SHORT AND TO THE POINT .....

 

Humanity always considered questions of morality as an important feature of civilized existence, of social coherence, even assumed that morality was an essential part of religious theism and faith, as we always assumed that god is supposedly the optimum moral entity. Morality was always a key criterion for respectability toward any individual or group, be it political, social, economic or religious. 

Professor Jonathan Haidt, who calls himself a morality psychologist, has proposed six attributes, calling them the foundation of human moral behavior, they come as follows; 1- Care/harm, operating out of kindness and concern, never harming others. 2- liberty/oppression, enhancing opportunities for others, and not constraining them. 3- Fairness/cheating, as in acting in a way that the community considers to be impartial and honest, not taking advantage of others. 4- Loyalty/betrayal, being faithful to commitments and obligations. 5- Authority/subversion, properly exercising power and control given by others, not subverting them. 6- Sanctity/degradation, upholding sacredness of the dignity and rights of others as human beings, not deprecating them. 

Haidt discusses in details how individuals and groups' differences with respect to these attributes play out in human interaction of all kinds, including politics. I'm going to apply those, or the lack of them, to four different political entities in our actual times, three are represented by individual leaders and their oligarchies, the fourth one by an ideology and religious fervor. I'm going to site Israeli Zionism, Bashar Assad of Syria and his oligarchy, Vladimir Putin with his oligarchy and Donald Trump with his family and oligarchy. 

The first through their collective acts against an entire indigenous people of different religious and ethnic origins under their occupation. The second through his behavior during a 12 years civil war against his own people. The third through his behavior toward all his neighboring countries, the entire world peace and stability, to top it by invading twice and brutally annihilating Ukraine. The fourth through his acts and his behavior while president, after loosing and denying it, and being a major part of  destroying democracy and stability in his country. 

The four regimes as a matter of fact share most if not all of these attributes sited by the above mentioned professor, and each proved it for long enough time through unchecked cruelty and brutality, even bestiality. The four continue to affirm their religiosity, to the same Abrahamic religious faith; Jewish, Muslim, and Christian in all their different denominations. Technically the four of them claim to be driven by religious morality. 

The four of them endanger not only their immediate neighboring countries and peoples, but world safety and harmony, the four of them share the same ideological dogmas of total supremacy, hegemony and an upper look and attitude at every one under their control. The four of them come from exactly the same school of thought, and act in the same methodologies and tactics. Of course there are many more who share fully these principles presently on the world scene, as well as historically through the times. 

The West in general, including America did the same during their past, only with a major difference, Western populations always managed to convince themselves of acting with morality while executing their devilish atrocities throughout the times against other races and populations. The four mentioned regimes don't even come close, or bother to justify their immorality and bestiality. Again, a wrong act never justifies another wrong act, brutality and cruelty here doesn't justify other cruelty and brutality there, every act should be judged on its own merits and facts, then praised or condemned appropriately.  

There are large individual differences in what people regard as the base of morality and how they behave with respect to one another, but here in our case those four regimes and individuals broke every rule of decency and fair accepted morality. For humanity it had always been, and still is in our times, that a human being without the feeling of modesty, morality and deference is not human. 

     My usual many thanks to all.               

TURNING A TRAGEDY INTO A SHOW ......

 

It's unfortunate and sad, but America and many around the world are turning the Ukrainian invasion, the massacres and slaughters and destructions into a major show. Whereby some are revolted by what is happening and are condemning it, against some others who are turning the entire affair into a stage show, influenced by a well organized counter propagandist machine, run by Fox news, the Koch brothers empire and similar few other major corporations including the energy and military industry complexes, plus of course the original initiator of it all, the ex president Donald Trump and his machine. 

The American people, as many other individuals around the world are taking their stand and feeling better about themselves, and justifying their positions for totally other reasons than what is really happening on the ground. Here in America your love and admiration for Trump and the right's conservative push plus the religious fervor of white supremacists are becoming a dominant factor in finding excuses and justifications for Putin's deadly and destructive adventure into a neighboring inconvenient country. 

Some prominent Republican members complained openly that a Putin faction is well established within the Republican party. Even the Moscow propaganda machine is adopting and praising this group's language and demagoguery, while trying to come up with convincing arguments to the Russian and international audiences. The other side is reacting timidly, by confirming their rhetoric and position. But no one is seriously thinking or demanding forcefully an immediate sort of solution nor a stop to the barbaric situation that should end as quickly and effectively as possible. 

