Paul O’Brien, US director of Amnesty International believes Israel as a state should not exist. What is the dip-stick on? His statement belies belief.
And of course, like the dip-stick he is, O’Brien has not walked back on his statement claiming that the press “misunderstood” his words.
The guy will no doubt claim that many of his best friends are Jewish and that in principle he has great respect for Israel.
I just finished reading Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Montoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, its Minister of Defence, as well as the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. The 144-page book offers a sight into the thinking of Sheikh Mohammed and the drive to make the UAE a first-world country. I heartily recommend the book to all who wish to better understand the vigor and ambition of both Dubai and the UAE in general.
Although I had passed through Abu Dhabi some years ago, last month's trip to Dubai was my visit to the Emirate. My 10 days included a day trip to Abu Dhabi.
I have a disdain for those native English speakers who bastardize or are too lazy to use proper English. By that, I don’t mean that we all need to speak the “Queen’s English”.
It is generally recognized that the English language in its various forms comprises something in the region of 650,000 words. I make this point to show that even when faced with the spectrum of Dubai at almost every turn, could only exclaim “WOW” over and over and over. There are of course so many words I could have used instead and yet blinded as I was by the sheer brilliance around me, “WOW” was all I could repeatedly utter.
The Russo-Ukrainian War: I was taken to task a few days ago – nothing new, in my Facebook days it was a regular occurrence – people did not like my opinion, my thoughts. I wrote on a WhatsApp forum the following:
“Stop sugar coating the issue.
Call the illness by its real name: complacency, naivety.
The snowflake generation and the Woke brigade call Churchill a warmonger and murderer but say nothing about Putin.
The writing has been on the wall for years for anyone with half a brain to read.
Putin's dream has always been to rebuild Russia. Not the Russia of Lenin or Stalin but the Russia of Peter and Catherine.
Putin has lifted a page from Hiller's 1933/38 playbook when again complacency ruled.
At least then there was a Churchill. Today we have this farce Boris Johnson, who thinks himself a Churchill, and Sleepy Joe who once was a force to be reckoned with.
It is no wonder Putin has acted as a further step in his dream of a Russia reborn. A Russia once again including the Baltic States, maybe even Finland and Sweden, and of course all the "Stan" regions to that were once part of Russia.”
And let us not forget that this was – Putin calls it a special military operation - has been waged since February 2014 following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, and initially focused on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. The first eight years of the conflict included the Russian annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists, as well as naval incidents, cyberwarfare, and political tensions.
Much has been written in recent weeks about Putin, and no doubt much more is come. Two items that caught my eye today:
“After three decades covering Russia, CNN's Nic Robertson leaves in despair”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtLqyreccPE
“I keep telling you that Russia isn't strong. This stupid, brutal war has proved it” Peter Hitchens - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10606263/PETER-HITCHENS-telling-Russia-isnt-strong-stupid-brutal-war-proved-it.html
Last week, I WhatsApp a colleague explaining why I could not join him for our regular weekly discussion group. My reference to “Murphy” brought several inquires as to why Murphy was relevant.
“My reference earlier today to “Murphy” relates to my eager anticipation at today’s meeting. I even prepared a short follow-up to my posting earlier this week regarding the Woke labeling of Hemmingway’s “Old Man and the Sea”
And then, just after nine this morning, Murphy came knocking and a complete change of plans was called for.
Murphy’s Law - “if anything can go wrong, it will”.
It is no secret my disdain for the Snowflake Generation and the Woke Brigade. This past week a new low was possibly obtained.
Newman University, named after Cardinal John Henry Newman slaps a content warning on the bible because of its ‘themes of sexual violence and abuse’ - https://andrewlindsay.co.uk/dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10555441/University-named-cardinal-John-Henry-Newman-slaps-content-warning-BIBLE.html
I am not a bible reader, never have been, and my view of the bible in this instance is not important. I will say that I am in awe of people who openly, without reservation embrace bible teachings.
I recall some time ago watching a clip of the late, great George Carlin talking about the bible. Similarly, there are wonderful clips from the likes of Billy Connelly and Stephen Fry talking about the violence and abuse that can be found in both the Old and New Testaments.
Yet, here we have a university college, named after a leading British Roman Catholic cardinal, a college that is meant to be a bastion of Catholic learning is adding a warning to the bible as if the bible were a packet of cigarettes. And just as smoking kills, reading the bible may harm your mental health.