Timothy Snyder analogizes the Ukraine war on his Substack:
You have a good neighbor. He does a lot for you. He keeps the street clean around your house. He mows your lawn when you are away. He signs for your packages and brings them to you later. Your kids go and play with his kids in the backyard. He has an alarm on his house with a camera, which you don't, and he once ran burglars away from your house. He's done a thing or two for you that you haven't noticed. Like the time he stopped a crew from mistakenly taking down a tree in your front yard. And the time he found your cat outside, on the street, and gave it to your kid.
And now your neighbor's house has caught fire.
It is so dismaying to watch as our political leaders stand by and do little as Russia ramps up its war on Ukraine. It is appalling. The only way to avoid being disgusted constantly is to keep your attention firmly averted. Because it is a disaster on multiple fronts; because we could be doing many things to turn events in our favor and in the favor of our own friends and allies. We could be doing more to promote our system and our values, but instead we refuse the help we are capable of providing.
Your neighbor runs to you and asks you to just turn the water in the direction of the flame.
You refuse. You turn off the water and walk away. And then you hurry down to your basement and shut off the valve, just to make sure your neighbor can't be helped.
All you had do was flick your wrist, turn the hose in the right direction. But you didn't. It wouldn't have cost you anything. A nickel on your water bill that you wouldn't notice.
And if you had helped, you'd have been a hero. Your neighbor would remember you, as would the press, as would your kids, as would everyone. But you chose not to help. Your neighbor's house burns down.
And then yours does, too.
∞
Well, I have seen better blizzards at Dairy Queen.
Placido Domingo, everyone. Jake spewed over night. I blame Thor: he gave Jake a green bean out of the casserole.