Why good will triumph over evil

There was a moment this week that convinced me everything will eventually be OK. It was when Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko got on TV and spilled the entire battle plan for the invasion of Ukraine.

This moment brought all the tropes of cheesy action movies to real life. The bumbling minion combined with the stock villain’s monologue where he spills his evil plan and gives the hero enough time to figure out how to get out of the easily escapable trap. If Lukashenko stroked a cat and cackled maniacally, it would have been perfect.

Why did this reassure me? It shows good will triumph over evil because evil is stupid.

Evil is arrogant, so it concocts grandiose schemes it can never accomplish. Evil is egotistical, so it refuses to listen to wiser and more experienced people. Evil is greedy, so no gain will ever satisfy it, and they spin flimsier and more dangerous plots to grab more. Evil is prideful, so it won’t admit setbacks, even when they are right in front of it. Evil is destructive, so it destroys everything around it — including allies, friends, family, and themselves.

Eventually, evil fails. Tyrants fall. Serial killers get caught. Con artists get thrown in jail. Justice is served. Unfortunately, it’s not before evil has caused untold suffering and destruction upon the innocent.