Retroactive Compilation of My Postings on Facebook on Ukraine
(NOTE: I transferred my posts from Facebook to a Word document, complete with photos. However, when I posted the contents of my document to this Wordpress blog, all the photos were stripped, leaving ugly empty boxes. So I went through my original document and deleted all the photos that made it more interesting. Nevertheless, I am blogging all of my Facebook posts anyways. For the record.)
March 9, 2022
Disband NATO. Defund the U.S. military. End the CIA. End Wall Street. End capitalism. Then humanity might have a chance.
March 9, 2022
Lisa Savage says it well in her blog below. She's given it a lot of thought. And I support her all the way. The United States has to stop pursuing military hegemony over the world. NATO is a military alliance that only endangers peace with its constant war games and strategies for attacking Russia, China, Iran, where ever a profit can be made by demonizing the leader of another country, and denouncing the people.
I remember when Americans were known overseas for how friendly we were as a people. A long time ago. Now Americans are known for unscrupulous business ventures, scheming, and fomenting wars. We are known and feared as an empire. Nobody can hold the United States accountable for war crimes or meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
I have a love/hate relationship with my country. I wish it were simpler, and that I could love my country without also feeling ashamed of it. I also feel isolated and alone among my fellow Americans, most of who have the shallowest of understanding of what the truth might be in another country, but who hold strong convictions based on ignorance and being lied to.
I used to be part of that Berkeley based Wellstone Club. They held potlucks at the Humanist Hall across from where I lived in north Oakland. It took me a while of getting more involved at a deeper level to understand that these were not my people and we were not coming from the same place. So sad. I could never find a place in the United States where I felt that I belonged.
I'm more estranged than ever. If I get any more alienated, I will just have to change my citizenship.
went2thebridge.wordpress.com
Turd In The Punchbowl
My husband, Mark, who has opposed any and all wars since evading the draft during the Vietnam War. For the past five and half years, liberals in the U.S. have salivated on command in response to th… I feel overwhelmed. I want the war to end in Ukraine. Today.
I'm listening to Arundhati Roy speaking, saying "the world has been whipped into obedience. We have to slowly learn to be disobedient."
Chris Hedges: Russia Was Baited Into War but That Does Not Absolve Its Criminal Aggression
March 9, 2022
I've read analysis that the U.S. was antagonizing Russia to go to war in Ukraine partly to corner the European liquid natural gas market. Apparently that analysis was correct. I wonder how Ukrainians feel about becoming the battleground between Russia and the U.S. so that large corporations and Wall Street can reap profits.
U.S. LNG exporters emerge as big winners of Europe natgas crisis
March 9, 2022
Random thought surfacing... although the U.S. has never been sanctioned for its wars of aggression or punished for its war crimes, I doubt very much that it has escaped the notice of thinking people in the world. A reckoning may yet happen; I just hope that it's not too late before the earth is made inhabitable or humanity gets largely destroyed.
March 9, 2022
I'm thinking about the law of unintended consequences and the war in Ukraine.
Here's a few already:
1. Russians finding out that biosafety labs doing research in Ukraine (some 30 of them) apparently have been doing biowarfare research funded by the Pentagon, and are now insisting that there be a stronger Bioweapons Act, bringing focus on an issue that the U.S. would prefer the public not think about.
2. Sanctions against microchips being sold to Russia may threaten the global microprocessor industry as it turns out Russia is the main supplier of essential components for microchips.
3. So far, Russia has failed to retaliate against Nordstream 2 being sanctioned and shut down, insisting that it is a reliable provider of gas. However, that hasn't stopped European countries and Japan from freaking out that it might happen in retaliation.
4. China has been cautioning against destabilizing and harming the global economy over Ukraine. Shipping has already been impacted, driving up prices. Attempting to isolate Russia and sanctioning any country that continues to do business with it has brought out how interdependent our global economy has become, and how impossible it is to carry out sanctions of the scope and severity being levied against Russia without grave consequences for the global economy.
As the U.S. leads the world in "punishing" Russia, we have yet to see how much the world gets punished in return. We are witnessing the biggest geopolitical upheaval of my lifetime; how it gets managed will determine the fate of humanity.
Yesttlc0eurdagy gac4fSt1g gp9:nt52 0ArMed ·
https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt0901-793
This article came out in 2000, but nothing has changed since then. Until the Russians have come out this week saying that we need a stronger bioweapons treaty after finding out more about Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine.
nature.com
US rejects stronger bioweapons treaty - Nature Biotechnology
February 9, 2022 I am in complete support of Russia on this matter. It has been an ongoing source of stress and concern for me since I started researching BSL-4 labs a couple of years ago. Just watch our corporate controlled media ignore this story!
Moscow calls for strengthening bioweapons treaty
Whoever even heard of sapphire substrates? Apparently the future of the microprocessor industry may depend on it. Russia is the main supplier. Sapphire substrates are "thin plates made of artificial stone, which are used in opto- and microelectronics to build up layers of various materials, for example, silicon. They are used in every processor in the world – AMD and Intel are no exception."
The U.S. just banned export of microchips to Russia that were developed in the U.S. Apparently, those microchips are made with sapphire substrates. Russia could retaliate by no longer exporting sapphire substrates to countries with such sanctions against it. Surely, the experts in the U.S. who suggested banning export of microchips to Russia knew about this minor but essential component sourced mostly from Russia?
According to this article, Russia has been exploring the use of gallium arsenide instead of sapphire substrates, which could be done in cooperation with mainland China. Also, Russia has the expertise of scientists and engineers from India to draw on in the micropocessor industry to develop its own sources of microchips.
Wouldn't that be an ironic unintended consequence of sanctions against Russia?
