Extra! Extra!

Stephen Viz Poor stephen’s scrapbook

I really hope no one reads this title and agrees with my sarcasm.

A year ago this month, the world came to a halt as russian tanks roared across the Ukrainian border. After eight years of political standstill and insurgency encounters, the full might of Putin’s army finally made good on the promise to reclaim parts of russia now held by the Ukraine. The world looked to Twitter and major news to get our updates, and it has been a long year of rhetoric, debate, and ordinary heroism.

but so much has changed since February of 2022, and honestly, the future is somewhat terrifying. As American and United nation aid ramps up in favor of Ukrainian support, one can only wonder what the world will look like in six, 12 or even 18 months. It is a brave new world, and big and small business alike just might come to shape the future as we know it. And boy, they could it for the better if they did anything but the bare minimum. Let me explain.

I grew up on ‘90s action thrillers that owned the stereotype of russian villains in a post-soviet world. classics like “crimson Tide” and “Air Force one” made these dynamics both highly entertaining and thought-provoking. These movies featured russian nationalists only steps away from restoring “mother russia” to its former glory, which even for fictional worlds that had seen the horrors of communism, seemed like a potential reality. but in the movies ,drinking the pro-democratic Kool-Aid always prevails, and even today I can hear harrison Ford’s President marshall snarl “Get off my plane!” And yes, I am glad that these movies were perpetually on cinemax in 2012, because they sparked an interest in geopolitics that no 300-level lecture ever could.

And through my career as a varsity Wikipedia reader, I have come to see that business, my chosen field in this life, intersects with geopolitics more than any other factor on the planet. Whether we like it or not, business interests are second to none in the geopolitical pecking order. If there is money to be made, business will make it work. And because of this, scenarios as seen in my favorite movies never came to fruition. After the fall of the berlin Wall, billions in international and domestic investment flocked into eastern europe. In russia especially, exports of oil and gas, agriculture, textiles, manufacturing and professional services all exploded. being a country with a strong labor force and abundant natural resources, russia was poised to continue from the emerging stage to the developing stage as an economy. And then, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine got in the way.

This takes us to last march. After russian boots were on the ground in the Ukraine, the international community was quick to condemn Putin’s actions. This coupled with harsh economic sanctions forcefully placed a squeeze on the russian war effort. mcdonald’s, coca-cola, UPs, visa, YUm brands, Ford, General motors, KPmG and dozens of other companies suspended or permanently terminated operations in russia. These moves were very significant, as these businesses earned substantial profits in russia’s population of 150 million people. but guess what? even after all these crippling economic sanctions have toppled the global supply chain and energy markets, the russian war effort has kept on churning. even after hundreds of foreign corporations packed up shop, the war effort has kept on churning. economic sanctions are a slow burn, and there is no end in sight to the war at hand.

Understanding power distance can be helpful in this analysis. Power distance is a metric in international management that understands the extent to which the less-powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed equally. Want to know what russia scored? A 93 on a 100-point scale (for context power distance in the United states is a 40). so, for those of you who might argue that russians should’ve overthrown Putin when they had the chance, you really don’t have a clue. russian oligarchs are synonymous with being bond villains for a reason, as dozens of these billionaires hold most of the controlling interest in the russian economy. If that doesn’t speak to the factsthat large swathes of the russian populous stand against this war, then I don’t know what does. because of this power distance, russia has replaced trading partners in the West for reliable (and emerging) trading partners in India and china. And yes, while sanctions have cost russia billions due to the deflated price of crude oil and municipal bonds have been downgraded to “junk,” Putin will find a way. do you really think Putin cares that his state has entered a recession? Yeah, let me think. no. he will find a way to continue financing his war.

Futile gestures of solidarity that have arisen amongst decision makers in business since last march have acted as nothing more than a slap on the wrist. For all the alcohol wholesalers and liquor stores who removed russian vodka from your inventory, good for you. That’ll show Putin. This is like if bernie madoff received a 15-minute timeout after defrauding billions from investors. but I digress, and level with this.

While the business world has acted passively, this war has reeked more havoc than any of us will ever know. Just one year later, thousands of soldiers and civilians are dead. millions of Ukrainians are displaced. billions in infrastructure and development has been destroyed. A global food crisis has affected “the breadbasket” in these countries, as wheat shortages have accelerated the hunger crises in Yemen, Afghanistan and east Africa. rising energy prices due to this war have raised the price of agriculture globally, contributing to increased food prices. The ripple effect is real, and while companies such as disney, netflix and Apple all regroup to replace revenue lost in the russian markets, millions of people are suffering in real time. but there is some good news. When business leaders decide to critically think and respond actively, the bulk of the world’s problems become inconsequential to such efficiency and clear intentions. And yes, while war profiteering and shareholder interest come into discussion regarding the motives behind corporate actions, is it too much to ask companies to think outside the box? This is not business as usual, and as showed in the American mobilization for World War II, big business can be all the difference in changing the tides of war.

