You say it yourself - you should not feel anxious given your situation, but you do. You need to address your baseline anxiety. Anxiety always finds some reason "why" (i.e. current instability, war...) but often the root cause is deeper and personal - I am speaking from a personal experience.
Consider therapy. Other things might help as well. Sleep more. Rest more. Work less. Find time for some physical activity. But at least in my case, finding and addressing the root cause(s) was the key (followed by years of un-learning of some unhealthy mental patterns).
I would estimate that they made even the Russian-controlled areas much less stable. So if their plan was to extract natural resources... they seem to have torpedoed their own plan? I don't know, it does not make any sense to me. But honestly, the whole invasion does not make any sense. I fail to see any "rational" (however immoral) explanation that would seem believable and I tend to view it in terms of ideology gone haywire, perceived grievances, humiliation and revenge... those models seem to fit better than "rational" models like access to natural resources, protection from NATO etc. Just my $0.02.
It would be extremely hard (if not impossible) to extract and transfer those resources under constant attacks by Ukrainian resistance. To suppress that resistance would require so much money (and soldiers) that it would probably bankrupt Russia. At the same time, the extraction of natural resources is threatened in Russia itself, because they use western financing and tech to do that, western companies are now leaving and it is not so easy to switch to China.
This might sound weird but people sometimes use strange mental tricks to calm themselves down - it helps me think of it as me being a little part of history. My grandmother lived through world war and occupation by Germans, revolution, counter-revolution, invasion and occupation by Russians, another revolution, unusually long stretch of pretty good years and global pandemic. So far I only have one occupation, revolution and global pandemic under my belt. But who knows what the future holds.
Why pull down your pants when the ford is still far away? You being drafted is extremely unlikely... however, if you want to be mentally prepared, consider this the preparation. You feel anxious (me too). In a few days, we will get used to it. And when something even tougher comes, we will get used to it too. You are already a lot tougher than you were two years ago - you just survived global pandemic.
It often helps to do something with others instead of worrying at home. Any chance there is some refugee center close to where you live where you could help Ukrainians or someone?
I see the word "метеорита" in the original source, which is indeed meteorite (+ declension). I do not think it could be mistranslated as artillery or missile, although I am not a native Russian speaker (I had to learn Russian at school for 3 or 4 years and I have forgotten most of it, it was a long time ago). I think the writer was going for a metaphor, a made up example of being tasked with preparing for something considered so improbable that the preparation was de-prioritized.
I did not know about that aspect of nuclear plants and in my non-expert view it would be a major point against nuclear plants in the discussion how to solve climate change (at least until we learn how to secure them in case of a war). Am I wrong?
EDIT: I would also like to ask if you can recommend some source where curious layman with no knowledge of physics could learn a bit more about this.
Well, since we are talking about Karel Čapek, what about his book "The White disease", where a ruthless dictator of a big well armed country is preparing the attack on a small country during the pandemic of a new disease? A really good movie (in my opinion) based on that book is for free on YouTube (if you are not deterred by black and white movie with subtitles): https://youtu.be/HJMUIBEzYnI
> I can't help but think Putin's guise of "denazifying Ukraine" was a poorly understood attempt to gain some favor with those in Western societies that see themselves as fighting fascism and right-wing extremism.
> As a westerner, I've definitely noticed my more left leaning friends agree with actions that seemingly contradict classical liberal ideals (free speech, free association) as long as such actions seem to be in service of fighting fascism...
Nah, this is targeted at Russians. I think that as a westerner you underestimate the power of the myth of Russians saving the world from fascism. This is the very core of their identity. You can find some interesting details here: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1497306746330697738.html
Personal experience: I grew up during cold war in one of east-european satelites of the Soviet union. That myth was probably weaker here than in the Soviet union itself, yet it felt ever-present; kind of representation of the mythical struggle of good versus evil. When me and my friends were playing "soldiers" as kids, we were always Russians shooting at fascists. And I remember loving books for kids where some Russian paratrooper befriends local boy and together fight fascism... This was during the latest stages of the communist regime, when almost everyone here hated communists and especially Russians. The idealized memory of their heroic struggle against fascism was the only positive thing that survived in the minds of people.
Obviously, no mention of Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact etc. in history books.
There is one thing I do not understand and I was hoping you (or any other person who knows a lot of Russians) can explain: I hear that Russia and Ukraine have many personal connections from the past. I happen to be from the Czech Republic and I imagined that it is probably similar to our relation to Slovakia - we used to be one state, many people having friends or relatives in the other country, mutually intelligible languages, mixed marriages... I always assumed that personal ties are stronger than propaganda (if I know that my Slovak brother in law and all of his friends are not fascists, I would hardly believe the propaganda claiming that they are). My view was obviously incorrect, but how? Did I overestimate the connectedness between Russia and Ukraine? Or underestimate the influence of propaganda? Or something else?