February 9, 2022
President Biden's drive to inflict "further pain on Putin" by cutting off oil and gas supplies from Russia could very well inflict further pain on himself and fellow Democrats.
If gas goes over five dollars a gallon in the U.S., I think that I can safely predict that Biden will not be reelected, and that Democrats will lose control of Congress in the next election. Republicans only serve the interests of the wealthy, but Democrats are just as much a war party. How can you have any lasting impact on the lives of working people if you squander everything on forever wars?
February 9, 2022
The way I see it, President Biden and our Congress don't give a damn about the lives of Ukrainians. I have only seen an escalation of economic warfare against Russia, and no move diplomatically to make concessions to Russia whatsoever by the puppet Zelensky government. The U.S. is running the show in Ukraine, and it has no intention of resolving the conflict -- it wants to bog Russia down in another Afghanistan. And to hell with Ukrainian lives.
That's how I see it.
February 9, 2022
In the summer of 2019, the BSL-4 lab at Ft. Detrick was shut down due to safety concerns. I did a lot of research when the coronavirus pandemic struck to find out if there was any connection, but could not conclusively find evidence.
However, at the time I learned the scary fact that research into biological pathogens to use in chemical warfare was being carried out at bioweapons labs located all over the world -- and they have been proliferating. I've been warning of the existential threat this kind of research poses to the safety and well-being of humanity ever since, demanding that they be shut down everywhere. Nobody was listening, and I don't have a social media platform anyways, at least not that anyone reads.
I've known that Ukraine was one of the countries where the U.S. was operating BSL-4 labs. Somewhere I'd read the suggestion that it was to escape oversight by the CDC. I had no idea, though, that there were as many as 30 of these horror labs in Ukraine.
February 9, 2022
This all goes to prove the adage, "You can't please everyone all the time." It's the biggest obstacle to global dominance that the U.S. faces. Frankly, hegemony over the world is a ridiculous goal anyways, even supported by the world's largest military.
Saudi Arabia, UAE Reportedly Snub US, ‘Decline Calls With Biden’ as Oil Prices Surge
March 8, 2022
You'd think all the European countries, and even Japan, that depend on Russian gas would have anticipated that Russia would cut off their supplies of gas as a consequence of being sanctioned by them. Germany, especially, can be blamed by backing out of Nordstream 2 (after it had been built, yet), if Russia decides to cut supplies to Europe through Nordstream 1 in half, or to cut them out entirely.
After all, it's the major economic card that Russia has, and it's a big one. It seems quite logical to me that if other countries are going to met out economic pain and suffering to Russia, that it would retaliate likewise.
Strange how this is playing out -- it seems that Russia may not need the goodwill of European countries as much as they need the goodwill of Russia.
I think it's all nonsense myself. Of course, we are all interdependent. NATO has been threatening Russia for several years, running military games focused on war with Russia, meting out never-ending provocations. You'd think that military strategists would have anticipated retaliatory measures by Russia, and planned to protect NATO countries.
It seems that the geopolitical earthquake that we are going through is changing the topography considerably. If only we could cooperate instead of compete with each other, humanity might stand a chance.
February 8, 2022
I've been checking in on what's happening in Ukraine. I listened to the Duran's latest broadcast. They discussed a map that shows the Russian military has closed the cauldron around Donbas, and that the Western media is not covering this story, even though that's where the main fighting is happening. I did a Google search, and saw that he was right.
March 7, 2022
Here's an idea. Let Russia take back the eastern part of Ukraine, or at least control the politics enough to make it a neutral zone, and return the western part to Poland. They may not want any Nazis either, though.
If anything good comes out of this war, it might be prosecution of war crimes committed by Nazis in Ukraine. And mercenaries.
March 6, 2022
Yesterday Putin declared that this is war, as sanctions and several other actions taken against Russia multiply. I doubt very much, though, that they will have the desired impact of restricting or ending the war in Ukraine.
Instead, I consider Putin is being boxed into a corner with the full weight of sanctions that have been ratcheted up in scope and severity in unprecedented actions. I foresee that this will impel him instead to use hypersonic weapons in an unprecedented military strike against the U.S.
I sure hope that my sense of the situation is off, and that this is not a likely scenario. However, I've been fretting about this, and my grave concern interfered with my night's sleep, as I woke up before 5:00 this morning with all of this preying on my thoughts, even while sleeping. I decided to meditate on peace and love to restore some balance into the chaotic and disturbed energy fields.
While my meditation probably did not impact the world, it did restore my inner balance and sense of harmony. I was sending love and sweet energy to both presidents Putin and Biden. Both men are no doubt feeling the great weight and gravity of their decisions.
What else can be done at this time that might make a difference other than on the inner planes?
The article that I'm sharing here is a calculated and cautionary assessment of the real danger posed by Russia's development of hypersonic weapons. I am excerpting a pertinent analysis that I hope will be taken under consideration by Americans and NATO, as well as the world community that is joining in the sanctions against Russia:
"This is not to say that hypersonics pose no threat. A limited number of hypersonic missiles, if effectively used, could act as a force multiplier for the Russian military. Russia’s hypersonic capabilities might, for example, be used in a breaching role by targeting air and missile defence radars and key command nodes in NATO’s air and missile defence system in order to open the way for strikes by Russia’s larger arsenal of older and slower missiles. Alternatively, hypersonic missiles might be reserved for targets such as aircraft carriers, given their operational and symbolic importance. If properly cued by appropriate sensors, even a limited force of hypersonics could pose a real threat to an even more limited number of key capital ships at sea and operational points of failure like command nodes on land. What we should not expect, however, is for future Russian forces to field large numbers of hypersonic missiles, or for these missiles to be the mainstay of the Russian precision strike threat."
