Assad flees - Putin's next move ...

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The Assad family have ruled Syria for over 50 years. The father and his son killed and tortured over 100 000 of their own people to maintain a grip on power. Putin offered military force which he was allowed to use to bomb civilians and claim that they were terrorists.

Assad has fled to Russia and Putin will now made a deal with the new Syria to keep his presence in the Mediterranean. He has ships harbouredd and airports in Syria to give himself more reach into Europe and Africa. What can he do now? He will promise support and finance to the Syrian government, anything to keep hi power and influence. The war in Ukraine is killing so many and snuffing the life out of the economy. It is an offence to say the slightest disparaging word against the war or government. Typical behaviour for a dictator too weak to deal with criticism he resorts to suppressing his people with violence, threats and fake news.

He is a bad representation of a Russian person, they are intelligent creative and loyal but the goodness that they offer the world is blocked by his aura of the lust for power.

Climate Change, Trump and Truth.

In the 1950's weather scientists noticed that carbon dioxide and average temperature had started to rise. Early models of the formation of earth showed how the earth's temperature was linked to the balance of carbon dioxide and plant life. This year we have the global conference COP29, with world leaders coming together to discuss reducing the causes of climate change..

Over the ensuing years: data, experiments and discoveries corroborated the initial understanding. Politicians listened to the scientists (even Margaret Thatcher believed them) and were trying to build it into political preparation. It seemed a problem that was too far away to fit the political cycle, so it was always pushed aside and the voice of scientists was drowned out by sceptics and oil based businesses.

Today the world has become a "wild west" of truth. Now everyone can feel empowered to challenge scientists and experts. People with years of knowledge and understanding were dismissed. Initial criticism came from some oil biased scientists and internet technology spread the voice of a few sceptics and people developed a sense that they were now informed enough to form their own view of climate change. So now they developed views which used new measures of truth and based beliefs on the science on whether it was consistent with religious views or financial expediency.

So now years of scientific work and understanding are  dismissed by individual choices based on belief or simply ignorance of the facts, legitimised by a few voices.

We don't have to be experts to see that our world is changing rapidly. The climate change predictions are now coming true and even the oil industry has given up denying the science and instead is trying to slow the transition away from oil, coal and gas. Some are investing in green alternatives.

How do  climate sceptic leaders affect the way we go from here? In the first instance we can see that populist leaders in decision making roles have blocked the mitigation and preparations for extreme events like fires and floods. In Spain they even suppressed warnings about the possible storms and floods that had been warned about.

What do we know about Trump? He is firmly a climate change denier. He called it a hoax. He has made it clear that he will not pursue green energy but exploit American oil reserves ("drill baby drill"). The world needs leadership to  tackle the huge impact of climate change but Trump will be pushing the world deeper into the distress of current problems and will rob the young people of a much tamer and hospitable world. He will be dead when the devastating impact of his thinking is felt. The earth will need many years to pull back from our current trajectory which is going to result in the extinction of many species and violent weather.

We are "locked in" to the next 4 years and you may think that what you believe doesn't matter. To a large extent that is true. However, climate change is coming, so prepare your home and family for the change. Examine the risks and take precautions.

It is irresponsible to think that you don't have to believe scientists. What basis is there for challenging the science? We live in a technological age. Our modern world is based on science. If you use a mobile phone you are accessing hundreds of years of science and the scientific process which is based on peer review. Climate Change is not a scam or hoax. If you honestly think that scientists have been lying for 50 years  while the oil companies and some leaders are being honest, then you are naive.

You can't pick and choose which science you believe. We are all part of this world and the people who have dedicated their lives to understanding climate have shown us how our earth is in peril. This is important for our future we all need to accept the science and press politicians to make changes now.

Is it Christmas?

 21 December 2023

11:31

I get up everyday and I try to make the most of the time that my body will allow. It is rare to get a day that is comfortable and pain free but it is a treasure. Today is not such a day but a day good enough to write a few words.
 

It's 4 days to Christmas and the world is still in a shocking place of conflict, war and naturally occurring disasters. So much suffering and pain. I find myself grateful that my suffering is not within a war zone or disaster area. The images of children and vulnerable people being brutalised because of man made destruction and war is the hardest thing to bear. I think about Sudan and the war killing civilians because of 2 generals craving power. I think of Gaza and the relentless bombing as Israel purses Hamas to avenge the atrocities of 7/10. I think of Ukraine where Russian aggression and Putin's lust for their land has destroyed so many lives and livelihoods.
 

Where is Christmas? Where are the leaders?  Where are the peace makers? The only beauty and hope is in the hearts of people struggling to survive. They never give in but fight for the most important right we all have - to live.

Reflections

So I wake up everyday and look up at the ceiling. That is not unusual when you are lying on your back. I am always on my back at night and my carers turn me onto my side in the morning. I sleep on my back because I  am paralysed and I have found it to be the least likely to cause pressure points and doesn't require me to reposition during the night. Being unable to move your body makes the world into a different place. Simple things get complicated. Just going to sleep is a lot of fuss and preparation. Typically half of an hour is needed for the important task of positioning the body and getting the bed covers correct. This is important because a badly aligned body is at risk of pressure points and pain. This lowers sleep quality and increases the risk of skin damage. So I do spend time getting setup for the night because it is so important for my sleep and health.

