A Common Foe

Waking up to historical events has been a surprisingly common occurrence in the last few years. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week — an unprovoked assault across international borders, targeting a fledgling democracy using a twisted rewrite of the region’s history as cover — was still breathtaking.

Events are changing every day. The West takes aim with financial war while the Ukrainians are forced to fight a more savage version, a largely guerrilla effort that includes men and women of all ages, armed with their own weapons and Molotov cocktails, and filled with the courage that comes when you’re defending your homeland from invaders. Vladimir Putin, always a measured autocrat, seems to have believed his own propaganda, or, more likely, had nobody left in his circle who was willing to disagree with him. The result, every day, looks more and more like a miscalculation of historic proportions.

The dastardly invasion took themes from the past few years and drew stark lines: This was democracy truly under attack. It pulled together NATO countries into an alliance that’s stronger now than it has been in years.

There are no silver linings in war. Nothing good comes from the bloodshed that has already occurred, and seems likely to worsen in the coming days and weeks.

But as Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, have valiantly fought against naked aggression, it has brought a certain clarity, both internationally and, for America, domestically. After years of infighting and divisiveness, NATO nations are not only united but motivated to come to the defense of democracy. The same is true in America, where nearly equal percentages of Democrats and Republicans are solidly supporting Ukraine and denouncing Putin in the strongest terms. The disunity of the late 2010s could be resolved by a clear “good vs. evil” narrative. When there’s a common enemy, even people who disagree can become not just allied but united.

It’s also clarifying, in American politics, by singling out the truly regressive right-wing extremists who are openly supporting Putin. Most see it through the lens of ugly empire-building, and with an adoration of a simplistic, authoritarian “strength” — applauding force as the only real measure of a nation’s true value. These are people who had begun blending into the political mainstream, but the public comments of some of them have singled them out, starkly, as anti-democratic. Perhaps they will be chased back to the margins where they belong.

For the last two-plus years, the world has had a common enemy: COVID-19. It was a difficult foe, and is still a threat, but a unity of international purpose has turned the tide. We have a new common enemy, no less virulent and dangerous. We have learned an important lesson: A democratic world working together can accomplish a great deal, and it can stand up to even a powerful enemy that stands alone.