Listening to the News 2/3/22
By Di_Hard
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Does sound of our clapping drown out
the bombs exploding in your homes?
Our politicians stand shoulder
to shoulder with ambassadors
come to beg for help, receiving
words of Solidarity, bright
in Democracy's safest seats
and promises breaking as walls
break in your land, hoping courage
rubs off. Our hands, white feathers, hide
mouths whispering "We will not fight"
or eagerly sign cheques for schools
if anyone is left to learn
there is no honour, in the West
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Comments
Thank you for posting this,
Thank you for posting this, Di. My heart bleeds for those poor people in Ukraine, but I am aware of a weariness as I watch 'our leaders' responding and I make bets with myself that when it's 'all over' we shall find a way to accommodate whoever stands beside or in place of Putin. Having said that, I admit that yes, I am afraid that we might be drawn into a wider conflict, and I know I am one of those with a white feather. We need to at least be honest with ourselves. I also wish I didn't believe that even as sanctions are put in place, arrangements are being made for financial escape tunnels for certain people.
However, I swear, if I hear Ben Wallace say one more time 'Britain is leading the way in...' whatever it is, my Incredible Hulk may take over.
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Good poem. You aptly sum up
Good poem. You aptly sum up the inevitable hypocrisy of our 'support' when western nations don't feel it wise to join their defence and trigger a wider war.
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Maybe if western nations had
Maybe if western nations had agreed that Ukraine would be restricted from ever joining NATO or the EU the invasion could have been avoided? That might well have been a better solution than the current situation where Putin can sit on parts of the Ukraine, if not all eventually, for ever. But can he be trusted? Maybe it is better to turn the screws and see if he eventually loses power?
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It's a difficult one. When
It's a difficult one. When and how to intervene on a military level. Maybe the Russians will finally get the message. Soon, I hope.
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/03/vladimir-putin-ukr...
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One of the hard truths
is that our armed forces are not up to contributing to a coalition force at the same level as that which went to Iraq. Or indeed to Afghanistan. This is fine. Limiting defence spending to sufficient to defend the realm is sensible. Just don't expect to be able to mount an expeditionary force.
The problem is taking the Russians at face value from 1992 onwards. The Russian mind-set is such that all is fair if it is in the interests of Mother Russia. This has been true through the days of Imperial Russia and the Soviets and it is no different now. The withdrawal of troops from Germany was a big mistake, as was the assumption that a land war would never be fought again on the soil of Europe.
There are two possible reasons for hope,
1. Putin is 69 and looks ill. (This is a two-edged sword, nothing to lose and a legacy to leave, even if that means nuclear winter).
2. The oligarchs are rich because of corruption, clever investment and selling gas and oil to the west, who are busy running down their extraction of fossil fuels, but their use of them not so much. Sanctions and blowing the earth to smithereens won't make the oligarchs more money, so they won't have them/it.
Meanwhile, people are dying. It's shit, but it's as much our fault as the Moscow Madman's.
Anyway, this is one of the best poems I've read about all this mess. Well done, Di_Hard.
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I completely missed this poem
I completely missed this poem earlier Di.
I was talking to someone yesterday (who knows about these things) who said there is actually a lot more help going on behind the scenes while we in the west loudly talk about not being able to help. I do hope that (non)help does eventually help as much as it can
The budapest memorandum doesn't count because they all had their fingers crossed behind their backs when it was agreed.
Did you ever watch The Death of Stalin by Armando Iannucci? If not, do try to. So much of what's happening now reminds me of it - they cast a Sid James lookalike as Stalin which was a stroke of utter genius and I can't watch Putin without thinking of him
Hope you're feeling slightly better now!
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I agree with Ewan - this is
I agree with Ewan - this is one of the best. It's our Poem of the Week - congratulations!
It's also our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day
Please share/retweet far and wide
Picture Credit:https://tinyurl.com/3v538cek
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Strong piece
"there is no honour in the west"
I don't believe honour has a bearing for most modern military strategy. Sadly, I think it's going to be about who, in global terms, comes out on top as an economic power, with the very poorest taking the hit, as per.
But I'm gloomy
best
Lena
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This is what great poetry
This is what great poetry does- it opens up the marketplace of ideas and encourages discussion, and your intense poem has done that, I've learned so much from reading all the varying comments and found myself agreeing and disagreeing in varying degrees but most important, I came away with an understanding that I lacked before this reading, So thank you Di-Hard for posting this powerful poem.
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Hi Di
Dont know what to say! The emotions many feel are all there in your poem - no need for my lists of them, or speeches. A poem does not have to give answers, solutions or fix anything. Good poem Di xx
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I'm so glad I found time to
I'm so glad I found time to come on ABC today. This is so good, Di. So succinct and honest. Democracy's safest seats struck home. And the last lines - nail on the head. I wish the Cabinet would read it although to be honest and fair, they are incapacitated by thick layers of protective blubber.
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Thanks
Thanks for all of that, Di. That's so lovely.
Am going to try and work out how to send you a message so you can have my email address. Might take some brain power. Always nice to chat to any of you on here.
And again - great poem.
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butting in to offer to send
butting in to offer to send you both each others' email addresses if you like? Apologies for the messaging glitch. Let me know if you want me to
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yes please
yes please, that would be great. I couldn't even find the messaging thing although I know I've seen it in the past! Thanks a lot.
PS - I think Di has managed to make it work!
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oh ok - well it's good that
oh ok - well it's good that it's working!
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