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Rolla Peace News October 13, 2024 |
Dear Friends:Editor's notes:In this newsletter is: 1. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Back to Back Hurricanes b) Climate Havens: “Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere” c) The No Longer So Promising “Promised Land” d) Why Isn't the Russo-Ukrainian War Over? e) The Dangers of Attacking Iran Back to Back Hurricanes Late September / Early October saw two monster hurricanes ravage Florida. First, Hurricane Hélène came ashore in the big bend area and went on to devastate the southern Appalachians, killing well over 200 and causing tens of billions of dollars of damage. Hélène was followed by Hurricane Milton which came ashore 20 miles south of Tampa. While less deadly than Hélène, Milton appears to have caused even more damage to property. The deadly toxins stirred up by the flood waters from these two hurricanes will continue to poison land and people for many years to come. Many of the millions affected by hurricanes Hélène and Milton may now have experienced a small piece of what over two million people in Gaza have experienced every day for over a year under Israel's rain of made-in-USA bombs. You are unlikely to see this analogy in the US mainstream media, but here is an exception. Climate Havens: “Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere” The idea of a climate haven where one can be sheltered from the ravages of climate change should be dead now. First, Vermont, which was considered a safe place to be, was devastated by floods in July 2023 and then, again, in July 2024 from Hurricane Beryl. Asheville, North Carolina was also considered a climate haven by many — at least until Hurricane Hélène slammed into the the southern Appalachians causing major flooding. And then there is billionaire Mike Lynch's state of the art “unsinkable” superyacht, that went down unexpectedly off the coast of Sicily in a freak storm, killing Lynch, his daughter and five others. Here in Rolla we have been blessed. The last bout of extreme weather I can recall was the great North American heat wave of 2012, and even then, it was not nearly so bad here as in many other places. But don't fret, for indeed, Dere's No Hidin' Place Down Dere — neither from God nor climate change. The No Longer So Promising “Promised Land” So how is Israel making out, climatewise? According to this article from Time, Israel has warmed 1.5°C between 1950 and 2017, considerably more than the global average. Rainfall is down, temperatures and sea levels are up, and Israel appears more interested in destroying its neighbors with weapons supplied by the United States, than working with its neighbors and the rest of the world, to adapt to climate change, which is predicted to accelerate. The bottom line: Under war and climate change, the “Promised Land” doesn't look nearly so promising as it did in biblical times. Why Isn't the Russo-Ukrainian War Over? The Russo-Ukranian War should be over now. Ukraine is exhausted. Their foray into the Kurst region of Russia has been stymied, while Russian troops continue to advance along the front. Supplies of ever stronger western weapons, with fewer restrictions on their use, do not appear to have changed this dynamic. Seems like way past time for a ceasefire and a negotiated end to this war that should have never began in the first place. So why is it still being fought? Well, suppose it was over. What next? While some talk of a Russian invasion of Europe, I find that unlikely. Far more likely would be the expansion of Russian influence in the Middle East, perhaps even Russian troops in defense of Palestine. This is the scenario that really scares the crap out of Joe Biden and Antony Blinken. So, the West continues to do battle with Russia in the Ukraine, fighting down to the last Ukrainian, and perhaps beyond. The Dangers of Attacking Iran And what about Iran? Not satisfied with making war against Palestine, Israeli troops are now fighting in Lebanon. Israel and the United States are discussing how to punish Iran for its response to Israel's adventurism in the greater Middle East and US troops are purported to be headed for Israel and are expected to actively participate in Israel's war against Iran. Some points to consider here: 1. Iran may be close to becoming a nuclear weapon state. In fact, it *MAY* already be a nuclear weapon state. In any case, Iran has shown itself capable of hitting targets in Israel.The bottom line: We better end these wars and make peace before it's too late. Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesdays (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).Wage peace, Tom yushasager (at) yahoo.com |