Category Archives: Consequences

Before You Go Any Further on Palestine

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Protests at DNC

Foreword / Forewarning : We are going to some very unpleasant places, where choices have to be made in which no one wins all that they want. There is no easy out either, it’s so narrow, even not getting involved is a choice, and maybe when considering the stakes and options, the very worst. Welcome to the Reality of The World. Accept the harsh facts. What ever you will do, you have to hope it was the least worst option. Bleak? I am afraid so. For many around this world, even in your home region, it is a way of Life. Read on. 

It is understandable that folk are upset, angry, furious or incandescent at what has been taking place in the Gaza region of the Middle East. Even though there is a fearful and dread predictability to it, you only have to travel a few hundred miles north to learn the same type of slaughter took place a decade and less ago; the difference being at least in the UK the demonstrations were not to get involved at all, apparently Assad was entitled to slaughter his own people and the government was criticised for trying to get involved.

Yes folk should be horrified. At any slaughter or mass abuse. I have listed them before, if you don’t know about any others I would suggest checking on Wikipedia under ‘Genocide’. Of course folk will tell me the difference now is that the ‘our’ governments are supporting Israel and supplying arms. This is a good and relevant argument, in part that is, for the simple, grim, unavoidable reason that this event in Gaza is not taking place in isolation. One of the many factors it is linked to is what is and will be taking place in the USA from now until 5th November 2024. The stark choice between a possibly less than perfect Democratic candidate of Kamala Harris and thence her administration, and the manifestation of all that is wrong with the USA’s political and social judgement Donald Trump along with the cabal of Right Wing reaction behind him. The forces which are restricting women’s right to abortion, censoring to what can be read in schools, intimidating the right to walk safely in public places by allowing guns to be proliferated, the persecution of the right to be of any sexual orientation, the eradicating of an administration staffed by folk who do not necessarily agree,  with the president and of course whether you will be allowed not to believe in a god of their manufacture. Make no mistake it will be one or the other. Make no mistake if Trump is let back in at a time of his own questionable judgement there will be a whole group of folk with him with their own agendas, and as long as they feed his ego that will be just fine.

There are folk demonstrating at the Democrat Convention, raising the political tensions. Distracting for events in their own back yard, truth be known. There appear to be some 750,000 voters who have made much of being undecided about voting democrat because of the current administration’s support for Israel. As unpleasant as they might find that stance, I cannot see what solace they would have in by withholding their votes and possibly allowing a Trump administration in, or how they would believe that administration would be sympathetic to the Palestinians. And this is a terrible fact. If this body of voters withhold their votes and by default Trump gets in, then they will be complicit in whatever fate befalls the Palestinians.

And it gets worse. Not just the Palestinians but the Ukrainians. Does anyone need reminding that for some twisted reasoning many Republicans like Putin, he is their kind of guy. And if that were not bad enough. Read back to the summary two paragraphs above. Withhold those votes let Trump in and those 750,000 will be complicit in the misery of women with unwanted or dangerous pregnancies, the fear gripping the LGBT communities in many states, the pressure on teachers to teach ‘The Right Way’, the questionable religious indoctrination of communities, the intimidation of minorities and of course the pardoning of several individuals found guilty of riot and assault on the seat of government.

By now I can imagine some readers may be shaking their head or howling at my words. Demanding what solution do I have then? Am I content to let an extreme religiously fundamentalist government slaughter thousands. Firstly I would have to say ‘no’ and then follow up with asking where were those asking that question when previous genocides were taking place? If you care, you don’t get to pick and chose which Crime Against Humanity you feel is worthy of your attention. Secondly and more importantly at this juncture, at this crossroad, at this challenge  to the stability and democracy of The USA do you, questionnaire feel you have the right to destabilise or hinder an attempt by the forces of true Democracy and Tolerance to halt the march of Intolerance and Regression in your own land? Because by your demonstrations and your other actions that is exactly what you are doing.

Some choice huh? Get behind a government that supports Israel or allow another in which will not just support but encourage Israel. There is no ‘wriggle room’ here. There is no space to shout loudly  in one direction and refuse to support them because they are not being perfect for you. When the Harsh Realities surface on your newsfeeds because everyone knows that the Middle East makes good copy, there are no simple choices involved. Not now. It’s not as simple as it was in previous wars. There has been one going on in your own backyard these past twenty years and it really heated up when an African American was voted in twice to the Whitehouse.

And there is the grimmest of all choices. You stick to your outrage, and you risk letting Trump back in. 

Simple as that.

Welcome to the Rest of the World. There are people making choices like this all over the world. Compromise, take the least worst path, for the alternative will come back to haunt you.   

No escape from that. You can’t switch it off like a TV or a Video Game.     

Elections Beckon. A Series. Part III. Three Days into The Aftermath and I am still not inclined to be Singing and Dancing

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Parliamentary election in Britain

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer greet supporters outside Downing Street 10, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

It takes a singular mix of incompetence, arrogance and unsatisfied (or unsated?) ambitions to go from an 80+ parliamentary seat majority to losing 251 of those seats in the space of less than five years. Whereas Labour did make substantial gains; 211 seats, and a majority of 86 the results seems only to fortify the quirks of the UK’s First Past The Post (FPTP) voting system.

For those not familiar with the UK system and to be brief. A General Election is based around winning a parliamentary seat in a constituency, the candidate who polls the most votes wins and legally all the other votes ‘get binned’. Thus the party which wins the most seats and not the most votes will be the one which forms a government, assuming it has an overall majority, simply having the largest number of seats is not sufficient, as the 2010 and 2017 elections showed; that is where deals have to be done and later on promises reneged. Simple yes? Right now onto the quirks. 

The Conservative Government Party had become unpopular, since the Labour share of the vote remained in the region of 32-34% with an increase of 1.6% the result was a substantial vote against the Conservatives and not for Labour. In previous Conservative regions the moderate Liberal Democrats profited to a great degree and although they polled 3,519,199 votes to win 72 seats, it must be borne in mind that the Right Wing Reform polled 4,117,221 and yet only gained 5 seats. Therefore an overall move to Reform away from the Conservatives opened the door for Labour and The Liberal Democrats to profit. It can therefore be argued that aside from severe disenchantment with The Conservatives, the other factor which decided the election result was the FPTP system. Results however need to be considered in the light of percentage of votes cast. In rough terms there were 48,000,000 voters but only 28,000,000 cast, which in itself is not a vote of confidence in the system. With questions on the futures of parties, Government’s ability to turn around the current situation and the low turnout, the future is not set to be one of Bright Hopes and Sunny Uplands. We must however turn to look at the parties in the aftermath. 

Labour- Whereas Keir Starmer brought a long needed discipline back to the one credible alternative governing party in the UK  and his willingness to make compromises or ditch policies for the overall image of Credibility shows, like it on not, a theme of Realism and Practicality. Thus the very small increase in the overall percentage of the vote and the strong showing of the Liberal Democrats in terms of seats with Reform enjoying 5 seats and those 4,000,000+ votes will be facts not lost on Stammer and his team. Nor the fact that whereas a lot of folk are saying it’s a Tory(Conservative) Free Wales- all seats lost, the Reform vote increased in the Principality of Wales.
One outcome Labour will be celebrating is the defeat in Scotland of the ‘Auld’ foe, The SNP,  the ‘ruling party’, lost 39 seats, 36 of them to Labour. ‘Thus the balance is resorted.’ Small wonder Starmer is off to Scotland Sunday the 7th, to ensure that what was once Labour Heartland remains that way. 
As for how this Labour government will work remains to be seen. Rachel Reeves the UK’s first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer has the most unenviable task amongst a whole room full of them. Deputy PM Angela Rayner with left of centre credentials and battle-hardened also has the role of ‘Levelling Up’ (basically fair shares for all regions). One relatively minor role which brings a promising sunbeam is the appointment of James Timpson as Prisons Minister, CEO of a company with a policy of hiring ex-prisoners; whereas not an elected MP, he gets to be made a Lord, which says he can sit in the House of Lords and thus in the Starmer’s Cabinet (That is a quintessentially UK ‘thing’- it’s all you need to know for the purposes of this post).
It bears repeating, there will be little time for celebrating and how many holidays will be cancelled on re-scheduled is anyone’s guess. Labour will have a very short time scale in which to be seen to be turning things around. And the bane of many a Labour set-up, party discipline will be something of a priority. There may well be something of a ‘wartime’ mentality.
It bears repeating. We shall see. We shall see.   

