It's the final week in April and today surpasses the 2-month period of war between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian people are under attack as I write this; millions continue to flee and the US has committed to taking in 100,000 refugees. Many civilians who've stayed behind are taking up arms and former foreign military-trained volunteers, including some Americans, have joined forces with Zelensky and the Ukrainian people to fight Russia.
After meeting some unprecedented resistance and not having honest intel from his military leaders (who are all "Yes Men" and too afraid to tell him the truth), Putin is taking some serious and unexpected hits to his massive ego. And, as is the case with most world leaders who are madmen, his response grows more violent when his fragile sense of self is threatened.
The reports in the West describe Russian war crimes; a brutal disregard for civilians, which is against the international rules of war. From what we've learned, the larger majority of Russian people are being fed a completely different narrative and lied to by state-sponsored media. And although many young Russians who gain access to information outside of government news outlets do dissent and protest against their own nation's actions (and have for years), most Russian people believe the war is justified because they remain utterly uninformed due to the mis- and disinformation
45 still does not condemn Putin directly. He goes as far as saying the actions taken by Russian military are tragic and that it shouldn't have happened and then quickly pivots to blaming it all on Biden. He also claims that had he been President, Putin wouldn't have dared to do what he did; as if an experienced KGB spy and trained manipulator despot would ever be influenced by 45. The sad man and leader of the "free world" was a pawn in Putin's games for 4 years, just like all the sycophants and cowards in 45's circles were pawns in his egoic schemes that have markedly eroded our democracy.
Remember 45's 2019 Quid Pro Quo attempt with Zelensky? I do. We had our messy leader, for his own political and personal benefit, try to hold out military dollars due to Ukraine to help them keep the Russians at bay. 45 didn't help Ukraine like he likes to say he did; not at all. Instead, he placed Zelensky in the middle of US politics whilst fangirling over Putin, a more powerful autocrat. And for what? Because he needed dirt on the Bidens to help himself win the election. I mean, come on; what a loser!!!!
45 has always been a wannabe and while in office he showed himself to be a dangerous narcissistic tyrant. He glorified fascism and leaders of DICTATORSHIPS or AUTHORITARIAN regimes while telling the American people he stood for freedom and that we should follow him because the "radical Left" would lead us into communism. In spite of being IMPEACHED for it, he never recognized how his actions during his administration put Ukraine and the USA in a more vulnerable position when dealing with ongoing Russian aggression. Nor does he face any consequences for any of it to this day. Although, supposedly, one day in the near future, we may see him being held accountable. We shall see though; after all, he's the teflon guy (nothing sticks).
Based on what's being reported, it's nearly impossible not to draw parallels between Putin and Russia's present day efforts regain valuable land it lost when the Soviet Union dissolved to Hitler's ambition to take back land and expand the German Empire once again. There's talk about another world war just as there's been talk about a second civil war here in the US. I hope that Biden meant it when he said there would NOT be boots-on-the-ground in this foreign war, but I it's hard to trust what he says. Since WAR is such a profitable affair for those in power and those in the business of it, it wouldn't surprise me if our involvement in Ukraine shifts from financial backing and weapon armament to shipping soldiers to the region one of these days. I pray that's NOT the case, of course, as we, the American people, have war fatigue; we've lost enough.
Of course, I feel for all those, past and present people, who've experienced or are experiencing life in a war zone. I send money and support as I can from the safety of my own home, and still nothing feels good or good enough because this intense HATE can be very overwhelming. May our future generations figure out different ways, more mature and kinder ways, to resolve conflict.
I get wanting to turn away from the UGLY in the world; there's so much of it. I can't ignore it, but I'm learning to apply different lenses that help me break down what the UGLY is reflecting. I take some of the control back; loosen the grip it has on me when I accept that the ugly that I'm seeing out in the world is also within me. And if that's true, then I can do something about it; I can work on healing the parts of me that need a little TLC and slowly but surely make myself less ugly.
When I see people walking around willfully ignorant to the injustice in the world, I get angry. I'm astounded how some folx don't seem impacted by the hurt and heartbreak out there. I rage when I see people who CAN do something more to contribute and make things better, and still CHOOSE not to. But then I remember that there are many times and many ways in which I may know better logically, but the programming I'm used or the false ideas I've subscribed to get in the way of me showing up as the best version of me. I recall then that everyone at every moment is doing the best that they can and maybe their best isn't good enough for me. Since I can't control them, the only natural thing to do is focus on me on what I do have control over. And so if people are stubbornly uninformed then I work on opening myself up even more to new information and work through the resistance I may feel. That is how I try to heal.
Then, there's learning to understand the unscrupulous among us; the most wretched of all human beings in my book. I'm referring to people without a moral code; those who are unprincipled and void of feeling guilt or shame for their harmful deeds. After all, how is it that we've allowed people that lead in business or political arenas to play pretend; to preach upholding certain values and then debase themselves completely, forget about integrity entirely, and excuse their poor behavior with lies. All is claimed to be done in the name of progress or some divine right, when it's really all pure self interest; moves to gain power, notoriety, and/or wealth. How is it that we're so corruptible?
It is these narcissistic sociopaths that are popping up left and right that I feel I must do my best to understand. Why? Because we're responsible for rearing them and allowing them to grow into the powerful bullies they've become. We are that permissive society that has allowed fakers and scammers and con artists to flourish. And I don't want more of it; I want much less. I want people who care about people to lead; not these cheaters and thieves.
I feel compelled to figure out their motivations and try to make connections to past or present behavior in me that is of the more aggressive and self-absorbed type. Because aside from psychologists and sociologists and therapists and the like who can help us better understand some of the cultish personalities that we've created, it's on each of us to assess our own moral compass and figure out if and how the influence of unscrupulous people degrades our personal and collective morality. Attempting to better understand them by looking at myself, helps me grow my compassion so that I don't become part of the unconscious and unruly masses preaching hate right back at them and dragging us all to another version of the same hellscape.
But, more importantly still, is the work I do to fill the gaps in the bombardment of awful news with anything that is actually good. Sadly, it takes more work than it should because our mainstream media sources cover war and misery and scandal way more than they do the wins of regular people who stand up for themselves and make change happen one action at a time until the incremental turn into a full transformation of our society and humankind.
The growing Union movement is something I get excited about; it's a proof point of success for our nation that we don't credit nearly enough. It makes me proud to know that young people and BIPOC folx are leading the charge, like Chris Smalls & the New Yorkers in Staten Island who took on Amazon and won! And they're not the only ones either. Starbucks has also had some wins and there are increasing numbers of people calling attention to the corporations' dirty games. And so, more and more everyday people are reconsidering whether or not it's worth putting up a fight because they finally have examples of what happens when people power builds and is used for good to do what's right.
For me, the workers rights movement is the opposite of UGLY, UNINFORMED, & UNSCRUPULOUS; it is beautiful, wise, and just! And it deserved more airtime.
