Such suffering, such useless destruction and waste – completely unnecessary killings.
I am happy that there is actually a light at the end of the tunnel, as that famous phrase goes.
But at what price!
People scarred for life. Civil population as well as military: What does all this do to a human being?
Interestingly one of the most striking records of souls in pain comes from the US: Award-winning director John Houston as early as 1946 directed and published “Let There be Light“.
The present president whose name I avoid naming, is wholly responsible for this ‘charade’:
Just as was the case with Iraq in 2003-2011, no reason could be found. Not the weapons of mass destruction. But: Oil in abundance. And a nation reeling from the onslaught to this day.
The present president and his ‘horde’ cancelled working and observed contracts of uranium enrichment control with Iran as early as 2018. Confirmed fact. Do we need to say – or think – more?
“Cui bono?” – “Who benefits?” The central question, so often.
If it wasn’t so dreadful, cruel and cold-hearted, a moneymaking ‘cult’ behind it: One would have to laugh at that behaviour for being so extremely ridiculous, practically childish.
Let’s hope – and pray, if you will – that an actual agreement finally will be reached.
Do we need to ask what they plan to do for the ‘victory festivities’ in the US surely to be held – and just as the inauguration – financed by the big tech companies…?
That agreement needs to be reached in a hurry to have a reasonable period of time elapse before they start them…and early enough before the end of the last term in office of this sorry excuse for a man that is that US president.
It’s not new anymore, these days: But it still is worth another look and thought: How moneymaking as a cult has apparently taken over our lives. I am old enough to remember life with the Soviet Union still in place. Looking at it from today’s vantage point I feel more and more: since moneymaking as a system has no rival, no ‘enemy’, no opponent anymore, it’s like medieval times – two hard-liners in moneymaking and serving their own personality (character would be the wrong term) at the top (?) in order to make their followers and themselves even more – money. In Russia and the US.
‘Raw capitalism’, unleashed as it were, again. Yes, of course, some people will argue the same way: Just let it be. It will take care of itself, if you only let it.
That’s Adam Smith’s theory, who stated that enterprises should be left to their own devices and the ‘market would take care of itself’. The USA’s national myth. That’s what myths are: A basic fairy tale.
Well, more than 200 years into the picture – and we are still waiting for it – to take care…
Have some ‘guys’, the tough stuff, at the top. The more they misbehave, an actual felon as a US president, the more they make some people believe that ‘tough guys’ still exist, the more they feel reassured.
Because there’s that other view… always lurking around the corner; they just might not be all that tough inside; they just might feel doubtful and insecure deep down about the ‘cowboy’ and ‘hunter’ and ‘soldier’, not to say ‘hero’ image they long for most of their lives.
Some will never get it, not in this life: Male precedence has a history.
And being a man does not mean, be tough, unyielding and unflinching in the face of adversity. If we could finally get that new male image into place (again), we might even stop wars altogether.
One day, women, children, elderly people and even men (who are out of the picture these days because they are so busy saving the others in wars they started in the first place) might be living in peace. Greetz to all those fine guys out there, who know that being a male human is more than just being tough!
The FIFA World Cup this year, starting today is one more instance of that embarrassing excuse for a man called the present president of the United States and his priorities – not to mention that actual name once in a while. Prices for anything related rocketed sky-high. Just so many people even refused to enter the US, for no justifiable or indeed any sort of ‘reason’, as in: rational thinking.
Related to all that moneymaking and the question of ‘news’ are social media, many of the largest consumed around the world in one or two ‘pockets’.
They don’t do it for nothing: They sell our data.
Interestingly, in front of that court in the hearing about his company’s policies in regard to content control or data privacy, when asked, Mark Zuckerberg himself refused to state then and there the name of the hotel he had slept in the previous night. Or the phone number of the last person he had called before entering court.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay and Adobe CC, my arrangement
Germany and the UN security council: I am German by birth and upbringing. Political and community responsibility were a central part of education as well as discussions in our family. As indeed in the majority of German families and households.
The security council was from the start and always will be a highly political body. When we look at unjust and forced decisions by its 5 permanent members over the past 80 years since its founding, we will start to realize that anywhere in the world power and third party interests influence such bodies.
We also can easily ascertain that good forces and good deeds are strong and at the moment still prevail throughout Europe, including Germany.
Yet, Germany reserves its right to stand up and point at injustice. These days, with an extreme-right-wing president in the US, a dictator in Russia as heads of government, who are basically best buddies, it’s practically impossible to ‘please all’.
