Europe at War

[vandermolen]

I am completely lost as a person because of this war. I try hard to concentrate on things that takes my mind out of this lunacy, but it is overhelming. It is not so much anxiety and fear anymore, but depression and total loss of hope that mankind learns someday to make this damn stupid planet a good place for EVERYONE, not just for power-hungry madmen and oligarchs...

Life has beaten me to the ground. Covid-19 pandemic and this finished me. I don't know how I can ever recover from this.

Good things happen in my life, but those tend to be pathetic compared to the bad things (in regards of how they make me feel). When Ju-On 1 & 2 movies were released on Blu-ray in Nordic countries, I was really happy about it for a few days. Good, but this Ukraine thing has caused me MASSIVE amount to NEGATIVE feelings for 6 weeks now! There is no "balancing out".

As a very introverted person I am good at being alone, but when I am bombed this much with shocking things (Trumpism, Brexit, Covid-19, war in Ukraine etc.), processing things "by myself" almost completely alone is HARD!

I think that many of us share your views - this is, indeed, a horrible time, but having to face it on your own can make it more difficult. There's a quite I like: 'the answer is always to persevere'.

[steve ridgway]

I am completely lost as a person because of this war. I try hard to concentrate on things that takes my mind out of this lunacy, but it is overhelming. It is not so much anxiety and fear anymore, but depression and total loss of hope that mankind learns someday to make this damn stupid planet a good place for EVERYONE, not just for power-hungry madmen and oligarchs...

It's human nature; people want things for themselves but also have a tendency to form groups for protection and advancement which then come into conflict with other groups. Think about things other than humans - the natural world around you, other species of life, the sky, the history and evolution of the Universe.

[krummholz]

I am completely lost as a person because of this war. I try hard to concentrate on things that takes my mind out of this lunacy, but it is overhelming. It is not so much anxiety and fear anymore, but depression and total loss of hope that mankind learns someday to make this damn stupid planet a good place for EVERYONE, not just for power-hungry madmen and oligarchs...

Life has beaten me to the ground. Covid-19 pandemic and this finished me. I don't know how I can ever recover from this.

Good things happen in my life, but those tend to be pathetic compared to the bad things (in regards of how they make me feel). When Ju-On 1 & 2 movies were released on Blu-ray in Nordic countries, I was really happy about it for a few days. Good, but this Ukraine thing has caused me MASSIVE amount to NEGATIVE feelings for 6 weeks now! There is no "balancing out".

As a very introverted person I am good at being alone, but when I am bombed this much with shocking things (Trumpism, Brexit, Covid-19, war in Ukraine etc.), processing things "by myself" almost completely alone is HARD!

Poju, please don't take this the wrong way, but do you have access to any mental health professionals? Seeing this awful brutal invasion grind on, day after day, with the utter inhumanity of the invaders on display on the news every evening, is a form of trauma I think. I don't think any of us is immune. A Stoic outlook is probably necessary, as Jeffrey suggests, but it may not be sufficient. When these events start to cause chronic depression, and you feel ill-equipped to deal with it alone, it might be time to reach out to someone. Just a thought.

Kind regards.

[71 dB]

I think that many of us share your views - this is, indeed, a horrible time, but having to face it on your own can make it more difficult. There's a quite I like: 'the answer is always to persevere'.

Of course. This is certainly hard for any reasonable person.

It's human nature; people want things for themselves but also have a tendency to form groups for protection and advancement which then come into conflict with other groups. Think about things other than humans - the natural world around you, other species of life, the sky, the history and evolution of the Universe.

That is actually a great advice! Thanks! I will try it!  0:)

Poju, please don't take this the wrong way, but do you have access to any mental health professionals? Seeing this awful brutal invasion grind on, day after day, with the utter inhumanity of the invaders on display on the news every evening, is a form of trauma I think. I don't think any of us is immune. A Stoic outlook is probably necessary, as Jeffrey suggests, but it may not be sufficient. When these events start to cause chronic depression, and you feel ill-equipped to deal with it alone, it might be time to reach out to someone. Just a thought.

Kind regards.

Don't worry, you post is most polite. 

In fact I do and I can talk about these things. I needed it to do something to the anxiety and fears. It helped, but now after 6 weeks of war and after the news about all the brutality against civilians one starts to ask "Should I smile in a World like this? When are the better times coming?" Last year I was able to improve my state of mind a lot and things looked good, but then this happened and all that work last year is nullified. Now I just need to learn to tolerate war in Europe... ...I don't know how "chronic" this will be. Maybe I feel better next week. Maybe I won't... 

