Category: Foreign countries

The Danger of Indifference

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The Danger of Indifference

The Danger of Indifference

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Writer, Teacher

Elie Wiesel, teacher, writer, philosopher and Auschwitz death camp survivor, told the US Congress in a speech in 1999, “indifference can be tempting-more than that, seductive.  It is much easier to look away from victims.  It is after all, awkward and troublesome to be involved in another person’s pain and despair.”

Forgotten

Furthermore, “to be indifferent to that suffering makes the human being, inhuman.  Indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor-never the victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten.  The political prisoner, the starving children, the homeless refugees-not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their despair by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory.  And in denying their humanity, we betray our own.  Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment.  Where I came from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders.”

Then and Now

Today’s bystanders are no different than the “bystanders,” of the past; wanting more than anything to look away from the victims, to look anywhere but in the direction of the suffering.

I frequently hear my friends and even those in power claim to be “a good person.”  “A person with a heart,” I am repeatedly told.

Why is it then, we continue to ignore the plight of the war ravaged Ukrainians and the mass murder of the Palestinians in Gaza, or the starving children of Sudan?  The photos  of the pain  and destruction  is horrific.  We have all seen television clips of bloodied, crying, starving, and even dead children.  I have seen their pain.  I have heard their cries.

A Plea to America

My simple plea to America; shed the hate and grow the love. Get involved, call out the offenders and the perpetrators, do not turn away, do not be silenced. Remember, it could be you, instead of them, ducking bombs and searching for a dead rat to eat. There is no comfort in being  5,000 miles from their wars, not if you are truly a “person with a heart.”

America are you listening, are you seeing, or are you destined to become just another group of bystanders?

USAid

We are the wealthiest country on earth and the home of the most generous people on earth and our basic instinct is to help, not turn away.  The American people want to help. Sadly, the richest and the most powerful of the 1% want big tax breaks, and they plan on gutting services, not only USAid, but also health care, disability assistance, and food from the poorest in this country.

The New Resistance

We were once the light of the world; now we ignore the homeless and the starving here and abroad. Come on America, don’t continue to look away, show your heart, show that “goodness” we always hear about. Don’t be a bystander, be an activist, be a demonstrator, be a protestor.

The New Resistance to Trump’s cruel and disastrous agenda is active and growing. Join the fight to save our democracy from the oligarchs and the dictators. Join the fight to save lives; not destroy them. Join the fight for universal health care. Join the fight against homelessness. Join the fight for voting justice. Join the fight to save public education. Join the fight to save Due Process.

Find your cause and hit the streets. Enlist support of your friends and neighbors. Everyone, but a few die hard MAGA’s dislike what’s happening. We need to prove our numbers; hit the streets, be visible. Carry a sign. Hit Facebook. Call your congressman, Call your Senators. If you have a FaceBook page create a support section for the warriors in the field, post pictures of local protests.. You can’t hear silence. Make noise. As Arthur Ashe said, “disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

Campaign Lies

Trump lied when he said he’d end the wars in the Ukraine and Gaza; “on day one.” Yet, the wars go on, he has not contributed in one way to a  just end in either of those conflicts. Trump lied when he told voters that he would not touch Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security. After a meeting with hold outs Trump personally twisted arms at a  meeting on the Hill, leading to the House passing a bill that would destroy health care for millions of Americans.  The estimate runs from 8-13.5 million Americans, bringing with it the closure of nursing homes across the country and a new round of rural hospital closures.

The destruction and gutting of our government and destruction of our social safety nets was not what anyone in their right mind voted for.

I understand the forces opposing the soldiers of good are powerful but if the many leave the ranks of the bystanders and join the war against Trump cruelty and lawlessness we can win the battle for due process, human decency, and justice.

Let’s Be Real

The list of needs for a country of 350,000,000 million human beings eliminates any further discussion of return to small government. The list of proposed cuts to basic services will effect everyone, but those most hard hit will be the already suffering. Stop turning away. Stop being a  bystander.

Way Past Time to Halt Netanyahu’s War

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OPINION:

Way Past Time To Halt Netanyahu’s War

What is going on in Gaza is heartbreaking and it must stop.

OPINION: 

Way Past Time To Halt Netanyahu’s War

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Both Sides Of Their Mouths

With all the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Latino, and anti-POC rhetoric coming from the 2024 Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, I was amazed to see the recent uproar from the Republicans over Chuck Schumer’s frontal attack on Benjamin Netanyahu.  Seriously, I mean seriously? I wonder how anyone from the right wing MAGA  crowd dares to even open their mouths.

