An urgent plea - Stop this war now!

Hello friends,

I have just seen a podcast by Simon Smith. It is a presentation on the thesis “Territorial concessions by Ukraine would simply reward Russian crimes and aggressions”.

There are some points in it that need to be countered. Smith made the point that there is not really a territorial dispute here. I find this disingenuous. There have been longstanding disputes in the Donbas between opposing groups there. Pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian groups have been at loggerheads there for some time. It was precisely to settle these disputes that the Minsk agreements attempted to resolve.

STOP THIS WAR NOW!

The world is boiling in heat waves and wildfires. At the same time a fratricidal war in Europe is tearing us apart! Two sides seem to be gearing up for endless war.

Can we change in time?

We are all on the Titanic. The trip has been wonderful. The music is good. The wine is excellent. Life is good.

Then in comes the ship’s steward. He says:

“I have important news from the captain. According to the latest data just received, we have got to change course – right now! If not, we are almost certainly headed for an iceberg.”

The reaction of the partying crowd:

“What is this all about? This is extreme language. Let’s look into this in the morning”.

Stop it now

 Biking tonight

            Passed through the University

                        One building caught my eye.

The biology building

            So tall and proud and sleek

                        A marvel of modern engineering

Many high-rise condos

            Along the peaceful canal

                        Where people pass their tranquil lives.

Then, a missile crashing into residences

            All is gone in a flash!

I am stunned

            Sick to my stomach,

                        Full of grief and sadness.

The shattering destruction of war

            Our fragile earth is being torn up by this madness

                        Dear God, deliver us from ourselves.

 

My mother was Finnish

Some have questioned my reference to Finland as a possible role model of what could happen in Ukraine. Let me provide you with a few more details.

Reflections on a rail/road trip

Recently my wife Fran and I made a trip out west to see our family – Dan and his family in Edmonton, Alberta and Suzanne and her family in Comox, BC. We went by train from Ottawa to Edmonton and then by car (yes, one of those fossil fuel dinosaurs) and a ferry to Comox.

The two sites visited could not have been more different. In Alberta we were in the fossil-fuelled heartland of Canada. In Comox BC we were in the agricultural, free-wheeling experimental zone of Canada. During our visit a growing climate crisis was raging in North America. Five hundred wildfires were burning in Canada sending waves of smoke everywhere, including down to the USA. A heat dome of up to 48 degrees Centigrade was occurring in Texas. The fossil fuel industry was charging ahead by plastifying everything they could.

The death knell of Evangelicalism

When president Trump was elected, he had the support of the majority of evangelical Christians in the USA. President Trump was the most unchristian president the USA had ever seen.

In Brazil, Bolsonaro has the support of most of the evangelical Christians. He is the ‘Trump of the tropics’. He is on his way to destroying the environment and has the support of the ruling class of Brazil’s billionaires.

What is happening here? I believe that this is what is happens when one worships Jesus and then does not pay attention to what he said.