As I sit here at my computer, my head feeling like it is full of cotton wool and finding it difficult to frame anything coherent or sensible to say thanks to my current bout of COVID-19, I feel very sad, very worried, and not a little depressed.
Yesterday, the world went mad.
To my somewhat addled brain it looks as if one man has decided to sacrifice the lives of many, many others in order to fulfil some sort of personal warped world view. He has lied ... to other world leaders, to the world's media, to his own people, and – I suspect – to himself in order to justify what he has done. There is not excuse for this, and one hopes and trusts that the good and honest people who have been duped by him will remove him from power before he does something even less rational.
As a wargamer and amateur military historian, I probably have a better than average understanding about what is actually happening on the ground, in the air, and at sea, and the sort of choices being made by both sides. However, when one side seems to be under the command of someone whose grasp on reality appears more than a little tenuous, I get worried, very, very worried ... and more so when I know that they have a large number of strategic and tactical nuclear weapons available to them.
I hope that the fighting will stop once both sides realise that it is achieving nothing, and that they will take a step back from the brink. Until then, I will be hoping and praying that the situation does not escalate any further, and that the views of sensible and sane people on both sides prevail sooner rather than later.
Please excuse this somewhat rambling commentary on the state of the world today. I am not at my best at the moment, but I needed to get this off my chest.
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Hi Bob...Glad that you feel up to writing again. I hope your recovery continues apace. I think all of us share your concerns about yesterday's events. That Putin has lost his grip on reality is clear. I think many world leaders have a similar view too which explains why the reaction has been so mooted, they do not want to press him too hard. That said the more he gets away with the more he will be want. I suspect the Ukrainians will put up more resistance than he expects leading to a sort of stalemate. Hopefully that will make sensible actors in Russia realised they have been misled resulting in a change of leadership. Ultimately we can only hope for common sense to prevail. Regards.
ReplyDeleteTony Adams,
DeleteI’m not really well enough to blog regularly again (it took me nearly an hour to write this blog post) but I felt that I just had to write about these events.
It is my hope that sense will prevail before matters get out of hand and people begin to make decisions that take them done routes to very dark places.
All the best,
Bob
It is certainly a terrible time and once the hostilities end I fear we will be back in the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see that you are at least well enough to take to the keyboard Bob. Get well soon.
Maudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteOnline, I may well appear to be better than I actually am, and I doubt that I’ll be regularly blogging again for some time.
The sooner the fighting ends, the better for everyone involved. If the end result is a new Cold War, so be it … but to my mind a Cold War is preferable to a hot one.
All the best,
Bob
It is nice to hear from you Bob. I usually follow your blog from the shadows but I wanted to come out of hiding and wish you well.
ReplyDeleteIt is all bad news at the moment, but I consider you fighting off Covid the best bit of news all week.
Scott
Scott,
DeleteThanks for your comment. It’s taking me longer to get better than I hoped … but the news is certainly giving my brain something to think about.
All the best,
Bob
I agree with Scott, it's good to know you are getting better Bob. The news has my eldest son, now in training for the NJ national guard, all worked up. I've been texting with him to help him calm down.
DeleteTake care,
Marc
Mr. Pavone (Marc),
DeleteThe thing that I’m finding most difficult to cope with is the mental and physical fatigue that comes with COVID. It takes a real effort to do anything … and I am not one who enjoys sitting around doing nothing.
I hope that your son manages to calm himself down. Training must be tough, and there’s no point on making it tougher on yourself by worrying about what probably won’t happen.
All the best,
Bob
Totally agree with you Bob
ReplyDeleteI just hope events do not spiral out of control
I wonder if this genie will get back into its bottle
Geordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteCheers! Here’s hoping that saner heads prevail sooner rather than later.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteIf that one man you are talking about is Vladimir Putin, I'd have to take issue with you there. If there is any lying, deceit and malice aforethought going down, it ain't coming from him. I admit I didn't see this coming - I'm even a little bit surprised - but I can see the rationale.