Raise Up

Who are these hypocrites that now raise up on their hind legs and call Schumer an ‘Israel hater’ and even a ‘Jew hater’? Chuck Schumer is the highest elected person of the Jewish faith in this country and has given unrestrained support for the country of Israel for decades. But since Schumer’s anti-Netanyahu speech on the Senate floor ex-president Trump has been peppering his rally tirades and imbecilic tweets with attacks against Schumer as an ‘Israel hater’. Trump has said that any American Jew that votes for a Democrat should be ashamed.’ Remember, Trump  is the same guy who identified the Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Jew haters who rallied with torches, screaming “Jews will not replace  us,”  as “really fine people.”

Voices 

The labeling of an individual as “anti-Semitic” because they have the courage to question the correctness of supporting a government that denies human rights every day to Palestinians within their borders is wrong. We need to get past the idea that Israel is above criticism and condemnation for its actions. There is no reason for confusion. It is easy to separate the country of Israel from the religious philosophy of Judaism.  Israel is a government, no better or worse than any other. Well, maybe worse than many, would be a better description. At some point we must separate Judaism the religion from the political state of Israel. When Israel takes action, it takes action as a country, not as a religion.  The decisions it’s leaders  makes are not agreed upon by every citizen anymore than the citizens of America are consulted on important issues.  Currently, Israel is experiencing sharp divisions between left and the right political factions, just like in the United States. That division has allowed Netanyahu to cobble together a government of radical right wing extremists; and its these folks who are directing the war.

State of Confusion

Confused persons are attacking the most powerful elected Jew in the United States, Chuck Schumer, because he challenged Netanyahu’s war plan. The state of Israel is a fair target for criticism. Period, dot. Netanyahu’s government is pursuing  inhumane policies, and needs to be called out by everyone that sees this abomination. But criticism of him does not equate to anti-Semitism. But the winds are blowing against Netanyahu. Most Americans are outraged and disgusted at the suffering they are witnessing everyday on their TV, whether the observer be Jew or Gentile. I know I am, and so is every single person I have spoken to about the issue. Joe Biden is a good man. He needs to break with Netanyahu for no other reason than his own moral compass demands he do so.

An Apartheid State

Israel under “Bibi” Netanyahu is no place for the non-Jew. So, upfront the United States has been supporting an oppressive regime dehumanizing and disenfranchising the Palestinians on the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza for years. The Netanyahu Israel is, as far as Palestinians are concerned, an apartheid state, no different than the segregated south of the United States or South Africa of the 1900s.

Billion Dollar Support

The United States has supported the state of Israel since its inception in 1948.  The United States provides billions of dollars in aide to Israel every year. In fact, I would say the United States is and has been the spine of Israel for decades. It is the unwavering support of the United States, that has allowed Israel to wear big-boy pants and swagger around the Middle East waving U.S. made weapons in all directions.

Spoils of War

In 1967 Israel won a decisive victory in the Six Day War against an Arab coalition force led by Egypt.  In that conflict Israel took control of the Sinai Peninsula (which was returned to Egypt per the Camp David Accords in 1978), the West bank of the Jordan River, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Despite fifty plus years of war and negotiation, Israel has refused to return to its pre-1967 borders.

Expansion Extremists

Israeli expansionists have opposed the return of the captured lands and have aggressively built Jewish settlements, in defiance of international law. In fact, last week; while U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was in Israel the Netanyahu government insulted Blinken and the United States by announcing the biggest land seizure in the West Bank since 1993. It can only be described as an illegal land grab; “from river to the sea,” Netanyahu recently declared. Interestingly when the matter was brought up to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, he said that, “soon Israel will be able to clear away all the rubble and develop miles of water front property.” Like I said earlier, this is one of the biggest land grabs in history, at an unimaginable cost of human life.

Believe Your Eyes

My question is; why shouldn’t we challenge the relationship of our government and that of Netanyahu? Since when is any foreign policy topic too sensitive to have a conversation about? My God, since 10/7, close to 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, more than 12,000 are believed to be children. Nearly every building has been demolished. There are no schools, there are no apartment buildings, there are no mosques. There is little doubt that Israel’s war against Hamas is a convenient excuse for genocide. Harsh words, but what else can a shocked world believe. It looks like the Palestinian’s are facing a 21st century  Holocaust.

