# Ukraine and War



## Smith (Aug 26, 2014)

I've never posted anything in non-fiction before, so I don't even know if this actually belongs here. Please politely correct me if I am breaking the rules.  Your thoughts and opinions on this are more than welcome. I'm always open to learning new things, and if we can keep it cool, I'm game.

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"Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind." - John F. Kennedy

Let me begin by stating the difference between fighting and arguing. The former is irrational, childish, focusing on blame and punishment, often resulting in physical action. The latter is calm, mature, and diplomatic, meant to reach a solution.

War is fighting. Diplomacy is arguing.

Now, keep that in the back of our minds as we discuss the conflict between the United States and Russia. I don't want to talk all day about the past, because that's playing the blame-game. Still, it does hold some weight, so I suppose it has to be addressed in the correct manner. Which is, the USA and Russia are one in the same. They've both, in the past, stuck their noses into business that is not theirs. The US is notorious for this. Commodore Perry way back when goes to Japan, threatens them, and successfully shoots ourselves in the foot. Because what do you know, that forced a society heavily influenced and structured around war to industrialize, and then they had enough of our crap in the Pacific so they took action. Then we have the audacity to pretend like we were completely innocent.

How about we make the scope of things smaller. Compare all that to the following. Did you have a school-yard bully that would say things to you, meddle in your friendships, steal your crayons and erasers (resources), and eventually you got so tired of it you punched them square in their pig face? Oh, but *you* got in trouble didn't you? And they got away with it? Exactly what the US does. They prod, and poke, and jab, and when they face retaliation say to the world, "See? See! That's why we have to bomb them." I fail to see how anybody could fall for it. I mean, it's like the Wizard of Oz without the curtain. You don't even have to physically try to open the curtain, it's... just... _there_. In plain sight. However, Russia doesn't have clean hands either. They're currently doing a similar thing with the old Soviet satellite nations, the situation in Ukraine being a good example.

It is my wish that everyone could see the stupidity in this. All of it collectively achieves nothing. War breeds war. There never will be a war to end all wars unless it were to completely eradicate humanity. Just look at what happened after WWI. You punish Germany and unjustly humiliate them, then everyone is so shocked when a man takes advantage of the situation, rises to power, and goes out to regain the lost land. Obviously a very simplified, short version of it. But hopefully it gets across the point that this fighting has to stop and diplomacy has to begin. Playing the blame-game is *not* diplomacy. There's a difference between instigating and actually trying to find a solution. Like when some politicians were calling the Boston Bombing perpetrators "prisoners of war". Really? I'm sorry, but how outright foolish and idiotic.

I'm going off on tangents, and I've already said too much. My hope is that more and more people will start to awaken, and realize how stupid war is. We should make alliances for scientific research, to explore space, mine asteroids, colonize other planets. You know, the 'big picture'. Or humanitarian alliances in the case of natural disasters, or to help the poor. This blaming accomplishes nothing but open old wounds. Like watching a cute couple separate because they were too busy blaming each other, fighting, yelling, when all they had to do was talk it out. As Mark Hoppus from blink-182 once sang, "I never let what happened stay in the past." Well, it's about time these cute couples (countries) stop living in the past, say they're sorry, and instead ask, "How can we avoid this in the future?"

I mean, honestly? I see the news and read headlines like, "World War 3 on the horizon?" How about, "More idiots fight over land, nothing to see here, same old boring stupid crap, move along." I learn more from The Onion News Network now, which is sad but true. When I look at these world politics, it's like I'm in pre-school again. It's pathetic. Oh, look, Jeff and Diana broke up, and Obama is sending monetary and military aid to Jake so he can win Diana. But it's really so Obama can use Jake to extort free sex from Diana.

Not that that would happen in the pre-school I went to... Well, and hopefully it has never happened in any pre-school, any where, ever.. Anyway. For (insert curse word) sake, somebody get the teacher and tell these kids to hug it out or something. Shake hands. And apologize.

"Yeah, uh. Whatever, sorry," said Obama.

"No, Barack. Say it like you mean it."


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## Plasticweld (Aug 26, 2014)

It should be in the Journalism section as an editorial,  SP&G is good, reads well


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## Seedy M. (Aug 26, 2014)

You're preaching to the choir with me. Agree. Part does belong in journalism, part here.


