Musings on the war in Ukraine

The following are just random thoughts and observations from watching and listening to things.  It in no way represents some back room informed list of opinions.  Just what I know of history, of current events, and from getting whatever information I can get.  Some of it is from my sons' observations, which I have come to value as much as any pundits on the news.  In no particular order: 

No matter how you slice or dice it, Putin and Russia are the bad guys. You don't invade to conquer, killing innocents in the process, and not be the bad guy.  

We who are opposed to Russia are fighting to defend a dying West eager to commit suicide.  

After years of hearing how stupid and wrong America was for villainizing all Japanese or Germans in WWI or WWII, or for Americans going after Iranian Americans during the hostage crisis, we're once again seeing the same dogs go back to the vomit and push for the same attitude against 'Russians", both here and abroad.  

Zelenski is a hero in the same way De Gaulle was a hero.  He's shown courage, and his stalwart opposition to the invasion is to be commended, but many of the things he stands for are the very things conservatives despise and see as poison in the Western bloodstream.

The anti-Russian alliance has pretty much played most of its cards.  Short of military intervention, we've boycotted, banned and blocked financially and corporately.  If it doesn't work, we'll have to wait and see what Putin will do next, putting the ball back in his court.

Anti-war sentiment in Russia is more than many expected.

With that said, many anti-war Russians appear like Zelenski: they want a Russia like the rest of Europe, no war, just party about and whatever happens to the nation's heritage is of little consequence. 

Exactly why Putin began all this with only a couple hundred thousand total troops is beyond me.  One typically doesn't overrun a nation like Ukraine with a force like that.

We're likely getting little of the actual facts, since the divisions here at home mandate spin put on any news in order to avoid making this or that side look bad. 

Obama's "the Cold War is calling" retort is now one of the most boneheaded and disastrous statements in the last fifty years. 

It's more than one president's fault, but we can't ignore the obvious impact President Biden's Afghanistan debacle had in encouraging Putin.  

Resistance from Ukraine and its Dancing With the Stars president was probably more than Putin expected.  Just like some other B-Movie actor Russia underestimated a few decades ago. 

China has been rather vague about things, and that could make a big difference for Putin's overall plans. 

In addition to deflecting blame from chosen political parties, expect the media to find ways to insert the narrative of 'evil [White] West vs. rest of oppressed, discriminated against world, at home and abroad, people.' 

President Biden has shown more resolve than many - including Putin - likely imagined.  That's not to say he's been perfect, but he has acted more swiftly and decisively than many critics (like me) imagined he would. 

There are probably two outcomes from this:  If Putin and Russia are defeated because of a vast, global conspiracy of multi-billion dollar corporations acting in tandem with various national governments, expect that to remain in their minds the next time someone pops up they want to conspire to destroy (ahem, trucking protesters or anyone holding to the heritage or traditions of the Christian West)

If Putin ends up winning and somehow Russia emerges with a victory, on the other hand, expect more countries to go old school when it comes to those rascally neighbors across the border. With the global corporations figuring how they can capitalize on such a development. 

In just a few days, the world has shifted in a way it took two years to shift under Covid, and ten years since the Obama revolution.  That's a lot of shifting in barely more than a decade.  Whatever happens, things won't be the same again.