What’s the real reason some on the right hate Volodymyr Zelensky?

Perusing the Zelensky-bashing of the Very Online right, I found myself thinking: ‘This reminds me of something.’ The branding of Ukraine’s president as a ‘welfare queen’ who is draining America’s coffers. The libelling of Ukraine as a uniquely corrupt nation whose thirst for war threatens to damn all of mankind to disaster. The shameful blaming of Ukraine for its own invasion, as if Russia had no choice but to violently rebuke its uppity, vexing neighbour.

Then it struck me: Ukraine is to the cranky right what Israel is to the mad left. Their Zelensky Derangement Syndrome creepily mirrors the frenzied loathing for Israel that has been infecting leftists for years. In both cases, a frothing moralism masquerades as anti-war critique. In both cases, one nation is made the scapegoat of world affairs, held culpable for virtually every ill facing humanity. Ukraineophobia and Israelophobia are both blights on the body politic.