Today on CBC I heard short comments by Trudeau and Polievre who were trying to outdo each other on their support for Israel and their condemnation of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran! Truly disgusting! They must already be rounding up financial donations for next year's election.
How depressing, and completely predictable. It really feels like we who have a conscience are on our own sometimes, doesn't it, Diane? I hope we can figure out how to get organized against all that money.
Precisely. You are so right, Diana. Other than that, in reality, it has always been this way.
One person's freedom fighter is another's terrorist.
The 'average' person (I don't know how else to say it) has little, if any say.
Electoral systems are always imperfect and the more they are, the more they are kept that way by those who benefit from their favour.
Humanity has been hostage to might, religion, monarchy, statehood, wealth, technology and those who have and do control these things.
Frankly, I think we're fucked. That is, the people can't win. Even revolution seems only to result in another autocrat or oligarchy which seeks to benefit itself at the expense of its people.
The human race continually splits itself by focusing on differences, rather than seeing those very differences as opportunities.
I've had it. I'm no brilliant scientist, orator or polymath. I grew in a slum and gave at least one eighth of my earning to charities all of my working life and much more in incidental contributions and I have little but am all too well aware that, compared to millions, if not billions of human beings I am privileged and fortunate.
I have to ask myself: "How can this be?" - I don't know the answer, unless it is that humanity is deficit and doomed.
I think it's western leaders and the system they've created that are the problem, Roger, but I actually adore people and know we're capable of so much goodness. How do we bring out that part of ourselves and each other and work towards a kinder, gentler, more peaceful and environmentally friendly world together?
By first of all fully confronting the evil and sickness in our current society and totally eradicating it before we can move on to the friendlier gentler world 🌍
As long as the evil and disease persists, they will always corrupt whatever good we try to plant on this Earth 🌎
The good news is that Oct 7 has been a watershed moment in all of history where we can easily set up a basic litmus test to know whether one is for the good guys or bad guys to some level.
I truly respect the Palestinians and Gazans especially as they have paid and are paying the price (including Lebanon and other Nations Zionists are attacking currently) for the rest of the World to wake up and finally see the human monsters in our midst. History would be very unkind to us if we let their Sacrifice go to waste and not seize this moment to truly flush out most of the evil and diseased Scums amongst us that Oct 7 has brutally exposed
Whatever lies in our future, one thing is certain; if we allow the West to slip back into controlling the world after the Middle East War (or World War) ends, then it will show without doubt that the human species deserve all the shit that it has been going through all these centuries and millenia and even the gods will leave us to our folly to die under western bloody rule... What's more, we will deserve to die after seeing all this shit and still reverting back to status quo
Let's hope humanity for once in its accursed existence finally chooses the right path. Gazans and the Arabs have paid a Mighty Prize to remove the veil from our eyes, we must not let their Sacrifice go to Waste. The gods Forbid that.
This is so well said. I can recognize none of the values I was taught, and try to live by, in my country’s leaders. Nothing but greed and lust for power. We are Mordor— a place of death and destruction that brings death and destruction to the whole world.
Thanks, Mary, and I agree. All the west brings to its citizens and the rest of the world these days is death and destruction. This during an ongoing genocide, a war NATO is losing and environmental tipping points being crossed.
Thank you Diana, I cannot see how the West can be called civilised and moral when we actively encourage genocide. And turn our faces away from the horrors that we see everyday on our tv screens, the countries that aren't actively taking part are as guilty for doing nothing. Mammon, and the greed for land have become our gods, and I can't see anything much will change it.
Something that gives me hope is that other countries around the world are getting organized, and creating better, more peaceful and co-operative global systems.
I hope western citizens can play our part to bring some sanity to the world.
Hi Diana, your final question is a fertile field. Positive take-away is that it was the masses all along who tried and often managed to uphold the values that were parroted, but never enacted, by the elites. Yes, we fell for their trickery but there is no shame in our good faith. We turned against one another under their gloating eyes, but we can learn from that. We have the potential to express moral authority. Let's look to the student and citizen protestors. They have more often shown us the way, even when we abandoned them. But be ever wary of the various wolves lurking in sheep's clothing. We have identified the evildoers. That in itself suggests we know what is just and right. Turn our backs on their authority. Shun them. Maybe offer them a chance to join us, but otherwise fend for and support ourselves in interdependence. Maybe this is a kickstart for a social organism with greater integrity, responsibility, and accountability. Hope so.
The headline and subhead say it all. What can we do? It seems mainly we can fall back on ourselves and hopefully find/connect with other fellow travelers on the same path.