[Herman]

We should by all means try to smile, and be kind to our fellow men (and women), just to reduce the pain and awfulness of this time.

It's also helpful not to be connected to the news and internet all the time.

[Karl Henning]

We should by all means try to smile, and be kind to our fellow men (and women), just to reduce the pain and awfulness of this time.

It's also helpful not to be connected to the news and internet all the time.

I completely endorse this.

[BasilValentine]

We should by all means try to smile, and be kind to our fellow men (and women), just to reduce the pain and awfulness of this time.

It's also helpful not to be connected to the news and internet all the time.

Yes, I've come to call my computer "the outrage machine." Hey 71db: Don't tolerate the war, stop thinking about it for a while. You suffering too isn't going to help anyone involved and the war will get along without you watching it.

[71 dB]

We should by all means try to smile, and be kind to our fellow men (and women), just to reduce the pain and awfulness of this time.

I do agree.

It's also helpful not to be connected to the news and internet all the time.

Cutting the time spent on following the news was massively helpful in reducing anxiety and fear for me. I also avoid sensationalism and favour news organisations that simply state the facts as they are.

Concentrating on my hobbies etc. was another way ro deal with this. Now the problem is the lack of good news (about the war ending).

[Mirror Image]

I am completely lost as a person because of this war. I try hard to concentrate on things that takes my mind out of this lunacy, but it is overhelming. It is not so much anxiety and fear anymore, but depression and total loss of hope that mankind learns someday to make this damn stupid planet a good place for EVERYONE, not just for power-hungry madmen and oligarchs...

Life has beaten me to the ground. Covid-19 pandemic and this finished me. I don't know how I can ever recover from this.

Good things happen in my life, but those tend to be pathetic compared to the bad things (in regards of how they make me feel). When Ju-On 1 & 2 movies were released on Blu-ray in Nordic countries, I was really happy about it for a few days. Good, but this Ukraine thing has caused me MASSIVE amount to NEGATIVE feelings for 6 weeks now! There is no "balancing out".

As a very introverted person I am good at being alone, but when I am bombed this much with shocking things (Trumpism, Brexit, Covid-19, war in Ukraine etc.), processing things "by myself" almost completely alone is HARD!

Poju, I say this as a friend and as someone who has suffered from several mental setbacks in my life, you mustn't let the negativity get to you. Be above it all. Keep your mind occupied and never let the enemy win! The enemy I'm referring to is the black force within us all that continuously keeps us down. You can overcome this, my friend! You've lasted this long and you will continue to do. I know it must be easy for me to say such things when I'm an ocean away and you're essentially in Russia's backyard, but please don't let the darkness consume you. If you ever want to do a video chat, then let me know. I'll be happy to talk to you and if anything gives you comfort, it's knowing that at least you don't look like me.

[71 dB]

Poju, I say this as a friend and as someone who has suffered from several mental setbacks in my life, you mustn't let the negativity get to you. Be above it all. Keep your mind occupied and never let the enemy win! The enemy I'm referring to is the black force within us all that continuously keeps us down. You can overcome this, my friend! You've lasted this long and you will continue to do. I know it must be easy for me to say such things when I'm an ocean away and you're essentially in Russia's backyard, but please don't let the darkness consume you. If you ever want to do a video chat, then let me know. I'll be happy to talk to you and if anything gives you comfort, it's knowing that at least you don't look like me.

Thanks for your support! Monday was a difficult day for me. I didn't feel great physically. I felt ill and tired. That's why things felt darker than they feel on a better day. I feel better already. It helped to write here and get supporting responses. Thank you everyone! 0:)

There are talks about Finland applying for Nato membership next month. The overall opinion about Nato in Finland has gone from "Membership not needed at this time" to "Finland needs Nato, because Russia is a terror state" in 2 months. If Le Pen becomes the next president of France it could mean problems for Finland joining Nato so that is one thing to worry about for the next 2 weeks. The Nato panic is massive over here, but on the other hand Russia is militarily weakened in Ukraine and Finland has strong defence compared to size. Our artillery for example is 7 times bigger than that of Germany!

[Que]

Ukraine War: Russia warns Sweden and Finland against Nato membership (BBC)

Another "Western provocation".....

