Every year we gather to hold a moment of silence for the fallen, but we have not been this close to the reason for Remembrance Day in nearly a century.

While writing this, ISA国际影视传媒檓 reading a report from the Mayor of Kyiv that the city could very well be without power, heat or running water as Vladimir PutinSA国际影视传媒檚 government continues to bombard anything it can target, likely paving the way for another wave of troops, drafted from the general population after the more seasoned troops proved no match for the Ukrainians defending their homes and families.

With his master plan to stop the expansion of NATO completely backfiring, the increasingly cornered Putin and his circle are ramping up rhetoric to frighten anyone who would listen. The former KGB agent himself has repeatedly suggested the use of nuclear weapons if things donSA国际影视传媒檛 start going his way, but former President Dmitry Medvedev SA国际影视传媒� who was handpicked by Putin to run for office for a single term so Putin could pretend he wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 just another dictator SA国际影视传媒� completely jumped the shark on Nov. 3 when he told a crowd Russia was in a SA国际影视传媒渟acred conflict with SatanSA国际影视传媒� and was fighting SA国际影视传媒渃razy Nazi drug addictsSA国际影视传媒� in Ukraine, who are backed by us Westerners who have SA国际影视传媒渟aliva running down (our) chins from degeneracy.SA国际影视传媒�

Having done several projects on PutinSA国际影视传媒檚 media landscape in journalism-school, ISA国际影视传媒檒l suggest the degeneracy Medvedev is referring to is the liberal westSA国际影视传媒檚 liberalism. ISA国际影视传媒檓 not referring to Justin TrudeauSA国际影视传媒檚 party, but our philosophy of freedom and making life better for our citizens regardless of race, colour or creed, which has stood as the hallmark of the last century of human progress that began with universal suffrage and has more recently evolved into key developments such as the legalization of same sex marriage and the Truth and Reconciliation commission.

Homophobia in particular is a key part of PutinSA国际影视传媒檚 narrative, effectively claiming over here weSA国际影视传媒檙e conspiring to force sinful inclusiveness onto the innocent and a strong Russia needs to stand up to this force. Two decades of heated rhetoric have now spilled over into nearly a year of bloodshed.

Closer to home, as ISA国际影视传媒檓 writing this, ISA国际影视传媒檓 also eagerly keeping tabs on our neighbours to the south, who are undergoing their latest most important election in history. With a Republican-stacked Supreme Court denying a womanSA国际影视传媒檚 right to choose and a Republican slate of candidates prepared to ignore the legitimate results of a free and fair election, you would be forgiven for wondering if this is 2022 or 1852. The difference this time is there doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to be a major question of national direction facing Americans, but merely the accumulation of hateful rhetoric cast back and forth between two supposedly too-big-to-fail political parties to the point where theySA国际影视传媒檙e now living in separate reality tunnels.

Every year we say SA国际影视传媒淟est we forgetSA国际影视传媒� and we recall the horror stories of the past. But lamenting the mistakes of the past doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to have stopped us from making new ones.

This Remembrance Day, let us ask ourselves how much respect we show the fallen by finding new ways to add to their numbers. SA国际影视传媒淭he war to end all wars,SA国际影视传媒� happened over a century ago, yet here we are.