Hardening Emotions

The horrifying images out of Ukraine keeps coming, but this time they are joined by images from drones that show the actual killings by the Russians; thus, refuting the Russians’ claims that the images are fake. Audios of military commanders ordering the slaughter of civilians also came out, providing further proof that the Russians are doing it.

Slowly, slowly, evidence of war crimes is being collected.

The “special military operation” has devolved into a massive destruction of the infrastructure and the wanton killings of civilians. Such dystopian images we are seeing.

One thing that stuns me is that the Ukrainian and the Russians are very closely related: lots of families move back and forth between the two countries. Yet, there is this atrocious behavior from the Russian side. There is some news that the ordinary conscripts are uncomfortable with such murderous behaviors and do not want this war, but the commanders seem to be another story.

I suspect this brutality will harden the Ukrainian’s feelings into hatred that could last at least a generation. In my last post, I mentioned that some Ukrainians (if not most) believe the war is not just Putin’s fault but also the Russians fault. Most of the West believe (I think) that since most of regular Russians, especially those now remaining in Russia, do not have access to other news sources outside of the state TV programming, they do not know what is going on in Ukraine. They might not know the scope of the atrocities.

Ukrainians – some if not most – do not buy this contention. Instead, they believe the Russians are deliberating ignoring the facts and would rather believe the government. They don’t want to believe they are 1) losing the war (at the moment) and 2) are perpetuating such atrocities.

At least that is how I am understanding the situation. Maybe as I read and learn more, I will understand better the nuances of Ukrainians’ beliefs about Russians complicity.

The latest news today suggest that Russian society is starting to turn on and turn in those they suspect do not support the government’s activities. They are “spitting out the midge that flew into their mouths”.

Kind of reminds me of Germany in the early 1930’s.

I’ve been seeing some videos from Russia just to get a feel of what they could be thinking and feeling. There is one channel that I’m amazed is still going on despite addressing some sensitive issues. The host of the video asks people on the street their feelings about the situation in Ukraine. According to the summary, most of the people refused to answer the questions – quite understandable. Then there are others who look uncomfortable and whose eyes sort of flit around while they give somewhat vague answers, usually “I don’t know what is going on” or “I’m apolitical”. And then they are others who flat out either support the “special military operation” or do not support it.

The ones who look uncomfortable – I think they know what is going despite denying knowledge. They know that a war is going on, but they can’t say that because it is now illegal to do so. The question in my mind is: by the time this episode is over, will these Russian people be regarded as complicit? The Ukrainians probably do but what about the rest of the world?

I’m thinking about the Germans at the end of the world where they had to face and maybe answer for the concentration camps belching out ashes of the dead prisoners. They denied that they knew what was going on but there was a terrible stench of the dead in the air. No one believed that they didn’t know.

Will the same thing happen to the Russians?

Of course, I’m assuming that the Ukrainians and NATO wins this war and is able to hold Putin and his military leaders and maybe Russia to account.