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The front page of NYT Digital on Saturday February 27, 2022. 

We have a nice pandemic resolutely going on, determined to outstay its welcome. We have civil war in Syria, and the Taliban back in the government in Afghanistan. There're simmering tensions all over the Middle East. Then we have Myanmar. Now, we have a 'superpower' forgoing 'talks' and invaded another sovereign state to lay claim to its historical lands, and eventually to rebuild Soviet Russia. The propaganda machine is strong. Are we back to pre-1991's political waltz and a precarious balance of power among each country's military? Is this the start of World War III? 

It is shocking. This is 2022, and old-school wars are back in fashion. Some would say that the lines are still holding because biological and nuclear weapons haven't been used. WTF. Watching the news feeds, and hearing the information filtering out of Ukraine, I felt a deep sense of sadness and anger. I cried at the images of the injured pets, and bewildered and frightened cats and dogs sheltering underground with their humans. This is not how a city should go down. My emotions aren't exactly directed at Russians per se. I'm inclined to think that a good bunch of Russians don't want this war against humanity. It's the civilians who suffer. These emotions are directed at her demented leader, misguided army generals and unthinking soldiers. 

Which sane leader in the world would do this? He's also sitting on a stockpile of nuclear weapons that could level America. I have no doubt he will use them. He has nothing to lose. Sanctions aren't going to work at this point. Russia is literally self-sufficient; by annexing Ukraine, and maybe another country (Poland and Moldova are looking perilous. Not Belarus since it's allied with Russia.) would make it totally immune to global sanctions. This incumbent leader will make half the country starve to get what he wants.

What's the whole point of politics, diplomacy, global economics, shared partnerships and whatever? Dictators versus free world leaders? What does 'free world' mean? What am I to believe in now? Is there really respect and an agreement of peace between countries? Humans and our behavior will ultimately lead to our own downfall. Which leader would next order an invasion of a country they lay claim to? These are truly end times. 

Ukraine is fighting back fiercely. I blinked at the news of Pravda Brewery in Lviv busy making Molotov cocktails. My heart aches at all the images of untrained civilians bearing arms to defend their country, land and livelihood. I see countries ending their decades of neutrality, sending soldiers and weapons to Ukraine, imposing heavy economic sanctions, doing loads, except launching a direct war with Russia. I have no illusions that this is World War III, by proxy. Short of an internal coup in the Russian camp, how else would Putin be stopped? Do we all have first row seats to watch the horror show? Is this beginning of the end? I have no words. 

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