The Russo-Ukrainian Conflict: Social, Psychological and Medical Perspectives

Abstract

Paranoid individuals have restricted abilities to test their beliefs for reality. Among them are writers touting mysterious theories. Certain war instigators are paranoid in their tendency to present themselves as liberators, world saviors etc. Paranoiacs may be aggressive against delusional goals. Some mentally healthy people are susceptible to paranoid appeals, a predisposing condition being fear of strangers and projection of hatred upon them. The projection mechanism in some individuals is the aberration of shame. Being unable to tolerate shame, they project it onto others. Repressed shame may cause aggression. This review applies the above considerations to the conflict in Ukraine. Among others, the lack of knowledge about other countries, misleading propaganda, suppressed envy and shame contribute to hostility against welfare states. Some topics discussed here are associated with shame, reflected by the comparatively low life expectancy and world highest abortion rate in Russia. In this connection, drawbacks of the healthcare are discussed here. If the global power shifts to Russia, it will come along with losses of certain values. The quality of many services, products and foodstuffs will decline. Autocratic management style will spread also in the healthcare and science. If the world is becoming multicentric, armed conflicts of various magnitudes may become permanent. There would be a vicious circle of overpopulation and homicide. International tensions provide motives for the birth rate elevation: the demographic growth is believed to strengthen defenses and sovereignty. Pro-natalist policies are conspicuous in Russia these days. Environmental damage and exhaustion of non-renewable resources are proportional to the population size. The only thinkable alternative is a global leadership centered in most developed parts of the world. Among advantages of globalization are the ecological and demographic management, prevention of conflicts and warfare. Large projects could be accomplished by the globalized humankind to improve the life quality of billions, creating many jobs, being a reasonable alternative to excessive military expenditures. Confidence-building measures, international trust and reliability are needed. Instead of machismo and militarism, propaganda should popularize the image of scrupulous and hardworking people. Ukraine must become a testing ground for the international cooperation.