Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

As the war continues to rage on in Ukraine, the international community has used existing international forums to hash out exactly how to respond to the escalating violence. One of these forums is the UN. Certainly, the organization has so far seen some actions, including strong words from the secretary-general in condemning the war itself as well as resolutions that frame the war as a violation of international norms and humanitarian principles on the part of Russia. Yet, overall, the UN has been largely absent in the war, compared to the EU and NATO.

It seems like an endless parade of visual destruction. Videos after videos show destroyed Russian tanks and other armored vehicles strewn by the Ukrainian roadside, some with parts blown off and some even laying upside down. separate videos show aerial videos, of drones unleashing their payloads on the columns of armored vehicles below with devastating impact. News articles, in line with these videos, speak of the latest anti-tank weapons, from Turkish drones to British shoulder-launched missiles, that have slowed down the advance of the Russian army.

Before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics began, the Japanese media provided a very subdued report on the preparation of the Games. Consistent with the politics focus nature of Western media outlets covering the Olympics, the Japanese news media reported on the extent to which the Chinese authorities have tried to execute the Games amidst uncertainties surrounding COVID-19. Any and all sense of Olympic unity that was gathered at the Games quickly dissipated after Russia promptly invaded Ukraine after its end, prompting speculation that China asked Putin to hold off the invasion until the Games ended.