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Rolla Peace News

July 20, 2021
Dear Friends:
Editor's note: Please consider writing for our newsletter. It's always very exciting to be able to publish submissions from our readers.

Webperson's note: If you are having trouble reading this, it is posted at
http://tomsager.org/Peaceletters/peaceletter072021.html

In this newsletter is:

1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021
2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org)
          a) Totally Delusional: Biden Calls Cuba “Failed State”
          b) Totally Delusional: China to the USA: Clean Up Your Mess in Afghanistan Before You Go
          c) Nature Bats Last: Heat, Drought, Wildfires and Floods
          d) From Our Readers: Book Recommendation: Ruthless Tide by Al Roker

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1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office, THIS THURSDAY, JULY 22, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until Peace is established). Please join us this Thursday in saying NO WAR AGAINST PALESTINE or any other country. The temperature is predicted to be close to 90. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign.

Note 1: Since there are so few of us, generally 2 or 3, no need to cancel; but let's maintain social distancing.

Note 2: In case of inclement weather, vigils may be canceled or terminated early.

2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org)
          a) Totally Delusional: Biden Calls Cuba “Failed State”
          b) Totally Delusional: China to the USA: Clean Up Your Mess in Afghanistan Before You Go
          c) Nature Bats Last: Heat, Drought, Wildfires and Floods
          d) From Our Readers: Book Recommendation: Ruthless Tide by Al Roker

Totally Delusional: Biden Calls Cuba “Failed State”
Open Letter to President Joseph Biden of the United States of America

Dear Mr. President:

I read that you have labeled Cuba a “failed state.”

Please explain how a “failed state” could produce two of the world's five most effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic. I'd like to know.

You then offer to “look into the possibility of sending vaccines to [Cuba].” Mr. President, Cuba has no need for your vaccines. They have their own. Send your vaccines to Palestine and Africa where they are wanted and needed. However, if you wish to help the Cuban people, you could relax the 60-year-old blockade, so Cuba could more easily import syringes for mass vaccinations.

Also, Mr. President, instead of knocking Cuba, you might pay attention to your own country. The COVID pandemic is making a comeback in every state.

Sincerely,
Tom (Yusha) Sager
Well, things could be worse. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has suggested that the US should explore the option of air strikes against Cuba. That would sure help the Cuban people.

And incidentally, Mayor Suarez, you might take a look at your own state where buildings continue to collapse and the COVID pandemic rebounds sharply.

Strange, so much in the news about large protests in Cuba a week ago Sunday. It's all over the internet. Still, haven't heard of any big protests in Cuba since. I guess there haven't been any. But, no matter, the media can keep recycling these now 9-day-old protests.

This seems to be going like the Nicaraguan protests of 2018. People with legitimate beefs come out and join the protests. Then, when they find the protests are turning violent and are organized by foreign enemies, they go back home; and the protests fizzle like a wet firecracker.

Déjà vu all over again.

Still, plenty of protests in Florida against the Cuban government. In Florida, anti-Cuba protesters block roads with impunity; where Black Lives Matter protesters would be charged with felonies or run down by angry White Supremacists.

Lots of anti-vaxxers among the Florida protesters. While Floridians demonstrate against the Cuban government, Florida has become a hotbed of pandemic contagion.

Here's an interesting conjecture: Why now? Protests could have broken out any time; but why now, just as Cuba successfully completes trials of two vaccines? I think Pfizer and Moderna may be concerned about their profits. After all, suppose Cuba virtually gives away its vaccines, which appears likely. It's just as good as Pfizer's, and in some ways, maybe even better. That's going to eat into Pfizer's profits big time. So what is to be done? Call out the protesters. Create chaos.

Totally Delusional: China to the USA: Clean Up Your Mess in Afghanistan Before You Go
“And this mess is so big
And so deep and so tall,
We can not pick it up.
There is no way at all!”
—Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat, p55)

China is apparently having second thoughts about a US withdrawal from Afghanistan. China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, opines:
“The United States, which created the Afghan issue in the first place, should act responsibly to ensure a smooth transition in Afghanistan. It should not simply shift the burden onto others and withdraw from the country with the mess left behind unattended.”
Wang does not opine on what he means by “act responsibly” or what the end result of a “smooth transition” should look like; but one might surmise he is talking about a government that is friendly to China and will not stir up China's Uighur minority or interfere with China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The Chinese statement implies that the United States is in a position to control the situation in Afghanistan as it withdraws. This seems extremely dubious. In 20 years of invasion and occupation, the United States has failed to act responsibly or successfully control events in Afghanistan. I see no evidence that that could change now, even if desired.