To me, companies in the international business community are not doing enough. Too many times since last march has leaving the russian business landscape become the new norm. What about reverting those utilized assets into the aid of Ukrainian defense and refugees? What about utilizing logistics to ease the global supply chain? What about coordinated efforts from big tech to disrupt hostile communications? What about efforts of aid for food insecure populations? For aspiring business leaders, let it be known that this passive lack of inaction is a cancer, and history will separate the well-intended from the just. You would think saving customer lives would act as a noble business pursuit, but at this point, the world will have to wait and see. do better big business and use some of those earnings-per-share numbers to bless our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

Stephen Viz is an MBA candidate and graduate of Holy Cross College. He can be reached at sviz@nd.edu or on Twitter at @StephenViz.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not encessarily those of the Observer.

What is discernment?

Joey Jegier discerning Your best self

In my previous column, I told the story of my discernment journey. some of you may have wondered, “What does it mean to discern?” some decisions may be simple. You have a clear and distinct gut feeling, and you know what to do. other decisions may be more complicated. You feel torn between two or more options, and you have no idea what to do. either way, take the time to reflect and properly decide, so that you can look back and say, “I did my best to make a good choice with the information I had.” how, then, should we go about making these crucial, life-altering decisions? When we face a fork in the road, how do we choose which path to take? even though this unknowingness will be uncomfortable (especially for those of us who wish to know everything and have a steady life plan), if we can learn to face this discomfort of uncertainty, then we open ourselves up to genuine personal growth. only when we admit that we do not know can we learn something truly valuable. once we make a decision and commit to that choice, we allow ourselves to grow and develop in that new environment. That is, until we reach the next fork in the road. And so the process continues, exploring and deciding, confusion and clarity, a continuous cycle of reflection and action. moreover, we have refined the skill of discernment. We have learned how to make wise decisions in accordance with our values. second, talk it out. Talk with friends, parents, professors, rectors, advisors, mentors — anyone and everyone. Allow these conversations to speak to you. so, when you are in the process of discerning, you may experience fear of the unknown and pressure of choosing correctly. have no fear! do not worry! Live dayto-day, paying attention to the stirrings of your soul as you experience new things. And talk it out, reflecting on your options with valued mentors. Then you can say, “I did a good job.”

In general, discernment refers to an intentional decision-making process. For undergraduate students, like many of us, that could involve deciding a course of study, choosing a career path or selecting extracurricular activities.

The way I see it, the first step toward making a good decision is acknowledging the fear. We cannot hide it, nor should we suppress it. We cannot ignore uncertainty. Instead, accept it. Acknowledge the doubt. Walk through, not around, the cloud of confusion that shrouds the future.

Let me explain further what the discernment process looks like. As I said, a first essential step is acknowledging uncertainty, because the future is often distant and unknown. There are so many possibilities, and we can only choose one. We cannot study all the disciplines. nor can we work in all the fields. We are faced with, therefore, both the fear of unknowing and the pressure of making a good choice!

In the face of uncertainty and pressure, we explore. externally we explore what the world has in store for us, and internally we explore the dimensions of our own personalities. external exploration may involve going to a career fair, trying new courses or attending extracurricular activities. As we do this, we pay attention to the inner stirrings of our souls, evaluating our responses to new experiences. did I enjoy that intro course? did I feel a sense of joy while working that summer internship? If so, carry on. If not, maybe try something else.

While we explore and evaluate the outer and the inner world, we seek to identify our deepest desires and locate where they intersect with humanity’s greatest needs.

After some time, we arrive at a decision with a certain degree of clarity. We may never feel fully confident, but we can rest assured that we took the time to properly decide.

When we arrive at the next inflection point, however, we are no longer the same persons as we were before. We have grown. We have come to recognize our desires and our callings.

In this process we discover a calling, a guiding principle to lead us down the path of life. This light pierces through clouds of darkness and guides us toward the greatest good. discernment, therefore, is a dynamic, continuous and progressive process of exploring, deciding and becoming, through which one develops the skills necessary to make decisions in greater harmony with principles of goodness, beauty and justice.

In theory, that may sound great. In reality, however, the discernment process may not feel so smooth. There may be times of confusion. As I write, I am in one of those times. It is hard, and I pray for vision and clarity.

Then there will be times when a decision results in peace, joy, and consolation. We feel free. That’s the goal, after all.

Let me now offer two pieces of advice. Again, I am still discerning. I do not have it all figured out. still, these are two things I have found to be helpful.

First, take it day by day. do not allow worries of the future to tarnish the present moment. Pay attention. reflect. contemplate on your bed at night.

Joey Jegier is a senior at Notre Dame studying philosophy, ESS and German. He can be reached at jjegier2@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Observer.