Duck and Cover

You don’t need me to tell you that the situation with Russia and Ukraine has gone off the rails. (Or maybe you do, I don’t know. I don’t know where you get your news from.) What started as a classic “my troops were merely passing by” moment for Russia has turned into the largest ground war in Europe since World War II, with Russia reviving its status as the Cold War era James Bond villain nation.

I know the official doctrine given to you by your friends at CBRN is a little different than what we have here, but does it really matter? If the Cold War turns hot, we’re all gonna need some new guidelines anyway.

As you’ve probably seen all over social media over the last week, the Ukrainians are motivating as fuck. They are giving Ivan a real run for their money, with HD videos being broadcast from the battlefield every day depicting the heroism and horror that’s unfolding. The world has never really seen anything like this, and we’re all captivated by it.

Like many, I’m arm-chair quarterbacking the situation in Ukraine the best that I can from my vantage point on Twitter. To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of the situation. On the one hand, I get immense enjoyment out of watching the Russian military bumble their way to failure at every turn to the absolute Chad-tier Ukrainians. On the other, I can’t shake this feeling that things are going to get much, much worse before they get better.

Putin’s options are limited. His economy at home is fucked, his military is demoralized and, in many cases, totally unwilling to fight this insane and unjust invasion. Putin can’t really back down at this point, or tanking his entire country and embarrassing himself on the world stage served zero purpose (not that there is real purpose here, but I have to assume there is to him). If Russia can actually sack Kyiv and install his puppet leadership (as he wants), the country will surely devolve into a quagmire civil war/insurgency for years to come, which Russia surely can’t financially afford after this.

To be honest, the lack of options is the most concerning part for me. It’s go big or go home to an angry mob and a fresh glass of polonium tea. Like everyone else, I have no idea what will happen next.

…but I do know that everything is unprecedented until it happens.

I pray for the people of Ukraine and wish them many Javelins.