The horror of the aircraft crash that killed 298 people was not a day old before blame was already being vigorously assigned by all sides. Chest-beating headlines in the English and Russian language presses screamed things like 'Obama says missile from Rebel Held Ukraine' and 'Moscow calls on Aviation Authorities to Investigate the Actions of Ukraine'.
This is deeply unhelpful and disrespectful at a time when calm and prayers for the dead should be the first order of the day, as Andy Hamilton has pointed out. In addition, however, it obscures the fact that, whatever actually happened — a question to which we still have no answer — a terrible tragedy is at risk of being compounded by the hot-heads on all sides calling for more war and escalation.
Lest we forget, this disaster comes in the context of a civil war that has already torn Ukraine apart, one in which both Russia and the United States have already firmly nailed their colours to opposing sides and in which both great powers have acted with rank opportunism.
All sides in this war have genuine grievances which are being nakedly exploited.
The present Ukrainian government's rise to power was fuelled by real dissatisfaction with the endemic corruption of the Yanukovich years. The opposition, on the other hand, notes the clamp down on Russian as an official language and the preference for the government (which includes oligarchs and groups branded by the EU itself as racist, antisemitic and xenophobic) to shoot before talking.
Russia is worried about the creeping expansion of NATO in clear contradiction of US and EU reassurances that this would not happen. The US and EU are themselves concerned by bellicose rhetoric from an increasingly nationalist and authoritarian Russia.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the events of the war, too. While Russia annexed the Crimea in a move of questionable legality, this followed a US backed coup against a democratically elected (if corrupt) government. Both the Ukrainian government and the rebels have committed atrocities.
The United Nations estimates that, as at the end of June, this conflict had claimed over 250 civilian lives and generated over 100,000 refugees. Major towns have been under siege and aerial and civilian areas subject to airstrikes and artillery bombardment (including by 'Grad' (Hail) rocket artillery), and water and electricity supplies cut off as a weapon of war.
In this context, comments like that of Paul Daly in the Guardian that 'Wars have bloomed for far less' in relation to the downing of the Malaysian aircraft look both aggressive and ignorant.
Worse, the media echo chambers on both sides risk ramping up the rhetoric to a point where both sides feel that they have to look tough to appease their respective public opinions. The notorious 'politician's syllogism' (as described in the old Yes, Minister show) runs that 'Something must be done. This is something, therefore it must be done.' When applied to decisions to go to war, the result is guaranteed to open the door to more horror.
It is worth remembering that World War I began a century ago with a series of escalations fuelled by nationalism in which each side thought a quick, decisive and localised victory could be theirs. No-one expected the drawn out, grinding war which resulted, destroying five empires, unleashing the first industrial use of chemical weapons and killing a generation on all sides.
While Russia may not be the power it once was, there are no easy victories to be won here by bellicose rhetoric. Both NATO and Russia are nuclear armed — each possessing weapons of such devastation that they can destroy the world many times over. The consequences of a misstep here are truly too awful to contemplate. The 298 people who died will not be served by the slaughter of millions more.
It is time for governments, media and citizens to take a step back — for reflection, for prayer and for contemplation, and for the sake of the world at large.
Justin Glyn SJ is a student of philosophy and theology who holds a PhD in international and administrative law.