Conclusion

The situation was untenable-unstable-and unsatisfactory long before the Israel-Hamas war. Until Palestinians gain equity in their own state taken from the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem there will be no real security for either side. Without a Palestinian state there will continue to be flareups between the parties. Joe Biden has said it multiple times. The answer is obvious, there needs to be a two state solution, nothing else makes sense.

 

Bad Boy, “Bibi” Netanyahu

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Bad Boy, “Bibi” Netanyahu

Bibi Netanyahu much like Donald Trump is facing multiple corruption charges

Bad Boy, “Bibi” Netanyahu

By D.S. Mitchell

History Books

Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu still has dreams of going down in the history books as a brilliant, charismatic, and heroic leader, shaped by a lifetime of war and domestic conflict. But the abject failure of the Israeli government’s response to  the Hamas attack on 10/7/23, that killed an estimated 1200 Israelis citizens, endangers Netanyahu’s dream.

Arrogance and Corruption

Sadly, like so many other men of prominence, Benjamin Netanyahu has succumbed to the familiar human failings of arrogance, greed, and corruption.  A sad result for a man who has dominated the Israeli military-political sphere for the last four decades. Throughout this time, Netanyahu has portrayed himself as the single person who is smart enough, and strong enough, to keep Israel safe.

The Truth Comes Out

Ironically, he for years, was insuring “quiet” by sending suitcases of money through Qatar to the leaders of Hamas. What a sad revelation. Other information coming out about the initial Israeli response to the attack leaves a great deal of questions for the Netanyahu government to answer. We don’t need to wait until after the conflict to start an investigation into how the intel detailing the Hamas plan, known about for at least a year was ignored. There was no real surprise here; rather a “failure of imagination,” similar to the U.S. 9/11 response.

Threats of Indictment

In the United States. Donald Trump is facing multiple federal criminal indictments. Many pundits believe that it is Trump’s legal exposure that has him running for the presidency, again. It is presumed if he is re-elected he will be able to make his legal woes disappear.  Similarly, Benjamin Netanyahu is facing possible indictment for money laundering, fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate ongoing criminal cases. This is only the most recent of several attempts to indict Netanyahu for political corruption. The first threats at indictment and trial occurred way back in 1993 and again in 1997 without action. With all these legal problems hanging over his head “Bibi” has no incentive to end the conflict in Gaza. In fact, the war benefits Netanyahu’s goal to stay in power and out of jail. Amazing similarities between the two men.

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9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On

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9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On

The war in Ukraine drags on as Putin seeks additional weapons to hammer the country in to submission.

9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On

By D. S. Mitchell

Way Too Early

I fell asleep again with the TV playing. The only problem with that is when some damn commercial suddenly blares multiple octaves louder than any of the previous pronouncements, waking me up unceremoniously at an ungodly hour. In this case, I woke up to the memorial service for the victims of 9/11, playing early this morning on MSNBC.

Jonathan Lemire

So, I wake up to a replay of the twin towers collapsing and the reading of the names of the 3500 known dead. I lay there in bed, watching a montage of clips from that terrible day and I am sad. Broken hearted. I couldn’t stop the tears. Its 4:30 on the west coast and I’m literally sitting in bed crying like a baby missing her mother. I had been pretty much okay until Jonathan Lemire spoke of the brave Americans that fought the terrorists and intentionally brought down United Flight#93 in a rural field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board, most likely preventing the plane from slamming into the Capitol, or perhaps the White House.

I Take a Propranolol

Recently, I have been a bit more anxious than usual. After a brief sit down with my PCP she ordered me something for my “nerves”. I headed to the bathroom and found the bottle with its pretty blue pills and took one tab with a glass of water.  I expelled a whoosh of breath from puffed cheeks and resumed my place in front of the tellie watching the pomp and ceremony.

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What’s Going On In Russia?

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What’s Going On In Russia?

Russia Has The World Watching

D. S. Mitchell

 

Loud Noise

I fell asleep last night watching television. In my own defense I’d had a long and busy day. So, at about 11:30, my sleep was interrupted when the volume on the television rose a dozen decibels, bringing me unceremoniously awake. As I’m looking for the elusive TV remote to shut off the offensive noise I hear an amazing news drop.

Marching On Moscow

My eyes flickered stupidly as I listened to a CNN commentator announce that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, Russia’s state sponsored mercenary army, had pulled out of Ukraine and was instead pointing 25,000 troops under his control toward Moscow.  What the hell?

