Save Ukraine and Change the World
"The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride." -Volodymyr Zelensky
War disrupts and destroys.
For the people of Ukraine and Russia, Vladimir’s new war is a brutal, deadly conflict from what seems like another century.
For Europeans, Americans, and others in the West, these hostilities are yet another declaration of war against our global economic security, and an assault on peace, consensus, rationality, and democratic concepts like sovereign states and free people.
Like one of my favorite singer-songwriters says in his brilliant song, “War at the End of the World”:
“The Fog of War” Not Quite As Foggy on Social
The stories of the war on social media are direct, immediate, and personal. CNN and the rest can’t compete. Maybe this is a good thing, although one has to be careful not to ‘doom scroll’ for hours.
By finding and following legitimate sources of good information from inside of Ukraine, you can get updates from behind the battle lines and see still and video images that the networks do not have.
If you’re a Twitter user, you know what a fast-moving river of information it is. While much of this information can be banal, it’s not right now. Ukraine’s president is using the platform to inform his country and the world.
Newspaper photographers are capturing and sharing heartbreaking images.
Here a Ukrainian soldier suggests to Russian forces (in Russian), "Why don't you surrender while you still have the chance?"
Here a member of Ukraine’s Parliament is ready to fight.
The will of the Ukrainian people to survive these horrendous attacks is inspiring. I hope it’s also a wake-up call for people in the West. The aggressor in this case is a nuclear-armed state with a murderous dictator at the helm. That’s a dire warning and a real concern for all people.
Russia and the U.S. possess 13,000+ nukes, so let’s heed Fiona Hill and confront the dangers with our eyes wide open. Whatever happens next in Ukraine, we must forever disarm these life-on-Earth-ending weapons. There will be another lunatic after Vladimir and Don Don and Kim Jong-un exit the world stage. Let’s make sure they do not have the weapons that today’s despots have.
The Battle for the Best Information Is Being Won by Ukraine
As a pre-emptive strike in the battle for good information, Ukraine started a website for Russian parents looking to connect with their sons who were killed or taken prisoner of war. The URL for the website is 200rf.com -- a reference to "Cargo 200,” a code for the bodies of soldiers being returned.
The initiative, called Ishchi Svoikh (Look For Your Own), appears aimed in part at undermining morale and support for the war in Russia, where officials and state media have refrained from disclosing details of Russian casualties and military assaults against Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv.
The Economics of War
Russia is the world’s 11th largest economy, with a GDP of $1.48 trillion as of 2020. My question is what happens when the 11th largest economy in the world is reduced and eventually eliminated?
The Russian ruble fell about 30% against the dollar Monday — making it worth less than 1 U.S. cent.
Shell and BP both stepped away from their multi-billion dollar investments in Russian oil and natural gas this week. Exxon-Mobil has yet to do so, but it’s time.
Also, China leapfrogged Russia to become Ukraine's biggest single trading partner in 2019, with overall trade totaling $18.98 billion last year, a nearly 80% jump from 2013.
One hundred years ago it may have been easier to adopt an isolationist point of view regarding war in Europe. Today, it’s plainly obvious how we’re all connected. We’re literally tethered by media and the Internet, and we rely on one another for trade and natural resources. But we will no longer rely on Russia for much of anything.
Lagniappe
Rochelle Garza is such a breath of fresh air in Texas politics. I hope she becomes the new Attorney General. The state’s primary election is today.
Austin FC's 5-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday was the largest margin of victory in a season-opening match in MLS history.
Next Tuesday, I speak to two classes at The Stan Richards School of Advertising at the University of Texas about my work as a creative director.
I’m a marketer who is ‘built like a journalist’ and in this video from last March (just published), I discuss what that means.
Parents, activists, school board officials, and lawmakers around the country are challenging books at a pace not seen in decades. I wonder how many of them have read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
I recall someone saying a few years ago how brands are not just competing with other brands for attention, they’re competing with all media, including the best films, music, and TV shows available. Add the war as a multi-screen live viewing event and the bar just got much higher. Today, a commercial appeal or pitch has got to be 100 percent dialed in to what people truly care about.
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