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What is Wrong
With Us?
I recently
emailed a friend, pointing out that throughout history, even in biblical times
as documented in the Torah, human beings did not hesitate to kill those with
whom they disagreed, including 'non-combatants.'
The Inquisition,
the Crusades and the Holocaust did not spare innocents either, nor did wars
throughout the past half dozen centuries in Europe, Asia and North America.
(Most recently, both World Wars, Vietnam, Cambodia, Rwanda, etc.).
We massacred innumerable
innocent Native Americans in our Westward expansion. Andrew Jackson was
as much a murderer as is Putin. Think about those who died in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. They weren't soldiers. Vicious animals (lions,
tigers, bears, wolves, poisonous snakes, etc.) do not hesitate to prey upon and
kill, usually for food, those creatures below them in the food chain, BUT THEY
LEAVE THEIR OWN SPECIES ALONE (except when two males are fighting over a
potential mate). Homo Sapiens is the only species that routinely,
throughout history, has killed its own kind, for a variety of
reasons.
As the King in
"The King and I" said, "Is a puzzlement." What is
wrong with us?
Well, my friend
tried to answer that question, as follows:
‘Jack, in
answer to your question, I don’t know. But it’s true, that thru the ages,
humans have killed each other. When we were given free will, I guess that
went with it. But there’s also humans helping each other in times of war,
and we have to hope that that’s the part of human nature that wins out.
You gotta have hope!’
JL
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‘Keeping’ Our Republic – Time to
Beat the Drum
If believers in the survival of
democracy in the United States are counting on success in the litigation aimed
at bringing to justice those responsible for the January 6 insurrection and
similar acts associated with the defeated former president, they should realize
that these court cases will endure well into the next decade or two, and
regardless of the decisions, it will then be too late!
The House Select Committee's
damning information about the Republican party and the supporters of the defeated
former president, and himself as well, must be widely disseminated to the
public right now so that they can vote to throw these rascals out of office at
all levels, from local on up to national in November.
The depth of Republican
commitment to autocracy is illustrated by former AG William Barr saying he
still will vote Republican, even for the defeated former president, despite his
having himself writing a book about his lies. They see Democratic progressivism
as a greater threat.
I do not know how Americans can
be optimistic. Unless Democrats start beating their drums right now, Benjamin
Franklin's worst fears about our having a republic 'only if we can keep it' may
come to fruition.
JL
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Ukraine
Notes
Turning
cities to Rubble - Russia, finding that regime change in Ukraine will not come
easy, has reverted to turning its cities into rubble, a tactic they used with
success in Chechnya where its capital, Grozny, was destroyed in 2003 and in
Syria in support of Bashar when they did that to Aleppo. The Germans did the
same to Rotterdam in World War Two (Amsterdam and Paris survived with little
damage) but Rotterdam was rebuilt as a beautiful steel and glass city after the
war. Hopefully, if Ukraine's independence survives, the same will happen there.
Of course, our hands are not clean, recalling Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More information on Putin’s tactics is
available BY CLICKING HERE. It will take you to:
Can the Russians Rein In Putin? - In
this blog’s March 9 posting, I pointed out that the way Putin’s attack on Ukraine can be stopped
is through pressure on the oligarchs who back him in exchange for his
protection and the growing awareness on the part of the Russian people. Our Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs, Victoria Nuland, more or less agreed with me last week when she testified
before Congress that “The way this conflict will end is when Putin realizes
that this adventure has put his own leadership standing at risk with his own
military, with his own people. He will
have to change course, or the Russian people take matters into their own hands.” She didn’t include the oligarchs, but when
she mentioned Putin’s ‘own people,’ that obviously included them.
Donations for Relief in Ukraine - There are many agencies attempting to provide relief for Ukrainians caught in the onslaught carried out against their country by Vladimir Putin. All are asking for your donations. I recommend that after verifying its credentials on charitynavigator.org, you pick one and make your donations to that agency. That's the most simple way to help.
Occasionally, an agency with access to wealthy donors might offer a ‘matching’ program which could double your donation. In such situations, if the agency looks okay on charitynavigator.org, go for it. Personally, I have done both.
And if you choose to do so, spreading
donations among several deserving organizations is perfectly fine. Considering that the United States will not
become active militarily in opposing Putin’s aggression because of the nuclear
risks involved, donating is the very least you can do.
JL
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Picture of the Week
 |
| But safely over border into Poland, trailing behind his mother. |
JL
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Covid is Still With Us
There are far fewer Covid infections this month than last month.
Although knowledgeable physicians and scientists point out that Covid19 will be
with us for a long, long time, those infected are less likely to be
hospitalized and infections will be fewer.
Death rates are dropping. Clearly,
this is the result of a sufficient number of Americans having taken steps like
social distancing, vaccinations, and wearing a mask in indoor public areas,
curtailing the virus’ spread, as well as the pandemic slowly, very slowly,
burning itself out as the public acquires some degree of immunity, physically
and statistically.
I read somewhere that the end of the pandemic will gradually take place in three areas: 1. Medically, as described above. 2. Governmentally, as regulations and the financing regarding them are phased out along with funding for research. 3. Personally, as people resume their pre-pandemic behavior patterns.
But really, there will be no definite, final, end to it. Aspects of the
pandemic will remain to some minimal degree in all of these areas. Things will
never be quite the same as they were before.
We cannot entirely drop our guard.
It will always lurk there, as does the flu, and other diseases (many for which we have vaccines), ready to
reassert themselves when conditions permit it to.
Dishonest and immoral politicians, such as the governors of Florida and Texas, who preached against and discouraged the steps Americans took to end the pandemic, as described above, and thereby delayed its decline, will claim the decline proves they were right all along. That is not the case.
DeSantis and Abbott risked many lives and allowed numerous deaths to occur as they tried to curry the favor of gullible supporters. History books (access to which they are trying to limit) will label both, and others like them, as phonies and charlatans.
People who vote for them deserve what they get, but unfortunately, others end up suffering as well.
JL
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