While the fact that the war started at all shows that there is real evil in the world, the response to it has been a reminder that most people in the world are good. It’s easy to forget when things are relatively comfortable and people get bored and squabble over petty things, but it’s been amazing watching both the unbelievable bravery of President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, and the almost unanimous global support of the Ukrainians. I’ve also been impressed that the global online mobs have been quick to condemn Putin without blaming the Russian people, many of whom are doing what they can to support Ukrainians.
Specifically related to the topics we cover here normally – tech and web3 – there have been a few “wow” moments.
One was the official Ukrainian twitter account requesting, and receiving, donations in BTC and ETH.
It’s been fascinating to watch how easy it’s been for the world’s nations to shut the bad guy out of the financial system and how easy it’s been for the good guys to raise money from anyone, anywhere in the world instantly.
That said, I hope that in the next few days, the Ukraine addresses and UkraineDAO are able to raise a lot more money than they have so far. If we were able to raise $47 million to try to buy a symbol of democracy, we should be able to raise multiples of that to support a small country fighting to defend democracy against an autocratic giant. So give: here or here.
The second has been Elon’s impact.
On Thursday, Russia’s space agency chief threatened rival countries, asking “Who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?”
Elon responded the next day:
Then on Saturday, when the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, tweeted at Elon asking him to provide Starlink service, Elon responded in under 11 hours that it was live:
It’s unbelievable that a private citizen is able to marshall government-scale resources and tweet about it all in real-time. This war is going to be a wake up call. Instead of mocking Elon, we need leaders who will encourage a thousand more Elons. First up: we need a nuclear power Elon.
The third thing that makes me optimistic is that social media gave a platform for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people to display their bravery and rally support in real-time.
With everything moving so quickly, the ability to marshall global support in minutes can’t be overestimated. Social media is called a mirror on humanity – and we often don’t like what we see – but I’ve been really inspired watching most people in the world rally behind the good guy instead of the troll when it really matters.
In Sc3nius, I wrote that emergence from catastrophe was one of the necessary precursors to the kind of collective genius that pushes the world forward. COVID was one such kick, and it spurred a ton of progress in the world of bits. I think that this invasion will have a similar effect on atoms-based innovation. Already, Germany has increased its defense budget to 2% of GDP, the world has woken up to the importance of energy independence, and politicians who obstruct progress in the name of partisanship won’t be viewed kindly.
For now, though, this war is far from over. As Putin’s grip on power slips, he becomes even more dangerous. If you haven’t yet and you can, I’d encourage you to give or contribute in some way.
I’m optimistic that the past four days have helped people re-discover that most other people are good, that there’s real value in technological superiority, and that while the internet can be a weird place, it can also rally support behind heroes at lightning speed.
Glory to Ukraine.