Putting the Russian Hypersonic Threat in Perspective
March 6, 2022
"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the United States and a number of allies issued a joint statement on Feb. 26 announcing that they were taking dramatic steps to prevent Russia’s central bank from accessing its substantial foreign exchange reserves. Analysts had posited that these reserves, sometimes referred to as “Fortress Russia,” might allow Russia to withstand the effects of economic sanctions for an extended period. But on Feb. 28, OFAC issued a new Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024 that prohibits any transactions with the Central Bank of Russia, Russia’s Ministry of Finance, or its National Wealth Fund, including foreign exchange transactions, involving U.S. persons, institutions, or the U.S. dollar.
This is by far the most dramatic step the United States and its allies have taken. The effective blocking of central bank assets is a severe measure that has only previously been applied to hostile foreign regimes, such as in Iran, North Korea and Syria. Doing so prevents Russia from accessing most if not all of its substantial foreign exchange reserves, severely reducing its ability to stabilize its currency, compensate for its lack of access to global debt markets or otherwise take steps to stabilize its economy. Among other economic effects, this ensures that the broader sanctions imposed by the international community have their maximum effect."
What Sanctions Has the World Put on Russia?
March 6, 2022
???? So many conflicting stories on what’s happening.
Four Ukrainian Su-27 Jets, Bayraktar Drone Downed West of Kiev
March 6, 2022
March 6, 2022
How were they shot down? I’d like more details. Maybe it’ll come out later. Maybe not.
Four Ukrainian Su-27 Jets Shot Down, 4 Russian Helicopters Downed
Four Ukrainian Su-27 Jets Shot
March 5, 2022
There seems to be some kind of denial, at least on U.S. military websites, that the Russians now have hypersonic weapons that are gamechangers.
Russia's new hypersonic Tsirkon missile was fired from Norwegian sector of Barents Sea
March 4, 2022
Let's see. Democracies protect freedom of speech, freedom of the press, no? Then why is the U.S. acting in such a totalitarian fashion with blocking access to Russian media?
To me, that is a betrayal of everything this country has stood for.
March 4, 2022
Russia, China, India and Iran voted against censure of Russia in the U.N. over Ukraine. I like to play with numbers on occasion, and I wanted to know what measure of the world's population this constituted. I did not include Russia in my sums.
POPULATION
China: 1,439,323,776
India: 1,380,004,385…
Iran: 83, 992,949
Total population of these countries: 2,893,321,110, roughly 1/3 of the world's population of 7.9 billion.
Just because I wanted to know, and also for some perspective, here are population figures for U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Mexico:
U.S. 331,002,651
Russia 145,934,462
Ukraine 43,733,762 (minus 1,000,000 more or less who have fled the country)
Mexico 128,932,753
As China and India have similarly very large populations, Russia and Mexico also have about the same number of people, roughly. I find that interesting. These numbers are from the website, worldometers.info
Which countries did not back the UN resolution on Ukraine?
Russia reacts to US senator’s Putin assassination plea
Russian Ambassador Antonov lashed out at US Senator Lindsey Graha
March 4, 2022
The Russia Times has a different narrative about what happened at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear reactor than what we're seeing in the Western press. (article deleted by Facebook) https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/03/10/russia-attacks-ukraine-as-its-happening-a76553
March 3, 2022
While I was working on my Master's degree at MSU, I took a class with a fantastic professor of the Cultural Anthropology of Japan. He analyzed everything we studied through the lens of the law of unintended consequences, which he claimed was always greater than what was intended with a major political move.
So I'm thinking about the law of unintended consequences when it comes to U.S. and European economic sanctions against Ukraine. By banning several Russian banks from using the SWIFT system used globally for international financial transactions, it's quite possible the unintended consequence will hasten the demise of the dollar as the dominant currency in the world.
Russia will likely start using SPFS more, the Chinese alternative to SWIFT. as it's being blocked from using Swift. Much of the global South will gravitate to using SPFS also. Well, I'm only speculating here. Time will tell.
Unfortunately, NATO seems to have become Europe's foreign policy-making body. And NATO is an aggressive military coalition that has already engaged in several wars outside of its borders.
Another unintended consequence could be that Germany emerges again as a Nazi power.
Empowering neoNazis in Ukraine such as the Azov Battalion and forming an international brigade of mercenaries could boomerang badly on Western powers.
Pepe Escobar is a journalist who has been writing about geopolitics for decades. His analysis is so far above and beyond what we see in mainstream media press that it's like comparing the writing of an expert with a Ph.D. to a high school student who cheats to pass his classes. They mostly just parrot what they have been told, and have no critical thinking skills, or sense of history, or anything outside of the box of the echo chamber they inhabit. Unfortunately if they have the intellectual power or creativity to expand their thinking, it's been crushed by the need to succeed and make a living and please their masters.
Follow the money: how Russia will bypass western economic warfare
We could see a nuclear meltdown at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, the biggest nuclear reactor in Europe. Russian shelling caused an explosion. Hundreds of thousands of tons of spent radioactive rods at this site, according to Kevin Blanch, who is monitoring it. Supposedly it's shut down, but the spent fuel rods in swimming pools could explode if hit.
"Russian Shelling Hits Power Unit at Key Ukrainian Nuclear Plant \ was reported 21 minutes ago in the Russian Times. Grave cause for concern.
Russian Shelling Hits Power Unit at Key Ukrainian Nuclear Plant – Spokesman - The Moscow Times
March 3, 2022
This women's denunciation of war, especially of children who are killed, is passionate and eloquent.
RT America: On-air livestream 24/7 (HD)
I will take part in this meditation. Please join us, even if you don't meditate. You can pray, pour water ceremonially to quench a fire, send loving thoughts, making peace within yourself.
