Then Putin Came Knocking
The one where I explain the significance of the Russian Ukraine Conflict
Dear Readers,
I had barely hit the send button on last week’s email before our house was hit with the reality of what the Russian-Ukrainian conflict could mean, specifically for my husband and I who are stationed only borders away from the conflict, and for our friends in green.
I’ll tell you, I seriously considered going back into a hidey-hole this week. This world event distracted me from working on the podcast, doing laundry, and basically just thinking clearly. Just thinking through that conflict felt like I took a literal steal-toe boot to the teeth, and had me asking myself, “Am I okay?” I am still recovering from the last bout of military plot-twists.
The part of my brain that wants to change the world got hit with the the second wave of active-duty reality and then she decided that instead of changing the world she either wanted to hide under a rock again or jump aboard a phallic-shaped rocket to the moon (because apparently that’s a way to save the world these days, and it would have been far away from the possible realities of war.)
I talked that part of my brain out from under the rock.
I had to think long and hard about the direction of this email before writing this week’s letter. Remain totally focused on policy issues as is the mission of this platform and skip the personal stuff? Tell you the truth with a little less than perfect direction, and risk getting a little too life-soapboxy? Or I guess there’s still that rock I could hide under.
As much as this is a personal blog, the focus is intended to be so much bigger than my own life, and maybe writing to you from where I sit distracts from that and diminishes the hard-hitting ethos I want to achieve from cornerstone content.
But policy is personal. It’s embedded in the very nature of how we coexist with current events. And for me, coexisting with the world has felt like a gut punch recently.
Policy work is as innately human as it get’s, and the only way to relate to it with any true success is to keep it human. In the spirit of this, (and in the spirit of not hiding under the rock,) I have no choice but to be honest with you about how it is I navigate the very real world which is comprised of a lot of good and a lot of fucked-up policies, which have a very tangible impact on my life…and yours. For me it’s honesty, or the rock.
This week was messy navigation dictated to me by Mother Russia.
Here’s what I know to be true (from this week and a slew of other times). Changing the world is not and never will be convenient. It’s going to be hard fucking work against odds that are against you. If you wait for the time you are more ready and less stressed, that time will not come. Policy exists in the real, moving, adapting, changing, absurd world we live in, and we have to be able to pivot with it. And no matter how hot the water you are sitting in feels, the world needs you to dig deep into your purpose-reserve and do the work.
This is what I am telling myself as I coax myself back out from under the rock under which my safety and comfort zone would desperately like to live.
I don’t know what you face in the world you are trying to change but what I know is that we can dig in deep together. I’ll keep writing to you every week, from whatever position of personal-funk or triumph or anxiousness or peace I am positioned in, and you’ll keep digging into your own reserve to do the work that needs done on this chaotic planet.
Cool? Cool.
And if that’s not cool…if the personal narrative isn’t your jam, then always feel free to skip to the blog. That's where the more technical stuff lives. There’s a more technical piece linked below.
P.S. Scotland was really cool and a travel blog is coming in hot next week. Also, a podcast is in the works. Thanks again Putin for this rendezvous with my head. It’s been an opportunity to strengthen my brain and spirit muscle and set my priorities straight.
From under a cloud but not under a rock,
Taylor Patrice
Okay, so, a few of you have messaged and asked if I realized how close Germany is to Ukraine, and then most of you followed up with the question of what’s happening in this conflict.
I cheated geography in high school, but I do indeed know how closely we are situated to this conflict.
Just to get your questions out of the way -
Am I nervous? Yes. I have skin in this game so 100% yes. Our whole military family community is running hot right now.
Will my husband go to war? We hope not, but if called, yeah, that’s his job.
How do you do it? Well, read on and I’ll tell you.
THE RUSSIA - UKRAINE CONFLICT
Here’s the most bastardized version of the Russia Ukraine conflict in an effort to break down what’s happening, since you’ve asked. I’m breaking it down like I would for a friend over coffee - overly simplified. Seriously, you should just head directly over to BBC, NPR, or PBS for updates on what’s happening. But please for the love of all things holy don’t go to Fox or CNN for your news.
THE LOWDOWN
Ukraine wants to join NATO - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is an international political and military organization comprised of several countries with the aim of guaranteeing the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. Members include the US, Canada, the UK, and most of Europe.
Basically it’s a gang of countries bonded by shared beliefs that have each other’s back.
