Day 26, Phase 2
I physically experienced the journalistic side of bullshit with Iuliia Mendel this morning, twice.
First this interview.
And then a column, titled “Sirens, loss, pain,” appearing in The Washington Post. The future of English-language journalism in Ukraine never looked so bleak.
Advise, scout and assist — consilio speculator adiuvaret — was the motto of the unit, disbanded last year, which, unlike Detachment A (masters of mayhem), did not provide drop zone reception committees and safe house locations or act as a HUMINT asset and information agent.
A memento mori moment apropos of Malcom, who reminds me of Sean Penn, without the ibogaine. I’ve been having nightmares about bumping into both of them at Tootsie Club.
One reason to be generally dismissive of pro-Ukraine crusaders and TikTok-ing legionnaires is because many of them appear to be in poor physical and mental condition. They are not runners. A second is weightless self-promotion using outrageous claims to expertise. Looking on the positive side, I saw a bunch of kids wearing fatigues strenuously stretching yesterday morning in Shevchenko Park.
About the war. We are in a bloody, bloody phase of it. Lots of unspeakable tragedy and death. Not sure we should trust anything British Intelligence says. John’s daily brief is here, and the Kyiv Post’s Senior Defense Correspondent’s brief is here.