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## J Anfinson (Aug 26, 2014)

It's fine here as long as it's posted for critique and not to encourage political debate.


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## dither (Aug 31, 2014)

Smith,
i rather expected that you'd be informed, in the nicest possible way of course, that this is not the place, and to please take your views and your soap-box some place else. 
This doesn't belong here i hear people thinking, we're writers.
And what is the essence of  "writing"?
What are the bones, and the flesh that writers furnish them with?
Life.
Fiction/non fiction.
Life.
Can't avoid it.
We are all influenced by our own private likes/dislikes/grievances/life experiences etc. Baggage.

There IS a place for posts like this imo.

Smith talks about need for change, i wouldn't argue with that, but it won't be instigated by those who keep their heads below the parapets.

Smith,gokedik, and any others out there;
Post your views, say what you will, let it colour your writings, and maybe, just maybe, you'll sow a seed, a seed of thought,contemplation,MEDITATION, that will, ultimately, lead to realisation.

If enough is said, and written, in forums, like this one, well, who knows?

More than one person reads a similar view, they don't totally see eye to eye on it, they express their own personal views and expectations. Some one else hears what they are saying, discussion and debate ensues.
Oh man, can't you just see it?

My own view is, that one of those big boys with their big toys, who make the big noises, and use the little guys as pawns in some massive power- game , not stupid enough to take it to it's final conclusion yet, WILL, ultimately, kick the table over, and the world as we know it shall be cleansed.
With so much pain and suffering that goes on in this god-forsaken hell-hole, how could that be such a bad thing?
I liken us, globally, to rats in a barrel.

Sorry for the outburst but if change is possible, it has to start somewhere.

dither


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## escorial (Aug 31, 2014)

informative read.


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## Smith (Aug 31, 2014)

dither said:


> Smith,
> i rather expected that you'd be informed, in the nicest possible way of course, that this is not the place, and to please take your views and your soap-box some place else.
> This doesn't belong here i hear people thinking, we're writers.
> And what is the essence of  "writing"?
> ...



That's what it is all about. Change. Having civil discussion about it and growing as people. Of course, moderators would also rather us not have a debate about it, because they know as well as I do that it usually ends up getting... well, nasty. One bad apple spoils the bunch type of thing, or however that saying goes.

Anyway, if you want we can always talk about it via private message. I think it is important that we share our opinions and beliefs in our writing, whether it is an informative essay or a work of fiction.


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## dither (Sep 1, 2014)

Smith i have no desire to get into such discussion, i just think that it has a place, that's all.


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## hvysmker (Sep 16, 2014)

Ah! To begin with, though maybe not relevent, When the last president was in office, the Shrub, I spent at least one hour, sometimes many more, a day studying the history of that region. I was deathly afraid we or Israel  would bomb Iran and we'd  have all hell to pay.

Recently, I've become interested in the Ukraine. It seems to me that, like  in the case of the country of Georgia, when Russia allowed the split it was with conditions.  Such as allowing Russia to fly over that country and keep their bases on the Crimea peninsula. It would also retain the responsibility of protecting its own citizens in the Ukraine.

From what I read, the Ukraine had an election.  Now, the Ukraine is a very fertile region with many assets.  The old government was strictly Russia oriented.  The new one, though, was vacilating between favored trade between itself and the European Union, even in becoming a member of that organization, and Russia.  Also, a great many in the country still favored Russia.

Russia is,  of course, vitally interested in the outcome.  Mainly, it doesn't want NATO  bases next to its border, plus it needs  that "open" port on the Crimia. It's an  open port because it doesn't freeze over like most of Russia's ports.  For those reasons, I can  see it getting more involved than it has.  If the government of Mexico or of Canada turned against us, what would the US do?  You get the idea.

The Residents of the Crimea did break  away. Most of them are of either Russian ancestry or beholden to Russia for their livelihood. Who can blame them.

The  same goes for Northern Ukraine.  Remember, many of them have families  split  between the Ukraine and mother Russia.  

The  present government of the Ukraine, we should also recall, is NOT an elected one. The elected Democratic one was overthrown soon after formation by the faction that wants the EU in.  So, in effect, it is a rebel government, not necessarily the  will of the populace.

For political reasons, the US and EU prefer the rebel government to the elected one.

That's my studied understanding of the situation.
Charlie


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