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
(John Lydgate)
That’s also very clear:
We should not at any time confuse Israeli politics and the reactions to those politics with the past or present of people using antisemitism as a weapon in discussions.
It is tragic and also very true:
In politics and dictatorships all around the world certain methods were – and still are – used to manipulate those of less well-educated mind to gather and hunt those that were a minority, or are an easy target.
‘Minority bashing’ occurs in Russia, in China and the US, in the UK and France. The USA were the first – and so far the only nation – to use a nuclear bomb in a war against another.
They have forfeited their ‘right’ to be counted among the righteous at least in politics: Their present government is nothing to write home about. And that’s putting it rather nicely yet. What would you expect from a president who’s a convicted felon and his administration?
The same holds true for nations such as China or Russia, both also permanent members.
To stand up for our beliefs and the same right for all to justice, peace and support of those rights is a central aspect in German politics and has been for a long time.
I for my part think we can be proud and at the same time unassuming about the great history of science, philosophy and arts this country of Germany possesses.
Images by 경복 김, Mumtaha Tabassum and Barbara A Lane from Pixabay; my arrangement
When the USA decide on making war, they are adamant. That’s a fine quality in many respects. Yet, in war…? Or making it…? Why, really? After the attacks on the twin towers the US declared war on half the world. That attack was a tragic and cruel occurrence. But it does not provide any justification for shunning international law.
On the contrary: Laws are there for all of the community. In ancient Greece Socrates, the philosopher proved it by accepting a rule that was common then – and drinking the poison from a cup he could have avoided, as a punishment. He died.
When something goes wrong, the US are the first to claim their right, their benefit… the ‘rights’ of the NATO members, for example; that is they ask for and actually pressurize the others to spend more on their annual defense budget, 5% instead of 3%, as only happened around 1.5 years ago.
But: How often did – and do – the US to this day act cruelly against other nations? Without consulting anything but their own foreign interests? What about Japan?
The first and last time ever that nuclear weapons were used in a war. As a testing ground, more or less.
The tests of nuclear weapons in the archipelagos of Bikini they used, to spare their own country? The Bikini islands feel the consequences to this day. So nice and small and quiet and right there… easy to use.
Usage. Benefit. Profit.
That are the pillars of the US-American society and have been since their founding.
The weapons producing industry is the most important, influential and powerful there. And they benefit from NATO members ordering.
In 2003 the war on Iraq was started: “Weapons of mass destruction”, so the official message, apparently had to be recovered. Since Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein had apparently accumulated them breaking international agreements they had to be made safe.
To this day, those weapons weren’t found. That’s official. None.
Saddam Hussein originally had been instated with US support. He was their ‘vassal’ in a country that also has huge reservoirs of oil and gas. When he started to become too independent, war was declared. Eventually he was found and killed.
The oil wells burned for years after that. The country is devastated.
Any old lie will do.
Check your sources. Refer to books in libraries written by respected authors of the field. Check more than one important and traditional newspaper of (reasonably) working democracies.
Iran? It’s got oil. It’s got the largest oil recovery industry in the world. Uranium enrichment control contracts were in full working order until 2018, when Trump and his ‘cohorts’ cancelled them. But: the government in place since the revolution of 1979 did not succumb to US pressure.
Regarding their internal affairs that government was a poor example of a dictatorship ‘dressed’ as democracy, including all legal pressure, limitations and punishment as well as control into the bargain typical for such systems.
But let’s remember: The last shah had been instated by the US too. He sold oil to them at dumping prices. When the literally hungry and ‘huddled’ masses rose in the country, his power waned. Finally even his downfall and flight from the country was supported by the US.
The people of Iran are of a peaceful and also proud mindset. If attacked, they fight to the last. They always did. They do not sell out their country for cheap bargains to anyone.
Looking at history as well as present ideas you can be pretty sure of that.
This completely unnecessary war has to be stopped.
The original story that is part of the Christian tradition, runs basically like this: After Jesus had been crucified, resurrected and ascented to heaven, his disciples sat around a table, in fear of the future.
Then something happened, which you might call enlightenment and suddenly they started to understand about what matters in life, really:
A strong sense of community, respect and kindness towards your fellow beings, understanding and clear thought.
I also think that the tradition, which with every reason so often states love to be at the centre of life, makes a lot of sense:
Because, it is life, to my mind. People who feel unacknowledged, even unloved may despair of life.