Conservatives- Ever since the day when Margaret Thatcher was effectively told by those about her in government  ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’. There has been an air of more than the normal atmosphere of unsettlement you’d find in a political party. The rift was initially between Thatcherites and those they thought traitors, this morphed into pro and anti-European sentiments, but as time went on the Right Which Should Not Speak Its Name, grew bolder and finally the ill-equipped Boris Johnson was made Prime Minister, deft in some respects but woefully inadequate when it came to the grim, hard calls, however his tendency to appetites caused his downfall.  There was the brief flirtation with the Ridiculous in Liz Truss and then back to the traditional ‘Rather Decent Sort of Chap’ with Rishi Sunak who played the role quite well. Even so the damage had been done and no one in the UK likes a party prone in-fighting, mixed with incompetence and in this case the Conservatives out-did even Labour on a bad day.
The aftermath may turn into something entertaining for the neutral and a useful distraction for the Labour Government when it moves into the area of bringing controversially minor but important details. The scale of the sheer disaster for the Conservatives suggests a line up between the traditional near moderate conservatives with a small ‘c’ and the activist-prone those who would be king/queen on the hard wing; as demonstrated by Labour in post 2019. Battle lines have already been drawn between those already saying ‘More Like Reform’ and the ‘Utter Tosh’ response. To write off the Conservatives as a spent force would be folly, they have an in built resilience, although with That Reform there could be a very messy four-way fight for the Heart and Soul of the basically Not Labour / Liberal (as in Lib-Dem) wing of society. Rishi Sunak will continue to play the ‘Jolly Decent Chap’ caretaker role in the meantime and many a moderate might mourn his passing. It will be a time when new names will rise.     

Liberal-Democrats – It is hard not to view Ed Davy as someone who bought a strip of lottery tickets and found he’s the winner of the multi-million currency prize. Back in 2010 ignoring history, leader Nick Clegg made a catastrophic formal coalition with David Cameron’s Conservatives, was gently pushed aside by their machine and earned the ire of a hard-built up support, dooming the party to single figures, which was its fate, until now. No doubt the beneficiaries of Conservative-Rejection, the current grouping of 72 MPs will be in a totally understandable parliamentary mindset of ‘Golly-gosh. What do we do now? Oh my. Oh my,’. It will take some very cool and pragmatic heads to lower the temperature to a ‘This is promising’ constructive level and use the bounty as a foundation for a possible long haul back to taking the centre-ground. If the Conservatives do slide to an entrenched Right wing stance, such a re-positioning with the Liberal-Democrats could be possible. The Liberal-Democrats had been written off either as ‘Nice Folk but…‘ or ‘Total Sell-Outs’ . Maintaining their composure and producing a solid and believable platform could well resonate amongst moderate folk, particularly across England who are weary of the ‘Old Two Sides’. They will need to set their sights firmly on the years ahead though and stick to the No Coalitions strategy. Another thorny issue for them; for years they have campaigned for Proportional Representation and not FPTP, now since they have greatly benefitted from the latter, how loud will their voice be?  

Reform UK – 5 MPs and 4,000,000+ votes, with hard-line Conservatives desperate to hang on saying ‘Perhaps we should chat to them’ and Farage finally getting in Parliament. It is folly to ignore this grouping, even though they attract unpleasant folk who despite and maybe because of their nasty comments did not affect the voting bloc. It has to be accepted anti-immigration and  the associated ‘R’ word (despite denials) played well. This said Reform has its own problems some of which will have occurred to its more astute followers or observers, and other issues which lurk for every party at some stage.
First- Its leader. Farage is a consummate salesman, for he has kept the Right-Wing anti-immigration,’ Out of Europe’ policies alive and thrashing throughout the years and in several forms. And yet in debate with other politicians he is a light-weight and tends to form a party which should be all about him. He was sharp enough to ditch some very nasty characters who slithered out during the campaigns and tried to distance Reform from the vile White Supremacist thugs. That said, does he have the stamina for the Long Haul? It’s one thing to be on the side lines banging a drum, it’s quite another task to work in Parliament. He will face debate after debate there, and it is a brutal place.
Second- What is Reform? Extreme Right- White Power? Social Revolutionaries intent on truly reforming the entire system? Folk looking to take over from a moribund and divided Conservative Party? Are those Five MPs truly united, and will they live up to voter expectations. It should be borne in mind amongst all their expected rightest policies there was the very Left Wing re-nationalise The Public Utilities. 
Third- The Conservative question. As stated earlier some Conservatives are fluttering eyelashes at Reform; there again Farage appears to have sniffed very dismissively at the thought. Thus in the coming Conservative turbulence, will Reform be drawn in and thus find its own internal pressures to say ‘Yes’ ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’. A four-way very arcane struggle could take place.
Four- The question which they would rather not discuss. A very wealthy Asian, Islamic business man Zia Yusuf donated a very large sum to the Reform coffers (figures vary). Now actually there is nothing unusual about someone who is not white thinking a Party like Reform would be a could thing for the UK. The previous Conservative Government had a wider ethnical base than the new Labour version. Mr. Yusuf has made his fortune in the UK and would like things to stay ‘as they were’ when his parents arrived in the UK. How is that going to play with the very unpleasant wing of Reform is another matter. Also it has been noticed that Mr Yusuf is quite the public speaker. Just saying, that’s all.   

SNP-   Brits reading could well be thinking on the classic TV sit-com ‘Dad’s Army’ and the Scots character Private Frazer with his catch phrase ‘We’re doomed’. The SNP were always in danger of suffering a backlash as a result of their recent years’ tenure as Government at the Scots Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh. Failure to push policies through, debates over deliverance on Independence, scandal and the collapse of a coalition with the Scots Greens over environmental issues. On the whole the feeling they were taking the Scottish vote for granted played into Labour’s hands. An additional factor would have been that the Conservative Government could overrule SNP legislation, such as in the case of recent Gender Recognition, therefore the idea in Scotland that a complete Labour overhaul across the UK might be a better option would have played well.
It’s a long hard road back for the SNP, and they must be looking to the Scots election in 2026 for a revival of fortunes hoping discontent has set in at Labour by then. A lot can happen in one and a quarter years.    

Plaid Cymru- Have to be feeling just a bit pleased. They now have four seats, and the whole of the western part of Wales, which looks good on a map. They polled nearly 200,000 and their percentage of the Welsh vote went up slightly now at 14.7% Whereas not earth shaking by any means, it will prove that they have not faded back in obscurity, and will look to make inroads into the Eastern Vote. Their current opponents would be Reform who have increased their vote in Wales. So forget that ‘Tory Free Wales’ triumphant message; the Right is alive and festering. Plaid are the ones to take it on.  