March 2, 2022
I completely agree with Rep. Paul Gosar. A ray of light in a dark tunnel.
gosar.house.gov
Representative Paul Gosar
Washington, DC – Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) issued the following statement after voting against House Resolution 956, the so-called “Supporting the People of Ukraine Resolutio
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March 1, 2022 Caitlin Johnstone asks a question in this article that everyone should be thinking about.
Caitlin Johnstone: The Single Most Important Question In The World Right Now
Caitlin Johnson seems to think that it's very possible the U.S. and NATO will take out Russia. Personally, I don't think that will be the outcome.
As long as the U.S. and NATO countries ramp up their bile and take measures to destroy the economy of Russia, we (everyone in the world) walk a tightrope of nuclear war. That's why all eyes are on Ukraine now and what is happening there.
Russia will end this soon in Ukraine. It won't get bogged down like it was in Afghanistan. It will all end faster once Russia feels that it has created a buffer zone in Ukraine. Let's see what the outcome of the talks between Russia and Ukraine are tomorrow.
Personally, I fell in love with Russia years ago, even though I have yet to visit there. The way I fell in love was through my Russian students that I taught online. You're not going to persuade me to hate all things Russian, just because you have a media blitzkrieg against it. I'm a Libra. I always strive for balance in all things. To me, this war hysteria is just that. When a woman gets hysterical, somebody slaps her to abruptly bring her back to sanity. I wish there was a way to do that with the U.S. as a country.
consortiumnews.com consortiumnews.com
March 1, 2022 |
Agreed.
'It's unacceptable that US nuclear weapons are in Europe, it's time to bring them home' - Lavrov
March 1, 2022
I have been aware of the shift that took place February 22 in what has been happening in my dreams. Not to say that the war in Ukraine hasn't impacted me terrifically, but every night I get renewed and my spirits are uplifted. I was tired all the next day when I'd spent the night in Ukraine, though. However, it affirmed my resolve to continue my efforts as a spiritual warrior for peace.
I refuse to get sucked into blaming Russia entirely for the war in Ukraine. I have been deeply researching the situation, and understand how the West has been encroaching ever closer with bringing more neighboring countries into NATO, a military alliance that has focused on preparing for war against Russia. How ongoing sanctions have been a form of warfare; how military exercises like Operation Sea Breeze, Defender Europe 2021 and NATO Sea Shield 2021 in the Black Sea have threatened Russia.
What is happening now is that Russia is challenging the hegemony of the U.S. It is stopping the expansion of NATO at its borders. It is redefining geopolitics in a multipolar world. It is bringing an end to the unipolar world of U.S. military dominance.
Frankly, I consider that somebody needed to stand up to U.S. military hegemony and Western dominance of the world, and I consider Putin to have great courage in doing so. As a peace activist, I deplore that it took a war for this to happen. I give Russia and China great credit for their efforts to negotiate peace. The U.S. has not negotiated in good faith, and has lied with impunity, and reniged on agreements right and left. CHEATED.
You might think that I hate my own country and that I am determined to sabotage it. However, that's not true. We need to go through a paradigm shift to greater awareness and caring of each other, to a more just and fair economic system, to transitioning away from a military economy and to end corruption in our government and systems, towards goodwill and love for humanity.
I see great potential for this happening in the U.S. and as a peace visionary, I want to work towards making it happen. Right now, beyond the war in Ukraine, I see the need for a global peace movement and for the U.S. peace movement to grow and become more effective. We need to oppose bloated military budgets, and work to shut down military bases and war games, to change the mindset that pits us against most of the countries in the world.
New Moon in Pisces and 3/3 Portal
With so much going on in the outer world, it is also good to remember that we are still on track with our spiritual transform…
March 1, 2022
The rhetoric and sanctions against Russia are going ballistic. I really don't like where this is going. It doesn't augur well for the future of humanity.
Medvedev Tells Le Maire to 'Watch His Words' After Vow to Wage ‘Economic & Financial War’ On Russia
The EU will wage a total "economic and financial war" again
March 1, 2022
This Russian is clearly grieving.
Moscow-Kiev talks to begin at 12:00 Moscow time — envoy
March 1, 2020
Worth considering and evaluating.
Risks of West’s aggression against Russia, Belarus were clear long ago — Lukashenko
February 28, 2022
Negotiations have been concluded between Russia and Ukraine. Awaiting statements.
Russia-Ukraine negotiations are over, says source
Incredible show. This is the best yet coverage of what's happening in Ukraine. I'm listening to Scott Ritter now.
youtube.com
CN LIVE! S4E2 RUSSIA HITS BACK
GUESTSScott Ritter : American military analyst, fmr UN weapons inspector Tony Kevin : fmr Australian Ambassador to Poland & AU diplomat in Moscow ...
The outbreak of war in Ukraine needs to be put in the context of recent U.S.-led NATO military exercises preparing for war against Russia. Calling Russia the aggressor is inverted.
This is an excellent article from last year that brings out many issues that are not being addressed in mainstream press in this push to war with Russia, framing Putin as the aggressor.
NATO begins massive Defender 2021 military exercises aimed at Russia
Looking back a little. U.S.-led NATO's ongoing war exercises with 20-30 other countries last year, heightened tensions with Russia. All the war gaming has been focused on going up against Russia. Duh? Are we such ignorant imbeciles as to think that all this organizing for war against Russia isn't going to be perceived as a threat by Russia.
As a peace activist, I call for an end to NATO and an end to war games and preparations for major war, not just with Russia, but with China and other countries. We need to pivot away from military conflict, not prepare for it. And by we, I mean humanity.
Russian Defence Ministry: NATO Preparing for Large-Scale High-Intensity Conflict With Moscow
I just came across this interesting article.
