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| photo from Sky News - I hope they won't mind me using it |
I had planned to post a game report tonight - but given the news from Ukraine, it did not seem appropriate.
This is the darkest day. There is a hideous, brutal attack on freedom itself, and on all of us who value freedom. Individually there may be nothing we can do about it, but we can think, and feel, and we can speak. I hope our hearts and minds are with the people of Ukraine as they face the possible ruin of their hopes, for no remotely valid reasons. I hold no grudge against the people of Russia; this barbarity springs from the mind of just one man.
We who share a hobby which itself engages with warfare, and involves a necessary interest in military history, may need to take a pause to think about ourselves, too. There is perhaps a natural tendency to be curious and 'nerdily' interested about the mechanics and details of what is going on - but we should be mindful that this is not like a wargame, this is a very real, large-scale horror, unfolding in real time. I am thus not going to get into a 'what if' frame of mind, not going to speculate about how things might turn out, and who might 'win'. There will be no 'winners', only different degrees of loss. I'm afraid that there is little hope of 'the good guys winning', at least in the short term. In the long term, we need to remember them, keep thinking of them, and not forget what is being done to them today.
We might also think about our hobby and our approach to it, as plenty of others would doutbless accuse us of glorifying the sort of violence unleashed today. I have never really been able to put my finger on 'the reason why' my interests have bent this way, and I am not sure I could confidently defend against such attacks. Perhaps at least by acquiring some knowledge, we are aware of the horrors of war, and hopefully less eager to promote the real thing as a result? And of course we should be clear that we are only playing a game, which can, in the final analysis, have not the slightest resemblance to the real thing - thankfully.
Enough said, I think. I don't know if this has helped me, or any of you. I don't know how this will turn out - except that we can be sure that no good will come of it. Stokes at the Grand Duchy of Stollen said 'there are no words', and he is probably more eloquent and profound as a result. But I wanted to at least say something, not just let it go, as only pictures and sounds from 'a far-away country, of which we know little'. I hope you will allow me that.
Keep well, and safe, everyone.
Very well said David.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteWell said!
Keep safe and keep well!
Bob
A moving post, well put.
ReplyDeleteWell said Dave. It is indeed a dark day, what is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy and its implications are terrifying. From what I have read about Putin's world view and his motivations the recklessness with which he is embarking on this adventure is dismally unsurprising, and the world has become a much more dangerous place for everyone as a result.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way as you in that I would struggle to defend my interest in things military from anyone accusing me of an inappropriate interest in violence. I have always had a fastidious distaste for True Crime because I felt I couldn't bear to read about people preying on others in that way, and yet I constantly read military history books of which many are if anything True Crime writ large. I can only say that I regard myself, and I think pretty much every other wargamer I have ever met or communicated with, as the opposite of militaristic and under no illusions as to the horror and brutality of war. But yes, that ability to take an academic interest in tactics, technology and logistics while divorcing it from the foul realities of war is definitely something worthy of our reflection.
Along with H.G. Wells’ ending to Little Wars back in 1913,
ReplyDeletehttps://archive.org/details/littlewarsgamefo00well/page/100/mode/1up
I can only add to what you have said by offering an alternative more restful or peaceful set of table top games for a while
https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2022/02/24/some-more-peaceful-or-non-lethal-tabletop-strategy-games/
Very well said. I grew up with atomic attack drills in the early 60's and, as a serving officer in the 70's, wasn't allowed to visit West Berlin without having gone through various clearances etc to get permission (we went elsewhere instead). Sure makes the 90's seem like a golden age.
ReplyDeleteLiving in "interesting times" again. Sighhh
Thank you all for your kind comments.
ReplyDeleteA dark day, yes. But no one seems to recall the dark days for ethnic Russian in February 2014, as the unelected Kyiv 'Champions of Democracy' (Barack Obama) overthrew the elected government, and began a process of disenfranchisement, persecution and murder of ethnic Russians - Ukraine's own citizens until unilaterally deprived of that citizenship for no reason.
ReplyDeleteRemember that? Remember the Russians being mewed up in burning public buildings and left to chose burning or jumping to their deaths, whilst the mob bayed for more deaths? It was reported in the main stream media at the time.
So it was no wonder that the Russian majorities in eastern regions seceded, where they were attacked, and subjected to eight years of harassing bombardment.
Now, President Zelensky is demanding talks with Russia. Where was he before Russia's operation when he had plenty of time to accept Russia's invitations - oh, yes, and 7 years to implement the Minsk accord measures that he has suddenly seen fit to remind Russia of.
The West refused to act in good faith, so Russia cast about for other solutions to the concerns the West disdained to regard. This is what they came up with. What else were they supposed to do?