In my career as a 'turn around specialist' where I helped facilitate taking four different companies from troubled waters, three of those companies were owned by Jewish folk. I found them incredibly fair, compassionate, and deeply appreciative of my efforts to help out their businesses. All the effort was successful because I followed a simple plan. I found out what the company did best and helped them do more of it. The people I worked with, some were Orthodox Jews, taught me that these people lived their faith. To them 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', did not mean if someone gets your eye you take out theirs. It meant that if you injure someone else's eye, you deserve to have yours injured. I do not agree with the collateral damage inflicted by this war, but I am a pacifist. I was raised Irish Franciscan Catholic. So I work for a Guy I call my Jewish Boss. After all, he was born a Jew, raised as a Jew, taught as a Jew, died and came back from the dead - as a Jew. Christians forget this. But as for Israel at the moment and perhaps half or more of the 'West', 'they' have lost their humanity. I refuse however to lump all of my Jewish 'ancestry' to be marred by these horrible actions of the Jewish state (not the people but the leaders). As for us here in 'the states', we prepare for civil war as the Republican Party does exactly what you described above. Used to vote republican. My parents were the only republicans in a democratic Catholic ghetto. They must be appalled from heaven as the Grand Old Party has turned into the Greedy Old Party. Excellent piece!!
And don't forget there are lots of Jewish people who are demonstrating and speaking out. It's the Zionists that are causing the trouble, and they shouldn't be conflated with Judaism.
Has anyone found any explanation for why we are funding Israel? All well and good to be outraged by the obvious immorality, but we need to understand why we are doing this if we are to be intelligent about what to do. The only answer I've gotten is that we need to keep the allies that we prop up on our side so they don't go to the China/Russia camp. Is that it? Or what? And why isn't this inquiry front and center, where knowing what we are dealing with would be essential for us to figure out what to do.
Suzanne, Biden explained this. Israel is our tool to destabilize the ME so that we can grab their natural resources. Lebanon and Palestine have a lot of natural gas off their coasts. We have always been averse to letting resource-rich nations sell their products fairly. Look at what we did to Iran in 1953!
Yes, the West's so-called "leaders" have abnegated any right to be considered moral, they have made that abundantly clear.
Today on CBC I heard short comments by Trudeau and Polievre who were trying to outdo each other on their support for Israel and their condemnation of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran! Truly disgusting! They must already be rounding up financial donations for next year's election.
How depressing, and completely predictable. It really feels like we who have a conscience are on our own sometimes, doesn't it, Diane? I hope we can figure out how to get organized against all that money.
We need to stop being dismayed at normal violence, and find more ways to challenge it. Difficult, I know.
what is "normal violence"?
Government definition of "maintaining the peace"......
The repeated and expected.
Precisely. You are so right, Diana. Other than that, in reality, it has always been this way.
One person's freedom fighter is another's terrorist.
The 'average' person (I don't know how else to say it) has little, if any say.
Electoral systems are always imperfect and the more they are, the more they are kept that way by those who benefit from their favour.
Humanity has been hostage to might, religion, monarchy, statehood, wealth, technology and those who have and do control these things.
Frankly, I think we're fucked. That is, the people can't win. Even revolution seems only to result in another autocrat or oligarchy which seeks to benefit itself at the expense of its people.
The human race continually splits itself by focusing on differences, rather than seeing those very differences as opportunities.
I've had it. I'm no brilliant scientist, orator or polymath. I grew in a slum and gave at least one eighth of my earning to charities all of my working life and much more in incidental contributions and I have little but am all too well aware that, compared to millions, if not billions of human beings I am privileged and fortunate.
I have to ask myself: "How can this be?" - I don't know the answer, unless it is that humanity is deficit and doomed.
I no longer want to be a part of it.
r.
I think it's western leaders and the system they've created that are the problem, Roger, but I actually adore people and know we're capable of so much goodness. How do we bring out that part of ourselves and each other and work towards a kinder, gentler, more peaceful and environmentally friendly world together?
By first of all fully confronting the evil and sickness in our current society and totally eradicating it before we can move on to the friendlier gentler world 🌍
As long as the evil and disease persists, they will always corrupt whatever good we try to plant on this Earth 🌎
The good news is that Oct 7 has been a watershed moment in all of history where we can easily set up a basic litmus test to know whether one is for the good guys or bad guys to some level.
I truly respect the Palestinians and Gazans especially as they have paid and are paying the price (including Lebanon and other Nations Zionists are attacking currently) for the rest of the World to wake up and finally see the human monsters in our midst. History would be very unkind to us if we let their Sacrifice go to waste and not seize this moment to truly flush out most of the evil and diseased Scums amongst us that Oct 7 has brutally exposed
Whatever lies in our future, one thing is certain; if we allow the West to slip back into controlling the world after the Middle East War (or World War) ends, then it will show without doubt that the human species deserve all the shit that it has been going through all these centuries and millenia and even the gods will leave us to our folly to die under western bloody rule... What's more, we will deserve to die after seeing all this shit and still reverting back to status quo
Let's hope humanity for once in its accursed existence finally chooses the right path. Gazans and the Arabs have paid a Mighty Prize to remove the veil from our eyes, we must not let their Sacrifice go to Waste. The gods Forbid that.