Incidents like these that took place last summer have contributed to Russia's taking a strong stance in Ukraine. All these military games are not so innocent. In fact, they provoke war instead of preventing it.
The HMS Defender Incident: What happened and What Are the Political Ramifications? | Russia Matters
lug-info.com
Lugansk Media Centre – Stanitsa Luganskaya liberated without shots fired
27.02.2022 at 11:27 BreakingStanitsa Luganskaya liberated without shots fired Military&Defence ● Society Read in RussianОсвобождение Станицы Луганской, 26 февраля 2022 года Освобождение Станицы Луганской, 26 февраля 2022 г....
I have been following this situation very closely for several weeks now.
This morning, I wrote a possible scenario for the outcome that could be positive for the people of Ukraine.
Russia has now succeeded in their goal of making Ukraine neutral. It will never join NATO now. However, there may rise out of the ashes of this war a new security agreement that includes Russia and UkraineLugansk has been liberated. There is still some fighting in Donetsk, but it will soon be over. Ukraine has recognized the independence of the breakaway oblasts in the east in the Donbas.
Zelensky has agreed to hand over the Nazis accused of war crimes by Russia for prosecution. In exchange for his cooperation, he's being allowed to stay in power temporarily... as a figurehead.
The power behind the scenes in Ukraine is now Russia, not the U.S. or NATO, who have lost most of their control in Ukraine.
Incoming delivery of weapons from the West will be confiscated. or effectively stopped.
A coalition of countries hammers out economic assistance for Ukraine to lift the people out of poverty in the form of trade agreements, cooperative projects, cash assistance for the neediest Ukrainians, infrastructure building at village level, energy projects for conversion from nuclear power to renewable energy sources, cultural and educational exchange programs, and promotion of tourism as peace takes hold and the economy stabilizes.
Delegations of business people and academics visit Ukraine to assist in projects that lift the poorest of the poor out of poverty.
This is not aid from the International Monetary Fund or any of the usual sources of economic aid that only further impoverish the people of a country. This coalition of countries will act as pioneers of the paradigm shift in creating win/win outcomes for their investments with ingenious programs that benefit the well-being of the people at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder the most.
Russia-Ukraine talks underway in Belarus
The Russia-Ukraine talks are underway at the Belarus border.
Sharing an update on the crisis in Ukraine.
Ukraine Solution Possible Only if Russia's Security Interests Are Considered, Putin Tells Macron
February 27, 2022
I woke up tired this morning; I had spent the night in Ukraine in my dreams, keeping vigil with the people there.
And so this morning, I wrote a poem about it.
Soul Daring Wayfarers…
People on the move
Moving in migration
Fleeing uncertainty of war
Fleeing agitation.
Going who knows where
Trudging tiredly onward
Seeking kindness
Seeking haven.
Leaving behind
the life they knew
Somehow getting through
God help us all!
Ariel Ky 2/27/22
As a feminist, I have taken the liberty of rewriting and updating this ancient poem, No Man is an Island, that has always been a favorite of mine. The war in Ukraine brings it to mind. John Donne wrote it as a devotion on emergent occasions.
'No One is an Island'
No one is an island entire of itself; everyone
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; anyone's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in humanity.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
MEDITATION XVII
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
John Donne
If the U.S. had not been such a double dealer on arms agreements, it might never have come to this.
sputniknews.com
Russian Military Fires Kinzhal Hypersonic Missiles, Yars ICBM, Kalibr & Zircon in Drills - Videos
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aircraft-deployed hypersonic cruise missile system is nuclear capable, and is one of several hypersonic weapons rolled out by Russia in the late 2010s in a bid to preserve global strategic stability amid US efforts to...
It seems to me that Russia will retaliate against the severe sanctions being levied against it by decreasing or cutting off gas supplies to Europe. Winter is far from over. There is the grave possibility of people in Europe also being hurt by the war in Ukraine. To say nothing of the disruption happening with shipping, which will, of course, drive up prices across the board.
Germany warns of Russian gas retaliation if war breaks out
Finance minister highlights need to diversify energy supplies and stick to EU’s fiscal rules
There will be more retaliation, I'm sure. We are being sucked down in a whirlpool.
Russia to seize foreigners' funds in retaliation -RIA
February 26, 2022
This hurts me. It seems that the Ukrainian crisis is spinning crazily out of control into WWIII. Of course, Russia is retaliating by banning flights from these countries in its airspace.
I heard some commentator say that this war in Ukraine is really over American control of Europe, whereas Russia being much closer, it would naturally be a better source of gas and stronger trading partner than the U.S.. Yet, Europe is spiting itself. So now the Europeans have agreed to ban Russia from SWIFT. How will this impact the $35 billion trade that the U.S. has with Russia? Nowhere near as much as the $250 billion trade that European countries have with Russia. Right now, it looks as though the U.S. has succeeded in making Europe its vassal. The empire waxes stronger on the blood of Ukrainians. Absolutely disgusting.
I wanted to report on the peace movement coalescing, but so far it has been marginalized, just as it was when the U.S. attacked Iraq. But the game is not yet over, and I anxiously await further developments.
Russian Airlines Are Banned From The Baltic Region
Ukranian soldiers on Snake Island were apparently not bombed. They surrendered.
Surrendered Ukrainian servicemen arrive in Crimea
I'm trying to stay calm, but I keep breaking out in hives.
Thank you, Edison. Although I am a peace activist, I come from a military family. My niece is a fighter pilot assigned to the USS Harry Truman, which is in the Adriatic Sea right now, with three Russian warships patrolling the Mediterranean. Anything c…
It seems Russian intelligence was accurate. If this broadcast is true, Russian forces have had considerable success in Ukraine since Putin's special operations began.
