“The best and perhaps only way to preserve our civilisation is to defeat Putin as soon as possible. That’s the bottom line.” — George Soros
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Today’s main story is a warning from the philanthropist George Soros that the Ukrainian war may become the start of World War III, without concerted action. Soros, who is a consistent voice against authoritarianism and therefore a target for right-wing extremists, says the solution is for the world to unite and get rid of Putin.
Otherwise, the consequences could be dire for life on earth.
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Although these may be especially gloomy times, it’s worth remembering there’s almost always something we can do for someone else during our life here while we still have it.
In that context, the 2017 Netflix documentary about music producer Clive Davis’s astonishing career (“The Soundtrack of Our Lives”) is a useful reminder that most of us, “successful” or not, go through lots of ups and downs on a regular basis.
Davis’s own life has been like an extended three-act play. (He’s now 90.) He can look back on being fired very publicly two times, two marriages that ended in divorce, coming out as bisexual, a bunch of lifetime achievement awards, four kids he loves deeply and more hit records than anyone could possibly keep track of.
Notice there is no “but” in that description, just “and.”
What interests me in particular about Davis is that his career is and was exclusively about recognizing the musical talent inside other people. He had no great talent of his own other than that one peculiar ability. But what an eye for talent he had!
Of all the brilliant artists he helped turn into stars, and there were dozens, maybe hundreds, it was his relationship with Whitney Houston that is the most touching in a universal kind of way. The documentary reflects that. The singer’s battles with addiction — ultimately leading to her premature death at age 48 — represented an awful tragedy, and one that mirrors that of so many others, mostly unknown with stories never told.
The stigma surrounding addiction remain alive and well in American culture while it appears the disease itself is no better understood today than it ever was. Hundreds of thousands if not millions still die annually. The obituaries simply say they died from an overdose, or complications of alcoholism or drug use, or suicide — as if any of that is a satisfactory explanation.
For me it isn’t; all it leads to is the question “Why?”
Effective treatments for addicts do exist. They are expensive and difficult and they may not work at first for most people, who then give up and simply suffer with little relief until the end.
So back to Clive Davis and Whitney Houston. Near the end he tried to help her but she lied to him about the extent of her addiction. That is another common element of everyone’s story — the secrecy, the denials, the lies.
You know, there is a certain kind of art that may seem to stem from addiction or maybe the addiction stems from the art, who knows for sure. What’s certain is that some addicts tell themselves that their habit helps them create their art. And that may even be true for a while — until it isn’t.
Then addiction simply does what it does best — it kills them. And that is the end of yet another sad song.
NOTE: Addiction help: call 1-800-662-4357.
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Today’s Top Stories (37 headlines from 20 news outlets):
Ukraine invasion may be start of ‘third world war’, says George Soros. Veteran philanthropist tells World Economic Forum civilisation ‘may not survive’ what is coming (Guardian)
Georgia Gov. Kemp defeats Trump-backed challenger, former Senator Perdue in GOP primary (Yahoo)
Brad Raffensperger defeats Trump bid to oust him as Georgia’s top election official (Guardian)
Republican former Sen. David Perdue, who is running for governor in Georgia, made several racist attacks on presumptive Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams, who is black, saying she was “demeaning her own race” and should “go back to where she came from.” [HuffPost]
Trump is losing his stranglehold on Republicans (Financial Times)
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) won the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, warning former President Donald Trump remains one of the greatest threats to American democracy. "We face a threat we have never faced before: a former president attempting to unravel our constitutional republic,” Cheney said. [HuffPost]
Texas shooting: Fifteen killed in attack at US primary school (BBC)
Active shootings increased significantly last year in the U.S. (WP)
San Francisco’s Economic Elite Is Gunning for Chesa Boudin (Jacobin)
Male Afghan TV anchors cover faces in solidarity with women after a Taliban order (NPR)
'They were shooting directly at the journalists': New evidence suggests Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in targeted attack by Israeli forces (CNN)
New Justice Dept. policy says agents must intervene if they see abuse (WP)
President Joe Biden said there was no change to a U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan, a day after he angered China by saying he would be willing to use force to defend the democratic island. (Reuters)
Police reform efforts stall as second anniversary of George Floyd’s murder approaches (WP)
Would the World Be Better Without Philanthropists? (New Yorker)
Uyghur abuse files go public as U.N. rights chief visits China's Xinijang region (WP)
The Coming Legal Battles Over Abortion Pills (Politico)
The crypto winter is into its ninth week and bitcoin can't shake the chills. From technicals to turnover, market indicators are flashing red or amber for the biggest cryptocurrency, which has lost a third of its value in just two months. (Reuters)
After 3 months, Russia still bogged down in Ukraine war (AP)
Along Ukraine’s northern border with Russia, fears of a new invasion (WP)
Ukraine: 200 bodies found in basement in Mariupol’s ruins (AP)
They basically got everything wrong’: A Russian diplomat speaks out on the war. (NYT)
US to end Russia’s ability to pay international investors (AP)
Russian forces were launching an all-out assault to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling a river in eastern Ukraine, a battle which could determine the success or failure of Moscow's main campaign in the east. (Reuters)
Difficult weeks ahead in Donbas, Zelensky warns; E.U. nears oil embargo deal (WP)
Zelenskyy tells NHK Ukraine will not cede any land (NHK)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that President Vladimir Putin was the only Russian official he was willing to meet with to discuss how to end the war. (Reuters)
Putin made ‘big strategic mistake’ in Ukraine, NATO chief says in Davos (WP)
Stormy repeat: NOAA predicts busy Atlantic hurricane season (AP)
The Unique Challenge of Raising Teenagers Right Now (Atlantic)
This 830-million-year-old crystal might contain life. And we're about to open it (NPR)
Flying reptile: Remains of scary prehistoric creature discovered (BBC)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to impose mandatory water restrictions if residents don’t use less on their own as a drought drags on and the hotter summer months approach. [AP]
Monarch butterflies bounce back in Mexico wintering grounds (Guardian)
South Asia’s intense heat wave a ‘sign of things to come’ (AP)
Affection For Restaurant Dialed Back Upon Realization It A Chain (The Onion)
***
TODAY’s LYRICS:
“Just One More”
Written and Sung by (the great) George Jones
Put the bottle on the table
Let it stay there till I'm not able
To see your face in ev'ry place that I go
I've been sitting here so long
Just remembering that you are gone
Well, one more drink of wine
Then if you're still on my mind
One drink, just one more, and then another
I'll keep drinking, it won't matter
I'll just remember that I once had her
I don't know why I sit and cry every day
I've been trying to forget, but I haven't stopped as yet
Well, one more drink of wine
Then if you're still on my mind
One drink, just one more, and then another
Put the bottle on the table
Let it stay there till I'm not able
To see your face in ev'ry place that I go
I've been sitting here so long
Just remembering that you are gone
Well, one more drink of wine
Then if you're still on my mind
One drink, just one more, and then another
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