Firefighters Doing Their Job

         One can watch a video(s) on many media sights that include pictures of firefighters pouring water on a burning building in Kyiv, set afire by Russyan missiles and/or artillery from positions at the city's perimeter.  It highlights the dedication of these men and women who see it as their duty.  Duty: a little word with large meaning and impact.  No doubt, their are Russyan  army adherents to "duty" as they pursue tactical goals in their front. Do these troops, as they advance, understand the pain and suffering they are inflicting on helpless civilians?  The firefighters don't ask these questions.  They do their "duty": to save lives, protect property, without regard for their own lives. Recall the "blitz" that Germany inflicted on London and England at the start of WW II: bombers at night, flying west across the English Channel from fields in the western reaches of the Reich.  At first, they focused on military targets; and then, all targets became one-civilian and military. W. Churchill vowed to fight and never surrender. Fire brigades in London fought fires during the Blitz and more than a few died in the cities as they poured water on raging fires.   Could these brave firefighters in Kyiv highlight the resolve of all Ukrainians? Are they 'just' doing their jobs or do they exemplify national resolve? Time will tell as the missiles keep falling.

        The EU is now willing to arm as many Ukrainians as possible.  They are now in the fight, like it or not.  Mad Vlad will take notes: his little brain will set a tripwire for his measured response in due time. When the USSR collapsed/imploded in '89-'91, a great sigh of relief could be heard around the world(excepting in China).  Baby Boomers outside of Russya woke to a new world-a world without the treat of nuclear annihilation.  We scrapped plans for a residential bomb shelter; air raid sirens were left to rust and topple from their perches; evacuation route signs were replaced with vacation vista points. It was a time of collective euphoria. Then, "9/11" happened, and a new menace emerged from the Middle East: unhinged imams and religious fanatics cast a pall over the West and all of of Islam became a threat. The West lost its focus, and is now confronted with another "fanatic" in the form of a former KGB operative who has engineered the takeover by the largest country in the world.

       Thomas L. Friedman, the noted journalist offered 3 possible outcomes in a column today.  None are pleasant to contemplate; but, as we know, these situations have a beginning and at some point, will have an end: the unknown, dark future. Members of high positions in various military systems  play "war games" to test theories and strategic moves(War Colleges). They challenge each other to invent possibilities and outcomes, to think about "what ifs".  What if Putin moves against Kyiv? We don't know what solutions came from these "games", but as we and the world watch, the solutions will eventually unfold. Did Putin play war games? No, but his generals certainly did.  Firing missiles into civilian neighborhoods: 1st law of war broken.  Targeting schools and hospitals; 2nd law of war broken; trampling refugees, 3rd law of war broken; preventing organized medical aid and food relief for victims, 4th law of war broken. It seems the International Court of Law will have its work cut out for it as they attempt to identify violations and those responsible for the death and destruction being heaped on innocents in the path of the troops in Ukraine.

         We must all look in the mirror and acknowledge we dropped the ball when the Little Madman marched into Crimea in 2014 and took over; and then the DonBas and Kuznets areas of eastern Ukraine. We didn't want to shake things up: bad for business! say the Swiss bankers and Wall St., and the City of London. And politics in the West were being turned over- new leaders were emerging in Germany, France, England, Canada, and the US(with the largest upheaval). Trump's ascendancy signaled to the world that the US was now a sharply divided United States, willing to risk everything on a neophyte politician without the least interest in governing for the people. So, some world leaders, you know who they are, decided that the landscape had changed, and leadership was no longer a given, everything was in play- or, it's a good time to shake things up.

        Joe Biden has his moment(s). Most presidents get at least 1 moment; Joe has at least 3 that we know of: Covid, inflation, and Ukraine/Russya. Oh, and low ratings and midterm elections around November. They all will keep him busy for at least another 3 years.  You won't find Joe on the golf course ala Eisenhower; you won't find Joe at the tiller near Hyannis Port, nor will you find Joe on a peanut farm preparing a sermon for Sunday school. Joe will be found conferring with Senators, Congressmen and women, and a few generals as he seeks wisdom and understanding. He won't be able to escape the internet and its media content; he'll be constantly reminded of the weight of the world as it presses down on his shoulders. Fortunately, he has lots of help. He'll need it.