Russian Armed Forces have disable 821 militaries targets in Ukraine
February 25, 2022
(Note: several articles from Russian press have been deleted by Facebook)
There is no such thing as defensive weapons. Weapons are weapons.
tass.com
Ukraine has more US Javelin weapons on its territory than some NATO states — Shoigu
The practice of beefing up Ukraine with weapons continues with incomprehensible goals, the Russian Defense Minister pointed out
I think it's important in this tense time, to hear from both sides. The Internet makes this possible.
Ukrainian garrison at Snake Island surrenders to Russian Armed Forces — Defense Ministry
I wonder if this is true. It would be major news if it were.
Fighters of Ukraine’s 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade lay down arms and join LPR
February 26, 2022
I'm listening to this right now. Good program.
Ukraine: Questions for the US Anti-War Movement w/ Abby Martin & Brian Becker
I stand in solidarity with people in Ukraine and everywhere. We all want peace, not war. Well maybe war profiteers who are laughing all the way to the bank are the exception. They love war.
When you think about the profits that Wall Street makes on financing wars, on how our entire economy in the U.S. depends on wars, it makes you shudder how we as Americans can deal in the blood, misery, suffering and destruction of so many other people in countries where we blunder in. Wars do not "help" anyone. They do not move us closer to solutions to our real problems.
Febornuua0rua7gy1 26 at6 6:0115 7dAM ·
Green Party Calls for Ceasefire and Diplomatic Solution to Ukraine Crisis
Greens stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Russia who oppose the invasi…
I just took part in the Code Pink Emergency International Online Rally: No War in Ukraine - No to NATO. There were nearly 2,000 people from several countries on this call. The chat room was lively, with a wide spread of political viewpoints. It was quite interesting.
International Emergency Online Rally: No War in Ukraine - No to NATO
Peace Summit in Madrid
Sign the declaration at their website.
https://peacesummitmadrid.org/signdeclaration/
Disband NATO. NATO is a grave threat to world peace, having already left a trail of destruction from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan. We need a world of peace.…
sign the declaration – NO A LA OTAN
Starting from tomorrow I will be hosting a daily peace meditation at 9pm GMT, 4pm EST, 1pm PST at fb live @lunarinaquest.
My heart goes for all of the people of my homeland. I am utterly terrified and cannot even phantom how my people feel in the war zone. Taking an action towards creating more peace and more love no matter how small it seems is soothing to my spirit. I believe in the power of our voices, power of our intentions and power of love that is the strongest force in the world.
#prayforukraine #ukrainewar #prayforpeace #womenforpeace
February 25, 2022
People all over the world are praying for peace in Ukraine. This war is a wakeup call for us all. We must shift from fear into love for each other.
Mary Flaner Halverson is 
at
home in Mount Shasta, California·
MAY PEACE FLOW THROUGH ALL LIFE BRINGING UNITY AND EXPANDED
LOVE, THAT NEW CHOICES WILL BIRTH THROUGH THE HEART OF ALL CREATION ...
Iamgrateful
Ty Jenny Heston⚘
They say that the U.S. has no culture. Wrong. We do. It's called a cheating culture. Of course, it permeates our country but does not wholly define us. There are good people everywhere. But are we a good country? Are we good neighbors? I'm afraid the answer is a resounding no.
Alfred De Zayas: A Culture of Cheating - On the Origins of the Crisis in Ukraine - The Transnational
Would that the world now comes together in prayer for the people of Ukraine. If you believe in the power of prayer, please add your blessings!
John Pilger has it right.
'Hypocrites on Parade': John Pilger Calls Out World Leaders for Ignoring Donbass Shelling For Years
Sad.
War in Europe and the Rise of Raw Propaganda | Black Agenda Report
February 24, 2022
The Black Agenda Report has some excellent articles on the Ukraine confict.
"Anatol Lieven (Responsible Statecraft, 1/3/22 ), an analyst at the Quincy Institute, wrote that US acquiescence to a neutral Ukraine would be a “golden bridge” that, in addition to reducing US/Russia tensions, could enable a political solution to Ukraine’s civil war. This restraint-oriented policy is considered fringe thinking in the Washington foreign policy establishment."
To me, the fact that such eminently sensible suggestions are being dismissed as fringe thinking, is an indictment against the Washington foreign policy establishment, exposing the corruption of our military industrial complex on our relations with other countries.
What You Should Really Know About Ukraine | Black Agenda Report
February 24, 2022
Here's another perspective that brings out many salient considerations on Ukraine.
Why the Russian Federation Recognized the Independence Movements in the Donbas | Black Agenda Report
I'm listening to this interview with Nicolai Petro right now. It gives a broad perspective on the conflict in Ukraine.
btlonline.org
Dangerous Increase in Rhetoric in Ukraine Crisis Risks Conflict
BTL
I am posting this article again by Nicolai Petro, Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island. I consider him a visionary thinker who is an expert on Ukraine.
"We should be working toward a new Treaty of Westphalia, the gist of which would be this: Russia and the United States should each take a step back, Russia and Ukraine should each take a step back, and all parties would stipulate that both Ukraine and Russia must, at the end of this process, become…
How to Break the Cultural Gridlock in Ukraine
We need to get experts' analysis to find a way out of war in Ukraine.
Ukraine conflict exposes dangers of a new Cold War
February 23, 2022
So much at stake. Sanctions against Russia could result in gas supplies to Europe being decreased or cut off.
Attempts to separate China's economy from the US economy have appeared laughable to me. Now I see the same effort to separate Europe's economy from Russia's.
I'm listening to some Department of State shill saying that this is a fight between democracy and hypocrisy. The United States is like the master of hypocrisy when it comes to Russia. This is definitely the pot calling the kettle black.
