Blaming cancer, Parkinson's or any other disease (or medication) on Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine isn’t helpful. It’s problematic and ableist.
In recent days, there have been many articles speculating about Putin's ill health and the medication that he may be taking for it. Many of these articles have put down the cause of his aggression towards Ukraine (and his erratic behavior) to him taking medications, including steroids, or having an illness which impacts the brain.
I have written many articles and spoken out a lot about victim blaming and blaming an abhorrent act such as rape, domestic violence, assault or murder on alcohol and revealing clothing. I will continue to do so whenever I see a high profile case or an event in which the perpetrator is not held to account, or, like in Grace Millane’s case, alcohol and BDSM was laid to blame by the courts — rather than blaming the perpetrator, Jesse Shane Kempson, who made the choice to kill her. Vladimir Putin and his ill health are no different in this case, as it involves laying the blame on a disease, or medication, rather than hold him to account for his own actions. Not only is this not helpful, but this is ableist.
Now that we are seeing articles emerge about Putin (including this one by The Mirror), his health, and any medications that he may be taking for his health. Some are blaming steroids and attributing them to aggressive behavior. Some are putting it down to Alzheimer's or Parkinson’s disease. But these are problematic and here’s my take on why I consider it as such.
While almost everyone agrees that Putin should no longer be in a position of power and that he needs to be held accountable for crimes against the Ukraine, no one has turned an eye to the fact that blaming whatever any disease Putin might have, and any medication that he’s taking for that reason, is highly problematic, not only offensive and insulting and is also not helpful.
First of all to the very basics: Many people will get cancer in their lifetime. Some people in power even have cancer (or have had it). Kiri Allen, of New Zealand’s Labour Party has had cervical cancer and while, I personally disagree with the Labour Party for the lockdown being too long in Auckland and increasing criminal behavior (including the parliament riots as well) across the country, not once have I seen Kiri Allen behave or act out in a way that would severely harm the country or cause violence or unrest. And many others would have other diseases that would impact them neurologically in a negative way have not acted out in a way that would cause harm to other people. So cutting it to the basics, blaming the invasion on cancer, Parkinson's or any other disease is extremely offensive to anyone, including politicians and world leaders, suffering from any disease — and it’s ableist.
Secondly, it is not helpful. Putin has never done Russia or any country any good, even well before any sickness that he might have now, and he has done a lot of harm to Russia and the world — before both his illness and the invasion of the Ukraine. Putin has wronged a lot of people, including those in his country politically, financially, socially and in terms of health. For him, it’s all about power, fame, money and greed.
Thirdly, it is problematic in terms of allowing people to get way with their actions. It might seem as simple as blaming a disease for bad behavior, or alcohol for being raped, but the more you allow a perpetrator to get away with their conduct by not holding them accountable — and blaming it on something else, the further it will escalate and you would be looking at a situation that escalates from blaming a rape victim for drinking alcohol, wearing revealing clothes and attending festivals and going to nightclubs — to something serious, like blaming war crimes by Putin on diseases such as cancer or Parkinson's. The perpetrators of both situations will then be able to get away with both situations because no one will hold them to account. And then when a person who has done something serious, like genocide, is not held to account, the person will carry on what they were doing what they were responsible for. This is why accountability is extremely important if we don’t want to have a war or a genocide. And remember: It starts with small things, such as being blamed for bring robbed or raped. Big things start from small, even though each situation may be unrelated to each other.
And last of all, in politics, neither medicines nor any underlying conditions influences your decisions when it comes to decision making. Unless you’re an advocate of, let’s say, people with cancer and have it personally, and you decide to fund hospitals and health services to help people with cancer. (This is an example only.) Then otherwise, only you and the politicians you work with is responsible for any decisions when it comes to decision making. Also, medicines are not an excuse for making a decision to commit a war against another country. Medicines are there to help people to stop or reduce their suffering or risk of illness or death, not to turn them into violent, genocidal, pro-war people.
No one should or can blame any disease that Putin may have on the invasion of the Ukraine, and neither can anyone blame any medication that he might be taking for it too. Putin is a man who thinks he can do whatever he wants in power and that he is able to get away with it without consequences — no matter what the consequences will be to the rest of the world, including humanitarian, financial or social consequences. He is dangerous. He chose his path in causing destruction, devastation and death. The world leaders need to hold him to account for his actions.
We don’t need tone deaf and ableist articles or health professionals that lay the blame on a disease. We need accountability and we need it now. Many people in a position of power have some sort of underlying condition, and don’t cause a country or the world harm (except for Putin, and Trump). And many people with diseases, terminal or not, don’t inflict their sufferings on others.
