New Week #72

A special instalment, in light of the war in Ukraine.

This is the evening on which I always send an instalment of New Week Same Humans. But tonight, it’s not the time for that. Instead, this short note is dedicated to the people of Ukraine.

The Putin regime’s invasion of Ukraine is an unprovoked act of aggression, and a tragedy. I’m sure I can, just this once, speak for the entire NWSH community when I say that our thoughts and hopes are with the people of Ukraine. And if you’re reading this from inside that country: for what little it’s worth, we are sending you strength and solidarity.

We should remember, too, that via this invasion and in manifold other ways, Putin victimises the Russian people. They didn’t choose this war.

The feeling abounds that we are at a hinge moment in history. Switzerland has abandoned its historic neutrality to support sanctions. Germany says it will spend €100 billion to enhance its army, jettisoning its long-standing aversion to military might.

It’s been a powerful reminder of the ways in which we inhabited, still and after all, a world created in the wake of WWII. We see that most clearly only now, as that world fades away and a new one emerges.

There’s much to say; much for NWSH to think about. A world of competing Great Powers is back. In too many ways to enumerate here, the west and its ruling class has been exposed as historically naive. Meanwhile, in Starlink’s move to supply Ukraine with satellite internet we glimpse a strange new future in which technology companies become actors in the struggle for global supremacy. And then there’s the role that a connected information landscape will play in this future; disinformation war; meme war.

In the coming months I hope to write more on all this, and bring people to our community who can help us understand it. But right now my overwhelming feeling is: all that can wait. Instead, we should bear witness to what is happening. Follow the accounts of brave Ukrainian journalists such as Olga Tokariuk and Olga Rudenko, both tweeting the news, and their personal experiences, from Kyiv.

And if you want to send more than just solidarity, consider donating to one of the organisations working to support people in Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency is a good place to start.

Thanks for reading,

David.