The truth is that we live in an interdependent world. Trying to change that is tilting against windmills.
What if Russia turns off the gas? Europe assesses its options as fears mount over Ukraine crisis
February 23, 2022
This is a good summary of the current situation in the Ukraine from China.
Security concerns of all parties in Ukraine crisis need to be addressed: China Daily editorial
With Russian President Vladimir Putin having
February 22, 2022
Great article. Here is a good talking point from this article that should clear up confusion about what's happening in Ukraine.
"There have been many provocations leading up to the Russian recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Among them are NATO expansion, not taking Russian security concerns seriously, the arming of Ukraine, and demonizing Russia via the western monopoly media. The final nail was the shelling from Ukraine into Donbass causing the evacuation of its civilians into Russia.
It appears to be a foolhardy act by Ukraine. If Ukraine had adhered to the Minsk Agreements, Donetsk and Luhansk would still be a part of Ukraine, autonomous though they may be. Autonomy is not uncommon within countries. Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, Xinjiang are autonomous provinces in China. Russia also has one autonomous region and 10 autonomous areas. Nonetheless, the lure of war and playing with fire has caused Ukraine to shrink a little bit more.
dissidentvoice.org
Putin Deftly Eludes the US-laid War Trap | Dissident Voice
Going to war and using expensive war machinery and missiles can be enticing and perversely exhilarating, but the lethality and devastation of war must not be downplayed as a game. The latest political maneuver by Russian president Vladimir Putin was a game-changing masterstroke to avoid the American...
February 22, 2022
Here's an idea for activating political discourse that I received in a dream last night. I was teaching again, and as I often did in the past, I put my adult students in groups of four to practice speaking English with each other.
This time I gave them the word INGENIOUS and challenged them to discuss ingenious ways of solving the world's problems. Then the group would make a presentation of their ideas to the rest of the class.
So I challenge everyone who is reading this, find three other people to engage in a discussion with you to solve the world's problems.
You can pretend that you are world leaders, and that you are thinking out of the box to find ingenious ways forward. Choose one challenge to address, such as brewing war in Ukraine, American imperialism, capitalism and exploitation of workers, environmental issues, global warming.
Share your ideas on social media. Sow the energy field with creative solutions. Remember kindness, caring for others and empathy are key.
What are ingenious ways to address the challenges humanity faces today?
February 21, 2022
A good summary of the situation in Ukraine. Today's developments in Russia recognizing the breakaway republics in the Donbas area could expand the possibilities.
Opinion | What Is Going to Happen in Ukraine?
U.S. breaches international law and rules at will, exercising a kind of American exceptionalism to these laws. Everyone else must follow them, except us. It takes a lot of gall to be ready to go to war with Russia over what it calls a breach of international law in recognizing the Donbas breakaway regions from Ukraine.
It's my country that is acting as a rogue military power that acts with impunity. The United States has been breaking treaties and international laws right and left, ever since it started breaking treaties made with native american nations that it never intended to honor.
No wonder China and Russia call us liars. We do not negotiate in good faith, and never have.
xinhuanet.com
Facts on U.S. breaching international rules - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Hold your horses! That's what I say to the people on social media who are chomping at the bit, ready to declare war with Russia over Ukraine.
President Putin found a third way. He has not invaded Ukraine. He has responded positively to leaders of the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk asking for recognition (and possibly protection).
Of course, the people in these breakaway republics are freaking out that they are being attacked, but not by Russians! By Ukrainians who would deny them the right to speak their native language of Russian. 14,000 people in these provinces have already died in ongoing shelling of these provinces since 2014. By Kiev! Not Moscow! And an American-backed Kiev government, for that part.
How this threatens American security interests is beyond me. This has nothing to do with our national security. It has everything to do with an American empire that uses its military to put a footprint on everything that happens in the world.
February 22, 2022
I am in the process of forming an international working group of women to champion peace and freedom. I had the idea last week, but it's daunting, and I've felt paralyzed. However, I am committed, especially as the war propaganda heats up over Ukraine.
While I was researching women that I found out about from a recent article in The Nation, "Independent American and Russian Women Call for Peace: Every Voice Has a Meaning", I came across the Biosphere Foundation because Sandra Cline is a Trustee Emerita for the Foundation, and she is one of the women I am learning about. As I was wondering what a small group of women could possibly do to impact the onset of this pending great war, I remembered the quote from Margaret Mead that I've posted below. I was just thinking about it when I saw it on the Biosphere Foundation website.
When a synchronicity like this happens, I pay attention. It's the universe's way of signaling that you are onto something.”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
February 21, 2022
A time machine to a place I hope never materializes.
February 21, 2022
Every one of these valiant women have a story. I would like to work with them for peace between the U.S. and Russia, for peace in Ukraine.
Independent American and Russian Women Call for Peace
February 21, 2022
I am with China in the stance set forth here on finding a political and diplomatic resolution to the crisis in the Ukraine.
Strive for peace over Ukraine, FM counsels
February 21, 2022
If you want to know what Putin is thinking, watch this video.
Russia's Military Capability 2022: Russia doesn't want a war, they just don’t want NATO on their
February 21, 2022
Russia is warning us with this video of their military strength. If the U.S. keeps on agitating for a war with Russia, we will face air power on par with the U.S., if not superior. It will be devastating for the world to unleash this. It's not too late to back off and negotiate in good faith. That would be the way of sanity.
February 19, 2022
Not much has changed in five years in the U.S. leadup to war against Russia. Gotta have an enemy to justify those bloated military budgets.
Breaking: The US has been the aggressor, not Russia.