Ukraine wants to join because the country then has the political and military backing of 30 other countries. This would help to guarantee them an autonomous future as a country, able to maintain their independence and dictate their own foreign policy. Basically, if you mess with one NATO country, you have messed with them all.
Putin doesn’t want this. Russia’s leader doesn’t want the west encroaching on their doorstep, having more foothold, and thus, power in the region. Putin see’s Ukraine as part of ‘historical Russia’ and the former Soviet Union. I.e. Russia believes it has a right to influence in the Ukrainian region because of where it’s located.
Ukraine is not currently a NATO member because they do not meet membership requirements - primarily being that to join you can’t be in a current conflict, which of course they are…with Russia.
THE SIMPLEST BREAKDOWN
Ukraine wants the right to self-determination. Ukraine has more power to do so by joining NATO.
Russia doesn’t want Ukraine to have this right. Russia wants Ukraine to be part of Russia’s footprint.
Additionally, Russia see’s Ukraine ever joining NATO as the west encroaching on Russian territory. Russia doesn't want this. It gives more power to the western powers that be.
The United Nations Charter states that the right to self-determination is an inalienable right. By virtue of that right people and countries can freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Russia is a United Nations member, but is conveniently ignoring this part of the charter as it throws its weight around with Ukraine.
Though Ukraine isn’t a NATO member, NATO doesn’t like seeing a smaller country get pushed around by a bigger country.
Additionally, if conflict turns into a firefight in Ukraine, that conflict is right on Europe’s doorstep. That can become expensive and dangerous (both physically and economically) for Europe and many of its NATO members, and all of the country’s citizens. It’s just too close for comfort, and could quickly turn into a conflict that spreads.
Remember that road trip I took this summer? Most of those were the deepest east countries of the NATO alliance. That may help to put distance into perspective.
How we achieve peace or war - that’s all policy by the way.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO AMERICA?
America is a NATO member, and this conflict is right on its fellow member’s doorstep. The whole reason we are stationed here is to detour Russian aggression. We don’t want Russia’s power expanding west, and if this turns into a firefight, it will affect lot of NATO nations. That has economic and political ramifications, aside from all the other (trigger word warning) carnage that goes into war.
SO HOW DO WE PERSONALLY HANDLE THE STRESS?
First of all, we remain focused on the facts, and the fact is that we don’t know what’s happening yet so we try not to stress about realities that don’t exist. Are we stressing anyway? My child-hearted utopian husband isn’t, but I am.
The most material truth I have learned during my time in Europe is that having America on your side gives peace to smaller countries who want the right to self-determine their own foreign policy, trade, and political future. Our flag represents freedom, peace, and democracy far beyond our own borders. It’s a flag even other countries are willing to fight for.
Our nation’s Soldiers, our flag, my husband and his crew are a symbol of peace for those who may not otherwise be able to achieve autonomy on their own in a power hungry world.
That’s not nothing.
And it’s the reason we personally, proudly, bleed red, white, and blue. Corny…yeah, we know.
There’s a lot of bullshit that goes on in this world. Hell, there’s a lot of soapboxes I could stand on and profess far and wide the failing policies of the military, and failing policies of our nation…and my God I will write the book someday.
But none of those soapbox tangents I love so much diminish the good work we do in securing human’s inalienable right to make choices for their own future, alongside others who believe the same.
Until the day when our service comes to an end, we remain focused on the best and most rewarding parts of this life.
On the good days, it’s travel. On the bad days, it’s freedom.
So I dread even the thought of a firefight. The skin I have in the game, I gave him my whole heart for my whole life, and because of that, I assess risk and reward differently these days. And I honor the skin I have in the game by telling you the truth about this experience. Fear would have me cowering and threatening to quit the military (and yeah, I have said that once or a couple hundred times) but in the heat of the moment, that’s comfort speaking.
I don’t want to send my husband to war. The world sucks sometimes and the rock to hide under looks hella inviting, and i’d love to drag him there with me.
But the work of freedom, that’s something worth standing for, even when stress could bring you to your knees. It’s what my husband does. It’s what I hope to do too. Our fear is their power, and its power I will not give them, even when this shit is hard.
Until we see what happens next, something which could very well turn out to be something or absolutely nothing, let’s all pray that calm minds prevail.
With you and for you,
Me
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Your Partner in Policy,