From supposed moral authority to outright depravity.
This is so well said. I can recognize none of the values I was taught, and try to live by, in my country’s leaders. Nothing but greed and lust for power. We are Mordor— a place of death and destruction that brings death and destruction to the whole world.
Thanks, Mary, and I agree. All the west brings to its citizens and the rest of the world these days is death and destruction. This during an ongoing genocide, a war NATO is losing and environmental tipping points being crossed.
Thank you Diana, I cannot see how the West can be called civilised and moral when we actively encourage genocide. And turn our faces away from the horrors that we see everyday on our tv screens, the countries that aren't actively taking part are as guilty for doing nothing. Mammon, and the greed for land have become our gods, and I can't see anything much will change it.
You're welcome, Valerie.
Something that gives me hope is that other countries around the world are getting organized, and creating better, more peaceful and co-operative global systems.
I hope western citizens can play our part to bring some sanity to the world.
I hope so too!
Hi Diana, your final question is a fertile field. Positive take-away is that it was the masses all along who tried and often managed to uphold the values that were parroted, but never enacted, by the elites. Yes, we fell for their trickery but there is no shame in our good faith. We turned against one another under their gloating eyes, but we can learn from that. We have the potential to express moral authority. Let's look to the student and citizen protestors. They have more often shown us the way, even when we abandoned them. But be ever wary of the various wolves lurking in sheep's clothing. We have identified the evildoers. That in itself suggests we know what is just and right. Turn our backs on their authority. Shun them. Maybe offer them a chance to join us, but otherwise fend for and support ourselves in interdependence. Maybe this is a kickstart for a social organism with greater integrity, responsibility, and accountability. Hope so.
Just as your final sentence is a fertile field, Graeme, Well planted, needs much tender care and attention to spur the fruit
The headline and subhead say it all. What can we do? It seems mainly we can fall back on ourselves and hopefully find/connect with other fellow travelers on the same path.
Exactly what some many are doing already, ripples becoming tsunamis
Patti Smith always makes me feel better.
Two versions of the same song. People have the power to redeem the work of fools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPR-HyGj2d0
It's decreed: the people rule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Wz3i_BYUc
🇵🇸💔🙏
In my career as a 'turn around specialist' where I helped facilitate taking four different companies from troubled waters, three of those companies were owned by Jewish folk. I found them incredibly fair, compassionate, and deeply appreciative of my efforts to help out their businesses. All the effort was successful because I followed a simple plan. I found out what the company did best and helped them do more of it. The people I worked with, some were Orthodox Jews, taught me that these people lived their faith. To them 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', did not mean if someone gets your eye you take out theirs. It meant that if you injure someone else's eye, you deserve to have yours injured. I do not agree with the collateral damage inflicted by this war, but I am a pacifist. I was raised Irish Franciscan Catholic. So I work for a Guy I call my Jewish Boss. After all, he was born a Jew, raised as a Jew, taught as a Jew, died and came back from the dead - as a Jew. Christians forget this. But as for Israel at the moment and perhaps half or more of the 'West', 'they' have lost their humanity. I refuse however to lump all of my Jewish 'ancestry' to be marred by these horrible actions of the Jewish state (not the people but the leaders). As for us here in 'the states', we prepare for civil war as the Republican Party does exactly what you described above. Used to vote republican. My parents were the only republicans in a democratic Catholic ghetto. They must be appalled from heaven as the Grand Old Party has turned into the Greedy Old Party. Excellent piece!!
Thanks, Clement.
And don't forget there are lots of Jewish people who are demonstrating and speaking out. It's the Zionists that are causing the trouble, and they shouldn't be conflated with Judaism.
Has anyone found any explanation for why we are funding Israel? All well and good to be outraged by the obvious immorality, but we need to understand why we are doing this if we are to be intelligent about what to do. The only answer I've gotten is that we need to keep the allies that we prop up on our side so they don't go to the China/Russia camp. Is that it? Or what? And why isn't this inquiry front and center, where knowing what we are dealing with would be essential for us to figure out what to do.
Suzanne, Biden explained this. Israel is our tool to destabilize the ME so that we can grab their natural resources. Lebanon and Palestine have a lot of natural gas off their coasts. We have always been averse to letting resource-rich nations sell their products fairly. Look at what we did to Iran in 1953!