The cult of Ukrainism and radicalization of U.S. militants
Media disinformation inspires U.S volunteers to fight and die in Ukraine. Why do seemingly good men take up arms to support the ultra-nationalist regime in Kiev?
The war in Ukraine is disturbing and incomprehensible on many levels. I never believed that Ukraine, a country I worked with for over a decade, would agree to be used as a pawn and sacrificed in NATO’s epic war with Russia. I thought Ukrainians were smarter and could see through the lies and propaganda used to manipulate and control mass consciousness.
Of this conflict’s many tragic stories, one incident last week disturbed me deeply — the death of a radicalized American man who fought for Ukraine. Andrew Webber, age 40, had it all — a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, a successful lawyer and father to two small daughters. Earlier this year, however, he gave it all up to fight for the Ukrainian regime that glorifies Nazi war criminals and seeks to exterminate millions of ethnic Russians in Donbass and Crimea.
On July 29, Webber was reported killed along with ex-U.S. Marine, Lance Lawrence. The fact that no funeral was mentioned indicates that nothing remains of these men. Webber and Lawrence are just two of the 16 confirmed radicalized Americans killed fighting for Kiev. Not surprisingly, the obituary was full of praise for Webber — “His incredible compassion, friendships spanning the globe, and high wit, did not allow him to turn a blind eye to human suffering.”
Webber served in the U.S. Army as an officer from May 2006 to July 2014. He’s a veteran of illegal American invasions and occupations — deployed to Iraq from Oct 2006 to Jan 2008, and then to Afghanistan from Nov 2008 to Nov 2009, and again from June 2012 to March 2013.
“Andrew brought a lot of knowledge to the table in planning and operations,” tweeted one of his friends. “As well as a cool head on actual operations. His smile, humor, and caringness (sic) will be missed.”
How does one reconcile that glowing description with the fact that Webber aided a vicious nationalist regime that slaughters thousands of innocent civilians and has forced millions from their homes? Webber was radicalized in a quasi religious manner, seeing himself a righteous warrior fighting a demonic enemy.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with embracing a righteous cause — but one should be very careful and be very certain to have the facts straight. Regarding Ukraine, the problem is that public discussion in the West is controlled by governments and their loyal media companies. Their coverage consists entirely of disinformation; for example, falsely claiming that Russia is the aggressor and Kiev is the victim.
The truth is the opposite. The war began in May 2014 when Ukrainian nationalist militias and military began slaughtering and bombing peaceful protestors from Odessa to Donbass in a coordinated effort at ethnic cleansing that drove several million ethnic Russian (Ukrainian citizens at the time) from their homes.
Crimea quickly saw the writing on the wall and overwhelmingly voted to rejoin Russia in accordance with international law and the right to self-determination. This enraged NATO which, since 2008, has sought to absorb Ukraine into its expanding empire. Moscow had no choice. It had to protect the ethnic Russian minority in Ukraine, as well as its naval bases on the Crimean peninsula.
Since 2014, Moscow has done everything possible to make peace with Kiev. In April 2019, comedian Vladimir Zelensky was overwhelmingly elected as Ukraine’s president on a platform of peace with Russia. But NATO had other plans. The Russian ‘invasion’ in Feb 2022 came in response to a week of Kiev’s intense NATO-supported bombardment of the rebel Donbass region.
Despite media censorship in the West, however, with enough effort a determined person can find the truth. So, why are hundreds and maybe thousands of Americans and many others going to Ukraine to fight for what’s clearly an unjust and evil cause?
Dangerous cult
Ukrainian nationalism — let’s just call it ‘Ukrainism’ — is a cult characterized by totalitarian control of adherents and punishment toward dissenters; total loyalty to a charismatic leader and his agenda; where critical thinking is not allowed, not even the smallest question; and anyone deemed an ‘enemy’ or ‘heretic’ is demonized, dehumanized and fair game for violence.
Most people know that cults are dangerous and to be avoided, but somehow a sucker is born every minute, and cults have a way of reinventing themselves in even more sinister and deceptive manners.
The western media is the most vital force in radicalization of American and European militants, as it aggressively pushes the pro-war narrative, glorifying militarism and whipping up anti-Russian bigotry and hatred. Have you noticed that our media is very gung-ho on the war in Ukraine. It gleefully reports on Russian deaths, and hides Ukrainian losses. The main thrust is to promote and glorify war.
“Here's How Americans Can Sign Up to Fight in Ukraine Against the Russians” — screamed one Newsweek headline just five days after Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022. Since that fateful day, the U.S. and British media have unleashed endless propaganda and disinformation portraying Ukraine as an innocent ‘victim’ of Russian ‘aggression’.
“Ukromaniacal hysteria in the Anglosphere is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Pavel Fredomhauer, a military affairs analyst. “The vast majority of people had never heard of any conflict in Ukraine prior to February 2022. They literally think that the Russian campaign is an unprovoked invasion out of the blue.”
Ukraine has become a magnet for U.S. and European far right extremists. Many exhibit symptoms of psychological disorders and/or are former soldiers addicted to war. A June 2022 report in state-controlled National Public Radio (NPR) stated that U.S. militants fighting in Ukraine have found “a sense of purpose” in killing Russians.
One militant in Ukraine, by the name of Alex, told The Guardian in April 2022: “I feel like I’m in the right place, like God has placed me here; getting on the train east is an exciting feeling for me because I was in the military and never got to experience combat first-hand. At the same time it’s a purposeful feeling that I have.”
