Volodymyr Zelensky: Hope in a time of seeming world calamity
But as the Russian bombs began to fall on Ukrainian cities and troops moved to surround the capital, the President underwent a transformation. Before our eyes he came to embody a struggle that most Western statesmen had long forgotten how to fight, the one that is sometimes required to keep tyranny from killing off democracy. Zelensky not only rallied his own people to defend their nation, inspiring them to toss petrol bombs at Russian military vehicles and stand in the way of tanks. He also galvanized the world’s democracies in ways that seemed unthinkable just a week before.
Time Magazine
Yes, as the hellish military firepower of Russia began to be unleashed on Ukraine, the supernatural courage and resolve of the country’s President in the face of a barbaric invasion, has united and inspired the country to resist, even when or if it is occupied by Putin and the Russian Federation.
I never thought I’d live to see another World War, but that’s what the invasion of Ukraine is shaping up to be, or foreshadow it very soon.
That war is already upon us. It is a military conflagration in Ukraine. Elsewhere around the world there will be economic, psychological, and mental health shocks as this terrible war by Putin comes on the keels of the pandemic. There will be, and already are, humanitarian crises as a result of this war, cyber warfare, war crimes, deadly misinformation, and global disruption of everyday life on the planet.
As I rushed about doing my errands this afternoon — getting my car back after some major repairs; filling up the car with gas (the price had gone up 40 cents a gallon in just two days); going to the bank to get cash in the event cyber warfare takes down parts of the electric grid; and compulsively reading news updates on the war, life seemed to be swirling around me in a state of complete normalcy. What on earth are people on the street thinking now? Is the world order as we know it about to change dramatically? Am I over-reacting and bei g my own worst fear monger? Has the last week, and two years of the pandemic, brought me perilously close to the edge of despondency?
“There will be much worse to come,” French President Macron said alarmingly following a 1 1/2 hour phone call with Putin. This coming just days after Putin put his nuclear arsenal on high alert. Anyone who grew up during the first Cold War and lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, has been chilled to the bone by these actions of Putin.
Notice how this is all having eerie parallels with the beginnings of both World War I and World War II. I’m thankful there are historians out there to explain the big picture, because it’s obvious that leaders of the free world and entire countries and their populations have forgotten many of the lessons of history. Today, there’s much more at stake, and it’s frightening.
Q
😥 May Putin’s heart be healed and open again.
Warning Comment
Oh Oswego! You’ve put into words my worst fears — WWIII. There are so many parallels with Hitler’s rise and march of destruction that I am terribly afraid the current meglomaniac will romp down that same path. Grandson just turned 23 … and oh God! I would grab him up & take him to Canada if I could, just to keep him from being cannon fodder. I’ve had the sense that most people aren’t paying attention — after all, it’s all over there & surely we’re safe for being over here? And history begins to repeat itself … mercilessly.😱😭😩
@ghostdancer So true. I can hardly believe someone like Putin could come to power, even in Russia, after what the world went through in World War II!
@oswego he seemed so ok and msde a lot of sense when i watched his earlier videos. I was so wrong. I read somewhere that he became more and more paranoid in recent years as Russia got surrounded and closed in. Maybe he reached his breaking point😕
@journalsecret I think what is partially the story of Putin. It makes sense. But I also believe he has planned this for many years, and that Ukraine was to be his big move to totally consolidate his power. I think, as happens with tyrants and dictators, he greatly miscalculated the resolve of the Ukrainians, and he and the Russian people will pay a terrible price, as will the rest of the world.
@oswego I don’t think the Russians had much choice about Putin coming to power. From what I’ve read, he bullied his way to power & once he got powerful enough — nobody dares to oppose him. You’r either with him … or you’re very quiet.
@ghostdancer That’s a very accurate assessment.
@oswego I’m definitely not a poly sci major, or even minor, but I do try to keep ahead of the major happenings in the world. Currently trying to broaden my reading so I do understand more, and the causes behind what’s going on. sleepygene is really good about steering me towards books to read — I’ve learned a lot that way. And I think it’s desperately important that we all pay very close attention in these days — & do all we can to stop the progress of fascism & totalitarianism!
@ghostdancer You’re absolutely right. I am going to make a renewed effort to tackle some of my books that bear on what’s going on today. One of them is this book by Timothy Snyder:
The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525574468/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_2YDZTDQ4RHEBYEGDE076
@oswego I’ve already got that book on my wish list. I think I’ll get it from the library once I get the 10 books I’ve already got checked out read. They’re all fill ins for series: one archaeological mystery series and one life in a small English village series. So they should go pretty fast.
Thank you for trying to be more aware — we all need to be, because the onslaught is coming from every side & if we don’t defeat it ….
Warning Comment
I was one going about my business. Oh, I skimmed through the Washington Post and kept myself informed. But now, now I am very worried. When I go to read the Washington Post it’s with dread, frightened about what the headlines might be. A nuclear disaster, whether accidental or intentional, is my biggest concern. Putin is without regard to life and is ego driven. I fear he won’t stop, he couldn’t stand the thought of what he would perceive to be a loss. We are living in perilous times and yes, there are many similarities to previous wars. President Biden is in a very difficult position right now. I’m sure the last thing he wants to see is WW III. It’s the last thing anyone in their right mind wants to see. No one would win. We would all lose and not only us, but all of life.
@thebestisyettocome You have expressed so well what’s pressing on my mind these days as I review the headlines in the Washington Post and elsewhere. I have many trusted sources of information, and frankly, as a former newspaper editor, I do know ow to find them. So by keeping informed as best we can, we arm ourselves with foreknowledge. And Yes, Putin has no regard for life and Biden is in a terribly difficult position. Thank God he’s there now instead of the alternative.
Warning Comment
I love how informative your writings are. This one made me stop and think and honestly scared me a bit. I am one to ignore the news because I don’t want to think about it but this doesn’t seem to be something that can or that should be ignored. Thanks for the information.
@happyathome Thank you! As a former journalist I am still too addicted to news, feature stories, columns, blogs, opinion pieces, in-depth or long-form news and feature stories, and the like, mostly read online, when I should be reading some of my hundreds of unread books, or at least try to get the main ideas; and I should look closely at my art and photography books, which I have on abundance. 🥺😌
None of us can afford to not give our full attention to the war in Ukraine. But also trying not to overdose on this calamity as that would be bad for our mental health. It’s important to try to maintain a proper balance by keeping informed and then backing away to attend to the vital matters of living our lives, in spite of the sudden chaos in the world.
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