> There are obviously now messages coming through condemning US and EU for their actions in various conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Kosovo etc.
However strongly I am angered and scared by the current attack on Ukraine, I am also deeply shaken by questioning my own views. If one nation can be brainwashed into thinking that they are saving Ukraine from fascists, and they do not know they are brainwashed and think the other side is brainwashed... what am I brainwashed into? I already know I was also deceived big time (I totally believed that lie about WMDs in Iraq), what else is there? And I know that it can be argued that "western media" is more open and pluralistic, but don't Russians think the same about their media?
After seeing Brexit, Donald Trump, Covid, now Ukraine... we humans really need to figure out how to improve our ability to converge on models of reality closer to what really happens.
Anyway, thank you for shedding some light on the views from someone closer to Russia.
Probably not what you had in mind, but the first thing that popped into my mind after reading the subtitle of your post was Venus of Dolni Vestonice, a little ceramic figurine of a woman dated to 29,000–25,000 BCE. Beautiful piece of art in my opinion (although beauty standards have changed).
I am worried about Putin's actions and proclamations too but I do not understand why that specific video of Putin talking to his spy chief is referenced so often in this context. When reading about it in the media, I expected a "terrified mouse facing a cobra" scene, but when I was actually watching that video, it did not feel like that. I had bosses that were way more verbally aggressive than that and I would certainly be shaken a bit if I were scolded and humiliated by them in front of other (probably important) people ... and that is how this video looks like to me. Maybe people see more in the video because this is how they would feel while being scolded by a psychopath with nukes? Sure, maybe I am just reading that body language wrong, but I would think that someone faint-hearted does not became a spy chief in Putin's regime. That guy might be what Putin was 40 years ago.
I am not the OP but I had my view on this kind of changed by watching YouTube essay "Lies of Heroism – Redefining the Anti-War Film" [1]. Whey you think about movies like for example Enemy at the Gates, they show the gruesome reality of the battlefield, but it is usually interpreted in a way that makes the suffering feel meaningful, heroic. Contrast that with Come and See, where there is no heroism, no ultimate meaning of the suffering, just meaningless hellish nightmare.
Actually, I just remembered even better movie to recommend, if you are not deterred by a black and white foreign movie with subtitles - The White Disease [1] - a movie from 1937 where a hardened dictator, the leader of a big well armed country is preparing to attack a small country during the pandemic of a new disease. The movie is on YouTube for free and I think it is a little known gem for movie connoisseurs.
You might find inspiration in 2012 movie Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. It does not have especially high rating but I liked it. I keep thinking about it today for some reason. Even if the world does not end, finding a friend is always a good thing.
I got carried away. I apologize to both you and EugeneOZ. However, could you please point out what personal attack you mean, @dang? I am asking genuinely to learn. I see now that I did not argue in a constructive way and I am sorry about it but I honestly did not intend to personally attack EugeneOZ. I was not saying that I hate him or anything like that, he is clearly not responsible for what is going on in Ukraine. I was trying to re-frame what he perceives as hatred and explain it as people being hurt, something they do not necesarily control.
EugeneOZ, to put it absolutely clearly, I know you bear no personal responsibility, you do not deserve hatred, and if you understood it that way, there was misunderstanding caused by me and I sincerely apologize.
> Also, if you read the history of your country (and nation), you’ll see that one of your neighbors was occupying your country for a much, much longer time - maybe you’ll find another target to hate ;)
That is the thing you do not get - when you read about it in history books, it is not the same as experience something yourself. When it is your life that is being damaged, it hurts... and hurt people are not objective. People generalize. Read your own comment - you read one unpleasant comment from one guy on the internet and you are already generalizing it to Czechs you met in Prague. How would you react if someone did this[1] to someone you know?
I did not say that I hate you. I was just trying to explain to you why many people might. They do not want to hate (it is not pleasant). They did not choose to "cultivate hatred" as you say. They were hurt and hatred is natural reaction to trauma. Instead of blaming them, the victims, blame those who hurt them.
> "Well-integrated" isn't quite right. Slavic minorities are treated horribly by most Western Europeans (and Americans too). Historically, you'd go West, make money, and come back. Or if your country was bad enough, you'd go West, accept mistreatment, and stay.
That does not ring true at all. I am one of the slavic minority who lived in UK for 2,5 years and I do not remember a single instance of being treated poorly for being slavic. And I have not heard anything like that from any of my friends (and I believe I would know - people talk about these things). Sure, I went West, made some money and returned to my country. But not because I was treated poorly - many people have this plan from the beginning: you go to UK, improve your English, gain a lot of experience, make money and use those to jumpstart your career after you return.
Consider therapy. Other things might help as well. Sleep more. Rest more. Work less. Find time for some physical activity. But at least in my case, finding and addressing the root cause(s) was the key (followed by years of un-learning of some unhealthy mental patterns).