Been Reading

 

There's been some action at this post about my reading in 2023 if'n yer innerested and haven't checked it out in a while.

Two Problematic Posts

 

I thought that I'd post these two links, explain why I think they're interesting as well as problematic for me.  Perhaps the act of doing this will later inspire me to expand on my unimportant thoughts in later posts at some indeterminate time in the future.

First of all, there's this post: "Why is the West so weak (and Russia so strong)? The role of human capital and Western education)" hosted on a self-described conservative's site. [I've been going to such sites lately for more realistic discussions about the NATO/Ukraine vs. Russia proxy war.  It's sometimes a hard slog, because some of the commentators at these sites deny global warming; denounce the NATO countries for not suppressing homosexuality; deny the reality of global warming; and, some of these idiots simultaneously cheer on Putin's de-nazification goals in Ukraine whilst ranting about the Jewish plot to genocide both Ukrainians and ethnic-Russians in Ukraine so as to provide another homeland for Zionism.  I believe that Putin is genuine in his goal to eliminate the nazi element in Ukraine's institutions because the Ukrainian brand of naziism advocates the physical elimination of Russians.  That Putin actually supports fascists in other parts of Europe is irrelevant to this.  IN FACT: pro-NATO shit-heads who are cheering on this mass-slaughter are the ones who can be accused of "Whataboutism" when they raise the point of Putin's hypocrisy.  THEY are the ones deflecting from THEIR support of fascists in the war that THEY support.  Putin, as a Russian, and as the political leader of Russia, has some self-interest in combatting Ukrainian nazis.  Some US-American ignoramus who fantasizes about the taste of Joe Biden's anus has no justification for supporting the Azov Battalion.]

Holy Fuck! But I DO tend to start babbling when I get typing.  It's just that one thing always leads to another thing.  It's all connected.  ANYWAY ...

"Two-Tier Justice" and the "Freedom" Convoy

Back in the naughts there was an occupation of a housing development in Caledonia, Ontario that Six Nations activists said was on their unceded land.  The Six Nations had been given something called the Haldimand Grant to compensate them for lands lost to the inhabitants of the new United States of America. 

Crystia Freeland Takes a Dump on Toronto

 

So, there was a derailment on the Scarborough Light Rail Transit line last Monday.  

The TTC says it is bringing in external experts to review what caused a Scarborough Rapid Transit train car to derail Monday, with the transit agency even considering shutting the line down permanently — months ahead of its scheduled decommissioning.

Five of the 45 people onboard were hurt when the rear car separated from the rest of the train and derailed just south Ellesmere Station. Stuart Green, spokesperson for the TTC, said Tuesday the injured people were treated for "severe bumps and bruises" and taken to hospital as a precaution.

The Fired Ukrainian Prosecutor

 

I just have a quick thought to share about Viktor Shokin, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General whom Democrats say was fired for not investigating corruption anywhere, including Burisma (the Ukrainian energy company that gave President Biden's crackhead son Hunter a no-show job at $50,000 a month); and whom Republicans and leftist critics say was fired BECAUSE he was investigating Burisma.  

The World Begins to Fry and ...?

 

Don't get me wrong; Eve Ottenberg is one of my favourite writers.  What I'm complaining about really has very little to do with her.  It's just that reading her essay this morning: "As Earth Sizzles, Climate Denialists Rearrange Deck Chairs" caused me to again bewail the almost total failure of the Left to face-up to the reality of the task ahead of us and to put forward serious strategies for accomplishing that task.

CounterPunch Can't Decide If Putin Was Provoked Or Not

 That's what one gets from reading the variety of authors at that site.  Let a thousand schools contend!  It does seem to be a fairly foundational thing to be clear about in order to understand and comment on the crisis though.  Doesn't it?  

It's like checking the weather forecast and there's a lively debate over whether it's going to rain or be sunny.

Maybe CounterPunch could have a never-resolved debate over whether capitalism is actually good or not?