It's a bit late in the day for Ukraine to bleat about the Minsk accords - which accords Kyiv, with the connivance of the USA, has flatly ignored these last 7-8 years.
It's a bit rich the West crying foul over Russia's recognition of the Donbass republics - after eight years be it noted - when no such condemnation attended the unseemly haste with which separatist nations broke away from Yugoslavia nearly 30 years ago - or, for that matter the continued occupation, massacre and plunder by the US and NATO of other nations - or US meddling in the domestic affairs of other nations - which, by the way, included Russia.
Perhaps it's sane only when the Anglophone West does it. Perhaps International Law applies only to the Anglophone West.
I can see no real difference between Russia's actions in respect of Ukraine and the US and NATO actions in numerous locations elsewhere in the world these last 30 years. Except perhaps a better excuse.
The US and NATO schoolboy bullying and hazing have gone on for far too long. Now that the victim has struck back, see the bully run yowling to teacher. Now THAT I did expect.
All the best - and beat the hell outta COVID, eh?
Ion.
DeleteArchduke Piccolo (Ion),
I wish that I was up to debating this topic with you, but my capacity to think in detail is rather restricted at present due to COVID. There are times when I can barely stay awake for more than an hour, and I’m find making any effort to do anything very debilitating.
All the best,
Bob
I see where you are coming from Ion, but all that is no excuse for this war of aggression. ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right’, was my mother’s simple philosophy.
DeleteHi Bob and nandanket -
DeleteThank you for your responses, and I appreciate your accepting it Bob. But, having said my piece, I'll leave it there. I appreciate your friendship too well to descend too much into controversy. Let's just hope that, sooner rather than later, reason will prevail in Eastern Europe.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteCheers!
All the best,
Bob
I agree with you Ion; this is not the result of one man. The West has been playing chicken with Russia (and many other parts of the world). But as others have said, it doesn’t justify the pain that is to come.
DeleteDale,
DeleteAmen to that!
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a full recovery. Your blog is a regular stop for me and I truly appreciate the energy and creativity you put into it and all your writing. Please know that people you don't know and will never meet value you and what you do. Take care.
Scott Crane,
DeleteCheer! Thanks very much for your kind words. They really helped to lift my spirits.
All the best,
Bob
Hear! Hear!
DeleteScott,
DeleteCheers!
All the best,
Bob
Take it easy Bob. There’s not much we can do about the current situation, as much as it pains us.
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteI’m afraid that you might be right.
All the best,
Bob
"some sort of personal warped world view."
ReplyDeleteNow where have we seen that before? It was at least mildly comforting to hear of anti-invasion rallies in Russia. This could go to some really bad places or the world could emerge a little shaken and bruised but still in one place. Its been decades since I considered a return to concern because a threat of nuclear holocaust has been publicly put on the table.
Canada is the home of the largest Ukrainian diaspora and we share a border with the USSR so it is certainly on our minds.
I hope this covid blight you have runs its course as quickly as possible.
Ross Mac,
DeleteI still have vivid memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis (including taking part in Civil Defence exercises) and the 1968 Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia. On both occasions the possibility of things moving from cold to hot seemed likely … but didn’t. I hope that the current crisis will be solved before things move down that same old route.
Hopefully I will be over COVID soon … but until I get two negative test results or I reach 1st March, I’m going to have to remain in purdah.
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
Archduke, I am absolutely with you this one. I think Putin has made a very sane, pragmatic and realistic decision. He is not abandoning his fellow countrymen (sort of) who are in dire need of help against those neo-nazi's busy killing civilians, women and children for 8 years - supported by the Ukraine military for ammo and supplies I'm sure. So Putin's choice was not a second wrong, more like a fourth or fifth wrong.
ReplyDeleteI do hope it is the end of the 8 year war.
Get well, Bob, this covid she is a bitch.
Arthur
Arthur,
DeleteThanks for your comment and your best wishes for my recovery.
All the best,
Bob
Best wishes on your recovery, Bob!