Prigozhin Screaming Mad

Prigozhin has been raging on social media for weeks against the military generals in the Kremlin, accusing them of lying to Putin and the Russian people. As the situation deteriorated between the sides; Prigozhin claimed that Russian military forces attacked his Russian mercenary forces, killing at least 2500 of his men encamped along a defensive line in Ukraine.

Move On Moscow

After weeks of complaints of no food, equipment, armament, weaponry, or ammunition; Prigozhin had a new and greater outrage to fume about. The killing of Wagner mercenaries threatened the very seat of power as Prigozhin began moving his troops toward Moscow. By this time I was channel surfing the cable news channels to get the most recent information. Holy, moly this was the biggest news on the Russian front since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

A Quick Snooze

I fell asleep sometime after 2 am and woke up about 8 am. The first thing I did was turn on the TV to see what was going on in Russia. Streaming pictures from the streets around the Kremlin showed a military defensive build up. All the cable channels were playing video of Putin reassuring the Russian people in a speech. Yikes.

Belarus Calling Prigozhin

After about 12 hours of chaos, Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus announced to the world that he has fixed everything, and that Prigozhin had agreed to stop his rebellion and turn his troops around. Prigozhin states he does not want to spill Russian blood. Just like that? What the fuc? It’s over?

What The Kremlin Is Saying

In a whiplash move, Putin’s communication office indicates that the criminal complaint against Prigozhin will be withdrawn. Prigozhin agrees to exile to Belarus. Lukashenko promised him a hotel without windows; so he signed on for exile. Wagner mercenaries will be given amnesty and are encouraged rejoin the fight against Ukrainian defense forces.

Looks Weak

Putin’s debacle in Ukraine has shown clearly that the Russian military is second rate at best. If it weren’t for Iranian drones, and conscripted prisoners working as mercenaries the Russian military would have already lost in Ukraine. After 23 years in power, Putin looks as weak and anemic as his army. It looks like Vladimir Putin just got kicked in the head and he’s still seeing stars. Whatever happens, Putin’s image has been damaged severely.

The Potential

The Ukrainians need to make advances on the battlefield while the Russians fight amongst themselves.  I’m sure Volodymyr Zelensky realizes Ukrainian forces have a very narrow window to take advantage of the current chaos. And what about Putin? Will he be able to hold onto power or does his weakness embolden his enemies? These are questions that only time will answer.

TikTok and Security Concerns

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TikTok and Security Concerns

Governments around the world suspect China will weaponize customer information

TikTok and Security Concerns

The number of countries banning TikTok, a video sharing app, is growing over concerns that China is collecting data on customers that may later be weaponized by the Chinese state.

By D. S. Mitchell

The Five Eyes

The United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Australia have each recently banned TikTok from federal government devices amid growing concerns over the app’s ties to China.  The aforementioned countries form the so-called “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partners. Government experts fear sensitive information could be exposed when TikTok is downloaded, especially on government devices. The recent U.S. ban applies only to government devices, although numerous US lawmakers are advocating an outright ban of the app. Both the FBI and the FCC warn that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with China’s authoritarian government.  More than half of the 50 US states have banned the app from government devices. An outright ban of the app was blocked in the United States Senate at the end of March.

Inside United States 

TikTok has 150 million users in the United States. Pew Research estimates that roughly two-thirds of US teens use TikTok. Aside from the security threat there is also concern that TikTok’s content could harm teenagers’ mental health. Researchers said in a December report that eating disorder content on TikTok had accumulated 13.2 billion views.

Other Countries Follow U.S. Lead

The European Parliament, European Commission, and the EU Council, the three top EU bodies, have all banned TikTok on staff devices, citing cybersecurity concerns. Estonia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, India, Afghanistan, Taiwan, and Pakistan have also recognized the danger TikTok presents and have restricted its use on all government devices.

CEO Claims Independence From China

TikTok is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. The company CEO, Shou Zi Chew, recently appeared before the U.S. Congress and testified that the company is run independently and does not share data with the Chinese government. Furthermore, CEO, Shou Zi Chew aggressively disputed accusations that TikTok collects more customer information than other social media companies and describes the recent bans as “without deliberation or evidence.”

Why All The Excitement?

