Reflecting on the underlying reasons for my obsession with the war in Ukraine, I’ve concluded that the primary driver is that the war upturned my entire worldview. Prior to Russia’s invasion, I had been convinced that the world, despite numerous setbacks, had been on a slow path towards globalization, spurred by ever increasing economic connections between countries who were formerly antagonists and, of course, by the global span of the internet which allowed individuals everywhere to learn more about the world at large.
And, hand in hand with globalization, the world seemed to me to be on a slow path towards liberalization, also driven in part by the internet, which allowed people insight to how others think, act and believe. Despite the chaos of the internet, it seemed that taken overall, it was a force that could lead to a gradual acceptance of the enormous diversity of peoples around the world which could, in turn, potentially lead to a a reduction in the sort of tribalism that has fueled perpetual war on earth.
My general, if guarded, optimism ended when Putin decided to invade Ukraine. Over the past year, the more I learn, the more I become convinced that I should have relied more on the evidence of history rather than the apparent superficial changes that I have observed over the course of the short span of my life – a life that just by chance happens to have coincided with an unusual hiatus in the history of global conflicts. With the start of this war, we are back to history as usual. Today’s conflict is nothing more than a continuation of the same conflicts that have afflicted the region for centuries, if not millennia, with an even greater potential to expand well beyond the borders of Ukraine.
I had also somehow convinced myself that the lessons of World War II had not been forgotten, that the horrors perpetrated by Hitler and his Nazi brethren remained imprinted on our consciousness so deeply that none would repeat them. But, that too, was a happy illusion. The rise of populism across the globe is a clear indicator that Nazism could return, anywhere, at any time. And the ease with which Russians commit war crimes on a daily basis is, similarly, an indicator, that old human habits don’t die. Bitter lessons are not learned. The evil that drove Hitler and his enthusiastic followers always lurks, even in good times, just below the surface.
Not pleasant thoughts. But, as there is little I can do about the horrific turn of world events in recent years, such thoughts drive the music I write, leading to a growing catalog of music written in support of Ukraine. So far, a song for baritone and orchestra, a string quartet, a chamber symphony and a symphony for string orchestra. No doubt, more to follow…