Greens (England and Wales)– This party must be feeling very happy. One extra seat, taken from a Conservative rural heartland which must be a optimistic rune. 1,841,388 votes 6.39% of the vote increased by 3.9%. Another party which suffered from the FPTP system but must feel they have befitted from scandals over sewerage being pumped into rivers and coastal sites, along with concerns over rural lands being turned over the building and roadways, then there are the environmental issues. For various reasons the Greens of Scotland and Northern Ireland are two separate parties, neither made any inroads, but they are both battling against entrenched issues. Overall though the Greens will look to build on this, if only to continually come second or third. 4 seats in the House of Commons is not to be sniffed at.    

Overview

To begin I apologise to any readers in Northern Ireland for not mentioning their results and the implications. As stated previously Northern Ireland has it’s own particular take and traditions and to make some overall statement from ‘The Mainland’ is simply just not right and proper. If anyone from the region wishes to write their own post on those implications from their perspective, please do so.  

In the Mainland UK the numbers, therefore do not tell the complete story. It can be argued that even Labour had mixed fortunes, losing two contests. One to Reform and another to an Independent standing as a result of the war in Gaza. With this in mind it would appear the Muslim community in at least substantial part will currently expect a pro-Palestinian stance by parties to earn their vote. That said Labour has won back the Jewish vote previously lost either deliberately or by fearful incompetence. 

The main concern amongst parties, (aside from Reform and paradoxically The Green Party) will be the lack of votes. The results seem to have demonstrated that a truly representative election system will be a Proportional System (PR), normally the preserve of liberal and left of centre parties. However the idea of Reform, The Greens and The Liberal Democrats united on the issue is an interesting concept. Meanwhile for many the thought of Reform getting seats on the basis on their share of the vote will have them thinking that maybe FPTP is not so bad for Britain, after all.

There is therefore still much to be concerned about. Studied disillusionment. A turbulence in many an overseas location. The continued progress of the Far Right. The wreckage that is the Nation, is this beyond repair in less than a decade and can folk accept that price and strain? And for those of us who support Labour, will this be a victory strong enough to handle the strain or just another paper one?

Even after this election it is still We Shall See.

Elections Beckon. A Series. Part I. The USA – Stark Reality

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Statue of Liberty

Foreword: Although the US and the UK elections are the main attractions on both sides of the Atlantic, it bears reminding that France is, this day, involved in the first part of a parliamentary election, the next taking place next Sunday. The style and nature of French politics does not lend itself to established parties of long histories; more a question of Right, Centre and Left forming groupings- and that I fear is an anglicised over-simplification. Suffice it to say, at the time of writing this UK morning time there is an indication that the Far Right under the name of Rassemblement National (National Rally) has a strong lead in the polls. French politics are a quite different matter from those you and I are used to so I elect to say no more on the subject. Just bear in mind as a backdrop what is going on on Europe’s mainland.

Oh and by the way, this will not be analytical. This is an unashamedly partisan post. I will not stand by and let my adopted nation be dragged into ruin.

My attention should be focused on the 4th July because there is a UK General Election, and yet there is the constant worry that whatever result comes to pass in the UK our stability and overall well being will be conditional on the result of the US Presidential Election. For to understand how this world works it is essential to be realistic, and the fact is that whatever comfort and stability we have grown used to has been because of the overall world stature of the USA. We are fortunate, us in the UK that through a combination of factors we are been able to indulge in our way of life, thanks to those dynamics.

At least that was how it was. US governments of various shades and intentions rose, stayed, declined and took their place in history, and yet the USA with its own myriad particular collection of flaws and abuses carried on while adhering to a set of conventions. Some seemed to outsiders a given. There might be odd laws in some states but they stayed in those states and anyway someone was always challenging them in either the state’s supreme court or the country’s version. There politicians who caused eyebrows to be raised, but if they were found out to be going too far, with their hand in the cookie jar, or ending up in court, their colleagues and public shied away from them, leaving them lost or humbled to re-invent. There were dangerous extremists, but like most they had a self-destruct button and the majority of the media could be guaranteed to take a condemnatory stance. And on the whole The USA was making it own stumbling, far from shortest route towards a more open and flexible society. The danger there was, those forces opposed to progress and flexibility never rest. Humanity’s flaws of Intolerance, Suspicions, Conflict, Greed and Ignorance never rest, these offer excuses for a person’s own shortcomings, inadequacies and guilty sectarianism and how many gratefully accept those toxic gifts.

The route and advancement taken by these corrosive factors ran parallel with those of progress and tolerance but since most folk prefer Sunny Stories with Happy Endings the grim alternatives were in general not noticed, or thought of as a minority or treated as a source of entertainment. All was well, you could see it in the media, in entertainment; after all there were plenty of folk of different races and different sexual identities in major roles and look at all those action-type women. Yes, the nation was getting better.

Except it wasn’t. The warnings had been there in the Culture Wars. The hysterical outrage at ‘one of those people’ winning the Presidential Election not just once but twice, with unarguable majorities, and all the Right could do was quibble over where he was born and his name. Then ferment conspiracies about the national army holding manoeuvres in various Republican strongholds.

And then came the direst warning, although most of us including professional shrugged it off at first. Trump had decided to play at politics. Despite the sight of mocking the disabled, Vietnam War veterans and encouraging his followers to attack demonstrators his progress continued, despite the fact that more voted for Clinton that him, he reached the Whitehouse. Despite the chaotic 4 years, the vote was still close. Despite his tantrum and incitement to a mob attack, despite a guilty verdict in an open court, he is still here, with a following urging him on the greater excesses.

And he should not. By all the conventions of politics his campaign should have floundered at the first attempt. Only by the fervour and fanatical urges of his followers to see all that has been accomplished swept away does he endure. He dances to their tunes. This is bad enough. But his presence has encouraged and emboldened those with more focused minds and agendas. The loss of Women’s Rights to Abortion and the attendant respectability of misogyny. The banning of books in schools and public libraries. The campaigns against LGBT+ communities. The complete halt of any progress on Race Equality. An unpromising imposition of Christian teachings up in public again in a stark intimidating way.  And all of these conducted against a backdrop of physical intimidation by mob or by gun, by hate mail on social media, by stalking and threats. What these folk who revel in all of this do not seems to realise is that for their actions there will be reactions, by folk who embrace the same mindset as them, who will decided that they can intimidate, attack and level their own guns as justifiable responses. Those who take away Rights, who would endeavour to limit or indoctrinate somehow expect the opposition to meek and servile to knuckle down because they say so. This situation is the principal concern. Trump one day will be gone, but the force that put him there unless challenged and exposed will not, and worse unless challenged by civil and legal means, consistently will in turn encourage that worse alternative.

This the fundamental issue. There is a movement stalking the USA which will demand more than attention, it will require adherence to a Right-Wing doctrine into the every aspect of Life. It will not be content to live alongside a freedom of movement or expression. It will expect acceptance, submission and dutiful obedience. It will withdraw in upon itself and enclose everyone into an isolationist mentality. It will try an achieve the impossible, complete domination over a five time zone 300,000,000+ population. It will face opposition and then will be frustrated and will seek more intimidation. And there will be conflict on many levels.

All the above have been discussed and written about. You all know what the alternatives are if this Extreme Right-Wing Agenda is allowed to continue. Not just you personally, but those you will hold dear by family or friendship will be under threat. Folk who are moderate conservatives, who are true to a solid but quiet Christian faith will feel the pressure too, for they will be expected to join ‘the ranks’. No one will be secure.

