Cancel Culture Evolves

LONG BEFORE THE advent of cancel culture—pushing people into forced exile from public life—as a social media creation, it was a geopolitical phenomenon and the word for it was sanctions. It could only be done by superpowers. If Maldives imposed sanctions on China, it wasn’t really going to work. But superpowers could back up the threat they were making. That was what the Cold War was about: two groups led by Soviet Union and the US living in a state of permanent sanctions against each other for decades. But then the former collapsed and now only one country had the power, not just because of its military prowess but also on account of owning the blood of commerce, the dollar, using which all international trade is conducted. This is how Russia has now been cancelled leading to the rouble tanking even if in a war with the US there is almost no chance of it losing because the earth would be just nuclear rubble by then.

Russia has been sanctioned earlier when it invaded and took Crimea. This time is somewhat unusual and not because the sanctions are going to be any more successful now. The difference is in how Vladimir Putin is no longer a black belt in Taekwondo. As ESPN reported, “World Taekwondo, citing its motto of ‘Peace is more precious than triumph’, condemned the Russian military action in Ukraine, saying the “brutal attacks on innocent lives” violated the sport’s values of respect and tolerance. In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013, the governing body said in a statement.” He is also no longer honorary president of the International Judo Federation. The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia or at least anyone playing under the Russian banner. Even FIDE, the global chess body, has done the same.

But go back half-a-century, and you would see that at the height of the Cold War, Soviet Union and the US often boycotted the Olympics when it was held in the other’s territory. But one bloc didn’t get to tell whether the other should participate. When the US bombed Kosovo and invaded Iraq, their sportsmen didn’t worry about their careers.

The Olympic Committee didn’t get into the business of politics. You can understand US companies like Facebook and Twitter having to toe their government lines in censoring Russian accounts, but sport bodies are meant to be beyond a particular nation. And they are doing the cancelling without really any pressure because that is the kind of thing only dictatorships are meant to do.

All this, you could say, is what Putin and Russia deserve, and that may be true. But these are tricky waters for third parties as the immediate issue will get resolved sooner or later. That is just how it pans out in conflict between countries. Enemies become allies become enemies. But what about organisations that now have a precedent to defend? Should the US do another Afghanistan? Won’t Russia and China ask why Americans are still playing chess?

About The Author

Madhavankutty Pillai

Madhavankutty Pillai has no specialisations whatsoever. He is among the last of the generalists. And also Open chief of bureau, Mumbai  

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