President Joe Biden on Wednesday flatly called Russia’s Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for the unfolding onslaught in Ukraine, where hospitals and maternity wards have been bombed. But declaring someone a war criminal is not as simple as just saying the words. There are set definitions and processes for determining who’s a war criminal and how they should be punished.
“Not my problem,” has become one of the more common expressions from today’s generation, a culture in which the cell phone is often more important than what’s for dinner or breakfast or lunch.
I just finished checking out the political cartoon in the Chronicle’s “Politics” section this last week. It pictures two children with measles asking their mom to remind them why they didn’t get the measles shot. Her reply: “They’re bad for you. I read that somewhere on Facebook.”
I recall as a young child hearing my grandfather say, “Those that have nothing appreciate everything they receive, and those that have it all expect it to flow like a river forever.” It never much occurred to me then what he was talking about. Today I understand. We have become a nation of spoiled brats, overweight, self-serving nincompoops who want immediate gratification without concern for consequences.