ReplyDeleteEven with vaccinations covid can hit some people hard. My own brother and mother both were knocked on their @rses from it for a while earlier this year. Both doing better now. Hopefully you will soon be better, too.
As for the current events, it's a sad state of affairs and I have no sympathy for the purveyors of violence and aggression. There is NO justification for it in my opinion. I agree that it is heartening to see protests against it even by Russians.
Take care and get well soon!
Fitz-Badger,
DeleteCheers! I had hoped that the vaccinations would have helped me to avoid getting COVID too badly ... and although I have suffered, it could and would have been a lot worse! I'm on the mend ... just a bit slower than I would have liked.
The news remains bad, with the fighting having reached the suburbs of Kyiv. One hopes that there is still a chance that it can be stopped, but the longer it goes on, the less likely that seems to be.
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
I couldn't agree more with your post, there can be no justification for military aggression. I find it sad and disheartening how quickly the lessons of history are forgotten, and the appalling cost of that forgetfulness.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteAt times like this I am always reminded of HG Wells' words in the last chapter of LITTLE WARS.
'We want fine things made for mankind — splendid cities, open ways, more knowledge and power, and more and more and more — and so I offer my game, for a particular as well as a general end; and let us put this prancing monarch and that silly scare-monger, and these excitable "patriots," and those adventurers, and all the practitioners of Welt Politik, into one vast Temple of War, with cork carpets everywhere, and plenty of little trees and little houses to knock down, and cities and fortresses, and unlimited soldiers — tons, cellars-full — and let them lead their own lives there away from us.'
If only this was possible.
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you are on the mend regarding your Covid-19 infection- and you'l be back to your old self soon.
I tend to think the Invasion could be the very trigger for expansion into a full blown Third World War - lets us hope and pray that this doesn't happen and the current hostility ends abruptly.
Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI just had another LFT … and I’m still positive. That said, I now feel as if I just have a heavy cold, which is a great improvement.
The situation in Ukraine looks precarious, but if the conflict can be contained we can hope that sanity will prevail and the war can be ended as soon as possible.
All the best,
Bob
Sorry to hear that Covid has knocked you for six Bob, so wishing you a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI must admit that I thought that I’d be over it by now, but I’m still testing positive. It feels like I have a very heavy cold.
All the best,
Bob
Glad you are on the mend Bob, but sorry it is taking a while.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile I've been putting extra supplies of food and water in the bomb shelter in the cellar....
Martin Rapier,
DeleteIt’s taking longer than I hoped it would, but as today has progressed, I’ve noticed that I am feeling better than I did when I woke up this morning.
We still have the remains of the stockpile we built up during lockdown. We have kept it topped up as we were never sure that we wouldn’t have another lockdown.
All the best,
Bob
Don’t forget the black plastic bags and fly sweaters.
DeleteSteve8,
DeleteI’ve certainly got a large supply of black plastic bags …
All the best,
Bob
Good to see you posting Bob, and all the best for the continued recovery!
ReplyDeletePrufrock,,
DeleteI’ve just taken my morning LFT … and It looks as if I am almost negative! (The line that indicates a positive result is very, very faint.)
The worst is passed!
All the best,
Bob
As others have said, it is really good to see you posting again and healthy enough to do so. Some normality in this currently messed up world!
ReplyDeleteSteve,
DeleteI’m just about able to concentrate for long enough to answer comments, but not enough to do much else. Hopefully the situation will continue to improve; I just wish that it was a bit quicker to do so!
All the best,
Bob
Maybe when sanity prevails this nonsense in Ukraine will make a good war game scenario - get well Bob
ReplyDeleteBTW recently purchased several of your Portable Books & have enjoyed the reading
Unknown,
DeleteThanks for your best wishes. I hope that I will be finally clear of COVID today!
I suspect that there are some people who are already looking at events in the Ukraine and developing suitable wargame scenarios.
Thanks for buying some of my books, and I am pleased that you have enjoyed reading them.
All the best,
Bob