Now, in the past days there has been disruption in the ranks of the Democrats, the fear that Biden is not up to the task of dealing with the fury of the Republican Dis-Information Machine has brought into question confidence in him. There will be a debate, which I can understand. But

Let the debate be short, and precise

Once the decision is made, stand by it and without a second thought turn all your energies upon discrediting the Republican Machine. The time for the discussions on the niceties of Economics, Overseas, Health Care, to name but a few have passed. You know full well how The Red Machine currently works. It will lie and it will distort. Let that be your target. They are vulnerable. Go for their weaknesses. Highlight the hypocrisies, the inconsistencies, the downright law breaking, the danger to the Constitution, the threat to The Individual. Those are the issues of this campaign. There is no hope for a delicate and reasoned debate. This is a brutal contest. You will be fighting for the heart and soul of America. The true America which grows on variety, which is  not afraid of the Future, which rejects the failures of the Past.

Shake out those who feel there is no point in voting, alert those who say ‘it will all blow over’, demand of those who think not voting for Biden will save the life of one Palestinian. And once the decision has been made on who will be the Democrat Candidate, be loyal, be united and insist upon it with others who oppose Trump. Only in that Unity will there be strength.

The USA requires, you the true patriots to rescue the nation.

USA Flag

Cause and Effect. This Time in Papua New Guinea

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Papua New Guinea Landslide

In this photo provided by the International Organization for Migration, an injured person is carried on a stretcher to seek medical assistance after a landslide in Yambali village, Papua New Guinea, Friday, May 24, 2024. More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in the landslide that buried a village and an emergency response is underway, officials in the South Pacific island nation said. The landslide struck Enga province, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at roughly 3 a.m., Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. (Benjamin Sipa/International Organization for Migration via AP)

Here is the BBC’s update on the situation as at 8am BST UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckkkyxvdv5eo

In this BBC link the toll of dead, injured and missing has risen to 670, as is often the case when more information comes to light. A landslide, and thoughts will likely focus on the possible environmental issues be they de-forestation, other mis-management or unusually heavy rain fall. Landslides, mudslides call the event what you will. Suffice it to say large and sudden movements of not just mud, but rocks, stones, trees and other dangerous debris cutting a swathe through populated areas, and not just isolated villages are a regular news events. Another warning.

I would ask you to read this and then pause at the last passage which I make no apologies for highlighting here below:

“But Care Australia, the humanitarian agency which is helping with relief efforts, warned that the number affected was “likely to be higher” because of an influx of people escaping tribal conflicts in neighbouring areas.“

Yes, the other blight which we see countless news items on. Inter communal violence. Those who work with incredible courage and dedication will have seen this aspect time and time again. We will of course not seen much in the main news about the myriad of ongoing situations

And here is a link from the International Red Cross page on the situation

https://www.icrc.org/en/papua-new-guinea-tribal-fights

And an extract from the Wikipedia page on Ethnic Violence in Papua New Guinea

“In 2021, approximately 30,000 people were displaced by tribal violence around the Highlands region. In Enga Province, fighting between the Yalingin tribe and the Yambalekin tribe that costs the lives of 80 people and began the year prior ended in a peaceful settlement.In the 2022 national election about 89,000 people were displaced nationwide, with most being from the Highlands region”

It is distressing. It may cause you anger. Despair. The eternal cry of anguish ‘But What Can I Do?’ . Yes you, I also of us may feel helpless at yet another news items of tragedy, indicating not just one but two sources. What can we do? For Pity’s Sake, we cry.

Well – If there is an appeal site and you feel you can manage even a small amount. There is that. The IRC has it’s own donation’s tab.

Also- When encountering, as we all must these days, those who make abusive aggressive comments or in the case of Charities those negative conspiracy heavy nonsense excuses, tell them they are not helping anyone, they are making things worse not just for others but also themselves, and then do not engage any further….let them think on that- it’s called sewing doubt- sometimes it has to be done.

You may also care to post up news items about these (God forgive me for using this word) ‘relatively’ minor incidents and highlight the message that unless we constructively address both problems all across the world, eventually there will be no ‘world’ left for our descendants.

Yes, I know these seem small, almost inconsequential steps but if enough millions to make say a billion or so take this approach, it is a start, a push back. Right? 

For who knows when the equivalent in one form or another will come knocking on our own door?

Stay alert. Stay active. Stay caring. Stay compassionate. Stay.

Standing Your Ground With Your Eyes Shut Tight?

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Greg_Abbott_official_portrait_2024Daniel Perry

There are times when anger or outrage does not suit the intention. Maybe the writer gets lucky and is standing far enough back to be able to feel just enough ‘Detached’ (ironically that is) to write with simply a large cloud of Sigh hovering above them. With mass slaughters making place across the world, what does one governor being political over one killing matter? After all this is the USA in an election year where polarisation carries on at a High Summer pace. Bound to happen somewhere, somewhen.

And it’s not as if Governor Abbot has not been open and straight forward in the past about his views. He defended the right for the Ten Commandments to be displayed on a public monument. He opposes gun control. He has stood his ground in court against same-sex marriage. As Governor he has supported Trump. Now although I personally have to give him his due for 2016 action which banned aborted foetus from being disposed on a sanitary landfill and required burial or cremation, he, nonetheless, has worked hard to limit abortion rights and thereby putting women’s lives at risk, whether he will limit pregnant women’s rights to travel we shall see . He stated that guns are not the problem it’s ‘Hearts Without God’ or mental health; how he proposed to police these factors he did not say. He also seemed to favour the Jade Helm 15 conspiracy theories. There’s more but you get the general idea.

Well, so far, so clear. What you see is what you get. An unashamed. unapologetic Governor with Right Wing, Strong Fundamentalism Christian Views, and Guns. So we should not be surprised at all he was quick to pardon Daniel Perry, because “Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defence” That’s what Governor Greg Abott said. You can’t argue with that stance can you know? Right up there, in Texas you have the right to defend yourself when threatened, you can shoot someone down, if you feel your life is threatened.

OK, let’s back up just a bit.  We have ‘The Letter of the Law’ and ‘The Spirit of The Law’. Now just think about that one, because it is a place filled with trip-ups and unintended consequences. Along with leaving the person making the decision open to all sorts of problems down the road.

Firstly let’s consider the next part of the Governor’s quote……“that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” . So firstly does that mean that a jury’s verdict can be overturned by a Governor’s say-so…well ‘Yes’- I mean that is what ‘Pardon’ is about. But ‘progressive District Attorney’. Now that does sound like an open political biased statement attacking a official…. which may be fair game in the US since folk run for the office. However I’m not done yet . I wish to look at the case of the person being pardoned.

Daniel Perry felt threatened. OK. But Daniel Perry had:

Begun searching for the locations of Black Lives Matter protests weeks before the shooting and messaged friends on social media, comparing protesters to “a bunch of monkeys flinging [expletive] at a zoo”. 

In May 2020, shortly after George Floyd’s death, he sent a text message saying: “I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.”  

He also sent messages about “hunting Muslims” and about killing a daughter if she had a crush on “a little negro boy”.

Therefore it can be argued we did not have one hapless driver who took the wrong turning, blundered into the wrong crowd and panicked, We had a man who reacted out of anger? Deep seated rage? Letting loose? 

And the Governor  act out of pity for the hapless frightened man who panicked, or did he pardon him out of sympathy for his stance of standing his ground as a matter of principal, in defence of his home, not his house, but his turf, his own cultural home. The Governor is versed in the law, politics and the laws of politics and I bet could comfortably get out of those questions. A professional and a very astute one too. Me? I’m just some guy who might be standing my own ground? Well, yes I am in the UK. But hear me out now.  

The Governor has established support for ‘Stand Your Ground’, firmly. Will he be comfortable when a liberal activist when in their home and being harassed by a group of right-wing opponents hammering on their door and yelling abuse, comes to the door with their own gun, and opens fire? Suppose there is this fellow taking his pregnant partner or spouse to the airport on one last visit pre-birth to a relative out of state and has been followed by a car of pro-life extremists who have been keeping a watch on this suspected pair, force the car to the halt, but to protect his pregnant partner or spouse the driver comes out with his gun and seeing weaponry in the cars, opens fire first? 

