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“We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.” ~Albert Einstein



War is a degenerative (vicious) cycle, just as poverty, wildfires, tornados, trauma and addiction are. Once such a cycle is set in motion, predictable patterns of destruction and chaos are observed.



Right now we are seeing a repeat in Ukraine of the same patterns of violence as was witnessed in WW2, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and pretty much all wars that got "out of control" down through human history.



If you watch the mainstream media, there is a call to send weapons to assist Ukrainian men to fight, as women and children flee. Of course, a certain amount of defensive fighting is essential right now, but most important is to end the fighting, as soon as possible. Because feeding the conflict (for months or years) with more weapons will increase the chaos, like throwing gasoline or wood on a fire.



What happens when Ukrainian men stay and weapons from allies pour in to arm them? Like we saw in Syria and Iraq, they will hide in buildings and shoot the invading Russian soldiers. If they have rockets, they will fire them (as people in Gaza have done).



Next, as the Ukrainians fire rockets and snipers kill young Russian soldiers, how will the Russian leadership respond? How have modern nations with powerful militaries responded to guerilla wars over the last hundred years?



The Russian military will start to bomb all the buildings (just as Americans did in Iraq and Vietnam, Russians in Syria, Israelis in Gaza, and everybody in WW2), and whole cities in Ukraine will burn, and the people there will die. This is already happening.



History shows, only making peace (through wisdom, communication and conflict resolution) stops such vicious war cycles once they start to spin out of control. A similar approach is most effective to end cycles of poverty, trauma and addiction. Wisdom is needed, systems thinking, compassion and understanding.



We've all seen this situation countless times. How long do we have to repeat these vicious cycles of destruction before we to learn to respond by trying to stop them rather than feeding them?



Perpetual Curse of the Warrior Mindset

https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/perpetual-curse-of-the-warrior-mindset/



Paradigms are Made for Shifting

https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/paradigms-are-made-for-shifting/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Combine this with a local population and increasing amounts of foreign fighters who are a helluva lot more motivated that the Russian troops. Russian will continue to bleed equipment, troops, and money the longer this goes on. This will go down as one of the worst blunders in history.

So the Ukraine has 200k standing army plus 500k reserve. They most likely have 3-4 local million volunteers. The foreign fighters are like 17k.

Anonymous wrote:What a mess.

I am hoping Harris can make some headway on her trip.

Gee me too. For sure , she will be taken seriously

What a mess.

I am hoping Harris can make some headway on her trip.

Anonymous wrote:

Combine this with a local population and increasing amounts of foreign fighters who are a helluva lot more motivated that the Russian troops. Russian will continue to bleed equipment, troops, and money the longer this goes on. This will go down as one of the worst blunders in history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the head of the church in Russia. This is not just Putin’s war. Putin has exploited and amplified a narrative that was already there. Sadly I can only see this getting worse.

WSJ reporter twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/mjluxmoore "A Russian Orthodox priest gave an anti-war sermon. He’s now been arrested and charged with “discrediting the Russian armed forces.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 23 there’s been absolutely no tolerance for dissent.

So what will or has happened to Russian citizens who are well known and signed petitions against the war or wrote support of Ukraine on social media? Instagram posts still happen.

Putin's ho-mistress and kids should be dumped on the Belarus border after a ride from Switzerland in the back of a truck https://pagesix.com/2022/03/06/vladimir-putin-hiding-alina-kabaeva-kids-in-switzerland/

I hope there are eyes on them for now at least. I mean he is basically hostage taking at the level of a whole country/continent. I'd use whatever leverage I could, sorry kids .

Anonymous wrote:This is the head of the church in Russia. This is not just Putin’s war. Putin has exploited and amplified a narrative that was already there. Sadly I can only see this getting worse.

WSJ reporter twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/mjluxmoore "A Russian Orthodox priest gave an anti-war sermon. He’s now been arrested and charged with “discrediting the Russian armed forces.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 23 there’s been absolutely no tolerance for dissent.

So what will or has happened to Russian citizens who are well known and signed petitions against the war or wrote support of Ukraine on social media? Instagram posts still happen.

Putin's ho-mistress and kids should be dumped on the Belarus border after a ride from Switzerland in the back of a truck https://pagesix.com/2022/03/06/vladimir-putin-hiding-alina-kabaeva-kids-in-switzerland/

It looks like they may try to evacuate more civilians - but the evacuation routes lead to Russia. I am so disgusted with Russia.

https://apple.news/ApwnuVYVERPm64t-T8wIf8g


Also, I’m not sure we can - we may be too dependent - but we ought to sanction China for supporting Russia. They say their friendship is “rock solid.”
https://apple.news/ALr9zRBZ6SYaSCJ4rAQT06g

We need to get independent from China and make our own things - medicine, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF. What kind of modern army shoots civilians trying to flee? I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Zelenskyy reported that the Russians were deliberately targeting civilian areas and blowing up apartment buildings like terrorists.

So the Russian soldiers are incompetent fools who don't know how to coordinate an attack effectively, and they're war criminals who senselessly murder families?

Why is Zelenskyy showing mercy to these guys and letting them call their moms in Russia?

This is not ethnic cleansing type of conflict..

