Both excellent beers, if slightly Americanized takes on the styles. The Pils was nice and crisp, biscuity, but ever so slightly hop-forward. The Baltic-style Porter was smooth and chocolatey, but could dry out a bit more for me. Both get a 3.75/5 stars.
What’s going to happen with the Russia-Ukraine situation? On one hand, we have one industrialized nation invading another. On the other hand, this isn’t terribly different from the types of activities that have happened in non-European nations over the past… forever. Yes, this is an atrocity. One nation does not have the right to invade another, especially without provocation and without exhausting all other avenues of discourse first. And. Things like this happen all over the world on an almost constant basis. Why is this one different? Because the invaded country is full of white people? Because they are European, and have petitioned to be part of NATO and the European Union? Because they represent a significant portion of land and wealth in Europe?
Please understand that I am horrified by what is happening in the Ukraine. I am also horrified by the conflicts in Ethiopia, Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, Yemen, and many other places around the world. There are atrocities being committed every day against children, civilians, racial/ethnic/religious minorities, anyone who isn’t in a position of power. It’s enough to make a person sick, or numb. In fact, there are so many incidents of violence both here and abroad, it’s hard not to just withdraw from all of it unless it directly affects you. It feels like global geopolitics have taken a similar stance.
That’s the big difference here, isn’t it? We (the US) stayed out of most conflicts in the Middle East and Africa until they threatened us or our economic interests. We only maintained a military presence in Afghanistan until we could withdraw without losing credibility with the rest of the (Western) world. We stop at economic sanctions when we could push harder. We send bombs when we could stop at words. We allow large atrocities and punish smaller ones. It’s almost like the world is run by a bunch of imperfect humans who act on the world stage in the same manner many of us do in our personal lives. We do something that doesn’t align with our own morals, then swing hard the other direction. We ignore things that make us feel guilty later, or lash out disproportionately against minor infractions. Where does the pendulum stop?
I frequently find myself paralyzed into inaction by the daily news. I feel, deeply, for people affected by violence in big and small ways. There’s so much of it, though, that it’s hard to know what difference I can make, and when or where. If I donate money to help Ukrainians flee the Russian invasion, I can’t use that money to help the unhoused and hungry in my own community. If I volunteer at a Women’s shelter near home, I don’t have that time to assemble medical kits for refugees. How can I decide who “deserves” my help, when I can’t help everyone? I know that doing nothing is the worst choice, but it can be difficult to pick which action to take. Maybe that’s how my country’s leadership feels, a reflection of our national (international) paralysis.
I do what I can, though. I vote for people who represent the change I want to see in my community and the world. I give money, and time. I teach my children about understanding and treasuring the differences in others, so they can act out of love instead of fear. I give a like, or a retweet, or a share where it might help. I read the news, many versions of it, to understand what is happening around me and why. I take time to be kind. It sounds a bit naive, or simplistic, but maybe more of that last one would be enough to fix many of the problems. Create a culture of kindness, one small act at a time. If violence begets violence, which it surely does, can’t kindness beget kindness?
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A Beer a Day 