I can give worse troubles than that. Within Texas state someone ‘Without God’ or with ‘Mental Issues’ decides that the whole state is their Home and goes out into the night, just happening to be wearing a Biden T-Shirt in the hope they might, by chance come across a group of Opposition and left that group make the first move, but that person makes the first shot.

Then there may be the LGBT+ couples who meet at their usual social gathering. Only thing is now they are armed, openly, which is bound to attract opposition, armed. And the next thing you have is two lots of folks ‘Standing Their Ground’

I am afraid  it can start with one incident, one relatively small incident and then can spread. It is not necessarily bound to happen. There is always the risk. Because you do not know who ‘is packing’ and on Defcon 4 (Above normal readiness)

I might not be able take Governor Abott on in court, I daresay he would shred me. He would Stand His Ground. But I can sure raise the flag of warning, because he has no more idea of what the future might bring than I do. On that we are equal

An Open Essay To The Current Protestors of The USA On And Off Campus

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US protests

Foreword: For those not familiar with my site. Just a brief introduction. British. 73 years old. Christian (slightly heretical- I’ll square it with God when the time comes) . Left Winger but not of a type you would be likely to recognise. 65 years with an interest in and an affinity to the USA. 60 years interest in politics. A possible affinity to Martin Luther of Eiseben without the vitriolic antisemitism common to his time. OK. That’s me. Let’s get down to issues.

Warning
There will be harsh statements, there will be very uncomfortable points of view, there will be a number reminders about The World, there will be questions asked of the reader, directly. And there will no simple arguments or points of view or answers 

Overview
It has to be accepted that the current one of the many outbreaks of full scale violence between Israelis and Palestinians has attracted the attention of the world. Emotions are running high as well as broadly justifiable feelings at the violence and the loss of life. Looking out from my allegorical window you must accept me thinking. ‘What a pity such demonstrations had not been expressed in other recent times for other peoples in their own sufferings through violence. The events were on accessible on the news and received sustained coverage on the Internet,’ I am not just discussing Ukraine here. Just check the word ‘Genocide’ and look back over the past twenty years. That said we must move on, for there is a future to discuss. We can learn from The Past. We may act upon The Present. But We must prepare for The Future. Your Future. The Future of Children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.

Next, something about The Past and The Nature of Events.

Events, Reactions and ‘Causes’. The Shadows and Shrouds of History
Political and Social Events which make the news do not have simplistic backgrounds, they have complex histories, and History has a way of extending itself back and back and back. There is no sudden start point. Back into the deep past there will be a gradual build up of a momentum which at some juncture reaches the Deluge or Avalanche or Earthquake stage and from there on those Earlier Events will have a strong resonance in the causes of Subsequent Events, and so on. Each one causing its own set of ripples or fault lines, criss-crossing the Human Geography of Peoples and their Communities, while calling up the echoes and resonances of the Past at a pace and frequency which leaves the observer possibly embracing the notion that Time is not linear or moving in one direction.

To witness October and onwards and put these in full focus requires what some would call an unsatisfactory and arguably heartless approach. Some would in the spirit of outrage at the loss of life simply deny. Usually these opening words of mine would be a conclusion of a paragraph. In this case just take them as warning of where we are going, a place where Death and Ruination have often walked, and the participants comfort themselves with many justifications, which depending on your view can appear strong but reasonable. We start in A Place which will have a focus in History. 7th October 2023. A concerted incursion by Hamas into Israel causing a very heavy loss of Life.

Of those protesting ‘Regrettable’ some might say. Even condemnatory. However they will add, for there is often an ‘However’ in these matters ‘Just look at the way Israel has treated the Palestinians. That is terrible and has been going on for so many years’ . Well in the harsh prism of History, yes that is an understandable, even acceptable outlook. Treat a people badly and there will be a violent reaction. There is a problem though with that line. The Jewish peoples of Europe (Russia gets included whether it likes it or not) for one thousand years or more were subjected to similar treatments and killings. When they finally get back to what they call their lands they have a long history of their own justifications. They learnt from ‘Europe’ (since there still appears to be a majority of American citizens who can trace European ancestry that includes You too). Therefore the tacit acceptance argument which is used for Hamas gets comparably morphed with a bloody swiftness and ease into one of ‘understanding’ the Israeli approach. Still be horrified? By all means be so? Tell me I am distorting the position? Be outraged. Point out that the death toll in Palestine exceeds that of Israel 30 fold. That is your right. Of course.

Now dip into the bloody, wide, deep, tribute river of War, one that ever flows from the larger River History.  350,000-500,000 German civilians in the allied strategic bombing campaign of WWII. 70,000 British civilians in the German aerial campaigns by bomb or rocket. True that is ‘only’ 7 fold. At the time the governments accepted the other sides losses- ‘they started it’. Thus do not be surprised at the Israeli response. It is one that takes place with regularity throughout the world throughout the ages, and no one seems to have a solution which puts an end to it.

You may now, if you wish express more outrage, only please do not accuse me of justifying Israel’s response. I am merely pointing out to you the Horror. This is how it works. I cite a few others. Ask the Syrian’s. Ask those Chechen folk not in a warlord’s pay, ask the Tamils, ask the Uyghurs, ask The Iranian Women and the Afghan Women (although the latter two were not bombed or shelled, just beaten up and locked up, only ‘a few’ died the other thousands upon thousands only live in terror and cohesion, and being locked up ). Ask the Women where Rape is used as a weapon of war. Keep on asking. You should. Keep on asking. For if you have taken up the Palestinian Cause, it does not end there, not in this troubled turbulent dangerous world. Marching on one Embassy, up and down one street is not going to trouble the worshipers at the Triple Altars of Death and Ruin and Oppression

“We can learn from The Past. We may act upon The Present. But We must prepare for The Future.”

Into Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Now to you. You who have taken up a Cause. You who have felt the need to protest. What will you do now?
Pack up and say ‘I did my bit’, then go onto the ‘rest of your life’
Continue with the Palestinian Cause
Or sign up for the Great Struggle.-The one where the Oppressors, Merchants of Violence, Hate Mongers, and Opportunists With Guns are legion. The one where the victims are counted in their millions, be they dead, dying, sick, injured, terrorised, brutalised, violated and ever on the move or sitting in hapless squalor. All located somewhere on the inside pages of a newspaper, maybe mentioned as a filler on a news channel, or when some anniversary comes along, or to be found by following a few links on the net. Those dead and those anguished faces, along with those dulled-eyed with the whole horror, forgotten. What comfort do they have? A few dogged journalists? Charities working ever hard?

If you are truly honest, if you truly care, you will learn a lesson from this time in Palestine and in the South West of Israel. You will realise there is no respite, there is no time to congratulate and go home to Sunshine and Lollipops. Hate. Violence. They never rest. They are never cowed permanently. If you are not ever alert, keeping a weather eye, willing to challenge not just your government but the ones who gave the acquiescence to pull the triggers, then somewhere, somewhen Some Folk will be suffering. One episode of protest does not cut it. If you care, you do not get to select the Cause. The Causes will come to you and ask for at least some attention.

Just take some time out and take a lot at the Amnesty site, or Medicins San Frontières’ or UNHCR, or – you just look.

Did you? Will you? When you do, be prepared for the shock and the feeling of absolute helplessness. Be ready to say without thinking ‘But I Can’t Be Everywhere!’.

No you can’t. Nor can those in the charities which work through the world. They try and they spread slender resources. I know how you feel. I challenge myself every day. As I write this the nagging thought  burrows deeper. ‘Fine Words. Now What Else Are You, Roger, Going To Do?’ and ‘Do you know you are in danger of sounding like John Bolton. An old guy demanding younger folk sacrifice themselves for your ideals?’ 

