March 11, 2022

In ‘Why Singaporeans need to understand war rhetoric’ (Today, 2022), Assistant Professor Elvin Ong (NUS Department of Political Science) writes about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine serves as an important reminder to Singaporeans to never take our territorial integrity and sovereignty for granted.

Asst Prof Ong also explains the importance of identifying the key principles and logic behind any enemies’ rhetoric and propaganda. This rhetoric, if left unchecked to be blindly believed by the population, can end up weakening our morale and dividing our citizens.

Firstly, Asst Prof Ong argues that the historical roots of peoples cannot be used as justification for contemporary war. If Russia’s logic that Ukraine, being historically part of Russia, means that Russia is justified in attempting to unite both territories, were accepted, it would be equivalent to saying that since Singapore was a former colony of Britain, Britain would be justified if they were to invade Singapore.

Domestic unrest, Asst Prof Ong notes, is also not a justifiable reason for invasion. In fact, in every nation-state, there exists domestic unrest to a certain degree. Whatever the reasons for this domestic unrest, the issue should be left up to the local population and government to resolve.

It is also not justifiable to wage war just because one country disagrees with another country’s foreign policy, Asst Prof Ong adds. Countries should always have the autonomy to decide on whatever foreign policy they choose to pursue, based on their own domestic interests.

Lastly, Asst Prof Ong states that international influence is also no justifiable reason for war to be waged. There are many other peaceful ways for influence to be exerted, rather than through coercion and intimidation.

Asst Prof Ong contends that therefore it is paramount for citizens to deepen their critical reading and thinking skills, cultivating a healthy level of scepticism against any rhetorical claims when it comes to foreign politics. We should also be critical of our own viewpoints as well, remaining open to new ideas, different perspectives, and legitimate criticism.

Read the article here.