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation".

[Madiel]

For a rather different perspective on Russia and NATO, try this from Bill Clinton: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/04/bill-clinton-nato-expansion-ukraine/629499/

[LKB]

Ukraine War: Russia warns Sweden and Finland against Nato membership (BBC)

Another "Western provocation".....

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation".

Russian general, to Finnish leadership:

" I must warn you, joining NATO may result in Russian forces entering your country to secure our border. "

Finnish leadership to Russian general, after reviewing Russian performance in Ukraine:

" Promise? "

[Florestan]

For a rather different perspective on Russia and NATO, try this from Bill Clinton: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/04/bill-clinton-nato-expansion-ukraine/629499/

Thanks for this.

It wasn't NATO seeking to go East - it was former Soviet satellites and republics wishing to go West.

Exactly.

[steve ridgway]

If Le Pen becomes the next president of France it could mean problems for Finland joining Nato so that is one thing to worry about for the next 2 weeks.

There is always something to worry about if you let your attention be caught by it. The whole of human history is basically just detail about which particular people fought over which particular resources at some particular place and time. However, you and amw have made me wonder whether I should get back into astronomy again. The Moon has been an absorbing place for me to look at and take photos in the past; maybe I should see if there are still any UK astronomy / astrophotography forums around.

[Todd]

Exactly.

It's the standard narrative of NATO expansion and has been since the 90s.  NATO, due to multiple factors, including, but not limited to, (not quite so) latent imperial impulses and institutional inertia, must continue to expand its scope and reach.  That is why NATO has nine "partners across the globe" or "global partners" (it uses both designations), including Mongolia, Iraq, and Columbia.  Not surprisingly, all of the full members, potential members, and partners are either useful from a naval standpoint or are geographically close to, if not enemies, then potential regional challengers to the US.  This of course relies on a belief that the US and its allies have legitimate claims to engage in and address security matters around the globe.  NATO thinks so:

NATO's engagement with global partners is taking on increasing importance in a complex security environment, where many of the challenges the Alliance faces are global and no longer bound by geography.

[Todd]

Expansionism is only a meaningful term when it refers to forced actions against unwilling parties. Joining NATO is voluntary. Your narrative is bullshit. Hardly surprising from someone by whose logic chastity belts are a provocation to rapists.

It is completely understandable that smaller, weaker nations should seek protection from a hegemon that either aligns with their interests or does not pose a direct threat to those interests.  That is rational.  What is irrational is for a hegemon to extend its power and overextend its strategic commitments for countries of little or no strategic or economic value.  Irrational choices are easy to understand when emotional appeals to "democracy", "human rights", "values", etc are offered as a rationale for the expansion of power.  There have been critics of NATO since before it was officially established, there were critics of expansion in 1997 and every round since, and while clearly the official policy of the US is to push for greater NATO expansion, it does not change but rather reinforces the fact that the policy is expansionist.  The US could have - and should have - rejected expansion in prior decades.  It did not.  It is very difficult to resist an expansion of power, perceived or actual. 

[Florestan]

It is completely understandable that smaller, weaker nations should seek protection from a hegemon that either aligns with its interests or does not pose a direct threat to those interests.  That is rational.  What is irrational is for a hegemon to extend its power and overextend its strategic commitments for countries of little or no strategic or economic value.

Now you contradict yourself, because in your prior post you wrote that, on the contrary:

Not surprisingly, all of the full members, potential members, and partners are either useful from a naval standpoint or are geographically close to, if not enemies, then potential regional challengers to the US. 

[Todd]

Now you contradict yourself, because in your prior post you wrote that, on the contrary:

Not really.  It was a poorly constructed sentence, which is my bad.  The useful bit applies to the nine "partners".  Note that the partners do not enjoy the same level of commitment as full NATO members.  That is actually a much better approach; transactional alliances are far preferable to fixed treaty alliances.  Of course, the US can blow off treaty obligations.  Ask literally any Native American tribe that still exists.

Some existing NATO member states offer only costs and no benefits from a US standpoint.  The Baltic states come to mind here.  Unless someone can explain the benefits the US enjoys from the current arrangement.

[Florestan]

Thus the scelerate Putin today: No matter how strange it might sound, our peoples [ie, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine] are united.

I thought about several idiomatic Romanian replies to this, put them through Google Translate and eventually gave up. I'm ultimately speechless.