Babies die without love, even if properly fed, cared for and clothed.
That’s why I wish all of you good people out there:
War: a means to an end. Indeed, often it’s more than one end only. In this case there are several:
Sell weapons (for the industry, the providers of supplies…), make a profit – or two.
Get your hands on the oil in the country: The US need oil. Iran has it, in abundance. Additionally, it’s got the largest oil recovery industry in the world.
Distract attention from severe internal problems, such as Epstein papers in the US.
Or the waning support for a president and his administration who seem to ‘lose it’ – not just once or twice, but regularly.
A president, who’s also a criminal, ruled guilty on 34 counts in front of a US legal court of law, for bribery, corruption and molestation.
The ever increasing drug problems of a society that far too long advocated the always handy pills – and the always ‘working human’.
It would be a wise man to get proper counselling well in advance – and act accordingly. But then: Whenever did the current president prove to be wise…?
He has been proven to have committed about any felony in the book… This war is a shame and a crime. Nothing else and nothing in between.
“A person after my own heart.” Another way in English to express that special type of closeness you can feel at times to some people: People who think and feel similar to yourself about life. That feeling often starts even before you have exchanged a word, yet.
But it is not always sufficient to feel similarly about things for a close and supporting/sustaining friendship. The knowledge, experiences and ideas you can share can be many – or just a few. You would want a person to accept and even understand those special thoughts. Be able to not only barely trace that thread of thoughts… but fully grasp ideas and feeling.
Apart from sharing values, of course. The good ones.
I have gone through many varied times due to the fact that I grew up in the German culture, am German by birth as well as upbringing – and at the same time not only studied Persian culture and literature at university – but also spent a lot of of my adult life so far around Persians and refugees in particular.
Such experiences and realizations as well as reading and ideas cannot be shared easily among any kind of crowd.
I also from childhood was raised to use discretion and care in choosing friends.
In the Western, industrialized world we tend to think that things or people are either ‘black’ or ‘white’, either ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
People, situations, life itself are usually not just that – but many things in between. “The truth is bitter.” That’s a Persian proverb and it is sometimes true too.
“Talk is silver, quiet is golden.” That’s a German proverb I translated and it is also sometimes very true. So many people talk such a lot on any single day. It can be heartwarming to exchange ideas! To share the heart’s burden! Or just make jokes in order to relieve life’s sometimes cruel dealings. But to know when to keep quiet can be an art, as well.
I consider myself lucky, I have seen hard times a lot, but I also met quite a number of good people, was raised by kind and smart and highly-educated parents.
That’s how I learned to focus, keep my calm, focus on “first things first”. Because if you try to do everything at once, you will at one point get the receipt, the bill in the shape of minor pains or problems.
I know how to take care of myself, because:
We are not just one thing – or another. People are more than just the sum of their parts.
Greetz to all of my readers out there who can relate!
‘Leverage’: A nice term almost, when you think of old pumps that would bring water to the surface and into a home. A lever sometimes used to do the ‘pumping’… Exactly that is part of it when you think of getting or having “leverage” in negotiations: One or the other party to an intended deal being able to put pressure on. For their own good.
That’s what this war and the occasional recent (apparent?) ‘flares’ of attacks to break that truce indicate:
Remind each other of the respective position. Let’s remember that it was the US who started this. Internal affairs in Iran haven’t been anything easy to think of – or ‘write home about’; quite to the contrary. But this is not about that government, let’s remember that too.
It’s about oil, Iran having the largest oil recovery industry in the world(!).
About a country, the US of A, whose population looks to the car as something almost like a body appendage: indispensable. Therefore petrol must be cheap. Which in turn means oil has to be cheap too and keep flowing in…
Especially with a president and his ‘coworkers’, his ‘entourage’, or cue-givers…, who refuse to look into a future of being less dependent on fossil fuels, which in the long run could make it better for all: Better water, air and less dependency on ‘any old’ oil well.
Let’s also keep in mind that negotiations take time. Which this president hasn’t got anymore, really: His second term in office is running out. If he wants to leave any kind of legacy beyond the recall of court actions, Epstein papers and worse, he has to make haste.
In the case of Iran that is one thing to better avoid. Haste.
I love that old culture, reaching back thousands of years, into a rich and also troubled history. Full of poetry and wisdom and art.
