Much has been made of the stories of the current conflict resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Zelenskyy’s masterful social media management; the stories of bravery from Ukrainian citizens, Putin’s seemingly unhinged state of mind. Americans missing the effing point…

It’s interesting, that for, perhaps the first time since WWII, certainly the first time in my lifetime, there’s a conflict in the world that clearly aligns with our storybook notions of good guys vs. bad guys, and the Western world’s responding emotionally to it. Not saying that things are that simple; they’re not – they never are. There’s a lot going on, and it’s ripe for analysis; of people’s motivations, reactions, etc. By all means, admire the Ukraininan resistance, but be mindful of your own prejudices – Lili Loofbourow over at Slate has written one of the better pieces I’ve seen on the topic – I recommend you read it.

That said, the other bit I’m seeing is the whole revival of Cold War nuclear anxiety, especially for the generation(s?) of people two young to remember it the first time around. For the first time since the 80s, it’s kind of a real thing (even if one argues that by the time I came around in the early 70s, MAD kind of ensured that it wasn’t), and it’s bringing back, at least for some, real feelings.

So far, it’s mostly been memes from my fellow GenX’ers referencing the cultural artifacts of the time: Red Dawn, WarGames, The Hunt For Red October, but I think there’s some real anxiety behind at least some of it, even if it seems like just “one more thing” when considering the last half-decade of pandemic, America’s flirtation with autocratic maniacs at the helm, the whole giving permission for racist and fascist assholes to say the quiet part loud again, and the last forty years of trickle-down economic theory pulling the ramp up behind those who came before and leaving little for today’s young adults to look forward to.

A lot of us have been having a hard time maintaining a sense of optimism about the future and the existence of a moral universe at all, let alone one having an arc bending towards justice.

Given all that, my reaction to seeing a primer for what to do if a nuclear scenario happens in non-ironic mainstream media is one of “sure, whatever…” numbness, but kinda not.

But honestly, that’s about what one would expect from the generation that made “Meh” an emotion.