Originally Posted by
Kloubek
Oh, I think its a lot more than that. In Bahkmut alone, I believe Russia just admitted 20,000 dead on their side, just to take that city. About 10,000 convicts, and 10,000 conscripts. Now, just like China, if they publish a number, you better believe it's significantly worse since their governments aren't held accountable for anything resembling accuracy. Western/Ukranians report upwards of 100,000 Russians dead for the same event. Chances are, the real numbers are somewhere in the middle.
By the same accounts, they estimate minimum 100,000 up to over 200,000 dead on the Russian side during this campaign on the whole. It is generally accepted that the losses of Russians is far higher than that of the Ukranians, but rest assured they've lost a ton of soldiers as well. Now, one may say - too bad... they're soldiers. They know what they were getting themselves into. In some cases, sure. But the fact is, neither side allows their men to "opt out". If they want you to go, you're going. So it isn't like everyone truly wants to be there.
Then there are the civilians, and with so many missing who knows what that number truly is but it's certainly in the tens of thousands.
So, you say - who cares? On a global level, that volume is nothing. And you're right. But yet, they were people with lives. Sons, daughters, fathers, mothers.
Why do we care? We care because it's human nature to wish for the betterment of others. By your "model", why does anybody care about anyone or anything? Why worry about your own family when that 1 person is even less significant in the world than those lost in Ukraine? Seems to me your model works just fine until it comes to your own personal interests. And if your own interests is the only thing that keeps you caring about someone, then I think you may be missing the purpose of caring in the first place.
But don't think that just because we care, we are all broken up about it. I don't know these people, and it doesn't affect me personally. But that doesn't negate having a heart, sympathy and empathy.