Don't they know that there are people in Russia? Just like us trying to make sense out of life, enjoying friendship, family, what nature can offer...amazing art, literature, poetry and music?
The media and the elected officials have done this over and over. They've demonized people in the Middle East. They brought us many wars with false pretexts.
What about the crime bills and war on drugs? Remember in 90s how they demonized black youth? They brought us the mass incarceration of minorities worse than under Apartheid South Africa. They brought us police killings more frequent then Lynching in its heyday.
We must stop listening to the schemers who are guided by corporatism, colonialism and militarism.
Here are a few links on the topic:
"An economist's Mein Kampf- Learning from China"
https://www.learningfromchina.net/an-economists-mein...
"Russia: a target, not a superpower" by Sara Flounders
https://www.workers.org/.../russia-a-target-not-a.../
"The Defining Year Was 1991: The Demise of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union" by Marcus Papadopoulos
https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-defining-year.../5628115
"NATO Begins Amassing Troops On Russia’s Border"
http://www.mintpressnews.com/us-begins-amassing.../223837/
"US Complains Inland Sea Surrounded by Russian Air Bases Is ‘Unsafe’ for Their Destroyer" (thanks for the link David Kersten)
http://www.checkpointasia.net/.../us-complains-inland.../...
Is it True That “Russia is Aggressive”? by Rick Sterling
http://www.counterpunch.org/.../is-it-true-that-russia.../
Provoking nuclear war by media by John Pilger
http://johnpilger.com/arti.../provoking-nuclear-war-by-media
"The Great Leap Backward: America’s Illegal Wars on the World by Luciana Bohne
http://www.counterpunch.org/.../the-great-leap-backward.../
Did the Deep State Facilitate Flynn's Resignation? by Coleen Rowley
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content...
Europeans Contest US Anti-Russian Hype by Joe Lauria
https://consortiumnews.com/.../europeans-contest-us-anti.../
Demonization of the leader Michael Parenti (thank you for the link Natasha Zarich)
I would love to stage a Truth or Consequences show with maybe a panel of five contestants and a host asking questions. A loud buzzer sounds when someone repeats a lie about Ukraine. The winners are the people who say the truth.
Lies About Ukraine Conflict Are Standing in the Way of a Peaceful Resolution
What an accurate overview of the misbegotten role of the U.S. in the world today.
Chomsky: US Push to "Reign Supreme" Stokes the Ukraine Conflict
February 16, 2022
This is good.
Gary Lindorff – Nine Waves
The Nuclear Prom
Don’t
look up. Don’t look down,
And whatever you do, don’t look around,
Or within. Don’t look at all.
Just be happy, have a ball!
Nine nations have the bomb,
And they’re all going to the nuclear prom!
Everyone with the bomb has a date!
If not, it might be too late!
Russia and France are going to the
dance.
(The bomb is a charm for romance!)
North Korea and China definitely
will and
Israel is dressed to kill.
Pakistan will cut a figure at the
prom,
As will India and the United Kingdom.
But the rest are feeling blue.
What is a non-nuclear power to do?!
Without a nuclear device,
No prom, no party. Any advice?
When so much of the world has none
There must be something that can be done!
The US has bombs to spare,
Maybe it has bombs to share!
How about just give them away?
Don’t even make them pay!
When everyone has the bomb,
Everyone goes to the prom!
I know it sounds like charity
But let’s just call it nuclear parity.
…………
Note: This light-hearted little poem was inspired by my seeing “Don’t Look Up”, the sci-fi satire written, directed and produced by Adam McKay. It has a great cast, makes great fun of pop-culture, where who is breaking up with whom trumps the news of a comet the size of Mt Everest heading straight for Earth. Peter Isherwood, CEO of BASH (played by Mark Rylance) pulls off a stellar 21st century Dr Strange Love. Fast-paced, funny and the ending is memorable.
(NOTE: I am being blocked from recovering my posts between February 6 and 15. If I can access them another time, I will update this blog.)
February 5, 2022
I am thrilled to be part of this peace movement that is coalescing. I had a highly symbolic dream last night about the Ukraine. I was being helped in my mission to stop a war from breaking out between the U.S. and Russia, and given three items, then dropped on a mouldering pile of straw.
One of the objects was a kind of evil-looking nest with a large black spider inside. Another was a good fruit that I ate. The third item was a large overripe lemon that was starting to split. I threw the spider's nest on the ground and stomped on it hard. The spider escaped and was quickly escaping, with only a couple broken legs trailing. I chased it against a slight uphill slope of concrete skirting. It morphed into a larger scorpion like kind of vicious looking spider that was menacing me. I fought down my revulsion and fear and stomped it again. This time I demolished it completely.
I thought the large lemon was useless, but decided to open it, since it had been given to me to help me in my quest. Inside were hundreds of small seeds, like mustard seeds. I couldn't believe that I had nearly thrown it away. I understood this was a great treasure to give to the people of the Ukraine for prosperity. This once sour lemon gone bad had actually become a seedbed of change for the people to enjoy an abundance of all good things.
I have been preparing myself and my home all week for a major shamanic ceremony that I will video and share online, cleansing my gemstones for a layout, clearing out negative energy, cleaning, decluttering, organizing, pondering all aspects of the situation coming to a head in the Ukraine. Researching, reading. Thinking. Meditating. It's been so overwhelming at times.
Today I will carry out the ceremony. I will take part in this webinar. And I will write about the Ukraine to submit an article to major outlets such as Popular Resistance.
Please join us today in a webinar being held to discuss how to stop the U.S. from going to war with Russia.
Call To Action: No War With Russia Over Ukraine - PopularResistance.Org
February 5, 2022
Join us in a webinar tomorrow if you want to stop the U.S. from going to war in Ukraine against Russia.
