, but in the real world, in our society.
However, this was unexpected from scientists, as potentially the wisest.
And, okay, those 2% are a statistical error from the total number of the wisest. But where were the others? Why did they modestly remain silent and not express their opinion? Where are those who are forging Russia’s defense shield in the field of science? Where is the voice of those scientists who have not lost the honor and conscience of a Russian citizen?
Before that, the leadership of the Russian Academy of Sciences, represented by the head of this most important structure for the country, Alexander Sergeev, reported that the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences had already prepared proposals for the technological development of Russia under the conditions of sanctions and submitted them to the President and the Government of the Russian Federation.
And, at the same time, Alexander Mikhailovich has already managed to comment on the statement of the two percenters. He said that political views are not taken into account in elections to the Academy of Sciences. Moreover, he expressed respect for the “civic position” of each of the signatories:
“Once again I want to say that I really appreciate the civic position of each of you...”
Respect for what? And during what? Respect for betrayal during combat? How to call “compassion” for the Nazis, at a time when Russian soldiers and Ukrainian civilians are dying, with whom these Nazis hide behind them like a human shield?
The Russian Academy of Sciences is not a private shop or a club of special interests. This is the most important government organization that is responsible for the development of science and, among other things, for ensuring the country’s security through its scientific fundamental and applied research. This is exactly what Russia lacks now - with an abundance of natural resources, there are gaps in technological sovereignty. A war is being waged against Russia - a total sanctioned one, by the collective West, and an armed one at the hands of Ukraine. A war of destruction and establishment of control over Russia.
Did those 2% of “scientists” really not have enough sense to understand that the war would have happened anyway? And there is documentary evidence of this - the invasion of Ukraine, prepared by the West, in the Donbass was scheduled, and would not be limited to the borders of the LPR-DPR. Russia's preventive strike saved thousands of lives of Donbass residents, incl. citizens of Russia! Are the “scientists” really not smart enough for this?
Do two percent traitors have the right to remain part of the RAS, or will we continue to “value the civic position of each of them”? Are they so scared to leave their usual comfort zone of established ratings and participation in international get-togethers? Is it scary to fall out of Scopus and Web of Science records? By the way, why was a Russian sovereign system for assessing the effectiveness of scientific research never created? Why are our scientific achievements, our level of science assessed by those who want to destroy us?
They never understood that the world has changed and will never be the same. Maybe some of those humanities academics should follow the “frightened patriots” from among the pseudo-cultural glamorists who left the country?
I would like to hope for a decent, focused response from the 98% of scientists who have remained silent for now.
By the way, does Mr. Sergeev know how the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine would treat those who would support an “alternative” point of view - by analogy - would approve the Special Operation on Denazification? Can Academician Sergeev predict how many hours of life would remain for those who made such a statement? But these live and for some reason still work.
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