Such testimonies remind me of those I’ve read about Islamic State and Taliban militants. Their minds were set afire by a combination of mass media manipulation, religious ideology, economic poverty, personal failure and a lack of life opportunities.
Another U.S. militant in Ukraine, a 22-year old former Army ranger from Florida by the name of Ed, told NPR that “I don't care for my family’s opinions. There's a million people here getting killed… I haven't spoken to my family since I left home. And I really don't care. I think what I'm doing here is more important.”
His hyperbole, as well as his angry disregard for his family’s opinion, reveals a destructive, unhinged narcissism. Ed was born about the time of the Sept 11 attacks. His generation has only known war and often have a hatred for ‘the other’, whether that be Middle Easterners or Russians.
Since 2016, western media and popular culture have promoted negative stereotypes of Russians, trying to dehumanize them at every opportunity. In effect, this depiction is racist, and wouldn’t be allowed toward any other nationality.
After Sept 11 we were told to try to understand Islam, and Muslims in the U.S. became a protected caste. The slightest bigotry towards a Muslim was front page news. Now, compare that compassion towards Muslims with the bigotry and discrimination that Russian-Americans often experience.
Russians are the one group that Americans are allowed to disparage, denigrate and hate with impunity. In fact, you can boost your social status in the U.S. by berating Russians. Popular films and TV series often feature “evil Russians” as villains. Such hatred is allowed only towards Russians; if committed toward any other ethnic group, the result would be criminal ‘hate’ charges.
Many American militants in Ukraine are down on their luck, and have little chance for a normal life. Take for example Tay from Dallas; he served with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan. When he returned home, his marriage ended, he got in trouble with the law. But then one day, he found his ‘greater purpose’, radicalized by watching videos of the ‘Russian invasion’ that showed alleged ‘war crimes’.
Like many of his generation, Tay is heavily influenced by pop culture and struggles to distinguish reality from fiction. In a response to a journalist’s question about whether he’s ready to die, Tay answered: “With my shield, or on it,” which is a quote from the historical fantasy film, “300” about Sparta’s battle with the Persians 2,500 years ago.
Another radicalized militant, a Brit, when asked why he fights, ironically said: “It feels like 1936, Spain. If we’d crushed fascism in Spain in 1936, then we could’ve averted 1939. If we don’t stop [Russia] now, it’s gonna be our kids fighting this fight.”
Such unhinged and false logic belies the fact that Zelensky’s regime openly glorifies Nazi collaborators who murdered hundreds of thousands of Jews and Poles. How is it possible to explain this level of ignorance?
In early 2022, former U.S. special forces soldier Nicholas Maimer was working in Europe, and he also was radicalized by disinformation and fake news. As far as the Russian ‘invasion’ Maimer said: “… this was one of the most clear-cut violations of human rights and national sovereignty that we’ve seen. The existential threat that Russia poses to the world, I think this is the right place to take a stand.”
Maimer was killed near Bakhmut in May, just as the city was being liberated by Russian troops of the Wagner Group. Maimer clearly didn’t understand that Bakhmut is Donbass and that the people of Donbass voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia.
Rick, an army vet from Texas, was radicalized after seeing pictures of wounded children. “I looked at my eight-year-old and thought, ‘If he was getting shelled, I would hope someone would try to help him.’
I wonder how Rick would feel if he saw images of Russian children in Donbass when they’re shelled, and if he understood this conflict’s timeline and who started it. We can be certain that he’s never seen such photos. And that’s the main goal of western media disinformation and censorship. Don’t allow the truth to seep out because it might stir up subversive emotions and thoughts.
In April, Edward Wilton, age 22, of Florida, was killed in Ukraine after fighting for nearly a year. What demon possessed a young man, his entire life ahead of him, to go fight for a repressive regime that glorifies Nazi collaborators?
“My brother chose to go fight for democracy, freedom and righteousness versus evil. My brother laid down his 22-year-old life for the future of Ukraine and all its children,” said Wilton’s half-brother, Parker Cummings.
Wilton most likely didn’t know that Ukraine today is a lawless regime, where freedom of the press is outlawed, opposition parties are outlawed; Orthodox Christians who call for peace are jailed and beaten; churches are bombed and burned; and thousands of dissidents languish in prison; summary executions of ‘traitors’ are common, and corruption is the norm.
Most likely, Wilton had never heard of Ukraine before; he knew nothing about the country and its long conflict with Russia. His only information were reports from major media that loyally publish what the Pentagon and the White House tell them to.
Imagine if the American people knew the truth about Ukraine. Then who would they support? Without a doubt, most would support Russia. The ruling elites in NATO countries are well aware of this. Hence, with every Ukrainian failure on the battlefield, the censorship in the West only intensifies.
Will the majority of people in the West ever know the truth? As long as control of the mass media remains concentrated in the hands of a few massive corporations that cooperate with political and financial forces that promote war, then little will change.
But that doesn’t mean we give up and do nothing. We stand firm, we boldly speak the truth. Step by step we reclaim more territory in our offensive for the truth, so that our nation will once again be a land of liberty and justice for all.
I disagree on one point: the U.S. has never been respectful to American Indians.
Thank you for an interesting research and great article, John! I have never thought about it this way. Turned out these bad guys had good intentions! Indeed, the road to hell is paved with good intentions!