The deepening rivalry and the growing tensions between the United States and China are central to these actions. The Biden Administration believes China intends to harness user data to fuel influence operations directed at American citizens. From the large number of countries banning the app on government phones also see a looming threat. ByteDance denies that any user data is at risk and claims it cannot be accessed by Beijing. But  the reality of the situation is clear; Chinese law obligates any company or citizen to aid state intelligence. Let me repeat that, Chinese law obligates any company or citizen to aid state intelligence. That fact alone should make us all a bit uneasy.

On The Other Hand

Observers of the situation claim the biggest danger to American privacy is not the Chinese government but rather a system that allows any tech company to harvest users’ data. Many folks are asking where has Congress been? While ranting about TikTok the US Congress has failed to pass even the most basic comprehensive privacy legislation to protect our data from misuse by any and all tech companies.

 

OPINION: My Fear for Ukraine

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My Fear for Ukraine

OPINION: My Fear for Ukraine

By David L. Shadrick

 

A Long Time

My fear for Ukraine is apathy. It’s been a long time since Putin decided to slam into Ukraine on 24 February 2022 . That’s 6 months! We’ve all watched this go on and cheered for the successes of the Ukrainian army. There is no doubt that they’ve had remarkable success. Blowing Russian tanks into little pieces, bombing oil facilities well behind enemy lines, and kicking the Russians off Snake Island over and over again. But let’s not forget that the Russians continue to grind forward destroying city after city and reducing them to piles of rubble.

Limitless Resources

Russia has the advantage of being able to continually replenish their supplies while Ukraine has to rely on the kindness of its’ neighbors to get the weapons it needs to fight off the Russian advances. What my fear for Ukraine is that we will forget this in another 6 months. As time rolls on in, and the war grumbles forward, without a clear victor, we can become bored with the struggle.

Story of the Moment

Just weeks ago Ukraine was the story of the moment and was in the headlines constantly. Now they’ve been relegated to page three of the news. I’m not saying that we should pound this war into everybody’s head over and over again. But we need to keep up the enthusiasm. We need the help with refugees, we need to keep supplying them with weapons, and maintaining their infrastructure despite the war. Don’t let my fear for Ukraine become a reality. Don’t be apathetic!

The Coming Plague

The Russian army waits. It waits for reinforcements. For more troops and for more equipment. Once the cities are destroyed the Russians will move in to rebuild and use this as a propaganda victory. They will brag about how they helped Ukrainian cities rebuild the buildings they had destroyed. The Free World needs to recognize that my fear for Ukraine could come true.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I’m once again asking you not to make my fear for Ukraine come true. Please continue to talk about the conflict, send your money to the appropriate agencies, and keep up to date on war information. Just remember that keeping up means watching footage of exploding tanks, burning oil refineries, sinking warships, and downed aircraft. Mwahaha!

Black Sabbath “War Pigs”

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Black Sabbath “War Pigs”

Black Sabbath “War Pigs”

The Calamity News and Politics Jukebox Choice of the Day is from the premier metal band (my opinion) BLACK SABBATH doing their powerful anti war song, “War Pigs”.  Support Ukraine. Donate to UNICEF Ukraine Relief.

Putin’s War On Humanity

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Putin’s War On Humanity

The people of Ukraine are valiantly fighting to halt Russian assault.

Putin’s War On Humanity

By Anonymous

 

No Words

Empathy is a word that gets tossed around a lot. And yet, when we put it to use in times of tragedy, it does little to solve the matters at hand—except, perhaps, to stay that hand from causing further destruction.

I Can Imagine

Right now, I’m mother of one with another on the way. I could be one of those terrified Ukrainians running from bombs, one hand holding my child’s and the other clutching my belly. For a moment, I can place myself there: terror, frustration, and determination all coursing through my veins as I fear for my family’s wellbeing, wondering if my husband would be running with us or staying behind to defend our country and our democratic way of life.

Loud and Ugly

There is much at stake, and although it doesn’t always feel real to us, as we’re scrolling through the news on our phones and sipping our coffee, the reality of injury and death is a stark possibility for those simply living in any war torn region of the world. Now, Ukraine has become a war zone due to the madness of one man, Vladimir Putin. Putin’s ilk is nothing new. Sadly, such strongmen take over countries and strip citizens of self determination, someplace in the world on a nearly daily basis. Some countries fall quietly. Such is not the case with Ukraine, the fight there is loud and ugly, as Ukrainian civilians take up arms to fight back against the Russian invaders.

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