But I am not trying to stir the passive or the complacent or the apathetic. I am addressing You, those who have seen it right and just to take up a Cause, remember it is but one piece of a larger, bloodied ghastly picture where blood, tears and body parts are the paints and the canvas is human skin.

This in Palestine, as it did in Ukraine, in Syria will pass from the headlines, it already has started. At least it made the headlines. Learn then from this which will become the Past and realise there will be more of the same next year and the year after and so on. Unless we all in same way, somehow, some-constantly do whatever we can, how we can, where we can, when we can.

My generation with its flowers, face paints, gaudy clothes and music which at times was over-long and self-indulgent, we quite frankly failed. We went to a music festival or two, we might have marched, most certainly purchased the right albums, and then? We in the UK voted in Margaret Thatcher, You in the USA did likewise with Ronald Regan and two Bushes (the elder Not So Bad, The Younger in Comparison with now…?). And in our later years We welcomed Boris Johnson and Brexit and  You let Donald Trump, the Action Toy of MAGA be placed in the Whitehouse. Don’t fall into the trap of complacency or that curse of ageing which tends to set in in the 40s the ‘Huh! In My Day’ response as if what will take place will be nothing to do with us ‘We did our bit’
Yes, about that

One Final Message, Wrapped Up In Fable, A Warning And Even Admonishment

And this year. This possibly fateful year. The one which made decide whether the USA carries on, stumbling as do all nations, or slides off that time-honoured road, down the one where there are always storms and you can only just make out the sign-post ‘Warning. Rock Slides Ahead’. You have seen the intentions of the Right, you have heard the ravings of the spolied Brat who did not forgive for losing the last Presidential Election. To elaborate let me tell you that fable:

There was this guy. A man of simple Christian Faith, who prayed every morning, noon and night. He did not doubt God for a minute.
One day he hears on the radio a severe weather warning, storms are on their way, bringing heavy flooding. At once he gets down on his knees and prays to God to protect and deliver him. The rains start, the worst he has ever seen. He prays. A little later, a knock at the door, a police officer is there ‘Sir. You’re house is in danger of being hit by the flood. You best evacuate,’. The man assures the officer God will protect him, he will pray. The officer doesn’t argue, he’s got more houses, anyhow the fellow will soon change his mind when the waters come. The waters come, his house is cut off. An emergency crew in a boat turn up, hailing him. He tells them the same thing. They get a call on the radio, a woman not far off is in labour. Well she comes first. Off they go. The waters rise. The man is now on the roof, still praying. Along comes a rescue helicopter. He waves them off calling up that God will protect him. The crew have been on a long shift, the storm is getting worst. They can’t hang around, they got kids to save. So the house is swept away and he drowns.
He arrives at Heaven’s Gate, greeted by and angel with a clipboard. The man complains at sound length about how he prayed and yet still was drowned, How does that figure? Why didn’t God listen and  help? The angel consults his clipboard.
‘Well dear friend. God sent you a radio warning. God sent you a police officer. God sent you a rescue crew. In the end God sent you a helicopter. What more did you want?’

So then, I ask you, in all sincerity. What is this business about not supporting Biden? Have you not had enough warnings about what the Right has in store for you and the rest of the USA? They’ve made it very clear, give them that. They are going to roll up their sleeves and they are going to do their level best to sweep away liberal reforms. They are going to display their ignorance of socialism, squawk about this ‘woke’ word like crows with indigestion, get hysterical about what other folk do in their privacy, pick bits out of the Bible like stale crumbs and their followers are going to love it, then as a special treat they will throw minorities to the mob.

I would ask you, do you think, not just for one spasm of angry thought, but as a whole agenda that your selective punishment of Biden over Palestine is going to help those folk? Must I remind you that the alternatives are locked into an style of Christian Fundamentalism that is quite content for Israel to do this? If Trump gets back in the Whitehouse and you still stuck with your own fundamentalist agenda then you in part will be responsible for any more Palestinian deaths. Yes. Cause and Effect are terrible twins. In this ever tightening world none of us are actually free of them, but some choices can have more bitter effects than others. You do not get to try and parse your way out of this one. It is Biden or it is Trump. You cannot hide from that brutal truth. This World I have to emphasise is ever complex, nothing is easy, nothing is straightforward, nothing has but one answer. It is all hard work and dirty words like Compromise, Accommodation, Acceptance, Deals, Manoeuvre, Politics and all the rest that get the job done. You might wish for a better one, you might even be working for a better one, but in the meantime, you have this one.
There are other implications to punishing Biden and the danger of letting Trump in. Other aspects you will have to take in part-responsibility. You will have to explain to the LGBT+ community, to women living in fear of getting pregnant, to librarians, to minority groups, to teachers, to the future casualties and families of mass killings how your stance in punishing Biden was the right moral choice.

I am aware I appear cutting, but there is no other way. Implications hang heavy on the shoulders of anyone taking up a cause. They have the challenge of getting the balance right. and the challenge which turns inevitably into a responsibility. There is no way out. Nothing is simple. Ever. You might call me cynical. You are mixing that up with Realism. If I was cynical I would not have taken ten hours over four days out of my time to work on this. (That doesn’t include the thoughts running through my head while doing chores). I would have ‘let them get on with it, they’ll find out in time,’

In Conclusion
You will, I expect be holding fast to your beliefs that your opposition to Israel is the right course for you to take, that this is not a passing phase in the summer of 2024. If this is your choice may I make a plea in these points.

Remember the target is the current Intolerant Fanatical Government, whose brothers in Hate reside in Tehran, who gifted Trump the playbook on how to get The Big Seat. The target is not the Israeli people. And curses upon those who tell you it is the Jews. The target is the government, don’t forget.

Reach out across the distances to those in Israel who are angry at their government and wish to be rid of it. Support them. If they are demonstrating , then you should be in sympathy to. Have them realise there are friends out there, that they don’t have to circle the wagons with the unsavoury fanatics. Israeli politics is another complexity, one shove in the correct direction can bring change.

Research just who are the internal oppositions in Israel, the ones who for long years have tried to preach the creed of accommodation and partnership with Palestinians who also tread that dangerous road of recrimination and violence from within their own communities. For too long The Western Groups supporting Palestinians have not taken that road. When it is the blindingly obvious one.

We must prepare for The Future. Your Future. The Future of Children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.

Well, It Seemed Perfect #Blog Battle : April – Messy

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Messy

King Prendertugh was a person of thorough approach strengthened by a gift of ‘The Long View’, (in political terms that is. Not as with his worthless brother Frenderbugh who yearned to be able to see maidens bathing).  Prendertugh had discerned long ago that his kingdom of Freyback would have to go to war with neighbouring Kcabyerf over the lordship of Vendregan, whose family The Burdeph knew they had little say in the matter and thus lived up in the Olps; the tallest mountain range in their realm.
It was a recognised fact that a successful campaign would rely not just on weaponry and killing people, but to have a most intricate set of code; for it was another recognised fact that King Dehigget of Kcabyerf, a most wary fellow had nurtured a body of highly skilled code-breakers.

Prendertugh however had invested six years in having exceptionally gifted and intelligent folk devising the series of codes to be used by his army, spies, and disruptors . The code was based on a now unused language spoken by folk from who had dwelt in what had once been fens, but had been long ago drained, so had the folk. The process took three years, another two years were spent training code couriers who could write and translate the messages and one explaining to all receiving the messages that theirs was but part of an overall plan which would come together and all would be well.

