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Rolla Peace News October 22, 2019 |
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Dear Friends: http://tomsager.org/Peaceletters/peaceletter102219.html In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019 2. THURSDAY, OCT. 24: CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Syria: We May Have Dodged Another Bullet (Thanks to Russia) b) Japan: Where Man-Made and Natural Disasters Blend Seamlessly c) Dominica Ratifies Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019 We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office, THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until Peace is established). Please try to join us. The temperature is predicted to be in the 50s. 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. 2. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24: CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING The Rolla chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby will meet at 5:30pm on Thursday, October 24 in the meeting room in the children's section of the Rolla Public Library. The film, Paris to Pittsburgh will be shown. 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Syria: We May Have Dodged Another Bullet (Thanks to Russia) b) Japan: Where Man-Made and Natural Disasters Blend Seamlessly c) Dominica Ratifies Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Syria: We May Have Dodged Another Bullet (Thanks to Russia) After Turkey invaded Syria two weeks ago, I wrote, “This May Be the Big One.” I felt that this could be the spark that sends the whole Middle East and perhaps much of the world up in flames. However, it looks like Vladimir Putin has pulled a rabbit out of a hat. He appears to have brokered a Peace in which Turkey and the Syrian Kurds will get enough of what they desire that they will go along with the plan, leaving Russia and the Syrian government firmly in control. Meanwhile our former allies, the Syrian Kurds, pelt US troops with rotten fruit as they ignominiously retreat to Iraq. Putin has remarked that he wants all foreign troops to leave Syria. I suspect that this includes the Golan Heights, a part of Syria that Israel has occupied for over 50 years. Crapping on the Kurds has been a major Western pastime, at least since the 1920s when Britain and France carved up the defeated Ottoman Empire and reneged on their promise of a homeland for the Kurds. Here's an article by Brett Wilkins detailing many incidents in which Kurds were left to be slaughtered by their Western allies after they were no longer deemed “useful.” Lets hope the Syrian Kurds receive somewhat better treatment from the Russians. Japan: Where Man-Made and Natural Disasters Blend Seamlessly Category V Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan in early October causing $9 billion worth of damage and killing over 80. Fukushima prefecture which suffered a triple nuclear meltdown in 2011 was particularly hard hit. Hagibis appears to have stirred up deadly radioactive particles from the 2011 disaster and spread them about. Dominica Ratifies Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons The Caribbean Island nation, Dominica, has become the 33rd country to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. One more ratification will bring us past the 2/3 mark toward the 50 nations necessary for the Treaty to go into force. Unfortunately, it only becomes law for those countries which ratify it. Dominica was devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Maria which also devastated the Island of Puerto Rico. Having recovered from Maria, the Dominicans do not want to be devastated by nuclear weapons too. Lets hear a loud “Hip-Hip-Hooray” for all the Dominicans. 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 Grassroots Rolla: at the top of rightmost column). If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com |