Thank you for your comment, Ion. I was not aware of the incidents you describe, and will endeavour to learn more about them. But I remain unconvinced that there is any justification for what is currently being done to the people of Ukraine. You ask 'what were they supposed to do?' - I would suggest not inflicting mass murder and devastation upon millions of people. Responding to a crime with an even greater crime is surely never the answer. You might say that my philosophy is shared with Nundanket's mother: 'two wrongs don't make a right'.
DeleteLet's all hope for an end to the fighting.
I have spent ten minutes trying to verify Ion's ethnic cleansing claims via Google but have been unable to do so - that of course does not mean some of it didnt happen, but its not a justification for invasion - otherwise invasions would be happening every other week - and they dont. I did think yesterday "wait a minute, wasnt it only a few months ago that the Poles were having to defend their border with Ukraine to stop the Ukrainians facilitating mass illegal immigration into the EU .....and its never easy to know exactly what level of real democracy exists outside of W Europe and parts of N America and the Commonwealth - I am sure Ukraine's hands are not spotlessly clean but at the end of the day, Putin seems to be deranged and his crazy antics make the whole world less safe and are going to lead directly to hundreds if not thousands of Ukrainian and Russian deaths - and nothing will be achieved except much stronger NATO forces parked right on his Western border in the Baltic states and Poland etc. I also heard a couple of days ago that Sweden and Finland may be looking to join NATO for the first time.....
ReplyDeleteI would very much agree with this I think. Without knowing an awful lot about the subject I suspect that Ukraine is not the blameless perfect democracy - such a thing does not exist. I think it's also the case that there is a troubling history of ethnic hatred in that part of Europe and it would not surprise me in the least if there had been incidents where ethnic Russians have been persecuted within the borders of Ukraine. I have been horrified this weekend to read of racist incidents occurring during the evacuation of civilians from Ukraine.
DeleteBut this in no way justifies Putin's actions, and you don't have to be a particular admirer of Ukraine or of NATO to be horrified at what he has done. I think you would have to have a questionable worldview to not acknowledge Putin as a force for destabilisation, and his nuclear sabre-rattling is adding a terrifying new dimension to the situation that I can't ever remember during the Cold War. As someone born after the Cuba Missile Crisis I remember tensions often being high but I can never remember the nuclear option being bandied about so threateningly by Soviet leaders as if it is fully on the table. Putin's actions indicate a worrying new propensity for recklessness on the part of a man that, though we already knew he is a monster, we all thought was at least capable of calm reflection and restraint.
I would also say that irresponsible reactions are not a Russian monopoly. Hearing Liz Truss say that she was supportive of Britons who wanted to go off and fight the Russians in Ukraine was a genuine 'WTF???' moment.
DeleteThanks rross. I think the border migrants issue with Poland actually involved Byelorussia ( whose president is a close ally of Putin, and has allowed Russian forces to invade Ukraine from his territory ) rather than Ukraine?
DeleteI do agree with your assessment of the general situation.
and Thanks Dave, yes the nuclear threat is utterly horrifying, a terrible throwback to early 80s memories for me. Equally Liz Truss' comments do not inspire much confidence - at the same time, UK government is trying to set limits on Ukrainian refugees being allowed to come here. If only they had more money, like Russian oligarchs, they would presumably be welcomed? :)
DeleteYes I had to smile at the idea of a Tory minister supporting an "International Brigade" when you look back to the 1930's and the situation with people trying to fight for the Republic against Franco's fascists in the SCW! I am not really as surprised as some people seem to be that the Russians have not just rolled over the Ulranians - they may not be a tier one military force but they ahve plenty of reasonable equipment and they certainly have a determined population - this could have happened to the West in Iraq if Saddams forces had possessed the will and fighting spirit to resist - they just didnt have much belief in their own regime I think and hence were not prepared to risk death in defending it. The Russian army has always been a bit suspect in my opinion - I am not sure they would have got on very well if it had come to blows with NATO - look at the news right now, there is a 16km convoy of armour advancing on Kiev - all the Ukranians need is some airpower and they could do what the Coalition did to the Iraqis when they were pulling out of Kuwait - or what the Allies did to the Wehrmacht at the Falaise Pocket in 1944. Half a dozen cruise missiles would probably do the job.
ReplyDeleteThanks rross. I think your assesment is probably right. As I said in the original post, I am trying not to get 'geeky' about it or think of it like a game - the build-up of Russian forces near Kyiv is very ominous and will likely lead to much heavier fighting and huge casualties on both sides. As I said, there are no winners here. I'd like to hope the fighting can be stopped, but honestly I don't hold out much hope.
Delete