We all face the fact that we carry ancestral and historical baggage around with us. And that society is significantly (and often badly) impacted by that. Lovers of liberty need to remember we are all individuals. Yes, we fit in many groups, but our relations with others needs to be one-on-one, recognizing we are responsible for our own actions, not those of our ancestors or other members of one of the pigeonholes we are stuffed in.
This point came up in a discussion of the current situation of AmerInd people in the Fifty States. The many hundreds of tribes (nations) that exist NOW land have societies and social orders and even political systems that reflect not just the last 500+ years of increasing interaction with people of European heritage, but for thousands of years before that.
We see the same thing going on right now in Ukraine and Russia and nearby nations. Ukraine was part of Russia from 1793 to 1991: almost 200 years. Some consider Ukraine to have been an imperial possession, while others consider Ukraine to be similar to, say, Texas. There are hundreds of thousands, even millions of people who are both Russian and Ukrainian – close relatives with ties to both. But there are also hundreds of thousands or millions who are “JUST” Russian or “JUST” Ukrainians – many of whom have been taught or learned to fear and even hate the other nationality.
Ukraine and Russia are hardly alone in this – consider England and Scotland, Denmark and Sweden, the successors of Yugoslavia, and of course most of the Arab world and the Middle East. And right here in the States. It is NOT a matter of “racism” and not just a question of politics. It is human nature.
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The Price of Liberty 
Environmental impacts of the Russo-Ukrainian War
And the world’s reaction to it – especially that of the FedGov and the Fifty States.
It appears that the war might be slowing down a bit – after more than a month of fighting. Or maybe Will Smith slapping that guy has just pushed it out of the news?
Whatever might be the cause, even though the war may be less likely to lead to a nuclear exchange or even a more general war, we are going to be living with the effects of this relatively minor conflict for some time.
Although modern warfare – especially between two modern, fully-equipped, well-trained and highly-motivated opponents – results in significant and highly damaging environmental impacts, the other impacts of this on-going war may be far worse.
Of particular concern is the way the world has reacted and the measures to “punish” Russia being imposed by governments. However, much of the damage to the environment we may see is due to conditions created long before Russian tanks rolled into Ukrainian territory.
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