Ukraine Through My Oblique Lens (and how you can help)
I have my sincere doubts that anything I proffer here will be of moment or of value to the historical record. That said, the situation in the Ukraine should be examined from several perspectives other than “Putin’s a maniac!” (a not unwarranted observation) or “Ukraine should be free!” (no argument there) or “Make Peace! Not War!” (also, a fine sentiment.) Maybe better to say “in addition to”? This might be one of the few times where I don’t feel a need to delve into antecedents or review the history between two nations. I don’t even necessarily feel a need to look at Putin’s reasons for invading. There are plenty of analyses that speak to this and are worth reviewing that my regurgitation wouldn’t add any value to. What we have before us is the fact that yet another world power has invaded and tried to subjugate another independent state. There are some narratives surrounding this that I think are worth looking at, however superficially. I want to start with a more high-level ...