 

When I wake up and I look at the ceiling i see the light fittings. Actually I see each light fitting twice and so on with every detail in the room, everything is doubled. The accident which paralysed me also left me with optical nerve damage. So I now have an eye that looks sideways when I look straight ahead. Unfortunately the damage creates a large separation between what the left eye and the right eye see. It is literally like seeing everything twice which isn't like getting double payout but more like double the confusion. For a long time in hospital, when I first started to come round after 3 months I was convinced my room had 2 of everything. 2 doors , 2 cupboards and 2 lamps. Somehow I never noticed the 2 doctors and 2 nurses. It was a confusing time. I didn't know I was seeking double and the people around me didn't know. I suspect that people noticed my right eye staring crazily to the right as if it was looking at something in the background but nobody ever said anything.

 

To correct double vision is not difficult for minor deviation. When the damage is as bad as mine is the solution doesn't work very well and overall you still get some effect and deterioration of the eyesight. Another adjustment to my world as I have tried to work out the impact of my accident. So double vision is not double value but more like double trouble.

Wake Up South Africa

South Africa in the early years of freedom was looked up to as an example of justice and hope for all. Everyone wanted to be photographed with Nelson Mandela. South African representation for woman and LGBTQ+ was an example to others. In the last 2 decades we have seen corruption, mismanagement and lawlessness result in poor growth and a weaker economy that is disabled by a broken power grid.

This has been like watching a slow motion train crash. Each stage was avoidable but failing to fix it early piled on the cost to repair the problem and stop the decline. Now load shedding is a daily occurrence. There is no hint of improvement. The government has a land rich in natural resources, bursting with creative people and with natural beauty that attracts millions of visitors. Yet it is looking toward corrupt, criminal regimes like Putin's Russia and hoping for handouts from China.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 I was offended by the act of brutal imperialism. Russia had been interfering in Ukraine for years and in 2014 annexed a large territory of Ukraine called Crimea. Putin has been on a mission to build a Russia that fulfils his geopolitical view of the world. He has systematically moved Russia toward a corrupt dictatorship with a news agenda set by the state and with all opposition suppressed or jailed.

I was offended by the invasion because Ukraine is a peaceful civilized country and as a neighbour to Russia has many family links and relationships; it is simply an act of ego driven insanity to plan and then execute the plan to bomb and kill your neighbour to grow your territory. This seemed to have echoes of WW2 and Hitler's crazy plans. I was offended because many would die and suffer when the world was in a perilous place facing climate change and the need for unity.

I began to see the world divide into 2 groups - 1. those opposed to Russian brutality and 2. those who were neutral or supportive. While the size of group 2. was small it was disturbing that countries could support the invasion of a peaceful neighbour. This was an illegal act.

I was confused when SA refused to condemn Russian aggregation, by abstaining in UN votes calling for Russia to withdraw. My dismay continued when SA joined in naval military exercises with Russia and China. I was confused and ashamed of my country when I have always been so proud of the democracy we had become in 1994.

I didn't realise how far the SA government had moved away from justice and fairness until the International Criminal Court found Putin guilty of war crimes, which means that he is eligible for arrest if he enters any country that is a member of the ICC. SA has long been a member of the ICC and we have played a role in establishing the procedures. However, since the ruling against Putin, SA has talked of leaving the ICC.

Wake up SA! Your country is beguiled by an evil dictator. Your government is drawing you into his orbit where you will see that corruption and lies will drive you into dispair and into a lawless state.

Paralyzed for 20 years

When I first heard about full body paralysis I didn't see the point of living with such an isolating condition. What would be the point of life without the ability to do anything? I was 16 years old and somehow the subject of being paralyzed in this way had come up and I remember thinking about it afterwards. I didn't really understand what it meant but I didn't believe it would be worth living with. I thought that it would be better to be dead than to live with this condition. With the quality of life so low I was unable to see the point of being alive. What would be the point of not being able to move and what about sex? My 16 year old self had no understanding of the way his life would develop.

Now I am nearly 60 years old and I have been paralyzed for 20 years. I have become the person my 16 year old self could hardly imagine worth staying alive as. I don't move and I have a very weak voice. So I don't do or speak much and there isn't much I can do. I mostly "speak" through my writing but this is very limiting and restricts interactive communication.. What about my 16 year old self, what would he say to me now

Would he tell me just to end it when he realised that life would become very lonely. When he began to see how challenging each day would be, no more lie ins and quick showers, or walking barefoot on the lawn and reading a book under the tree, or plunging into the pool on a hot day. Yes and no more relationships with sex, What about life without a loving relationship - surely that can't be worth living? At 16 sex is always on a boys mind, indeed at 60 sex is always on my mind. At 16 I couldn't imagine a life without sex even though I had never had sex I knew the pleasure that was part of it. I longed for the intimacy that a sexual relationships promised.

What would the 16 year old Julius tell me knowing what my life is now? When he discovers that the intimacy with girls that consumed his thoughts was never going to be, In fact the relationship he had with his own body would cease and instead he would watch other people clean and groom his body. The ache of the longing never leaves and nothing else can replace the loneliness of losing touch with your own body.

I have tried to live with my new life with dignity and I have tried to appreciate the beauty of life. I am alive and what an improbable privilege that is.

Amazing Life

I have had some difficult days and it makes me sad. Sad that I am alone now and even though surrounded by good people - they are not my people. So I have to just keep my thoughts locked up. When I have bad days my bp low and I feel spaced, I don't want to be alone but I can't share.. I find myself alone unable to use my pc and phoning is not an option, so I just have to try to relax.

It's an awful place to be - and I feel afraid sometimes . I just feel that I am not part of anything and I will just slip away in solitude. So after being so loving and giving, I am afraid of being alone at the end. Yet, I know that nobody owes me anything and I am not able to share my life with anyone, so I must accept my place, it is what is is.
Life is a most amazing occurrence, a privilege. I fight for my life, it is amazing to have life.