In the Thick of Historical Events

We Didn't Start the Fire

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No, we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Billy Joel, We Didn’t Start the Fire

I’m back to writing after a brief hiatus. Much is happening across the world. Russian troops retreat from the outskirts of Kyiv (Kiev). Global food shortages are threatening the lives of millions. Inflation and food insecurity will raise food prices in the Developed World. Elections are upon us. However, before we analyze any of these, it’s necessary to pause to notice history in the making.

I remember the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in January 2020, watching the events unfurl on Twitter as the world slowly locked itself down. I live in Astoria, Queens, at the time, working for the 2020 Census. We were among the last people to work from home.

I was bicycling about my neighborhood, enjoying the outdoor time afforded to me because of the work from home order, stopping by the local hospital, and seeing an outdoor triage center under construction with mobile morgues. While the virus was less severe than initially thought, the virus did initially overwhelm these cities, which are still underprepared for systemic shocks.

When I received my Presidential Appointment to the Trump Administration that year, every day in government was making history. Functions of government and the palace intrigues in the imperial capital affected our daily lives at the highest levels of the executive branch, and so did they affect the American people.

On the morning of January 6th, 2021, it was impractical to drive to work, so I rode a bicycle from the bike-share to the Department of the Treasury. I meant to attend the rally since I had never been to a Presidential campaign rally. However, my duties had kept me in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

When I finally left, many people said something was going on at the Capitol—not knowing what at that point, I went around the Treasury to encourage people to leave for the day when they could because of traffic. I walked home, which took me along the way past the Capitol. I watched history in the making with the protest turned violent in awe. I still don’t know what to make of the events as I watched from the Department of Labor building. One part a scene from a modern retelling of Les Miserable, another a riot like those seen in the summer of 2020, and another part surreal voyeurism of the hundreds of people largely milling around, not recognizing what was happening either. The police seemed confused that day until the evening when the City of Washington D.C. announced curfews.

Following the administration, I took a job that would eventually require moving to Dallas, Texas. Once again, the country was stunned by the winter storm that froze Texas. This event was my first foray as a commentator on a significant issue.

While I was in the Marines, I served two deployments to Afghanistan. When the 2021 pullout of that country occurred, once again, I commented on this critical, personal news. In the process, I discovered some of the best accounts on Twitter and made actual friends as we discussed our experiences there. This event is helping to shape my plans, but that is for another time.

Recently, with the Russo-Ukrainian War beginning, we are once again in a world-historical, significant event. This single border war will define politics and events for years to come. The incomprehensive incompetence of the Russian military alone shifted the discussion around NATO-Russia relations. Furthermore, the war itself may threaten the lives of millions more outside of Ukraine as the world faces a severe threat of famine.

We live in historic times. Not since the Financial Crisis of 2008 has so many history-changing events occurred in succession. Taken into a broader view, the beginning of the third decade of the 2000s saw the increase in chaos and entropy brought on by the events of the first decade. Instead of the End of History as promised, events today have parallels to the 17th Century. The future of the United States and the world will be exciting as it will be chaotic.

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Take time to pick your head up from your computer terminal in your mind-numbing job or equally vacuous social media. The world will pass you by if you let it, and we’ll all be dust soon enough, so appreciate life’s events with the childlike wonder of a history book. So many things exist merely to distract you from life - just say no.