But, let's back up. A little history here: The United States didn't create the “Afghan issue.” the “Afghan issue” goes back at least to Darius I of Persia in the 6th Century BCE and includes Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviets and other invaders. Lots of folks have invaded what is now Afghanistan. Where are they now?

Seems like everybody wants to control Afghanistan; but maybe the time has come for Afghans to control Afghanistan.

The United States, the latest invader, invaded and occupied Afghanistan 20 years ago. They brought along 58 other countries in “Operation Enduring Freedom.” (Seriously! I kid you not. That's what they called it.)

Some of the US allies might surprise you. Sweden and Switzerland, usually thought of as “peace loving” nations sent troops. China and Russia both participated, although they were smart enough not to send troops. Turkey may try to leave troops in Afghanistan after the United States and others depart. Afghans are unlikely to appreciate any remaining foreign troops, including Turkish troops. China may try its hand at controlling Afghanistan after others leave. We'll see.

So what will Afghanistan look like with foreigners gone and Afghans in control? I doubt it could be any worse than what the world has put the Afghans through these past 20 years. I think the world owes Afghanistan reparations — big time. Kathy Kelly agrees.

59 countries! Amazing! I know of no parallel in history, where one small impoverished nation single-handedly defeats virtually the entire world. Any of you history buffs out there have a candidate?

Here's one final thought: Want to leave a foreign presence in Afghanistan? Try Cuba. Cuba has a history of sending doctors and medicines where others send troops and bombs. Cuba's Henry Reeve (medical) Brigade was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in Italy and elsewhere in the early days of the pandemic.

The Henry Reeve Brigade is welcomed everywhere it goes. I suspect the Henry Reeve Brigade would be welcomed in Afghanistan along with Cuban medicines and vaccines. Under the US occupation, less than 1% of Afghans have been fully vaccinated. This number would be likely to increase quickly, if Cuban doctors were to replace US troops.

Cuba demonstrated solidarity with the Afghan people by not participating in the invasion and occupation. Cuba and Afghanistan have a lot in common. Both seem to have successfully resisted US efforts at regime change, although in totally different ways.

Indeed, if 20 years ago, we had sent doctors and medicines to Afghanistan instead of troops and bombs, all this devastation might have been avoided. Instead, former president, George W. Bush, sent us into a quagmire from which we are only now ignominiously trying to extricate ourselves, trillions of dollars poorer and vastly weaker.

George W. hasn't learned much in the last 20 years. Now, he opines that we should stay in Afghanistan longer.

Nature Bats Last: Heat, Drought, Wildfires and Floods
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

“And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

“The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

“The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

“Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”

—Isaiah 24:1-6 (KJV)

June was quite a month. The world's worst heat wave in recorded history gripped western North America, killing at least 800.

July is turning out to be quite a month too, with heat and wildfires continuing in western North America, and Europe socked with catastrophic flooding, killing at least 199.

There really is little doubt that we are seeing anthropogenic climate change at work.

Saleemul Huq and Mark Hertsgaard note that rich nations have ignored such catastrophic weather events in the past when they occur in poor countries, like Burkina Faso and Bangladesh. But, climate change and catastrophic weather are impossible to ignore when they strike you at home.

The Prophet Isaiah understood, almost 3,000 years ago, that wealth will not protect you from the Wrath of the Lord. We are just learning now.

From Our Readers: Book Recommendation: Ruthless Tide by Al Roker

A reader recommends Al Roker's book about the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 which killed over 2,000 people: “Ruthless Tide: The Heroes and Villains of the Johnstown Flood, America's Astonishing Gilded Age Disaster” — a very appropriate recommendation as Europe attempts to recover from last week's deadly floods.

And here are articles about some other very recent catastrophic floods:

Mumbai, India
Zhengzhou, China
Flagstaff, Arizona
Inner Mongolia, China

I'm sure there are plenty of others I missed.

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Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Rollaites for Peace: near the top of rightmost column).

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Wage peace,

Tom
yushasager (at) yahoo.com

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