Hearing about the Ukrainians’ brave, selfless, and fierce resistance to the Russian invasion–not only by their military but by their civilians–challenges us to measure ourselves by their standard: Would we Americans behave like that if our country were invaded?
A Quinnipiac poll on Americans’ attitudes about the Russian invasion of Ukraine asked, among other questions, “If you were in the same position as Ukrainians are now, do you think that you would stay and fight or leave the country?”
First the good news: Overall, 55% of Americans said they would stay and fight. That includes 70% of the men.
But when breaking down the numbers is disheartening. Whereas 68% of Republicans would fight an invasion, only 40% of Democrats would. A majority, 52%, would run away.
Only 38% of Black Americans would fight, but 61% of Hispanics would.
In practical terms, among Americans of what is traditionally considered the prime age for military service, 18-34, more would run away (48%) than stay and fight (45%).
Yes, over a million Ukrainians have fled the war to become refugees, but this is reportedly mostly women and children. Men are evacuating their families, then going back to fight.
But what does it mean that so many Americans would refuse to defend their country if it were invaded? Why wouldn’t Democrats defend their homeland? Why wouldn’t young adults come to their nation’s defense?
Charles C. W. Cooke, an immigrant to this country who is now a citizen, has written some stirring reflections on these findings entitled Yes, If America Is Ever Invaded, You Must Take Up Arms and Fight.
Lest the excuse-makers try to find nuance where none exists, let us note for the record that this is the most elemental question that a free man can ever be asked. There are no caveats or complexities here, and there is barely any politics, either. If the United States were to be invaded by Russia, America’s defense of itself could not plausibly be construed as “imperialism” or as “interventionism” or as a “foreign war” or “conflict of choice.” Nor could skeptics, à la Rupert Brooke, meaningfully complain that they were being asked to fight and die in a “corner of a foreign field.” In such a circumstance, we’d be protecting home, and all who cherish it.
This is just a theoretical question, of course. Though Russia is only 50 miles or so from the United States–across the Bering Strait to Alaska–it is hard to imagine a Russian invasion down through Canada, though it could happen. And the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans amount to vast moats protecting our mainland. But invasions can happen by means of missiles and air attacks, as well as by ground forces.
I’m not sure this is a sign of Americans’ pacifism. Principled pacifists might not fight, but they do not necessarily run away.
To be sure, people don’t actually know what they would do in times of crisis. But usually the talk is greater than the action. Here the talk is about running away. These confessions surely suggest something about the character of Americans today.
Americans of all ages, ethnicities, and political persuasions came through in World War II. Why not now? What has changed? Is this a failure of courage, of patriotism, or something else?
Photo: Ukrainian young people in training, via Imgur
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