I am a child of domestic violence, so believe me when I say: It doesn’t matter if the woman’s name is Kardashian or Jones, this is all quite real. And Kim Kardashian deserves what every woman in this situation deserves: empathy and regard.

The best way out of this stupid, murderous war — for Russians, for Ukrainians, the rest of the world, including greedy oligarchs — isn’t more sanctions or more war. The way out for the oligarchs is a Kremlin coup toppling Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The crisis in Ukraine further reminds us how unpredictable and unstable life can be, even for people like us. But it also shows how memories of a strong civic culture can keep people like us fighting to preserve it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is stuck, humiliated and probably mentally ill. That makes for scary times ahead. Are Western democracies tough enough for the threats of 2022? So far, so good.

Whatever your view of it, town meeting time often brings out a few national media types who tromp through the snow to a meeting somewhere in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont, sit for a few minutes of debate about, say, buying radios for the fire company, shoot some film and file a story about crusty old New Englanders governing themselves.

Russia’s aggression underlines the potential of the U.S. having to fight simultaneous wars in Europe and Asia, to defend NATO and to stave off a China attack on Taiwan or elsewhere, when our forces currently may not be adequate to winning one fight.