Ukraine Crisis

[Gary Childress]

I guess I should ask, what is the word for "human being" in the place where you live?

It translates to “merciless hypocritical upright killer ape”.

How about where you are? Down along the Walmart aisles ….

The shelves on the stores here are not as plentiful as they once were, at least not with diverse items. But no, "human being" is not necessarily "hypocritical killer". A human being is a human being. A human being who is a hypocritical killer is a human being who is a hypocritical killer. The next issue we face is what to do with hypocritical killers. For example, soldiers are not to blame for what they do under orders in war. They are not responsible for what the ultimate leaders do or tell them to do.

[Dubious]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least sem-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power, not vis-à-vis Russia, but China which is one reason the Chinese don't want Russia to lose. It doesn't appear Xi Jinping has much respect for Putin but it's the geopolitical consequences of Russia losing which is of most concern to the CCP. If the West loses, China will become paramount in its power and influence with Russia itself coming under its influence...which it is already.

If there's only a compromise, China will still have increased it's power though not by as much if Russia is allowed to succeed in Ukraine.

[Gary Childress]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least sem-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power, not vis-à-vis Russia, but China which is one reason the Chinese don't want Russia to lose. It doesn't appear Xi Jinping has much respect for Putin but it's the geopolitical consequences of Russia losing which is of most concern to the CCP. If the West loses, China will become paramount in its power and influence with Russia itself coming under its influence.

If there's only a compromise, China will still have increased it's power though not by as much as Russia succeeding in Ukraine.

Yes. That sounds accurate to whatever extent. We must also bring China into the discussion. What I've heard from time to time is that Xi Jinping wants to do away with regional powers and have less regionalism in the world and its politics. That basically means every nation has one vote in the UN and is equal among all others. Of course, some nations have larger populations than others and need to do the best for their people. China has a very large population (as does India). Like many countries, they don't want to go backward and end up where they were under Mao. Therefore they're trying to appropriate Taiwan and build Islands in the South China Sea to achieve more resource and technological autonomy and less reliance on a world economy. The world economy is mostly run by the West (led by the USA) and China doesn't trust us after our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Should they trust us now? Has anything substantial changed in the US? Can we guarantee that we will no longer invade other countries? Personally, I would like to think that my leaders will keep us out of trouble but that doesn't seem to have been the case, even as recently as 5 years ago. We stayed in Afghanistan and Iraq for a long time. Many people died and suffered during that time, including people on both sides of the front lines.

[Alexis Jacobi]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least semi-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power

Theory, supposition, but is it really true?

The US — and the Occident if you wish — is losing. So what you imply is that the present régime must raise the stakes.

A friend predicted this: the reigning régime will widen the Ukraine war.

Ooooh yeah! This is getting more and more interesting! Let’s play dangerously!

[Gary Childress]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least semi-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power

Theory, supposition, but is it really true?

The US — and the Occident if you wish — is losing. So what you imply is that the present régime must raise the stakes.

A friend predicted this: the reigning régime will widen the Ukraine war.

Ooooh yeah! This is getting more and more interesting! Let’s play dangerously!

No. We are not going to play "dangerously" we are going to play rationally. Rationally may not bring change all at once, however, it will get us moving in the right direction.

[Gary Childress]

But yes, there will be a stop in the Ukraine war. How that is brought about will depend on much greater forces than I possess. We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

[Alexis Jacobi]

We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

It ain’t gonna happen. I can already feel the radiation etching away at my liver.

[Gary Childress]

We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

It ain’t gonna happen. I can already feel the radiation etching away at my liver.

Ugh. No radiation, please. That's the thing we're all trying to avoid.

[Gary Childress]

AJ, just chill and take things in stride. I suspect you are more afraid of what hasn't happened yet but we have to let change occur at some pace. It can be slowed down but it can't be stopped. Is there a reason why you would rather think radiation is "etching" at your liver than to think that Orient and Occident need to eventually fade into humanity? We can't all be separated into homogenous factions forever. However, that is still, perhaps a long way down the road (I don't know). But we have to move in that direction through a process that is as painless as it can be. I'm sorry it hurts for you. It hurts for me too. I've had to deal with things I didn't want to deal with. I've had to hold my tongue about many things that made me want to just curl up and just disappear from the Earth. But I can't hold my tongue about something that could lead to disaster for humanity.

If Russia absolutely needs to annex Ukraine to achieve some purpose, then for what purpose is it? I think I know what purpose it is. But it's not worth it AJ. You and I have to take a back seat to the younger generations and let them move forward. You and I are fading. That doesn't mean we have to go destroy ourselves in an act of violence. It just means you and I have to tend to the wounds we have received in our lives. There are a lot of things I didn't get either. But it's not the end of the world. There are still things out there to do. There are still services that you and I can provide to the younger generation. We are not dinosaurs. We are human beings.

[Dubious]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least semi-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power

Theory, supposition, but is it really true?

The US — and the Occident if you wish — is losing. So what you imply is that the present régime must raise the stakes.

A friend predicted this: the reigning régime will widen the Ukraine war.

Ooooh yeah! This is getting more and more interesting! Let’s play dangerously!

