Werekat
Well, this is the first time since the beginning of the war when I have seen the bulk of my Ukrainian friends completely stunned and shocked.
This is because news started trickling in from the north, which Russia has abandoned in order to focus on the east.
And there's only one word to describe what happened in my beautiful north, where I'd walked every summer with my grandfather.
That word is massacre.
Werekat
Somehow, even back when I was a child, I have always been a fan of fighting when faced with a threat to my life. I'd managed to absorb - from somewhere, somehow - that if you aren't fighting, they will kill you anyway. Mercy for those who give up is a fiction. They'll just torture you first. Join whichever group is fighting if you can do anything, anything at all. You'll be safer. As a combatant, you might just be too dangerous to capture, or be valuable for a prisoner exchange.
Werekat
In their slang, "nationalist" is "anyone who will not accept Russian rule." As if "the final solution to the Ukrainian question" was not proof enough, they have spelled it out.
This is why Western analysts' "why can't they just give up the East, it would only cost them some dignity" rhetoric misses the mark entirely.
It wouldn't cost us dignity, it would cost us our lives. And the deaths would be brutal.
So we will fight as long as we need to.
Werekat
400 murdered civilians in one city. And there are many cities in the north of Ukraine.
People made jokes in the beginning of the war: "why did they prepare 45000 body bags? Did they really plan to lose their entire army?"
Well, now we know. And now we know that Russia adopted a state standard for digging mass graves in advance of the invasion.
And now we see official news outlets openly writing about "denazification means liquidation of all the nationalists."
Werekat
Unfortunately, this childish understanding has proven true.
One of the first messages to the volunteers was: "Please don't bring baby food. Nearly all the children are dead."
And quite a few of those children were tortured as well. Not to mention the adults, who were gunned down in the streets or taken to makeshift torture chambers.
Anyone who was slow to run, anyone who was unlucky, anyone just going about their business, anyone trying to help people or animals.
Werekat
The gist of it is this: if you see grief-stricken Ukrainians howling and wishing death upon all responsible - show some kindness. You have no idea what sort of death might have just visited their kith and kin and what they have just learned.
Give us time to grieve. We will be kinder again in a kinder day. But that day is not today.
Werekat
@maswan Yell at 'em to donate to local Ukrainian groups if at all possible. The International Red Cross is working "neutrally", and while I understand the idea of helping those deported to enemy territory, if I understand anything from the Russians' playbook, they have most likely been made accessory to kidnapping.
maswan
@werekat
Yeah, I am, but I could probably be louder. Will increase efforts. The post office is doing free shipping now too, so some stuff is coming that way too.
I'm aware if the RC mess, and so is most around me. How are Doctors Without Borders seen? They're my default long term donation target, and all I know is that they've setup trauma care units in western Ukraine.
Oh, and how about donations directly to the govt? More or less impact than volunteer orgs?
maswan
@werekat
All the sympathy to you and yours.
And my yelling at local politicians so that they'll do more.
Santa Claes πΈπͺππ°π
Werekat
@maswan Thank you, and I'm so glad your people know. Because so many folks have gotten severe resistance from Sweden for even mentioning the idea.
I've heard nothing bad about Doctors Without Borders, so you should be good on that.
Government aid is trickling down to the army, but more slowly than direct donation to smaller groups.
Werekat
@maswan Those are actually super useful. TBH - considering that we're collecting, you can basically send them our way in Stockholm, we still do regular shipments.
maswan
@werekat
The others: Those that can't find the money, but have an excess of sleeping bags or powerbanks.
Werekat
@maswan The large problem with "free shipping" type donations is that people usually send stuff that's not as needed. Say, most people won't think to send specific types of batteries, or powerbanks, whereas having connectivity is more important than having old clothes.
I'd basically err on the side of "find a volunteer group that's doing something concrete for concrete people and donate to them/find out what they need and collect for them"
maswan
@werekat
Yeah, I'll default to sending money and direct the others to reading carefully the Ukraine post list of wanted things.
maswan
@werekat
Hmm. Did you have a link to werekat's top choice local orgs for sending money to? March bills are done, and it looks like it is about time to send the next donation.
(I'm glad DWB aren't known for asshattery, I'd be miffed to have to drop them from the monthly donation.)
Also, I kinda figured that while the govt had a cash crunch early on, it is getting solid foreign funds now to cover short-term needs there.
Mystery Babylon
@werekat Horrible, horrible business, and I'd shoulder some of that grief for you all however I could. I am sorry. Words aren't adequate. I'm taking action too, in my small way. This will be answered for.
Werekat
@erosdiscordia π Thanks. For freedom, yours and ours!
Werekat
@clacke @maswan Please do, if you can afford it! This is going to be a long-term project and restoration.
Of the big groups, LΓ€kare Utan GrΓ€nsen have had no scandals to their names, and I am personally partial to UNICEF, because I know which local groups they're funding and have seen the supplies they've provided.
maswan
@werekat
I tried this out in a different social context today, btw, and it was 50/50 acceptance and pushback to the idea that the red cross isn't universally good.
Santa Claes πΈπͺππ°π
Chirp! is a social network. It runs on GNU social, version 2.0.1-beta0, available under the GNU Affero General Public License.
All Chirp! content and data are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.