The Pentagon declined to punish any US Army personnel for a drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including seven children. Apparently they believed they were targeting ISIS; turns out they just massacred the ordinary family of a man who had actually worked for US interests - an electrical engineer for Nutrition and Education International, a California-based aid group. We treat our allies worse than our enemies, it seems.
Ok, so the USA committed another war crime. And it was just like, totally chill, nobody even remembers, right? That may be how the American media likes to treat things, but here at The Desk we point out that these are not just disposable, faceless brown people who don’t matter. Furthermore, it should be noted that drone warfare is becoming more and more the norm. At some point, all warfare will just be soldiers playing video games, blowing up weddings and baby showers by “mistake” and not getting punished. Bleak.
We can thank President Obama for pioneering what can only be described as the US Drone Mafia. These things can literally stalk and kill you; their manufacturers even give them characteristically on-the-nose names like “Predator”. This inaction on what was very obviously the cold-blooded murder of an innocent Afghan family is yet another black stain on the historical record of the United States armed forces - adding more controversy and shame to an already mixed record, one that has been nearly universally bad since 1945. We’re definitely squandering the goodwill paid by the blood of the generation who fought the “last good war”.
Ukraine. According to US intelligence, Russian troops have been massing along the Ukrainian border, in apparent preparation for some kind of military offensive. It’s obvious that Russia wants to show that yes, it can, in fact, invade Ukraine rather easily. After its 2014 annexation of Crimea and involvement with Eastern Ukrainian separatists, it appears the world’s largest and most inscrutable nation is seeking leverage, and is not afraid to pull out the big guns.
It’s important to understand here the history of Ukraine-Russia relations. There is a long, bitter story of ethnic identity between the two countries that is hard to sum up here, but essentially it goes like this: Ukraine used to be part of the Russian Empire. When it fell and the Soviet Union was created, Ukraine got to be more autonomous, gaining its own Soviet republic. However, large-scale famines during the Soviet era inspired Ukrainian nationalism and a certain hatred for Russians in the western, more Polish-influenced half of the country. The eastern half of Ukraine has historically closer ties to Russia and consists of numerous ethnic Russians - a point which Russian officials have cited as the justification for the Crimea annexation. This has led to increased anti-Russian sentiment and turned Eastern Ukraine into a war zone.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy is clear in this case - build up troops as a show of force and reminder that invasion is still on the table. The Ukrainian army wouldn’t stand a chance against an invading force of this size. They know it, we know it - in fact, they’re relying on NATO to help fend Russia off. The thing is, Ukraine joining NATO is exactly what Russia fears most, as was made abundantly clear during the recent Biden-Putin summit.
Eastern Europe was once the largest battlefield in human history during the early 1940s, as it was the stage for Hitler’s failed invasion of the Soviet Union. Not far from the Russian city of Volgograd (formerly known as Stalingrad) today, you can still find the bones of soldiers who fought in World War Two, which was known there as the Great Patriotic War. Today’s hostilities echo both that titanic conflict and the Cold War that followed it, and there are lessons for everyone involved to absorb. Let’s see to what extent they really do.
Tornadoes have left a trail of devastation across the Midwest. Over 70 people are confirmed dead by officials as a cluster of tornadoes made their way across Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee. It seems the majority of the damage was sustained in Kentucky, from where harrowing reports of buildings being ripped apart and people being carried away by terrifying winds are coming out, and the sad stories of loss of life are everywhere right now.
Did you ever learn about “Tornado Alley” in school? It’s the region of the United States which historically saw the most tornado activity. It was reliably static for years, but now it’s moving eastward, which is threatening millions more people who had been previously tornado-free. It’s hard to imagine how devastated these communities are. It’s heartening to see that people from NYC are volunteering to assist with rescue and cleanup efforts.
The disasters have also shed light on some questionable labor practices. An Amazon facility in Illinois was destroyed, killing six workers who may have been pressured by company policy to come into work despite the severe weather warnings. They may also have been prevented from seeking proper shelter in time before the catastrophic damage was sustained. These and other questions are being raised by relatives of the deceased workers. On Monday, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opened an investigation into the building collapse.
This is an ongoing story; expect new developments, including an increase in the death toll, as recovery and identification efforts unfold.
Articles Worth Reading
South Dakota teachers scramble for dollar bills in ‘demeaning’ game | The Guardian
Reward offered for information on Jelani Day's death | CNN
California Announces Mandatory Indoor Mask Mandate Despite Vaccination Status | NBC San Diego
Blinken touts deeper U.S. engagement amid concern over 'aggressive' China | Reuters
Russia vetoes UN resolution linking climate change, security | AP
Chicago expected to pay $2.9 million to Black woman after police raided wrong home | USA Today
How to help victims of the tornadoes | NYT
Now Playing
Rock edition
Night Beats’ 2011 self-titled debut. Psychedelic rock can be hit-or-miss, but Night Beats is legit. They’ve balanced their track lengths well between the extremes of, say, a 30-minute long Phish song and the way-too-short Hendrix song “Little Wing”. Sound-wise, their lead singer has achieved this unique vocal quality using some rock n’ roll magic that makes him sound like he’s singing to you from another dimension. It’s laid-back, not too guitar-solo-y, good old fashioned rock music - or as they would call it, “outlaw R&B”. (Spotify / Apple)
Greetings from Montreal!
Because New York just wasn’t cold enough. I came to play the Canadian national sport: winter driving.
- Editor