blogging

On Ukraine

Forestwood

A shopping centre was destroyed by a bomb yesterday.

One side says the shopping centre was empty and the detonatation was due to location of enemy weapons supplied by the western powers. The other side says says 1000 people were situated in the centre when the bomb hit.

And when asked about the veracity of the information provided, the Russian Ambassador stated that reports had been corroborated by bloggers!

Bloggers!

A testament to the importance of our independent narratives!

To those of us who have become disillusioned with writing and blogging – this is a reason to persevere!

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Wisdom from an old Danish cousin:

Hvornår - og hvordan skal det ende?
I krig er der kun tabere!
Nogen taber endog livet,
men vi taber alle noget!

English Translation:

When - and how will it end ??
In war there are only losers!
Some lose their lives, 
but we are all losing something!

Will this remembrance plaque be the only kind of reminder of the lives that are lost and continue to be lost, in Ukraine?

Ripples of misery resonate in ever-increasing waves of grief 
and environmental destruction. 
The price is high. 
All for ego and greed, 
not just geopolitics.

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

30 thoughts on “On Ukraine”

  1. It’s utter madness, isn’t it? I’ve just finished reading a novel about Famagusta in Northern Cyprus and the divisions there, not so many years ago. We don’t seem good at learning.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. Bloggers? Wow. Didn’t know the kind of influence we had! But overall, it sucks how fast the world media has lost interest in the war. So it is amazing if bloggers are atleast keeping the information flowing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thinking back to Kosovo, Bosnia and further back, the Middle eastern conflicts, there is lots of initial coverage, almost 24/7 and then it scales back, particularly if something else grabs their attention. Yes it seems that bloggers are the only truly independent source of information – that is not reliant on donations, subscriptions or advertising for their published opinions. We have a role even though blogging rates are slipping, overall as the public desires short clipped pieces of information over indepth analysis.

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  3. However much we may dislike the idea, we’re a part of the social media world I guess, and a pretty diverse bunch. So there will be bloggers on either side of any political story, and not all of them will be unbiased.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Of course, all the bloggers out there are not all even-headed commentarians like this bunch here! 😉
      I think there is bias in almost everything we read, whether we like it to see it or not. Substantiated bias and some balanced reporting is much more preferable. At least bloggers are not beholden to vested interests or lobbyists.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. As the insanity of the destruction and life continues so does the crazy lengths of the lies … so bloggers are now in their sights, are they?!

    How true it is all aout ‘ego and greed’!

    I wonder if this is how previous generations felt a few years before world wars were unleashed, watching in helplessness, feeling the suffering of so many, aware much worse could be around the corner. Yet, staggering how the awareness and care seems to have fallen off a cliff as self-interest dominates.

    Sorry for the rant … that is just the brief version.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. The destructive of life and property is unfathomable. It is senseless. For resources, for greed, for ego? The ripples spread far and wide.
      Just so tragic. I wish it would stop.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Amanda, the quote is poignant and pertinent. During Ken Burns’ excellent documentary on the Vietnam War, a north Vietnamese commander said in retrospect, anyone who thinks they can win a war has never fought in one. Keith

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    1. There’s a tribal nature within us. Well some of us. Sometimes world peace while living on a celestial body with finite resources seems nothing more than a fairytale dream. Equality for all isn’t achievable with our current political systems – for they all require an underclass of sorts. The have nots will always want to become the haves. In reality, we are lucky to live without war in our own respective borders for the length of time that we have. This is not to give up on the higher notion that we can all live together peacefully but the nature of (mostly) male leaders makes it very difficult to achieve.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. So true. We all lose.. . I have a couple of contacts in Ukraine who keep me informed. I sometimes don’t want to be informed, as I cannot stand the pain and atrocities. But I know they have to write about what happens before their very eyes. The importance is impossible to measure. They constantly tell me how grateful they are for people reading and commenting, knowing there is someone out there on the other side of hell, supporting them. But they are not bloggers. Interesting about what you found – we are there for them.

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    1. As horrid as the news is, it is important to get it out to the world. Your contacts are doing an important job. Public pressure makes leaders act.

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  10. This video also shows how people intentionally or unintentionally misuse social media to promote falsehoods. Fact checking by trusted news sources dispute the Russian ambassador’s claim eg. BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/61967480 & Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/29/evidence-contradicts-russian-claims-about-kremenchuk-mall-attack.

    Social media is a double edged sword. It gives everyone a platform to voice an opinion but it also allows us to selectively hear and amplify what we want to hear. I love blogging & I love reading and engaging with like-minds. However, I think it important to respect truth and distinguish fact from opinion. As a writer, I try to practise this. As a reader, I try to discern the difference. For some topics, I prefer to read from trusted sources in the news media.

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  11. Many years ago, pro-communist activists attacked a church service. Just search online for ‘St James Church Massacre.’ We had other massacres as well, search ‘Church Street Bomb’ and ‘Shell House Massacre.’ In all of these, the assault came from pro-communist, neo-Marxists, who were in cahoots with the then USSR.

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  12. Yes I do think it is important to read trusted sources and to fact check. Also important to hear the other side. I didn’t actually believe the ambassador’s account/excuse/explanation, but I suppose he was acting on instruction from his superiors.

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  13. I do not know the detailed insight about the shopping center but I must not fail to mention that Ukrainian soldiers are not even complying with the “international war rules” laid down. It is the fault of Ukrainian soldiers that they were taking shelter in the maternity hospitals, and other such public places.

    fairaffairs.wordpress.com

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