Americans, Europeans and several citizens from around the world, should desist and abstain from the traditional love and hate of America, the Biden administration, liberalism or conservatism, even the  naïve blind admiration of the macho looks of the eternal metamorphosed Putin. Our esteemed major corporations, including the energy and the military industries should feel and share with people from their countries and in Ukraine and its neighbors, rather than strictly their immediate sales and profits and accumulation of huge wealth. I'm mostly addressing the fossil energy corporations as well as the military industries. 

Again, I have to say, a mistake or a wrong doing doesn't and shouldn't justify another similar action. So let's stop finding good excuses to Putin's ugly self glorifying adventure, by mentioning the wrongs America did in Iraq or Afghanistan and elsewhere, nor justifying Putin's actions because of what Israel is doing to the Palestinians and to all its neighbors, we should all stand together and seriously condemn war crimes and brutality and hegemony in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen , Syria, Israel  and Ukraine, they are all unnecessary brutal and savage situations unworthy of our present civilization. 

Let us all seriously take part in the great drama of survival on our planet, ensuring some decency for our children and grand children's future, instead of finding excuses and justifications to vulgar brutality, annihilation, apartheid, colonialism and supremacy of some factions over the others. Let us all unite in growing our abilities to do the kind of clear thinking that will save life on earth, and not endorse ugly and stupid barbaric adventures just to glorify the few. 

All wars of our 21st century are terribly horrific and cruel, be it in Yemen or the Middle-East in general, the occupied Palestinian territories or Ukraine, they are all to be condemned and must be ended as quickly and swiftly as possible. Judging conflicts, social and civil uprisings, wars and hegemony, brutality and cruelty, should not follow one's group affiliations, nor who one likes or fancies or doesn't like. The issues and policies by themselves are the important facts to judge, back up or condemn, and not our feelings about the leaders or regime or oligarchy carrying them. 

    As always, my many thanks to all for following, stay safe and well.                     

CHARACTER ANALYSIS ......

 

Mr. Putin launched his war in Ukraine on the claim of "Unity", that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, sharing one common history, one language and one destiny, plus of course his long lasting security concerns from a presumed "NATO threat on his borders", plus maybe a way leading to his personal gratification and glorification. As well as an important step to achieve his grand ambition of reasserting Russia, under his absolute command, as a great world power. 

Instead, what he has done is the exact opposite in practically all and every domain. He shattered all possibilities of unity with Ukraine and replaced it with an unmeasurable hatred and loathing from all Ukrainians toward their once closer Russian allies. His concerns for a pseudo security on his borders is diminished by the doubling of NATO and other equipment and forces in all other bordering countries, plus a fear and hatred of all their people and governments combined. 

Remains his personal glorification and the Russian great empire he thought of accomplishing, where I believe that his country's economic collapse and the halting of being a world energy power will totally collapse his dreams, it's only a matter of time before the Russian populace will raise their voices and discontent, while debasing Russia's most important source of economic power, Imagine if on top of all that,  an internal elite struggle erupts to debase him, whether successful or resisted, that will kill all his dreams and aspirations of a historical figure of grandiose proportions. What a simple miscalculated step could lead to in life !!! Amazing. 

On a more personal note, I keep wondering, how can the world in general and more so the Russian people, plus many leaders and the many individuals who keep expressing their love and admiration and respect to Mr. Putin, a guy who started his effective life and career with the communist party, then got chosen and promoted to become an active KGB operator and disciple, trained and brainwashed continually for years while advancing in ranks, which was either some elaborate falsification and a big continuous lie on his part, pretending all the way, or being a genuine convinced novice and accomplished member of the system. 

Eventually, later in life, and with the KGB's full backing, his bright manipulations, elevated him to the highest post of the Russian oligarchy, he turned around a full 180 degrees, and became the exact opposite of all his training and his supposed political philosophy, ideologies and principals, he is now a devote Orthodox Christian with the full backing of the Russian church, one of the richest men on the planet, presiding a ruling oligarchy of very, very rich loyal ruling friends, having alliances with some of the most corrupt political and economical leaders of the world. We have one ,still fighting to come back here in our own backyard. 

