If there’s one thing that Putin must learn from the Americans, it’s Vietnam. A superpower cannot win against a country that is defended by volunteer citizens who had everything to lose. That’s what the US miscalculated about the Vietnam War. Drunk with its success in WW2 and Korean War, it thought it could win any war it can dip its bloody hands on. It did not see that the Vietnamese, fighting with what was equivalent to sticks, could win a war. The Americans were fighting a war that is not theirs.
As Ukraine continues to wage a surprisingly successful resistance against Russia, Ukrainian civilians and volunteers are playing a crucial role in defending their county— one for which they have been preparing for the past eight years, since the last major Russian incursion in 2014.
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Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images
Putin’s war is not Russia’s war. Its citizens have boldly spoken, even to the point of risking death in a country where anything against the government spells “disappearance”.
Russian rapper Oxxxymiron cancels shows: “I know that most people in Russia are against this war”
I read one opinion that this is Putin’s miscalculation. His power/influence in Russia is waning, hence, this desperate act of a despot. Russians may start pushing back and oust him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown grit and determination by being in the frontlines together with the resistance.
As Russians assail Kyiv, Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘derailed their plan’
US defense official says Moscow’s troops increasingly frustrated by ‘very determined resistance’; Ukrainian president urges Russians to pressure Putin to stop invasion
NATO can’t do anything right now because Ukraine is not yet part of NATO. But has NATO done anything of significance in any of the wars in Europe? I really can’t remember…as a student of international affairs/news, I really can’t. I may be wrong but please do remind me. In any case, trade embargoes by US and EU can’t do anything to Russia. It has gas, it has oil, it has rare earth minerals, it has a lot of the raw materials needed to manufacture semiconductors. It can easily turn to China and other rogue states for trade.
Then why on earth people from Asia like me watching the situation in Ukraine with bated breath? Because our version of Russia is China. If US and EU could not stop Putin from invading an independent democratic country like Ukraine, then nothing is going to stop China from invading Taiwan and other parts of Asia like the Philippines (it has been encroaching on our territory, mind you). Xi Jinping is just clapping in Beijing, watching with glee as things unravel from Eastern Europe.
God help us all.
Writing yesterday’s blog entry riled me up so much that I barely slept. I kept waking up every 30 mins and now I have a very nasty headache despite being asleep for most of today. Maybe every conversation with these friends should come with trigger warning signs.
The thing I should learn now is how to train myself from being triggered. My blogging and long-hand journal writing should have helped me with that. I should tell my shrink that it’s not making a dent now…I still exhibit PTSD. How long will I be like this?
In some cases, particularly where it is not treated, PTSD can last a very long time, perhaps the remainder of one’s life. Most people with longstanding PTSD find that the symptoms are not steady in their severity. For some people, PTSD symptoms gradually fade over time. Other people find that symptoms may increase when they encounter reminders of their traumatic events.
Brain & Behavior Reserach Foundation
My reactions to triggering events and my preference to stay indoors and not meet people is my “fight-or-flight” response to this trauma. My abhorrence towards dating and my retreat to my hometown is a manifestation of that. I’m just preserving myself from abusers/predators like J. Survival mode. While I didn’t fight back and didn’t act on getting even with him, I cannot say the same for my friends in the industry and allied industries. I cannot control them.
As a predator, he is the type who will chase anyone with a vagina and I’m not going to be surprised if he’s chasing after some random salesperson or he goes after every one he employed in his lab. The girl he cheated me with is in some kind of networking or multilevel marketing shindig that is equivalent to scamming people. She even calls herself CEO. Duh. I no longer care who he chases, but if his shenanigans reach my doorstep or my turf, he will suffer the consequences.
Fight or flight. One day I will fight back. But I choose my battles. Not today though. Not today.
OOOhh I’m still angry. I’m still riled up. I should light up my lavender candle and start sketching until I fall asleep.
I shouldn’t be angry. Anger means I have feelings for him, even if it’s negative. I should teach myself how to be apathetic. Apathy is the best revenge.
Ahh, this song is satisfying. Nice to sing while taking a shower.