Month: October 2022

On September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin escalated his war in Ukraine by declaring a partial military mobilization (i.e., limited conscription). The “partial” element of the declaration was somewhat of a misnomer – anyone may receive summons to the front lines. Although the Russian government stated that all the 300,000 drafted Russians would have previous military experience, this does not appear to have occurred. Reports abound of unprepared Russians receiving draft notices, including the old and infirm. Even a man in a wheelchair received a draft notice. The draft has been so poorly handled that Putin himself, who almost never acknowledges problems in his government, admitted that mistakes were made.

Facing the prospect of lining up against a motivated and successful Ukrainian army, hundreds of thousands of Russians are heading for the exits. Flights out of Russia immediately sold out. Lines to cross the border into Georgia and Kazakhstan, which offer visa-free entry to Russians, stretched for dozens of kilometers. At least 200,000 Russians fled the country following the announcement of the draft.

These events present Western countries with a choice: should we let Russians in or not? European governments have expressed different views, partially rooted in their perception of the potential risks and rewards of an open-door policy, as well as historical experiences vis-à-vis Russia. Germany seems keen to accept Russians fleeing the draft. Its Justice Minister tweeted that any Russian who “hates Putin’s way and loves liberal democracy” is welcome. France seems broadly aligned with Germany, although the government has been less forthcoming about its policy intentions.

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The situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban is increasingly dire. Lacking access to foreign currency (and a government that knows how to run a country), Afghanistan’s economy has completely collapsed. Few Afghans are getting enough to eat, with estimates of food insecurity reaching as high as 95% of the population. The country’s women have suffered most. Secondary education for girls has been effectively banned, and women are forced to cover from head-to-toe and travel with a male chaperone. In early 2022, 94% of Afghans considered themselves to be suffering, a chilling statistic to say the least. Without a doubt, the current situation in Afghanistan is one of the greatest humanitarian and human rights disasters in the world today.

Many moral implications of these facts are obvious. No doubt, people feel an obligation to help the poor and starving. This is reflected in the donations that have flowed to the country. About $1.8 billion was pledged in 2021. For 2022, the United Nations made its largest ever call for donations for a single country: $4.4 billion. Although only about $2.4 billion of this sum has been committed by (overwhelmingly Western) donors, this still represents an enormous humanitarian contribution from the international community.

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