Dispatches from a Foreign War

I have never been in a war. I have lived through many wars. Far too many wars. I was born while the Vietnam War was raging. As a spectator, I have witnessed wars in Asia and the Middle East, all parts of the globe, but always at a distance. I always knew they were happening, thanks to the much derided modern news machine. My father fought in World War II. Myself. I have never seen a war up close and in person.Wars are like earthquakes and riots and all manner of disasters and tragedies. Witnessing it firsthand and watching it on TV or reading about it in the newspaper are very different experiences. It is very easy to become detached from such calamities when they occur in other parts of the world. Especially when viewed in terms of numbers of victims, as opposed to individual experiences. It is like that old saying, usually attributed to Josef Stalin, though there is some doubt he actually said this, “The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.” I am no war correspondent. Like much of the rest of the world, I am watching the horrible events unfolding in the Ukraine right now from the safety of my comfortable home. However, I do not wish to be comfortable. I wish to keep reminding myself these are people, not statistics.To that end, I have been in touch with some of my more well-traveled contacts, just to get some first hand accounts, not just news stories. To protect my friends, and my friends' friends, I won't be using any names. Here is what one told me, “And yes, I do have friends in Ukraine. The ones I know have all fled Kiev and are now in the western city of Lviv. (This was before Lviv was attacked.) My male friends are trying to secure safe passage for their families and then plan to support and protect their country by fighting or helping keep things organized. It’s pretty rough. I’m also in touch with many friends in Romania and that has been incredible. Hundreds of thousands of Romanians, businesses, organizations have opened their doors and services for free for arriving refugees. Every time I read about what’s going on in Ukraine I am nearly in tears from there appalling nature of the situation in Ukraine and nearly in tears from the amazing display of humanity from Romanians and those in other neighboring countries.”Another said, “The last two days have been particularly tense… the expats were more aware of the crisis developing - Ukrainians are used to Russians at their border and shrug it off. The last 2 days they have been hiding in bunkers as much as possible… keeping in touch with their neighbours and networks of friends.” A short while later, he came back and corrected himself, “I said bunkers earlier - I meant basements.”Except, he was right the first time. When your home comes under attack, your basement becomes a bunker. Your home becomes your command center. Every item you possess to protect your home and your family becomes your arsenal. I am told, “Yesterday they lined for the supermarket in a ‘cease fighting’ period that was agreed upon. Queues were 1-2 hours for basic essentials… and I’m told nobody was complaining or saying anything negative. The people in line were either totally silent, rallying their neighbours spirits or asking to find out who had fled the neighbourhood for Moldova or Poland.” This is what another person wrote, “The situation is beyond dire, the city has been encircled by Russian troops and already there are shortages of food and basic supplies. People are hiding in underground shelters or metro stations while this evil senseless assault continues. Yet despite all the s**t and the bloodshed Ukrainians are resisting as best as they can, even keeping their witty sense of humour. There are many ways we can help by taking direct action, make donations, and offer much needed support, let's do that before it's too late. This is a pivotal moment for the world and we must not remain idle.”And a position held by many, “There is confusion as to why the world is sitting idle and allowing this to happen.” Unsurprisingly, much of the talk is about Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the onetime comedian who was elected as President of Ukraine. At the time, I suspected more than a few Ukrainians voted for him as a joke.One person tells me, “So it’s bizarre to watch this guy shine under these conditions. When he didn’t in his role previously.” I think the rest of the world feels the same. It is like watching Jerry Lewis turn into Winston Churchill. Of course, there is another man who is also a hot topic of conversation. One person summed it up, “It’s insane how the whim of one madman is the core issue in a global conflict.”

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