Got news for you in case you haven't read enough history. Those who lose are nearly always in a subordinate position. I don't give a crap about "regimes", regime changes or raising the stakes, but if one side loses another side wins even though it may be at considerable expense. Nothing metaphysical here! Amazing that after all your reading you can still sound like an idiot...even though I know you're not.

[Gary Childress]

Right or wrong, if the West - in this case it is the West and not just the US - fails to emerge victorious or at least semi-victorious, it will in future become a secondary power

Theory, supposition, but is it really true?

The US — and the Occident if you wish — is losing. So what you imply is that the present régime must raise the stakes.

A friend predicted this: the reigning régime will widen the Ukraine war.

Ooooh yeah! This is getting more and more interesting! Let’s play dangerously!

Got news for you in case you haven't read enough history. Those who lose are nearly always in a subordinate position. I don't give a crap about "regimes", regime changes or raising the stakes, but if one side loses another side wins even though it may be at considerable expense. Nothing metaphysical here! Amazing that after all your reading you can still sound like an idiot...even though I know you're not.

Easy, Dubious. Give him some space. Ease up a bit. He's going through a lot. I can understand that but we must respect him as a human being. Whether he realizes it or not, he is a human being and whether we realize it or not we are no more "human beings" than anyone else on the planet. They may just have a different word for "human being" than we do.

[Dubious]

We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

Quite true! The problem is it's the human being who questions how human other human beings are. When any group is considered an enemy, the dehumanization process begins.

[Dubious]

Theory, supposition, but is it really true?

The US — and the Occident if you wish — is losing. So what you imply is that the present régime must raise the stakes.

A friend predicted this: the reigning régime will widen the Ukraine war.

Ooooh yeah! This is getting more and more interesting! Let’s play dangerously!

Got news for you in case you haven't read enough history. Those who lose are nearly always in a subordinate position. I don't give a crap about "regimes", regime changes or raising the stakes, but if one side loses another side wins even though it may be at considerable expense. Nothing metaphysical here! Amazing that after all your reading you can still sound like an idiot...even though I know you're not.

Easy, Dubious. Give him some space. Ease up a bit. He's going through a lot. I can understand that but we must respect him as a human being. Whether he realizes it or not, he is a human being and whether we realize it or not we are no more "human beings" than anyone else on the planet. They may just have a different word for "human being" than we do.

I do respect him as a human being but that doesn't preempt human beings from acting and behaving like idiots...at best occasionally but actually more often than that, a low-level default of which none of us are exempt.

[Gary Childress]

We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

Quite true! The problem is it's the human being who questions how human other human beings are. When any group is considered an enemy, the dehumanization process begins.

Yes. I have realized that now. I have made a lot of mistakes in life. But it's worth it to learn from mistakes. It's also worth it to heal the sick and the hurting. We must divert our resources from weapons to technology and knowledge that will heal. It is time to heal. Healing includes healing the Earth and all life on it. We must make progress in that direction, somehow. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to do or why to do it. It's not their fault and it's not the fault of God. But we need to do what is right.

[Dubious]

We need to even move beyond Orient and Occident if we are to survive in this world. We must be "human beings".

Quite true! The problem is it's the human being who questions how human other human beings are. When any group is considered an enemy, the dehumanization process begins.

Yes. I have realized that now. I have made a lot of mistakes in life. But it's worth it to learn from mistakes. It's also worth it to heal the sick and the hurting. We must divert our resources from weapons to technology and knowledge that will heal. It is time to heal. Healing includes healing the Earth and all life on it. We must make progress in that direction, somehow. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to do or why to do it. It's not their fault and it's not the fault of God. But we need to do what is right.

I agree fully but unfortunately all these wished-for necessities sound more utopian than real...especially now!

I hardly ever do this but since I know you like poetry, I wrote this a very long time ago called a Short Essay on Man as compared to Alexander Pope's very long one. I don't claim to be a poet because I've hardly ever written any, no desire to really! Here it is anyway since it pertains, I think, to your post...

Consider all that must conspire
to create the creature God called man
in pagan preludes of desire
rippling the void in a moment’s span.

Is it man or homunculus
that grows upon the deed
or a guru god who comes to us
to serve the world’s need?

To think on how it all began
when first his foot had felt the earth
concluding in its fatal plan
to plunder that which caused his birth.

What shall be deeded by his tenure
wanting power but wisdom none
for one would negate the other
and force the balance he seeks to shun.

By its justice reigns salvation,
the El Dorado of the soul;
may it's plunder heap damnation
to all unhosted of that goal.

The devil who's seen his graceless rule
staged and looped since time began
knows himself not half so cruel
as the sixth day wonder God called man.

But still he prays to receive from yonder,
quarantined in light and unpolluted
a message for his mind to ponder
yearning to be reconstituted.

What does it mean to be a master
in the hemlock realms of scorched infinity?
no gods of creation or disaster
but stranger modulations of divinity.

By what excess must thought advance
to recoil the coronal fires of the brain
and deed itself that mighty glance
peering past portals from whence the spirit came.

Its truant shards must not lie fallow
as remembrance flows to other realms
and brand despair a thing most shallow
flayed in the light which overwhelms.

But what followed the creation
of the lesser angel man?
No tragedy before or after
only a farce that long began.