Working
for the common cause is never easy. To begin, you are constantly challenged
by those who have no comprehension and who remain hostile to anything
beyond their own confines.
The common
cause is what most people reach out for and towards when all else is
snatched from them. In such circumstances and beyond the bottle and
other similar perspective wrecking distractions, thoughtful contemplation
and meditation will lead to the awareness of the common cause. Meditation
is the art of relaxation.
Sanctification
and protection of the common cause is what enables people to go about
their daily lives without having to immerse themselves in fighting
for that common cause. How many of us give deliberate thought to the
solidity of the foundations of the homes in which we live until something
occurs to make us focus on those foundations?
The questions
then become numerous. Who designed those foundations, who worked upon
and put them in place? What, if any, is our own role in the presence
of those foundations?
By default, those
who work for radio, television and the newspaper industries are in the front
line of promoting and standing up for the common cause. How they acknowledge
and comply with their respective positions depends much more upon professional
training than on personal volition. The danger preceding failure is in wearing
an outward cloak of respectability whilst failing to meet the demands. Feeding
the populace pap might fatten personal bank accounts but that is in reality
all it will achieve.
Those who
watch the news reports currently emanating from western journalists
in the Middle East should listen carefully to and analyse the perspective
of those reports.
We might not
all be in a position to work for the common cause as actively as others might.
Yet pause a moment to ponder that but not for the common cause, none of us
would have the education nor the time nor the freedom to even ponder in such
fashion.
It might
also be valid to ponder the worth of the individual within the common
cause and whether any common cause could ever exist where the intrinsic
worth of any individual is devalued.
A
Quiet Corner We live in a dangerous
world—dangerous because men and women
alike shirk from the responsibility of being humble.
This sonnet epitomises the gift of humility.
God
Grant me the Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can and
Wisdom to know the difference,
Living one day at a time — enjoying one~
moment at a time
Accepting hardships as the pathway of Peace
Taking as He did this sinful world as it is —
and not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right —
if I surrender to His Will
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy in the next world
“It’s not hard to bring out the worst in large numbers
of citizens by constantly pressing their buttons; fear, hate, greed,
false pride and blind loyalty are the main emotions used to manipulate
people so much these last years. Reversing this process and empowering
people through courage, love, generosity, humility and critical thinking
is harder but it can and must be done.” -- Coleen Rowley for
RootsAction; FBI whistle blower
What is what and
who is who and who cares what if who is not, said the reflection
to the shadow.
Julian
Assange and the war against freedom There
is and never was anything illegal in the case of Julian Assange other
than the continued and deplorable actions of dark elements within the US administration - actions
which in any other instance would have seen the case thrown out
- thrown out due to actions by these dark elements which themselves
are outside of and shun both US and international law.
Should the UK grant the US the Assange extradition
request, then the UK administration and justice system will themselves become
accomplices of those dark elements.
One of the underlying tenets, or principles of modern
journalism is to examine and report to the public any underhand, illegal or dubious
activities of the powerful, including those in government.
The current US witch hunt against Assange is the greatest
threat to and assault upon journalism and the reporting of the truth in history.
_____________
Covid-19
and the future Social
and domestic life in most of the developed and sheltered countries
of our world has been torn apart by the covid-19 disease and the
lock down measures taken by governments.
The wealth of a nation depends on the health and well being of its people and
not on their enslavement by capitalism and its goals.
The coronavirus tragedy unfolding in the US, which
does not have a free national health service, will bear sad testimony
to that.
The same scenario is also unfolding in the UK, which
once had one of the
best free national health
services in the world but which has been drastically under resourced
by successive governments
over the past decade and more.
In the less developed and less sheltered countries
the suffering caused in the main by other people continues unabated
- except those suffering must now also face a pandemic.
Humanity is truly at a crisis crossroads with few,
if any, avenues of escape.
We are not a pleasant species to ourselves when we
find ourselves feeling backed into a corner, as human history
undeniably shows.
The only way out of the mess is for us all to work
together as a cohesive species and try to forge a true global
balance between nature and the survival of civilisation.
At
this present time such a reality appears further away than the
ship smoke disappearing below the far horizon.
Can we pull the ship closer?
_____________
Julian
Assange — a warning The
illegal seizure and arrest of Julian Assange should serve as a warning
of just how corrupt the involved governments and their minions have
become.
One of the first tricks of dirty governing when faced with any
embarrassing exposure of underhand activity is to attempt to discredit and assasinate
the character of those releasing the information. History bears testimony to
such acts.
One of the accusations amongst many used to justify the
seizure and arrest of Assange was that he used Wikileaks to “meddle” in the internal affairs of states.
Given that such is exactly what the United States and United Kingdom
has persistently done over the past 100 years, such an accusation can only be described as blatant, unashamed
hypocrisy. History will reveal such human dregs for the garbage they truly are.
Dark days indeed lie ahead.
RSF condemns 'unnecessarily cruel' decision to keep Julian Assange detainedprintable version
06 Jan 2021: posted by the editor - General, Human Rights, Journalism, International, United States, United Kingdom
In a 6 January hearing at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser considered Julian Assange’s application to be released on bail. She ruled against his release, stating that Assange had an “incentive to abscond,” and “as a matter of fairness” she needed to give the US government the chance to pursue an appeal, which it has indicated it intends to do. Baraitser stated that Assange’s mental health is being managed at Belmarsh prison, and that the prison has its Covid-19 situation under control.
Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns with Reporters Withour Borders said: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision not to grant bail to Julian Assange, which is an unnecessarily cruel step following the prior decision against his extradition. The mental health issues that were grounds to prevent his extradition will only be exacerbated by prolonged detention, and his physical health also remains at risk. This decision is the latest in a long line of disproportionately punitive measures against Assange.
“As a matter of principle, no one should have to experience what Assange has endured over the past 10 years simply for publishing information in the public interest. He should not have to spend another moment unjustly deprived of his liberty. We call again for his immediate release on substantive, as well as humanitarian grounds.”
“Who
overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe.”
John
Milton
Origins
of Poverty
When man came on earth he did not live in a society or hierarchy
nor was he endowed with poverty. Good health, longevity, natural
cheerfulness were his own even as he found himself amidst plenty.
Like other species he lived or perished as the external resources
permitted but he lived or perished as a group. Only when the
society organised itself into a hierarchy, it was possible
for one layer to exist while another persisted during times
of scarcity. Organised ways of living, knowledge of all descriptions,
systems created for comfort etc. interfered with the natural
living of MAN in hundreds of ways. With the passing of time
these stratifications of society come to stay and even create
a psychology by which even the victim takes his victimization
for granted. No question arises in his mind. ...
Had
not the society organised itself in such a way that segments
of it are protected and other segments were defenseless, MAN
would have remained as MAN and would not have been bifurcated
into poor and rich.
“Man
was always destroying things, and beautiful things.
At the time they wouldn’t seem beautiful.
It was only afterwards that men felt pity for the things their hands
had destroyed.”
Walter
Macken — The Scorching Wind
A
Quiet Corner 
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