This was a week of multiple meltdowns.
There are no words to describe how depressing it is to witness yet another war in our lifetime. The Ukrainians just got hit from all sides - literally from their east and figuratively from the West’s on-ground inaction.
The US sanctions are allegedly cutting off the ability of the Russian oligarchs and their immediate family to pay for this war and fund Putin. To inflict true pain on Putin, US and EU will have to kick Russia’s Central Bank out of SWIFT, but that looks unlikely to happen.
Ukraine’s invasion has made me panic. Will Russia's domination of Ukraine legitimize China to barge into India through the northeastern border or for Pakistan to march into Kashmir, while the rest of the world watches! That just blows my mind.
Closer to home, we have the announcement that Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the next SCOTUS nominee.
Biden found a highly educated, extremely capable jurist who is also black and a woman. While we give kudos, the right wing is melting down over how the liberals only promote identity and ideological policies. Wasn’t Amy Comey Barrett elected only because of her view on abortion and Trump appeals to his base only for his anti-immigrant, pro-coal, anti-globalization policies. Excuse me while I barf.
At home, we are continuing to deal with the IRS with our 2019 return.
Yes, you read that right. 2019! Three years on, we have e-filed, re-filed, worked with our Congresswoman’s office and today we re-re-filed! I found myself standing at a copier reproducing a heap of paper and then lining up at USPS to use 20th century tools to ship the package. I rarely say this, but I came close to giving up.
Then I reminded myself that our political madness and our personal troubles instantly pale in comparison to the plight of the Ukrainians. I cannot even begin to imagine being uprooted from our daily lives and being asked to defend our country with arms in hand and elders and kids in tow.
We thought how can the world be in worse shape after Covid and here we are, staring at unthinkable peril because humans are worse than superbugs. Sadly, there will never be a vaccine to protect us from us!
