WHERE ARE WE NOW ?

On this palindrome day 22-02-2022, there appears to be an unwholesome nationalist miasma pervading around the globe. Despite the Olympic Movement’s winter games being splashed across the media, its principles (as stated by IOC President Bach, that “Solidarity fuels our mission to make the world a better place through sport. We can only go faster, we can only aim higher, we can only become stronger by standing together – in solidarity”) are being undermined, daily, by unfortunate squabbles within its ranks, as well as the current suspect human rights record of the host country.

On top of that, the poisonous cloud obscures any thought of world solidarity towards making itself a better place, owing to the situation surrounding the Ukraine, brought about by a demagogue who persistently lies to his citizens,  the continuing assault on democracy in the United States, brought about by a would be demagogue who persistently lies to the citizens, the systematic failures of the current UK Government brought about by a would be populist demagogue who persistently lies to his citizens, and many other lies being promulgated in national governments across the world.  

Whatever excuses proffered by Mr Putin for the annexation of the Ukraine back into the “Russian Union” are exaggerations and manufactured slights. Latvia and Estonia, NATO member states since 2004 have bordered Russia for 18 years and there has been no aggressive move towards Russia in all that time. So any anxieties Mr Putin claims, about having NATO member states on his borders, seem hollow. As far as I know, there has been no gathering of forces along the Latvian and Estonian border with Russia. By annexing the Ukraine he will add NATO members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania on his border; or, is he after regaining control of what was once the Warsaw Pact? Who can say what is on his mind?

Herewith an interesting interview with Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, Prime Minister of Latvia:

 

What Mr Putin should be asking himself is why, within 5 years of the Berlin Wall coming down, all those countries decided to join NATO? Instead, however, he has moved away from worries about NATO to the grand gesture, in flagrant breach of International Law, of recognising two provinces of the Ukraine as independent sovereign countries in need of a peace keeping force of prodigious proportions.

There are difficult days ahead of us. The world’s attention has been grabbed by the situation in eastern Europe and it is obscuring other areas of equally great concern i.e. Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, the continuing saga of the Middle East, Haiti, Myanmar, Islamist militancy in Africa and generally relations between the United States/Europe and China/Taiwan/Israel/Iran quite apart from Russia.

It is also giving Boris a second chance to deflect from the ongoing problem of his resignation. Whilst he still inhabits the office of Prime Minister and purports to be performing on the global stage vis a vis Putin, together with other European Ministers, he appears to be protected by the importance of the situation. That does not make him any the less incompetent, unqualified and undeserving to serve in that office. He has lied and mislead Parliament. His place on the world stage can easily be replaced by another more truthful and competent individual, who would command greater respect from European Ministers of State. The UK does not have to be lumbered with him and MPs should take the time to correct the mistake of Boris Johnson. He is not essential to events. To claim it is not the time is nonsense. I would have thought the British public and its political representatives were capable of multi-tasking e.g. dealing with foreign affairs and getting rid of Boris Johnson. If that is not the case, and they are incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, then woe betide the country.

In effect, just as any concerned citizen should not be befuddled by the current state of world and domestic affairs, the same must apply to our representatives; however, I confess the miasmic mist that surrounds us is getting pretty thick, and it becomes difficult to find the way in this fog. Stay alert and stay safe is about as much as one can hope for. It’s about now that one hopes for a thunderbolt of clear light to strike the Kremlin and lead us out of the darkness.

Oh, and a few sparks to ignite the Trumpian horror to oblivion.

Peace in our time? Where have I heard that?