Three crucial and very striking aspects of many people I had the joy to learn to know better in a comparatively long life are these:
perseverance
patience
pride
That also has its roots in the history of the country: For a couple of thousands of years and to this day being at the heart of a region that always was the turnstile to all cultures you can think of, far east, west and near east.
The free flow of all that’s good in mankind’s history and mind into and through this country, of languages, arts and influences of knowledge and wisdom – together with the resilience built up over troublesome landscapes with hot, forbidding deserts, constant threats by neighbours attacking and earthquakes into the bargain – have created a ‘fellowship’ almost of a people who at their best will neither give in to blackmail or extortion, and will keep their calm, their pride and their preparedness for reasonable offers to the last.
A wise man will look for good counsel. But some people are not wise enough.
Hopefully this shameful war will end sooner rather than later to make room for negotiations – that will need patience and real offerings.
Picture of the tomb of Persian poet Hafez in Shiraz, 2019, courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons license
Germany’s situation is bad? Beg your pardon? We are getting along fine, taken all in all, thank you. Who started a war to divert attention from his legal problems? To finally be able to make Iran succumb to their terms because they need oil so urgently? After 2018, cancelling those uranium enrichment control contracts, without reason. (Link to New York Times report from 2018.)
Who pressured the whole of NATO into spending more on their annual on weapons in order to get the weapon’s industry in the US to calm down? 5% instead of 3%, all of NATO who didn’t already?
Since, most of NATO members buy there.
Whose economy has slumped for years? Where are thousands of people killed in the streets because that same weapons industry clings to that myth of the society needing its civilians be ‘under arms’, because the right to protect ‘house and home’ is ohhh, so important?
Who initiated the storming of Capitol Hill in 2021?
Whose universities are being threatened or actually cut off from fundings in order to get scientists to acknowledge one’s own world view?
To have more leverage, of course. To threaten people and scare them in their boots in order to get the ‘deals made’. Someone with no consideration for anyone but himself and the likes of him:
A bunch of self-centred, cruel and completely ruthless, wealthy, shameless crooks, in his own case already ruled guilty in front of a US court on 34 counts of bribery, corruption and molestation. Practically fleeing the shameful and horrifying truth of those Epstein papers.
SHAME ON YOU!
Author’s Note: This blog is not strictly kept along the lines and rules similar genres of text, such as commentaries in newspapers, are like. ‘Blog’ derives from ‘weblog’ originally, which in turn is based on the combination of the two words ‘web’ and ‘log’. The log being a book that recorded daily events on ships and was – and still is, as far as I know – mandatory to maintain.
‘Blogs’ therefore represent a category of entries or texts that usually are crisp, rather short and focus on the main subject primarily, often made to look like actual diaries and openly discussed thoughts.
In literature, one well-known genre is the fictitious ‘novel of letters’: A longer text or book made up of letters all written by the same person but creating the impression that several protagonists were involved at a time and wrote letters to each other, a careful ordering by fictitious dates included.
One of many famous examples in English literature is “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins, a high-towering author among many of that also rich English literary culture.
(Recommended too: This kind of novel saw a hype that showed already in the course of the 18th century. Try Henry Fielding’s satire “Shamela” for real good fun…another one of the greats.)
I write my posts sometimes, when angry and I also like to imagine that the person addressed might ‘click by’ one day. Even if they don’t, which in some cases could be highly unlikely, in theory, I use this platform to show all who care that such voices, who think and say similar words, are there. And the numbers of visitors seem to prove me right, to some extent.
Many little things can happen in everyday life. Depending on your outlook you might think that complaining about any odd thing is part of being – demanding. Proving that you have ‘standards’ and do not put up with everything.
On the other hand it has been scientifically proven that getting into arguments and fights often, ‘saps your energy’:
That kind of energy that you feel is missing after emotional times; such as important, life-changing exams.
When you want to stay healthy and keep your ‘nerves in order’ you may want to think again about complaining. About fighting because of small annoyances.
There’s that little interesting story in workplace psychology that those who don’t complain are eventually ‘killed’ – as in: let go – just as the chicks of turkey are – speared by their mothers’ beaks because they consider the chicks to be dangerous strangers for not ‘crying out’; squeal.
I have gone through many hard times in the course of my life. Considering. I learned the hard way to keep my ‘nerves in order’.
So often, when we cool down we also will find that things are not that bad: Even deserve praise, actually. I learned that, too.
To change perspective can make all the difference.
“Pick your battles”. To live and fight another day.
