observant lizard @ bsky

Unfortunately, not many people truly grasp that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine – and more broadly, between Russia and Europe – is existential in nature. Russia poses an existential threat to all of human civilization and to all the astonishing achievements it has made. The world, through fits and starts, has learned to share technology, collaborate, fight disease together, and take care of the environment. On average, people now live longer, healthier lives. Human rights, compared even to the 1960s, are more widely respected in most countries (with a few exceptions). And yet, a kind of mold has taken root in the largest country on Earth – and it’s spreading its spores around the globe. No, I don’t mean Russians who’ve left the country, so let’s not get sidetracked – I’m talking about ideas. The ideas promoted by the Russian state and by the movements it supports – from MAGA, to far-right isolationists, to far-left parties across Europe, to Islamist groups like Hamas, which Russia openly backs – these ideas represent a real, existential threat to human progress. That may sound dramatic, but that’s the reality. This is why Russia must be stopped. Not just because of the war itself. Not just because of Ukrainians – whose lives are, of course, invaluable. We’re talking not only about Ukrainians, but about humanity, and its future. Personally, I care deeply about the progress of humanity.