humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
Why Russia is Invading Ukraine
Throughout the past few months, there has been almost constant news and coverage in the West about Russia's imminent plans to invade Ukraine. This morning, Russia started large-scale military drills, stoking fears of an invasion. More than 2,000 troops, according to American intelligence, were sent within 24 hours. On the morning of February 24th, these fears proved to be well-founded. Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, effectively declared war on Ukraine and authorized the Russian military to invade the country. Explosions were quickly reported afterwards across the country. Immediately prior to this declaration, the Russian army had amassed around 200,000 soldiers, along with their tanks, artillery equipment, and field hospitals across their border, and many others inside of Belarus along their border with Ukraine. For comparison, this is nearly the same size as the entire Ukrainian military, at about the same number of troops sent by the United States when invading Iraq in 2003. This is certainly large enough to be an effective invasion force. Furthermore, the Russian government has recognized the independence of the two breakaway states inside of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, and ordered Russian troops inside of both. When factoring in the Russian military presence already stationed in Crimea, it becomes apparent that the Russians have Ukraine almost entirely surrounded. Now that war has broken out, it has the potential to unleash the most serious conflict seen in Europe since the Second World War. The biggest question on everybody's mind this entire time has been, what exactly does Vladimir Putin and Russia want with Ukraine? The origins of what Putin wants today are rooted in what happened more than three decades ago, back in the early 1990s when the Soviet Union first collapsed. For centuries before this event, whether as part of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire, the modern countries we know of today as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and others had all been a part of the same country, and their people had largely moved between all of them across generations. These places are all deeply and intimately connected by their shared history. For decades, that history involves being widely recognized as one of the world's most dominant and formidable global superpowers. But all of that changed in late 1991 when suddenly the sweeping united empire that had existed in some form or another for centuries collapsed and left in its place 15 newly independent republics. Today, the largest of them, Russia, has only half of the population that the former United Soviet Union had and possesses an economy that's only moderately larger than Spain's, a country with only a third of the population. That ceased being a great power back in the 18th century. At the same time, the massive amounts of territories that were once dominated from the central government in Moscow have been shrinking almost continuously ever since. During the Cold War, there were two rival competing military alliances on the European continent, NATO in the West and the Warsaw Pact in the East. Moscow didn't outright rule the countries of the Warsaw Pact, but they were effectively locked into Moscow's orbit as thralls or puppet states. From Moscow's perspective, these states provided a massive buffer against any potential military incursion from their primary Cold War rivals to the West in NATO. You see, from the Netherlands in the West to the Urals in the East, this whole part of Europe is dominated by a geographic feature called the North European Plain, almost entirely flat. The plain is shaped like a funnel, with a very narrow width in Northern Germany, but with a mouth that opens up increasingly wider as it approaches the Ural Mountains. As the open plain gets wider across the East, it becomes increasingly difficult to defend across its entire length. And as a result, from the perspective of any regime based in Moscow, regardless of the time period and ideology, it is imperative to expand control westwards across as much of this open plain as possible in order to narrow the gap that they need to defend in the event of a conflict with the West. During the Cold War, the control of this plane by a regime in Moscow was at its greatest historical extent and was exerted either outright or by proxy from the Urals all the way through East Germany, and the entire wider section of the funnel was firmly controlled by Moscow, with Austria and Finland remaining neutral and Yugoslavia, a non-aligned communist state. The only fronts that Moscow at the time had to truly worry about against NATO were across the Sudeten
my top 11 saddest song
Music is said to be a melody or soothing sounds produced to bring out emotions which are felt by artist that are encoded through color, shadow and harmony to be decoded and experienced by us the observer and listeners. This music is said to brings sparks of beauty, a thrill which are connected to feelings of sadness, tragedy, longing, hope etc.
Understanding and Overseeing Connections with Troublesome People
Cooperating with troublesome people in different settings, like the working environment, can bring serious areas of strength for our reactions and affect both individual prosperity and hierarchical elements. This article investigates the conduct elements fundamental such communications and offers bits of knowledge into understanding, foreseeing, affecting, and eventually dealing with the way of behaving of troublesome people. Drawing from the system of social knowledge, it digs into commonsense techniques for exploring testing connections, underlining the significance of mindfulness and proactive correspondence. By perceiving the hidden variables adding to troublesome ways of behaving and utilizing comprehensive language, acknowledgment, and self-guideline procedures, people can relieve struggle and encourage more helpful connections.
Arief FakhrizaPublished 2 months ago in HumansThe Extinguished - Healing Unsettled
I've been tired so long, that at times it seems impossible to escape - this way of being, existing. Overwhelmed with the eternal to-do list of self-improvement. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this 3D reality. There's always bills to be paid. Jobs to be worked. Money to be made. Trauma to finally heal through. Study to be done.
Love ChukesPublished 2 months ago in HumansTimeless Tarot Prediction #2: Happiness From Moment to Moment
For this week’s mini reading, we have the 10 of Cups from the Urban Tarot by Robin Scott. This card is called Satiety or satisfaction, which points to happiness from moment to moment.
Zondra Dos AnjosPublished 2 months ago in HumansStudy Finds Many People Feel Their Job is Pointless
”David Graeber’s ‘bullshit jobs’ theory claims that some jobs are in fact objectively useless, and that these are found more often in certain occupations than in others,” says the study, published in the journal Work, Employment and Society.
B.R. ShenoyPublished 2 months ago in HumansMindset and Influence Over a PB&J
My husband has had a nut allergy all his life, so it’s not much of a surprise when he was open to trying an alternative peanut butter that we discovered a few years ago. We went to the grocery store and got a jar of Sunbutter. Then, what I thought would be an activity of fun discovery for my husband, ended up also being a firsthand, eye-opening reminder of a lesson.
Lindsay SfaraPublished 2 months ago in HumansTimeless Tarot Prediction #3: The Deceitful Energy
This week's card is a card that many people can misinterpret, a card that is not so well-liked in the psychic environment and can be a sign of unloyalty, cheating, and lack of trust.
Zondra Dos AnjosPublished 2 months ago in HumansSelf-Love Languages
Do you know a fascinating discovery that I had recently? Your love languages aren't just to teach others how to love you; they're also to teach you how to love yourself.
Janis RossPublished 2 months ago in HumansBe Careful about Posting Videos on Social Media
A lot of people hope to make money on social media sites such as YouTube, Tiktok, Instagram and others and that is not a bad idea and you most likely will succeed given enough time if you are not me but there are dangers. I am mostly not talking about the horrid comments you get from trolls. I usually find them funny since at least on YouTube you have an option to filter out certain words and their comments will not show up on your video. You will still have to delete them since you need to approve them but that's usually not a big deal. Weak minded people trying to be hurtful as if they actually mattered to me is just hilarious.
Ferrari KingPublished 2 months ago in Humans10 Romantic Sleeping Positions For Couples You Should Try
Sleeping in a close and intimate position with your partner not only fosters physical closeness but also strengthens emotional bonds. As couples navigate the ups and downs of daily life, finding moments of connection becomes crucial. One such moment is during sleep, where different sleeping positions can enhance intimacy and promote a deeper connection. In this article, we explore 10 romantic sleeping positions for couples to try, adding a touch of romance and warmth to their nights.
Benard MusyokiPublished 2 months ago in HumansThe cancers of society
Society, like the human body, is susceptible to afflictions that threaten its overall health. In this article, we delve into the metaphorical cancers of society—deep-seated issues that metastasize and erode the well-being of communities. From inequality to prejudice, this exploration aims to shed light on the shadows that hinder progress, empathy, and collective flourishing.