In the initial and carefully stages invasion of Vendregan and the disruption of bordering areas of Kcabyerf went well. Dehigget’s forces were confused, surprised and required to retreat; aside from being out-manoeuvred there were problems with their supplies, horses were cut loose from stabling, and river shipping developed holes and sank and people were mumbling dissatisfaction, although no one knew how or where the mumbling began.

Into the twentieth day, the time came for those always necessary adjustments; revised coded orders were despatched. Grand Duke Hurstew on the left and High Lord Fiztmarice on the right acted accordingly. Grand Earl Hangus in the centre and overall command moved forward, then wondered just where Hurstew and Fiztmarice had got to. He being a man of solid judgement halted until matters were sorted out. King Prendertugh being party to the big picture and having heard from his spies Kcabyerfish forces were in disarray had based the new orders on those reports. He now wanted to know why Hurstew was marching north away from the advance, Fiztmarice was sitting down doing nothing, and Hangus marching forward without support.

A number of bold riders had ridden hard and fast this way and that to the said generals, then had ridden boldly hard and fast back, it seemed there had been some confusion in the orders, but no one could discern where the errors had taken place. Fresh coded orders were issued.

Hangus promptly marched north; Hurstew reversed his march and went south, while Fiztmarice proceeded in oblique order to the south-east, then north-west.  Dehigget  meanwhile having been told the codes out of Freyback could not be broken decided that ‘They were up to something’ and his generals agreed. His armies were collected and reorganised then sent on counter-marches to shadow the foe. For those of a more humanist point of view there was the benefit of no one really fighting and thus getting killed. For those who lived in the area there was the wretched experience of armies marching back and forth across your land, wrecking your hard worked for crops and not paying for anything they appropriated; the same thing happened if the armies stood still. It was a miserable time for the Vendreganish and a great deal of sourness was directed at the The Burdeph secure in their mountain fastness of The Olps.

Meanwhile Prendertugh was vexed and puzzled about the failure of his forces to coordinate. Had not the orders been clear? Had they not been efficiently transcribed into code by highly trained men? Being a king, he naturally fell to suspicion and introspection.

Even more meanwhile his fellow king Dehigget indulged likewise. His being focused on why his personnel could not tell him what cunning plans Prendertugh’s generals were up to. And due to the mumbling he suspected a plot against him.

Both men demanded answers, gruffly and loudly. Naturally blame and accusation was parcelled out amongst most in the two courts and high offices. Generals sharing with their troops the sludging due to a sudden very unseasonable wetness of weather received with very ill-temper indeed the uncoded and hastily drafted letters inferring they were deliberately avoiding battle. Both kings therefore received tersely uncoded response that IF their majesty REQUIRED, then they (whoever sent it) would resign their position.

Thus frantic orders from King Prendertugh’s court  with lesser attention to codes were sent in every direction. Generals finding some of the commentaries were less than succinct in their clarity, ignored them and put junior officers to pray to the ancient god Varius Xcusis and then send replies saying they couldn’t comply with those orders. Dehigget went in for replacing generals with old rivals of theirs, some duels were fought. There was a purge of code breakers too.

More eventous Meanwhiles were taking place in the covert ranks of the Freybackian spies and the disruptors. The former being consummate professional paranoiacs suspected the code had been breeched, burnt all their documents and went into hiding to reinvent their identities. The latter were by nature unconventional and free thinking and centrally co-ordinated within Dehigget’s realm. Mayrus Hekth the leader, had received the following message, which when decoded read:

Buy up all the cheeses. Take care, for I yearn for your underwear

He consulted his two code couriers who concluded as one.
‘Something has gone wrong with the codes. Toldja they were too complex’

Hekth being an inventive fellow at once used the message as a basis for inspiration to add to the acts his teams had been up to. In this case he told all operatives to disguise themselves an officials of Nobility and with much arrogance buy up all the cheeses citing the nobility’s desire was more important than that of the peasants, others were set the task of writing on walls and gates ‘King Dehigget yearns for your daughters’ underwear’ . Whereas the latter initially caused much puzzlement and bemusement, the former did have the desired effect of civic discord, and confusion in the ranks of the nobility as vast numbers of cheeses turned up at their abodes, followed by greater numbers of peasants and folk who needed cheese for their own businesses, all inflamed by Hekth’s agents. Dehigget was somewhat distracted by incoming quantities of female underwear sent by the more obsequious and opportunistic of his subjects, whose daughters were not pleased. Neither was Dehigget’s wife. Hekth not one to rest of his successes then spread the rumour that eating excesses of cheese caused heads to fall off. Some of the nobility were found with heads detached, it did not take much examination to reveal decapitation was probably the cause, but the underlying tone of the message  got through and many cheeses were seen rolling out of castles, an act which did nothing to improve the flavours much less the image or the lower classes attitude to the nobility.

Under other circumstances Prendertugh might have taken advantage, had he not by a combination of confusion over the codes and sullenness on the behalf his generals   effectively lost his armies in Vendregan. For someone usually of thorough approach strengthened by a gift of ‘The Long View’, it was indeed a curious state of affairs.

With both kingdoms in a state of administrative and strategic immobility while suffering from wet muddy weather and a severe outbreak of Meanwhiles, adding to the situation was an unforeseen At This Juncture. These of course having much potential to make a troublesome situation worse.

In this case The Juncture revolved around  Rayleot the scion of The Burdephs of Vendregan. A year earlier he had been despatched south to locate and court a suitable bride whose noble family would give The Burdephs some leverage in keeping Freyback and Kcabyerf off of their backs. Rayleot was not long in discerning that most of the young women suitable to his rank were already involved in complex marriage arrangements. Instead he set his sights on the naturally financially orientated mercantile classes. Mindful of the geography of his homeland his attention fell upon Trevella the elder daughter of the Bungdover family whose river transport enterprises had blossomed. For them someone whose family owned land through which the great and wide River Flume, had its origins was quite the catch. Trevella saw no problem with Rayleot, and as was the custom thereabouts the marriage was conducted promptly upon a river, Rayleot signing all sort of treaties and agreement which he reckoned were a better option than having two armies tramping upon Vendregan. As a wedding present he was gifted a replica of the legendary Large Barge Marge, the original and foundation of the Bungdover family now being retired and sanctified. There were certain enhancements in keeping with those times, such as secret independent power source of propulsion and several small but effective pieces of ordinance.

The happy couple’s appearance not only caused surprise but also distress to craft of both Freyback and Kcabyerf  which were gently disabled either by blasting off masts or rudders, and pushed by the now named Rarge onto banks, thus displaying the astute mercantile strategy of not blocking rivers. Taking advantage of all local intelligence and armed with large bags of gold supplied by his in-laws Rayleot contacted the most disgruntled officers of both sides and offered them employment in the new Vendregan army whose initial duties involved simply changing sides and taking directions to higher drier ground.

Hekth and Freyback spies met and sent a message unto their king, uncoded in basic Freybackian of the lower classes:

‘You’re kippered Guv’nor, It’s all gone in stable buckets. The Burdephs have got a sharp one who is quick about coin. Suggest a bit of the old selective Horse and Carriage,’  

Kings could be expectant of rebellions but Prendertugh was beset by tremendous sulks amongst his lords, generals and senior staff. He was somewhat overwhelmed by the ludicrousness of mature men imitating the actions of adolescent told to clean their rooms, he took the curiously phrased advice. Back to the Meanwhile he mused…What the Holy Frib had gone wrong?

The aforementioned cabal also reached out to those opposite numbers in Kcabyerf by devious means to indicate they contact their king in similar fashion, if he wanted to keep his cheese (code for throne) and sell off the underwear that is. The opposite numbers did so. Dehigget beset of domestic trials and tribulations agreed.

