Can you be against violence and in favour of armament? Had you asked a young Rudi Vranckx this question 35 years ago, his answer would have been a resounding no. But after decades of witnessing war and violence firsthand, his perspective has evolved. His knowledge and experience have led him to a different conclusion.
"You must arm yourself. You can't be naïve about this. The real question is: why are you arming? What values and what kind of society are you trying to defend? Armament is a shield to safeguard our values and freedoms—the values of the Enlightenment and humanism. Ironically, those who shout the loudest for armament today are often the ones least concerned with protecting those freedoms."
— VUB Honorary Doctor Rudi Vranckx
In conversation with VUB Professor of World Politics Koert Debeuf, conflict reporter and VUB Honorary Doctor Rudi Vranckx speaks openly about his deep aversion to violence that suppresses freedoms—and about the necessity of armament to protect European values. He reflects on the erosion of democracy and the unsettling reality of the 2020s, an era of turmoil reminiscent of Antonio Gramsci’s description of the late 19th century: "The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters."
"What if our allies no longer uphold the same values? Are they still our allies? We will not allow the wealthiest in the world to dictate falsehoods about freedom. We will define freedom for ourselves."
— VUB Honorary Doctor Rudi Vranckx
