2023

We won’t need this (apart from the smile) in 2023, but things definitely require tweaking!

2022 was a great year for the Western military defence industry…feeding off of our tax paying money while making weapons that our governments used to supply Ukraine.

Meanwhile, many working class families from the West have had a very frugal Christmas. And many are wondering also just how frugal their way of life will be in the new year.

The autocratic leaders of Russia, China and others have found out how far they can push the West. And in my view it’s way way too far. Our leadership and their actors (politicians, diplomats and heads of our military) most definitely need to be fed some raw meat. 2023 needs to be the year of showing that we will no longer put up with our adversaries behaviour of the recent past and present.

UKRAINE

In my humble opinion Putin should have been put right in the picture when he amassed his armour on the border with Ukraine…no matter what he had to say at the time.

“If one tank crosses into Ukraine territory we WILL act swiftly” should have been the immediate response. And just look at where the Ukraine scenario is today because of a lack of a powerful response. Sanctions!!!! There have been sanctions on the likes of Cuba for decades!

As hard as this is to say and even think about…countries who are “buffers” between the West and Russia need to continue to be just that, buffers. There are parts of the world where it just sucks to be born, but sadly that’s the luck of the draw. I think about those buffer countries (and some have already joined the EU and NATO and I’ve never agreed to it for the sole reason of fracturing long term peace in Europe). But I also think of countries further away such as Palestine, Afghanistan, Cambodia etc…there to be exploited for others’ benefits. The buffers have kept world peace for 80ish years now, and especially since the fall of the “Iron Curtain.” Although I’ve lived a life of war as an adult, and that has been my choosing, however, my family have only ever known a life of peace, aren’t we all the lucky ones, but the buffer countries have helped there tremendously in my opinion.

Every country put’s itself first. But it must be for honest and good reasons. We’re a much smaller world now than we were back 80 years ago. Technology has changed everything, and especially the internet. We must rely on that technology to help others have the life and freedoms that we have, continued through peaceful means.

The war in Ukraine is not simply about USA/West good…Russia bad! The West has played a part in feeding a carrot to the Ukrainians thinking that they can join the West, no doubt about that. Most of the media coverage has been about what Ukraine tells them is happening, even the teams risking their lives daily on the ground. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least that in time we’ll find evidence that Ukrainian troops have also committed war crimes against their Russian counterparts from time to time over the past year, especially in the East where it’s difficult for Western media teams to get close in and news gather on the fighting.

So…I would like to see the war in Ukraine end sometime soon in our new year with the leadership of the West becoming more hard line with Russia, and making it clear to Ukraine that it needs to remain a buffer country, and that it will not be joining the EU or NATO any time soon.

OUR FRAGILE ROCK

We all need to take our planet and the extreme weather conditions seriously in 2023. I believe that climate change is a mix of the solar system’s natural behaviour affecting our planet, but also human beings are not helping. Therefore if we can change our ways, we may just help to slow down the process for the sake of our grandchildren and those in the future, it’s certainly worth everyone giving it a go.

Throwing down cigarette’ butts should be a thing of the past in 2023…just who do you think has the responsibility of picking them up? The modern tips are plastic, they end up as microplastics in our water sources. A little thing to put right will go a long way. Lets then work up from there, and take on other waste issues from personal to collective. The amount of individuals who engine idle in their vehicles here in the USA is staggering…outside schools especially. Wear extra layers in winter and less in summer, end of the engine idling for sometimes 20 minutes to an hour each school day. Two simple little things to eradicate and help to improve our planet in 2023…as I say then we can move onto other things as individuals.

MENTAL HEALTH

I don’t care who you are or how old you are…WE…ARE…ALL…BREAKABLE!

If you have a problem, share it…as soon as possible. Smile, smile, smile…look forward and be positive. Get fitter, eat healthy, sleep well, drink less (alcohol), take less unnecessary pharma. Share the problem, share the problem, share the problem…you have cracks…let the light in!

Get out on the hills, enjoy the fresh air, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the wild life…take lots of photos…and share those too.

For me and my family, it’s 2023 in a few hours…many are already into it. This is just food for thought as we come into a new year. There’s lots to do…we all need to do better…we all need to stop fighting…but sometimes to stop or prevent a fight you have to act decisively.

Here’s to the best year ever, and the ability to understand that we are all the same (after all we ALL bleed red), and all want the same things from life. A roof over our heads, clean running water, food on the table, an education for our children, and peace through security…but sadly a handful of greedy individuals want more.