#JustEvil

A Quick Emotional Note

It was February 24th, 2022, my birthday, seemingly just another day that started with a cup of coffee, and… then the internet exploded with articles and tweets about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I gave up on my morning coffee, and all I remember for the next few hours is my phone blowing up with messages and calls.

I spoke to those I knew in Russia: high-profile journalists, TV workers, old friends — all as one, lost in explanations that made no sense. But we were all hoping that it would either end soon or that Putin’s actions were merely theatrical.

A year later, hundreds of thousands have been killed, cities have been completely destroyed, and millions will suffer for many, many decades after this nightmare is over.

Still, no logical explanation can shed light on what happened. Explaining this war is like trying to explain evil itself — an unattainable madness, regardless of logical effort.

This war polarized people, showcasing the relativity of what constitutes good and evil in their minds. You would hope that “shall not kill” is sobering and clear, fighting for human rights is sufficient, and that the horrors of fascism and totalitarianism are painfully learned lessons. You should leave those illusions behind the locked door of our reality.

When I make a store payment using my palm, I proudly think that humanity has reached some sort of evolutionary pinnacle in its development.

But no, it is not the development we really need. Most of the world’s population gets by just fine without mastering palm payments. What they really need is to be morally evolved — they have no right to kill others, as one day there will be no one left to pay using their palms.