Hope for Next Year and a Sick Society

Hi Everyone

The very first week that I inflicted this Rubbish on you, I indicated that I supported Ukraine, saying that whatever the cost, the Russians should not be allowed to take over an independent and sovereign nation. I also pointed out that the wealth and life for the population are much the same as we enjoy here. Fortunately, many countries, including our own, have shown their consistent support over the last four years. Sadly, in my view, the US could and should have done a lot more with sanctions against Russia and military equipment for the defence of Ukraine, especially as Ukraine has done some amazing work adapting the way it has fought back. This week I read that over 50% of Russia's ability to refine oil has been destroyed. Our friend's son is married to a Ukrainian lady, and in recent weeks she has been back to Kyiv to visit her brother. Life there is becoming very difficult, and with winter approaching, the outlook is not good. Even with all those problems, I understand that there are indications and hope that Putin’s time could come to an end in 2027. Let us hope that their optimism is justified, as it would not only be hopefully good news for the people of Ukraine but also for many millions of us across the world.  

As an eleven year old, I was in my first year at our local high school. During one lesson, a boy behind me was obviously misbehaving in some way, as the teacher slowly left his desk to walk down the aisle between the desks. The boy tensed up as he realised that the teacher was coming in his direction. As the teacher walked straight past him without saying a word to him, the boy’s shoulders relaxed, and a slight smile of relief crossed his face. As the teacher came back down the aisle, he suddenly hit him across the back of his head, knocking him out of his seat and onto the floor. If that boy had gone home to complain to his parents, he would have got further punishment rather than the parents complaining to the school. If that scenario were played out in a school today, the teacher would probably be suspended on full pay for about a year while the incident was fully investigated, before not being able to be a school teacher for the rest of his working life. While I agree that incident cannot be allowed to happen in any school today, I cannot help thinking that boy received a very important life lesson that day. 

The week it was decided in the US that a man should be executed by firing squad. I cannot influence that decision, of course, but I was appalled to see that one of Trump’s sidekicks, his Minister of War Pete Hesgeth, has decided that the execution will be public and will be available for millions to watch. If that is the level this administration has sunk to, we should all be afraid of what is in store for us in the future. 

Just a Thought:

My friend’s son’s teacher said: “ You missed school yesterday, didn’t you?”

He replied, “Not really”.

According to a recent survey, 64% of Americans couldn’t locate Ukraine on a world map. The other 36% said “What is a world map?”.

Did you hear about the Russian firing squad? They stood in a circle

Brian.