Leftists, Ukraine, and Iran
Commenter “physicsguy” asks a good question:
Another conundrum trying to understand the mind of leftists. I know…an impossible task. But someone explain to me why the ones I know enthusiastically cheer every drone strike the Ukrainians make on Russia? Why is that such a just war? I’m not saying it isn’t, but their hypocrisy in not supporting the US getting rid of the 50 year threat of Iran having a nuke. Ukraine good, US bad.
The answer has several elements to it. The first is that the Ukraine War, and our position of helping Ukraine, began during the Biden administration. Had Trump been president and done the exact same thing as the Biden crew in taking Ukraine’s side, the reaction from the left probably would have been much less supportive of Ukraine. In fact, the left might have been against it. On the other hand, Trump’s war against Iran obviously must be condemned by the left, much like everything Trump does.
That’s not all, though. Another factor is that Putin is still connected in their minds to Trump, either by a continuing belief in Russiagate, or just by the idea that they’re both dictators and birds of a feather. Therefore of course the left will support Ukraine rather than Putin in the war (and by the way, I also support Ukraine, but for reasons which I’ve aired before).
Then there’s Israel. The left has come to uniformly hate and demonize Israel, and Israel is a major beneficiary of and military partner in the current war against Iran. Therefore the majority of the left must be on Iran’s side, just as it is mostly on Hamas’ side and on the Palestinians’ side.
So the whole thing is not hypocrisy or even inconsistency if you understand that the left’s guiding principles go like this: Trump bad, Israel bad.
Hmmm. “Had Trump been president and done the exact same thing as the Biden crew in taking Ukraine’s side, the reaction from the left probably would have been much less supportive of Ukraine.”
But aside from our propaganda media, Trump really has done more for Ukraine than Biden, more arms and more potent weapons than Team Biden. And just today, Alex Karp (via YT), president of big military contractor Palantir, says that without AI, Putin’s Russia would have defeated Ukraine.
As a “no more forever wars” MAGA man, Trump rarely talks up Ukraine. But he does concede aid sponsored by the R Senate, led by SC Senator Lindsey Graham.
Two more points. In addition to being the most corrupt country in or nears Europe, Ukraine was one of Biden’s chief beneficiary.
Also, since NIH funding or genetic engineering research, Ukraine has benefited the most. I read 100 or 120 such labs there, IIRC. More vast corruption of science via Ukraine.
In addition to your reasons like Leftist and media uncorrected ties of Putin to Russia, physicsguy may well underestimate the far Left’s lust for power, given their moral superiority to stand up for underdogs — at home and abroad.
Therefore, Pale’s qualify, and Israeli’s are disqualified. Relatedly, a fresh PEW poll mentioned on Fox News today, 43% of American Muslims support Hamas.
CommieKKKrats NEED TO BE VICIOUSLY SHAMED FOR ACCEPTING THIS!
The most corrupt country near Europe?
Roosia.
But you know that TJ?
Oh my, the infamous biolabs.
What about the “persecution” of The Roosian Orthodox Church?
You seem to have forgotten President Trump’s remarks about Ukraine at last week’s NATO summit and granting Ukraine permission to build Patriot interceptors.
The most corrupt country near Europe?
Roosia.
But you know that TJ?
Oh my, the infamous biolabs.
What about the “persecution” of The Roosian Orthodox Church?
You seem to have forgotten President Trump’s remarks about Ukraine at the NATO summit and granting them permission to build Patriot interceptor missiles.
I think Trump and the residuals from Russiagate are (a big) part of it. But I think the biggest part is that Putin is a threat to the left’s view of itself and of world history.
I’m confident in saying that the left’s negative obsession with Russia is of a relatively recent vintage. As late as 2012, “the 80’s were calling and wanted their foreign policy back” and Hillary was approving the sale of US uranium assets to Russian companies while Bill raked in big speaking fees for the Clinton Foundation.
Then the 2014 Ukraine invasion happened. I still remember then-SoS Kerry, in a state of total shock, calling the invasion a “19th century move.” I think that leftists actually believed that the “arc of history” had moved in such a manner that western powers could never invade one another again. Putin then proved that they were out to lunch. So he had to be crushed. I’m sure it didn’t help that Putin was also a vocal critic of leftist social issues. I suspect that to a leftist, defeating Putin is an imperative of the highest order because failing to do so would demonstrate that “progress” is a lie.
FWIW – I also think that this is why Russiagate was so successful and why so many leftists still believe it. In their minds, Putin and Trump are both enemies of progress, attempting to “turn the arc of history away from justice,” so of course they must be in league.
Why not the same on Iran? My guess is that leftists view Iran as a people who have been oppressed by imperialists. In that sense, an Iranian victory would actually be consistent with the leftist world view because the oppressed would be “throwing off the chains” of the western imperialists. Same with the Palestinians.
Anyway, that’s my guess.
The assumption encoded into Russian law in re homosexuality is that homosexuals are expected to mind their manners in their dealings with the rest of society and if they don’t they will be prosecuted. Up until quite recently, homosexuals were at the top of the status hierarchy in the liberal mentality and liberals fancy that all institutions must be obeisant to them and ordered to please them. That Putin was favorable to this legislation made him in the liberal mind the Worst Person Ever.
AD then why don’t they apply this to Iran and the rest of the Muslim world?
@ FOAF – Are you looking for consistency among the leftists?
The actual needs of any of their “victim hierarchies” or identity groups is unrelated to their end goals.
The agenda is always power, and this generates their hatred of the US and the American freedoms that stand in their way.
Iran and the Muslim terrorist factions are useful for taking down America.
That is the only thing about them that matters to the Left.
Barry Meislin linked this post on an earlier thread, and I just now got around to reading it.
“Great minds” etc etc. — in the internet era, we usually just read and interpret the same news reports, but this guy actually has the receipts.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/07/11/the_long_classroom_1193902.html