Plants Show their First Buds
March 1–4, Hunenberg, CH
Seasonal Memoir #60
Back in Switzerland, with Covid cases dipping, but the spectre of a variant casting a shadow on the horizon. And if we didn’t have enough on our plates, war breaking out in Europe now gets our attention. Did I ever think I’d write such a phrase in my lifetime? Most certainly not.
Switzerland is 2,000km from Ukraine, and plays a unique role of peacemaker (and bank) for Europe, so anxiety is pretty low here. Until, that is, the Russian president put the nukes on standby. Gamechanger. Again, in a way I didn’t think I’d feel in my lifetime, though I did grow up in the cold war era, where we were taught to duck under our desks if a nuclear strike was heading our way (like that would do anything, ha), and where we watched apocalyptic films like The Day After. We take the post-cold war era for granted, even though all the bombs produced during that time are still around (and guarded?).
It’s an interesting part of human nature that routine and apathy take over so quickly when one is not directly impacted by a crisis (other than higher prices). Civilians are targeted. You see bodies on the news. Accusations are made between countries, including veiled threats of nuclear annihilation. Yet life goes on. Positively a protective psychological posture.
And then there is the double standard. We are consumed with the European conflict partly because of Russia’s lifeline of oil and gas, and Ukraine’s aspirations for democracy (“you can join the club; don’t worry about consequences”), while we ignore the plight of the Uyghurs in China or the civil war in Yemen. Racist? Maybe. Convenient? Most certainly.
A sizable part of our community here in Switzerland has defaulted to the “give stuff” mentality, even despite our polite request not to do so (based on what experts on refugees recommend). This behavior clearly meets individuals’ psychological needs, so it’s inherently selfish in nature. Unless you own a medical supply company, it’s best to focus on actions that would be more effective, such as:
- Donating cash to reputable organizations, with low overhead, high accountability, and long-standing relationships in Ukraine
- Being kind to those tangentially or directly affected in your community
- Taking a refugee family in, with the blessing of the local authorities
- Putting political pressure on those who can influence policy
- Being willing to pay higher food and energy prices in order to wean the West off of corrupted oil (we can’t have it both ways when it comes to ethics)
- Buying Ukrainian products, especially those where the money will go directly into the hands of those most needy.
A final word. I don’t understand our need to punish ordinary Russians through a cultural boycott. Banning a chess player or a violist from competing or making a living is hardly going to move the needle toward peace. Cancelling Russian people themselves feels deeply wrong, yet we are quick to do so. Did we learn nothing from the useless Olympic boycotts of the 1980s?
