How reading “Lord of the Flies” can help us end the Russia-Ukraine War
- Kris J. Simpson
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 31
As some criticize the Trump administration for proceeding with negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, I am left with a question that should resonate the loudest: When will the sanctity of human life take precedence over geopolitical interests, the unjust acquisition of territory, opposition to the aggressor, and the defense of borders?
As the death tolls rise, who will be the voice of reason to prevent young Ukraine and Russian men from walking into battle to be slaughtered in the name of “FILL IN THE BLANK HERE”
The most recent estimates, as of February 2025, from the U.S. Congressional Report, indicate that close to 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded.
Additionally, it is estimated that up to 120,000 Russian soldiers have died and between 170,000 and 180,000 have been wounded, resulting in nearly 300,000 total casualties. From another source, the “Official website of Ukraine” states “Russian combat losses amount to 839,040 troops, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
In a Newsweek article from November 2024, it stated that “Russia lost more men in one day than its recent daily male birth rates, reaching its highest number of casualties in a single day since Moscow invaded Ukraine.” Putting a face to all these men instead of just seeing them as numbers, they were someone’s son, brother, uncle, and friend.
War perpetuates more war. The wounds of those who have lost family and friends to this conflict deepen and threaten to scar, making long-term peace increasingly challenging, if at all achievable, as collective resentment is handed down from one generation to the next, just as it has in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This all begs the question: when will it end?
As humans, we operate under a value hierarchy, we have to, since we can’t assign the same value for everything, we would be incapacitated, unable to progress as a species. So then what could be placed at the pinnacle of our value hierarchy other than human life? Perhaps greed, pride, revenge, justice?
When is it acceptable to expect others to sacrifice what is most valuable to them — their lives — for a cause we believe warrants such a sacrifice? And if we expect this from those we support, are we ready to fight alongside them and potentially make the ultimate sacrifice ourselves?
As a Canadian, I don’t have a stake in American politics, nor do I have a stake in this war. I am also not a historian or a geopolitical analyst, but I have listened to experts attempting to explain the war and its outcomes.
What I care about is humanitarianism — the value of human life. I feel proud and fortunate to live in a Western civilization founded on the inviolability of life. Still, since the conflict began, I have observed hypocrisy from some of our politicians and their supporters.
In my view, some of us from the West dehumanize Russians in particular, and for others, Ukrainians. Operating from a lower level of consciousness, this may be the default sentiment; after all, Putin is the villain who unjustly invaded Ukraine.
However, there are those who turn a blind eye to the actual consequences of war: the loss of human life. Some seem to treat this like a sporting match, picking sides and joining the fan base. While most of us have chosen to support the underdog and vilify the invaders, we must recognize that there are victims on both sides.
We don’t see much of the carnage from this war, and it doesn’t seem to be available in the media. Conspiracies aside, I think if we were to witness the horror of this war, as those back home did during the Vietnam War, we might have a different perspective and feel that this war needs to end now.
If we were to spend a month in the Donbas trenches on either side, just to see how much thirst mankind has for killing each other, justly or unjustly, we might reconsider putting aside our politics to focus on ending this war.
This is a good time to show humility, as I do not intend to be a preacher on ethics. I have considered what being a Ukrainian or a Russian would be like.
The truth is that I would almost definitely be part of the fighting, joining with my brothers to combat those we believe are evil, defend our families, keep or reclaim what is ours, and possibly sacrifice our lives in the name of our country.
If I were to lose friends and family in this war, I might fight even harder for vengeance; I might even sacrifice my life for this narrative that would be easy to endorse, given the long history of conflict in that part of the world.
Therefore, I would be a hypocrite. So, how can I resolve this cognitive dissonance?
In William Golding’s novel “Lord of the Flies,” a group of schoolboys is stranded on an island. They eventually form tribes and wage war against one another, essentially becoming savages.
When adults rescue them, they become profoundly aware of their own savagery, with the adults symbolizing ethics and order. Golding’s novel illustrates the inherent savagery within us all and emphasizes the need for the wiser among us to restore peace and order.
It is very difficult to access or acquire wisdom on a battlefield. Operating in a state of survival, dealing with an existential threat, leaves little room to connect with one’s higher self.
This is why we in the Western world, who have the luxury of armchair quarterbacking this war, can provide the wisdom necessary to bring about peace.
As of this article, there has been sufficient funding and motivation for this war to persist; it has been three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. What is needed now is a peacemaker, not a warmonger disguised in righteousness— someone who can bring both parties to the negotiating table.
This implies that the negotiating parties must concede something to regain something they consider more significant. That’s why it’s called negotiation.
Ultimately, both parties need a security guarantee; there must be a clear boundary that Putin cannot breach again. Is Trump the peacemaker we require? I’m not sure. Does he have hidden motives? I’m not sure.
All that I’m sure of is that the slaughtering needs to end, and we are the wiser.
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