The entire world is busy trying to categorize and find the oligarchy's real wealth, including his, their acquired properties, estates and palaces, and seizing their crazily luxurious and very expensive yachts and fleets of private airplanes and motor vehicles. These numerous people were technically all communists, pure and simple, with modest salaries, working hard to elevate the working classes of Russia and the world and defend it from extreme and savage Western wealth and power. 

These few people , playing politics and power games like no one of even the slightest socialistic inclinations could even dream of doing. Such total metamorphosis and change of mind set and interests, is enough by itself to deter or warn any sane person to avoid and condemn such dangerous characters and personalities. Still he's allowed to govern, enrich himself, send his armies and generals to invade destroy and massacre entire towns and districts with their civilian populations, while creating a very dangerous situation for the entire world, his neighbors, and his people. He's endangering and recklessly playing with life on earth as we know it, all for his own glorification.

    My usual thanks to all, stay safe and well.                           

DISCORDING AND COMPETING AMONG RIVALS .....

 

After emerging from the cold war in the early nineties as the lone superpower, the U.S. steadily grew weaker, its supremacy stalled and stymied by failed wars and adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, and several other smaller spots. As well as its deep internal chronic problems, deep divides and uncontrolled inequalities. It didn't take too long to fill this gap, Russia and China evolved into more formidable powers, military for one, economically for the other.

A partnership of these two will lead to a better position for supremacy that will challenge a world order shaped by American norms and rules, as well as weakening all or most of our allies. It is starting with invading and subduing Ukraine, and will hit many other spots, including the greater Middle-East and Israel, and eastern Asia, hence the changing and modified policies plus the pseudo neutrality of many assumed allies shifting positions, and the joy and the sheering of many individuals around the world, driven by pure jealousy, envy and hatred to America.  

The purpose of attaining and asserting dominance in any realm is to avoid accountability of the dominating and domineering. The U.S. and Israel in modern times, both mastered and excelled at this game, and could play all their dominating policies and imperialist ambitions with absolutely no impunity,  Europe or several European powers played this same game for centuries prior to the last few decades within Europe and on the world scene. Now the game is changing, it's being taken over by China and Russia, or the alliance of both, if it really materializes, as many rivalries and obstacles are in the way.

At the end, if things don't go well enough for Russia in Ukraine, or the Russian/Chinese alliance, Putin could be removed in a pseudo coup, or claiming that he's sick or loosing it physically, and stop the entire adventure, but the long lasting results and consequences of the Ukrainian affair will have its impact on the world and its geopolitical management and structures.  

 By drawing clear parallels between these powers and the past history of hegemony and colonial acts, and present ones, even future events in store, as in China/Taiwan, or some new annexation of Arab territories by Israeli forces or Persian or Turkish powers, even Russian further domination of more neighboring countries and not so close ones, should be the main focus of the entire global scene, as a deterrent to very likely catastrophic apocalyptic scenarios ending the world and life as we know it. 

While the Russian invasion of Ukraine opened up and fortified several fronts, in America itself and Europe, as well as most of the industrialized world, internally and externally, it surely strengthened Atlantic NATO, and the European union, as well as American /European cooperation and trust, and all southern and eastern Asian and Pacific industrialized and advanced countries, it's to be seen if this cooperation will endure if the situation further escalates to other spots of the world. 

The present conflict surely didn't improve much of the situation through the Middle-East and the Arab world in general. Which will remain a weak spot in any future new world order. The Russians and Chinese are surely advancing their agendas, and quickening their steps to exclude America and its allies from any real influence or even the ability to interfere or set foot in the M-E entirely, America is slowly handing it all to Israel, and Europe is not interested enough, what might not be calculated is if Israel doesn't prove to be the good ally Americans believe it is, and shifts positions according to its own interests and hegemonic aspirations, otherwise it might be the next big looser in the area if and when the U.S. pulls out of it.  

But finally who cares, I don't think in all honesty this possibility is seriously considered by anyone at this time, except Israel itself playing the neutral chord left and right, and trying to forge different alliances, protec-ting its own security and future colonial expansions and share of the pie. 

   My, as always, profound thanks to all my good readers, stay safe and well.