When South Korea was invaded in 1950, then US President Harry Truman famously said “If we let Korea down, the soviet[s] will keep right on going and swallow up one [place] after another.” And yet, after 70 years and the iconic fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist soviet union, this quote stood the test of time and has never been more relevant.
“Freedom is not free”, a phrase so easy to say and somehow equally convenient for us to forget. Yet, these 4 words stand big and tall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.
As far away as United States, people from various nations came to fight communist north korea and many of them tragically paid the price for freedom. The Korean War was forbidding and more than 33,000 US soldiers died in that conflict.
Some may ask: Was it all worth it? The South Koreans and the brave men and women who fought that war know the answer. Just look at north korea and the totalitarian regime making them live in constant fear and lack of food. Look at those skinny, malnourished kids and the vehement answer is always “Yes”. Because freedom and democracy are so very precious and they are foundations of a free and democratic world.
After the Cold War, the West just closed the chapter like finally concluding the 498 pages in Twilight, cut their armed forces’ budget, cashed in the “peace dividend” and totally forgetting that in Eastern Europe and Asia, people were still fighting for the same freedoms many democratic countries like ours already enjoy.
Maybe too many of us have taken freedom for granted.
The annexation of Crimea in 2014 kicked us back into reality. Ukraine, a free, independent, sovereign nation, has been invaded by russia. Some 14,000 courageous men and women were killed defending their land. Weekly cyber attacks are inflicted on key Ukrainian institutions and furtive interference in their political affairs is a daily reality they face. russia is now on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with multiple war crimes already committed and documented. This is the reality.
Why you might ask? What has Ukraine and its 41.46 million people ever done to russia so wrong that innocent men and women are now living in fear? For one second, put aside putin’s wild, batshit crazy theory that Ukrainians are all waiting to be “liberated” by their supposed fellow descendants of the russian empire or any bullcrap along that line.
The real cause of Putin’s anger is that Ukrainians have the guts and will to look towards Western ideology—to freedom and democracy—where individuals have rights or that “We the People” is the very foundation of what makes a democratic government; a government by people, for people.
To take wisdom from former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: “putin doesn’t want ordinary Ukrainians to have the freedom to vote because they might not vote for putin.”
We are becoming aware of a growing number of russian saboteurs on Ukrainian soil, aiding the russian army by placing missile guidance markers and disrupting Ukraine’s energy grid.
Ukraine needs help from the international community. Which is why true democracy-loving nations took on the challenge to send them more than just warm and nice words. Guns, ammunitions, missiles, fuel, you name it.
To be a Singaporean is to stand up for freedom, democracy and personal liberties. The right for nations to determine their own destiny. To be Singaporean is to go to the aid of others and defend those who cannot defend themselves. That’s why we went to the aid of our neighbours when they need our help. Haiti, Iraq, you name it. We’ve been there. That’s why we’re a force of nature among ASEAN nations. We stand for the betterment of every human being and a future where guns and missiles are in our sons and daughters’ history books.
We should always remember those words on that Korean War memorial, because wherever you are, whoever you are, regardless of political ideologies—freedom is not free.
Glory to the brave men and women. Glory to those who gave their lives so we could begin again.
Go give them hell. Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦
