Screenshot of the news item on New York Times website, taken at 03-01-2026_12-15-05, local time, UTC+1
Today the US strike against Venezuela and its president, Maduro, has been reported. Again, the same patterns repeat: Venezuela is known for oil and gold; additionally, the latest government there was not one to easily stoop to US-influence or orders…
And Donald Trump’s ‘star’ in the US was sinking fast the past couple of weeks, if not months. Now he emerges apparently strong and – additionally – some weapons storage places have been lightened of their burden to make room for more.
“Selling it for all it’s worth.” Sensations make the news. Even here. All one can do is hold back and ignore.
Except when cruelty and plain aggressiveness and greed reign – once more. This has nothing to do with heroism. It’s pure cover-up and greed. Perhaps even desperation.
Shame, shame, shame: Shame on you, Donald Trump and all who are with you. Using money and inherited influence, cruelty and greed to make the headlines.
Majorities seem to be the thing… they are many, they are often loud (not always) and they seem to be everywhere… Really? With a little closer look, taking a different view – taking a step back and looking from the outside we may see more.
A crucial matter is that ‘thing’ humans have: They need to be part of something, of a group, a club, a family, a tribe; people, in short, they fit in with. At least to some extent.
But, since the dawn of time we were not all the same: Some people are gardeners, you might say, some are philosophers, some are mathematicians. Some are … you name it.
Another thing can be that at times people tend to feel irritated or self-conscious or intimidated when faced with new ideas and strange people.
So, belonging is a central aspect. It can become complex and sometimes even painful, when there seems a larger group of gardeners and a small group of philosophers, to stay with the examples. Both sides may feel challenged: One side because philosophers seem ‘strange’. The other because they ‘fit’ differently, elsewhere.
When we know about these facts – the idea that we cannot be all the same, that changing perspectives and recalling what is important in life, is crucial too, we may become able (again) to accept the new or strange idea.
Because we feel grounded in our own world view and still are able to integrate something else, something different. New.
That’s where joy can be found: Combine the old and the new into something fruitful and inspiring.
Image by Dorothe Wouters, and general content, from Pixabay
“Negotiate the hell out of them”… da…rn it. – I’d like to say that directly sometimes to the people concerned at present trying to reach an end to that war, that was unnecessary in the first place, if…
Yes, if people would do their homework, people in power learn from history, and those who know:
Diplomats, for centuries learned ‘at their mothers knee’ what is essential in any kind of politics you may want to conduct:
Realize that in politics it is about money, power and – 3rd party interests, those of your own country as well as those of others.
Know your opponents’ interests as well as possible.
Realize that it is about power-balance just as much as saving face!
The one-time elegance of manners stems also from here: Get to realize that treating the opposing party with respect and the usual formalities makes all the difference.
Learn to be patient! Patience – without giving up, or in – is the most important characteristic of successful negotiating.
The Thirty Years’ War in Europe raged exactly that: 30 years.
Whole regions were wasted and cities laid bare because of plundering, murder and legions of soldiers passing that had to be kept, resulting in hunger, starvation and more death.
The weapons’ industry and its entourage are the only ones – if they survive it – that profit from a war.
So, let’s keep telling them: We want peace, we want a power-balance, at least. We want that cruelty and useless destruction to stop, now.
The Thirty Years’ War took 5 years to end it. 5 years of negotiations.
Patience is the order of the day. Not more profit from yet more weapons.
Ever since nuclear power plants were first thought of and installed, there were warnings. Scientific, serious ones. Ever since the USA first used nuclear weapons on another country, namely Japan, there have been protests. All across the world. And huge. Now, the Japanese of all countries put Fukushima, that plant that so dreadfully blew up in 2014, back – ‘on line’?
In the 1970s even Hollywood itself made it part of a feature film, starring a memorable cast of Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas. It makes abundantly clear what people go through when forced to cover up the truth.
We are a little farther along the road, these days. But the danger remains.
And now the French even plan to not only bring back nuclear power by building more plants – but also a whole, nuclear power driven war carrier?
When you read up about it, ‘backed by 800 firms’, you may start to realize what all this warmongering is about: If nothing else works, building weapons always does… make profit, start the economy to be fuelled…?
There is strong evidence that former president John F. Kennedy was murdered by order of the weapons’ industry in the US. Why? Because he planned to change the laws on weapon sales and ownership to make the US ultimately more secure for everybody.
Weapons are no solution. War isn’t either.
Nuclear power is not only dangerous but completely outdated.
Why, in the name of all that is good and productive, don’t they start thinking of and using the alternatives? And produce them? Da…rn it.
“Perspective is Key.” – “Pride and Prejudice”: The latter is a novel by Jane Austen, one of her most famous ones. Jane Austen was a lady and writer and wrote about what she knew best: The life of the landed gentry in early 19th century England.
The title encompasses a lot of what gets in the way of people knowing each other well, especially in formal surroundings, these days most often business.
The prejudice we grow up with or develop over time. A blunt example: People wearing black beanies are at least doubtful in character, perhaps some sort of outlaw – or even criminals…
Or: People laughing may be lacking in respect and subordination in a business context…
Or: People wearing comfortable shoes and clothing (especially women) are of a certain orientation in their private life…
Or: Italians are always passionate and easy to smile and make jokes, and like celebrating and joyful activities… whereas people in North European countries tend to be gruff and a little lacking in social graces…
Really?
Try meeting an Italian at night on a lonely road… or on the other hand North Europeans when you ask them for help – or around a fire on the beach with a guitar…
Stereotypes are often a misstatement of possibilities that have been generalized – too often, too long.
And they also can easily be abused to stamp a group or an individual with the sign of a brand, sort of: Difficult, avoid…
When in actual fact it’s the misogyny, or hatred of the other (better…??) principle, the person that might be considered a threat to ones position – or the simple envy of a (perceived) advantage over ones own existence.
Images and perspective are key, in so many respects.
That’s why checking your sources carefully can be crucial, not to say of the essence.
So much suffering, pain and useless effort are delivered and spent in regard to prejudice.
My father used to put it jokingly, and in plain irony:
“Those are the types that will not have their prejudices spoilt by fact.”
The way out of such pits of misery and their pitfalls? Since, misery is the real result of such thoughts and sometimes ensuing deeds:
Find out about your own true self, all the good things and skills you own. The self-esteem.
Try and change perspectives on your life and your peers now and again, even if for fun only and see what can happen, at times…
There’s joy and the good, lighthearted laughter in that.
In this world of digital devices and internet connections, faster every day, basically, the so-called IoT, the Internet of Things, for some time now has made a sad appearance and fashion of sorts: The devices connecting to the internet through integrated hardware, such as your Smart-TV, your ‘smart mobile’ — or simply the Smart Home devices such as Siri or Alexa, listen in…
Indeed, it’s a fact: If not switched off deliberately, such devices will record and transfer spoken words, in many cases. Just like that…
What is particularly interesting, is the ‘eavesdroppers’ paradise: People who for the sake of curiosity — or simply to gather information — listen and start assuming…
I have seen it time and again: People observe or hear certain words or situations – and start assuming… Based on a few facts — and a lot of ‘reasoning’, which in fact is just your basic assumption.
These assumptions can be wrong. A nice example is the clip below from the movie “Desk Set”, with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It makes it clear too, how easily we can be wrong when trying to interpret.
I always think, should you overhear somebody in anger, swearing, letting off steam, as it were — and would assume general views of that person, you might come to sadly wrong conclusions…
I’d like to create more awareness of these things: It’s sooo easy to be mistaken. And can lead to such sad results, depending on the situations…
Images from the movie’s webpage and licensed via Adobe CC, my graphics – Documentary by John Houston, award-winning director, “Le There Be Light“, 1946
When you look into news and messages you will find that around war there still is a sort of halo or glow being created: As if it actually was about heroes, about being brave and strong and resilient in the face of adversity.
It’s not. It’s a means to an end. Sometimes more than one end.
Oil. Power. Money. … You name it.
Especially in these days, where more than half the world is online and rather better educated than ever before. Patterns of human behaviour are age-old and they repeat. But war is young in history, compared. And that’s a fact, stated by scientists and archaeologists of long standing.
Think of the hundreds of thousands of years that humans have been part of this planet.
Around ten thousand years are a pea on a hot plate in that respect.
There are a few very easy to follow arguments that support this view:
People who come back from war, alive, are scarred in their feelings and emotions, their souls, for the rest of their lives. One proof of that fact is shown with widely recognized precision and compassion in the documentary from 1946, created by John Houston about WW II soldiers, coming back.
But also in former times soldiers who came back would behave differently. Would be uneasy in everyday life and often become furious at any little thing. Turn to be alcoholics. The reports are legend. In literature and in chronicles.
In other words: If war was so natural, would people mind?
Again:
Conflicts are natural. Wars are not!
We can resolve conflicts, if we really want to, because there’s always another road.
Change is a big word in business sometimes. I believe that we may feel tempted to expect fast and smooth changes in people every day, led by ideas in some pamphlets or flyers or even books or consultants… that say:
“If you do X and Y you will get there in no time.“
The thing is:
People don’t change fast or by a click. And that has its reasons too: When you are grown up you have seen parts of life even when still young. The more mature you grow the more you know that people need time.
That changes grow – a little like fruit on a tree: That takes at least months.
And animals, when you watch them you will find that they grow up and mature in some years.
Now, people?
We have complex brains – so they tell us (- ‿◦ ) and that means also that we start thinking about consequences at some point. The more the merrier… and additionally the history of mankind did prove that embracing the unknown, the new, the strange, could lead to dangers, even loss of your live.
So, what happened?
In essence people are ‘conservative’, in the true sense of the word:
They preserve the things that did prove reliable at least, and good in the past. Because that makes you feel safe. Secure. And more relaxed.
If change needs to happen in business it’s a good thing to calculate with that ‘staying power’ humans have.
A power that can be endearing and very necessary. And that can be overcome by patience, perseverance – and with very good reason(s).
War is no destiny. War is not dealt us by any type of gods to check our resilience or our heroism.
War is man-made by those that crave power, want to protect it or even more so, protect the money involved.
Conflicts are a natural part of human life. Wars are not.
The present power blocks we see are not really new. New is the leader-of-state-type the US have engaged to do their dirty work:
Someone who likes it, who already is starting to prepare his ultimate leadership as dictator, king or emperor and someone also, who uses threats and fear as means to ‘make deals’. He has publicly admitted, nay, praised himself that: A ‘deal-maker’.
At present the most urgent need many see and have is ensuring peace.
To deny the obvious, namely that the maps we can see make Ukraine an encroachment onto Russian territory, if they should join the NATO, is childish.
Image screenshot of NATO’s own website, all options checked. Taken at: 23-11-2025_05-50-47 local time (UTC+1)
Ukraine is a country with people, a history and pride.
But they also are people who want to live, to have peace, to stop seeing their cities and villages go up in flames. Bury their dead and weep each and every day over their lost loved ones.
Even more so, Palestine and the Palestinians, same way the majority of Israeli people do!
The majority of Israelis publicly declares even on Social Media such as LinkedIn their lack of support for the politics Netanyahu has applied from the start:
He was known as so-called hardliner from day one.
He had made the situation for Palestinians impossible for them by forcefully moving Israeli settlers there. Gaza-strip and the West Bank had been assigned to Palestinians to live in peace. To this day the official acknowledgement of Palestine as a state is not complete.
Additionally, it is recorded fact that his support in parliament and from voters was waning. So he started a war.
Attacking again under any pretext? Shame on him.
Peace needs to be negotiated, when we want to stop wars. Sometimes that can take time. But to deny the obvious or to refuse to negotiate properly is a sign of ulterior motives.
War needs to stop.
This is the simple truth:
Whatever your colour, creed or conviction, you are not supposed to either kill, torture or bother other people. Period.
In life and in families things often become difficult. Involved.
When times are good, it seems easy to be graceful and acknowledging. Giving. When times are hard and have been for some time, perspectives may change.
‘Stocktaking’ is the term for doing a check on goods in a storage room or business, originally. But it is often applied to the recall, the active review on memories; or of course, the present times: What seems hard to endure. What seems especially unjust or unfair in a lifetime, compared.
Probably sometimes that little word ‘compared’ is crucial:
Comparing myself and my lot to others.
Mostly when we feel unjustly dealt with, we compare ourselves, our hardships, to people who seem well off. Happy. Relaxed. Always in possession of what seems to make life easy, nice and ‘cool’.
What we tend to omit is the other view: Compare our lot with so many others that are off much worse.
It’s not always helpful right at first, when we may feel overwhelmed by taking care of relations. Having children. Taking care of sick people. Of the terminally ill.
And it is also crucial to find ways of relieve in such times!
It’s been proven that people in caring professions such as medical doctors, nurses and people in health care are particularly apt to suffer from burnout.
In families caring for the sick and elderly too can be underestimated, or having children. Too often an ideal of an angelic figure roams the fairy stories and concepts of motherhood, especially, which is far from reality.
Some Hollywood movies as well as some kinds of TV-serials or advertisements can strongly suggest it, though.
Mothers and other people are just human beings. They can make mistakes. They can feel overwhelmed.
They can feel underestimated. They can feel tired to their bones.
I have seen people in other cultures who still understood through generations of large families with more than 8 or 10 children and grandchildren in each thread that what humans are, is not perfect.
That life can deal you hard ‘decks’, without any responsibility or fault of your own.
That’s what we need to understand, to further mutual understanding:
Very often we are not at fault, when things go wrong.
We cannot possibly be perfect, because that’s not human.
When the chips are down, we may need help.
To ask for help is good. We may have to learn that, again.