Within the year, and drier spell all had settled down both kings having to lay out large amounts of gold to soothe the temperaments of upsets generals, though later  this was somewhat recompensed by trade choregraphed by the Bungdover mercantile cartels.

Since no one could figure out how the errors had arisen the codes were scrapped. The strategy of ‘Let’s say no more about it’ being adopted. Prendertugh turned his attentions to his gardens and extoling the virtues of The Simple Life

Dehigget worn down by cries of ‘How’s your cheeses?’ and the more independent commoner maidens waving very functional woollen undergarments at him calling ‘Does this meet with your approval Your ‘Ighness?’  became a recluse and responded to any enquiry by his ministers with ‘Whatever,’

Eventually both kingdoms swore fealty to Vendregan under the rule of King Rayleot (The Calm)

Historical Footnote:

Some centuries ago….

It was mournful time as The Folk of The Fens were obliged to quit their lands, now being heartlessly dried up by greedy folk with big armies. The elders had embarked on writing down an account of their folk and these events to be kept in all time, for the day when their folk would arise once more and learn of their ancestors.

Those elders versed in the Ethereal built in one sting for the future. At the beginning of the tract was inscribed in subtle runes masking as letters. ‘Woe and Confusion upon those who pillage our language as they have pillaged our lands’ 

Presidential Election 2024: Why Good Intentions About Palestine Remind Me of Cuba October 1962.

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Roads to Hell

The latest war between Israel and the Gaza Strip Palestine strikes us all in some way or another. I have to subsume my anger at the protestors, I wanting to know where they were when the Rohingya, Sudanese, Uyghur and Iranian Women, to name but just four examples were and still are suffering. I have to remember that tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, dying, injured, brutalised, traumatised. homeless, starving- in short also unjustifiably in Hell.

I can see the strategy of those who mobilised the votes in Wisconsin and Rhode Island for  “uncommitted” or “uninstructed,”. The idea to put pressure on Biden to move to a stronger stance on Israel has its merits and is more useful than joining loud parades up and down the streets of America. And it can be argued that in an election years where every vote will count the strategy has played a part in Biden taking a tougher stance. So far so good then.

However every action has its historical resonances; part of History’s construct lies within its echoes, some do not come in a straight line, they flow in from over hills and far away. For their full effect maybe you had to have been there at one point in the long path.

For me the echoes are coming in from October 1962, when as a child of eleven growing up knowing the fear of what nuclear war could bring if only in a tabloid comic book form it was a fearful few weeks. Particularly as the filtered down news was suggesting atomic weapons would be used. In later years it became apparent there were generals and officials pushing for their use. First strike, Get the hit in. Frighten the other side into backing down. And these were not the ridiculous cartoon characters of the dangerously frivolous film Doctor Strangelove. These were men trained and school in a fearful ominous world of threat, counter-threat and then the unthinkable. They were the ones who saw the use of Nuclear Weaponry as a Necessary Eventually, far better displayed in the film for grown ups Fail Safe. Cooler, more pragmatic, subtler heads prevailed. Realpolitik came into play. Everyone had puffed up their chests. Now time for the deal to salve pride. And avoid the catastrophe.

Very well. Enough background for my allegory. Just bear in mind those last words, And avoid the catastrophe 

At this stage parts of the allegory have to be separated from the current situation.

Today the principal issue is the Democrat vs the Republican candidate Biden vs Trump. One a politician of balance and traditional perspectives. The latter an egotistical insensitive fellow feeding off of the desires and beliefs of Right Wing coalition of the disaffected, fundamentalist, and outright intolerant. In effect if elected their meal ticket, their flag of approval in all matters domestic. Bear that in mind.

No, Biden’s administration is not perfect. None is particularly when it comes to foreign policy and day to day responses. In this world you can forget consistently fair minded and ethically clean. And not just governments either. Need I have remind you about a comparative public lukewarm response to the suffering of other populations in equal numbers? It is not just in the tens of thousands in Gaza where Hell has come a’ calling.  If you care about Human suffering as a principal you do not get to be selective. Selective means preference which means agendas or worse tragically naïve. But that is an argument for another day. Because we are all culpable.

So let us return to the Domestic situation and the Risk of using this for International Ends

The current polling suggests that the race between Biden and Trump is tight. This is sobering news for those who have fought long and hard for a more tolerant and forward thinking society, for those of once lived in shadows for fear of discovery, or realised from their very birth they were considered inferior and viewed with suspicion. For those who practice their religious beliefs in quiet open-mindedness.

Not only are the polls tight, but the reaction of the hysterical right in 2020-2021 should be born in mind. These folk do not subscribe to democracy, unless it is on their terms of course. Thus unless there is a mobilisation against The Republican MAGA grouping and their nominated Trump, the situation does look grim for those who seek an equal and tolerant society as the norm.

Consider what has already happened in some states. The persecution of the LGBT+ community. The limiting of education and reading matter. The effective removal of Women’s independence of their own bodies. The underlying threats to any community not White and apparently Christian. The tolerance of violent neo-nazi quasi-militias. And there are the manifold Risks. Some might say this is all hyperbole and turning to their personal matters assume someone else might do something about it. And you have seen Trump’s attitude to the judicial system, his rantings roared on by his sponsors, MAGA.

Therefore these are outlined the risks involved in not concentrating the Biden vote and the necessity of mobilising those who would normally not vote.

Now comes the very hard and some will find upsetting part.

I appreciate the sentiments of those who have read so far and are in strong disagreement with me, particularly when the matter of the Cuban Crisis Allegory is returned to.

Those who thought the Nuclear Strike was a balanced, correct option. Dare I compare those with today’s Folk who in all goodwill are looking to contribute to ways to ease the sufferings of the Palestinians? Have I any right to suggest such a strategy and its tactical deployment carries, morally similar risks?

Yes, I do.

In a time of narrow gaps in the polls, when one side in violent in its language, imagery and implied resorts to physical violence, all under a blasphemous mix of their ideas of ‘Liberty’ and ‘Christianity’ – the same basic ideals as those who would have used nuclear  weapons?

Yes, I do.

Because one false move, one minor poor calculation, one gifted gap to the Republicans. One suggestions that your actions will encourage Trump to announce he could solve the problem; he who says he will solve something, never does and throws a tantrum, yet still convinces folk he can solve the next one, and inconsequence have some folk switch to him.

All far-fetched are they? No. Sixteen years ago, Trump would have been thought an impossibility. But It happened. A discredited fellow in court still a viable presidential candidate? Could still return? Those are the possibilities. And this very dangerous strategy of tampering with the Biden vote makes the allegorical nuclear result likelier. Because you who subscribe to this strategy cannot be absolutely certain you will not play a part in Trump returning to The Whitehouse, and with his Evangelical pushing him on to their Book of Revelation scenario, how will that help any Palestinians? You cannot say for certain what will happen. Other than it will not be a sunny uplands for every American.

If you are still offended by Cuban Nuclear Allegory then I will give you another take on risks. Any responsible driver will take note of extremes of weather. Going out in such conditions does not automatically lead to an accident with fatal or near-fatal repercussions, but you take heed of the warnings. You check your speed. You are alert to dangers. You will have taken precautions. Even if you must go out you do not drive as you would on a calm, clear day. You limit the risk, the reason may be urgent, but you still take care, you do not rush along, you rein in your emotions. Getting there is the important thing.

Therefore those who are using this strategy to influence Biden or think they are taking a moral stance which is worthy. Bear in mind the risks you are taking with this. If Trump does get into the Whitehouse and the statistics reveal that your actions played a part in that, what will you think in the future when the Right runs rampant through the nation.

You have gone far enough. You have had your say you may have played a part. Think on what might happen if you persist.

All actions have consequences, and I regret to say, in this world, there are no easy options, and no option comes without a price to pay.