FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025 - MAYBE THE WORLD IS SLIGHTLY BETTER

 FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025 - A (small) STEP FORWARD

It was announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire.

News reports: “Palestinian health authorities say Israel's ground and air campaign in Gaza killed more than 46,600 people, with just over half of identified victims being women, children or older people.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the deal told Reuters on Wednesday, opening the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has inflamed the Middle East.

Yea!! A ceasefire.

But, if history serves us well, this isn’t over. Humans have learned to hate. Maybe an Arab in the area might bemoan, “Those Israelis have killed my son (or brother, or sister, or parents, or <whoever>.” Then, revenge becomes the motive. Of course, when the Hamas shoot rockets into Jerusalem, then the Israelis say, “Those Palestinians have killed my son, (or brother, or sister, or parents, or <whoever>.”

I hate them.

But why does one side hate the other side? Mostly, it is “just because.” We’ve always hated the (Israelis/Palestinians - pick one).

War has become the norm. Hatred and revenge become the issue. In the Ukraine, the war seems more complex to understand. From 1922 until the breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was a significant part of the USSR. They speak the same language, and many have the same religious backgrounds - generally Christian - but some are Catholic, and some are Orthodox.

One source said, “Economic interests were also a motive for Russia's attack on Ukraine and its annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Lithium deposits in the Donbas and Ukraine's grain wealth would mean a "monopoly on the world market" for Russia if it took over Ukraine.” Thus - GREED takes the first place. But, if they could cooperate, they could still monopolize the world market as partners.

In addition, Russia wants a port on the Black Sea.

The estimates are that close to 300,000 have died or being injured.

*****
From the 1960s song “War, what is it Good for?” the answer seems that war’s only friend is the undertaker (and the military-industrial companies that make weapons).

Maybe older people (like me) will say, “STOP THE WAR” - don’t draft my son (or daughter). Don’t kill the young people off; don’t spread hate.

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‘All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, January 17, 2025