Day 15, Phase 2
Unaccountably Mislaid Solopsism
Over the last month and a half, we have alternatively explained, described and compared the prelude and execution of the ongoing unspeakable tragedy in various ways - from an episode of the post-apocalyptic Mad Max action film series1 to an improvisation of novel inspired by Between the Buried and Me2, the final act of the ballet Gayane3, a dialogue from Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son4 and the witch scene from a WWIII capstone film5.
A couple of days ago, we arrived at a blunt two-word assessment, replete w/ footnoted definitions, because the meaning the words trigger should be clearly understood, especially since your life or your death may depend on it6.
Which brings me Barrack Obama, who has also been thinking and talking about our bloody mess and its origins, here, at least, for more than one hour.
The foregoing excerpt could appear without much challenge in almost any English or American newspaper or magazine, and versions of it have been repeatedly regurgitated since Biden replaced Trump as president. One might, however, call attention to some later adjustments to self-serving recollections of former U.S. officials, including ex-presidents and ex-vice presidents, about robustness amid Putin’s incursions, interventions, intrusions, et cetera.
But we’ll save that for later.
The story follows the the archetypical "Western” frontier movie motif, as deepwoken legionnaires rediscover their humanity, travel to a foreign land and help local inhabitants liquidate marauders led by Lord Humungus. (Day 14. What Will Happen Can’t be Avoided. March 9, 2022)
The Kremlin’s anti-Ukraine campaign began to resemble Carlos Castaneda’s A Separate Reality, without the ibogaine. (A Separate Reality. February 23, 2022)
There are two soloists - Putin (evil genius) and Zelensky (lyrical hero). The rest portray extras, holding a saber in their bosoms. It's annoying that the sabers are not fake. (Swing for a Ruble, Blow for a Penny. February 23, 2022)
As the Ukrainian author of non-Ukrainian origin Sholom Aleichem once said: "You cannot spit out your soul." That's why I think sometimes it is very difficult for Ukraine to accept our surgical assessments, because they are living through the ordeal… (Fiddling on Ukraine’s Roof. December 17, 2021)
This might explain my skepticism about the prospects for a ceasefire in the foreseeable future. The chatter in Istanbul yesterday reminded me of Tarkovsky’s final movie, The Sacrifice, specifically the bewildered reaction of the witch after the protagonist puts a gun to his temple. (Day 5, Phase 2. March 30)
For more than eight years, the world needed to know fascists1 in Russia were sending soldiers to Ukraine to commit genocide2. But during most of this period, we were told told fighting in eastern Ukraine was partly a civil war involving rebels and separatists opposing the central government in Kyiv. The pace of senseless killing intensified in February 2022. (Day 12, Phase 2. On Becoming Ukrainian. April 6, 2022)