Yet. There was that whole "final solution" to the "ukrainian problem" rhetoric from the accidentally posted victory statement and the question of the mobile crematoriums. If they thought this was going to be a quick cakewalk then those crematoriums weren't for their troops.

Ethnic cleansing involves either/or:
1. Massacre. Force hundreds into building mass graves and shoot them into it.
2. Systematic rape as a weapon, to birth the victor's children.

It was implemented in the Bosnian wars.
It has been implemented in nearly every uncontrolled, large scale conflict.

It's the ugliest and most horrific crime against humanity.

I fervently hope we will not see any of that in Ukraine. I do not think so, because ethnic cleansing is reserved for when warring factions are of different ethnicities and "othering" each other. In this conflict, the aggressors look like the victims. Indeed, Russians were witnessed phoning home complaining they didn't know who to shoot, since everyone looked like them. A lot of Ukrainians speak Russian. This may be what saves us from the worst.

You don’t really understand the term ethnic cleansing. The term did come from the Bosnian war when the Bosnian Serb leadership used a word “cleansing” to describe operations that would remove all Bosnians from certain parts of Bosnia. Massacres and rape can be a tool to accomplish that, but ethnic cleansing can be done without those specific acts. For example, indiscriminate shelling of the civilian population that forces them to flee a region is also a tool of ethnic cleansing. So is using “humanitarian evacuations” to remove the population from a region.

Ethnic cleansing is a descriptive term, not a legal term. War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are the legal terms that are prosecuted. Ukraine definitely has war crimes and crimes against humanity. Putin seems to be setting the stage for genocide - mass shelling of population, getting population to flee from the east and south, extermination of political opposition, probably no Ukrainian language and not allowing the state of Ukraine to exist and just making it part of Russia. That would fit with “intent to destroy in whole or in part” the definition of genocide.

FWIW, Putin is definitely “othering” Ukrainians - accusing them of being Nazis and saying that they refuse to allow Russian culture and language (both untrue). You don’t have to look different to “other” someone. Frankly, in Bosnia, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians look very similar until you ask their name or their religion.

Russians are also bombing historical sites and burning museums. They are trying to erase Ukrainian culture and history.

Yes, although cultural destruction is not sufficient to prove genocide, nor, I should have said is dispersal (cleansing) of the national, ethnic, religious, racial, etc. population. Genocide must include the physical destruction of the group (whole or part).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF. What kind of modern army shoots civilians trying to flee? I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Zelenskyy reported that the Russians were deliberately targeting civilian areas and blowing up apartment buildings like terrorists.

So the Russian soldiers are incompetent fools who don't know how to coordinate an attack effectively, and they're war criminals who senselessly murder families?

Why is Zelenskyy showing mercy to these guys and letting them call their moms in Russia?

This is not ethnic cleansing type of conflict..

Yet. There was that whole "final solution" to the "ukrainian problem" rhetoric from the accidentally posted victory statement and the question of the mobile crematoriums. If they thought this was going to be a quick cakewalk then those crematoriums weren't for their troops.

Ethnic cleansing involves either/or:
1. Massacre. Force hundreds into building mass graves and shoot them into it.
2. Systematic rape as a weapon, to birth the victor's children.

It was implemented in the Bosnian wars.
It has been implemented in nearly every uncontrolled, large scale conflict.

It's the ugliest and most horrific crime against humanity.

I fervently hope we will not see any of that in Ukraine. I do not think so, because ethnic cleansing is reserved for when warring factions are of different ethnicities and "othering" each other. In this conflict, the aggressors look like the victims. Indeed, Russians were witnessed phoning home complaining they didn't know who to shoot, since everyone looked like them. A lot of Ukrainians speak Russian. This may be what saves us from the worst.

You don’t really understand the term ethnic cleansing. The term did come from the Bosnian war when the Bosnian Serb leadership used a word “cleansing” to describe operations that would remove all Bosnians from certain parts of Bosnia. Massacres and rape can be a tool to accomplish that, but ethnic cleansing can be done without those specific acts. For example, indiscriminate shelling of the civilian population that forces them to flee a region is also a tool of ethnic cleansing. So is using “humanitarian evacuations” to remove the population from a region.

Ethnic cleansing is a descriptive term, not a legal term. War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are the legal terms that are prosecuted. Ukraine definitely has war crimes and crimes against humanity. Putin seems to be setting the stage for genocide - mass shelling of population, getting population to flee from the east and south, extermination of political opposition, probably no Ukrainian language and not allowing the state of Ukraine to exist and just making it part of Russia. That would fit with “intent to destroy in whole or in part” the definition of genocide.

FWIW, Putin is definitely “othering” Ukrainians - accusing them of being Nazis and saying that they refuse to allow Russian culture and language (both untrue). You don’t have to look different to “other” someone. Frankly, in Bosnia, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians look very similar until you ask their name or their religion.

Russians are also bombing historical sites and burning museums. They are trying to erase Ukrainian culture and history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF. What kind of modern army shoots civilians trying to flee? I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Zelenskyy reported that the Russians were deliberately targeting civilian areas and blowing up apartment buildings like terrorists.

So the Russian soldiers are incompetent fools who don't know how to coordinate an attack effectively, and they're war criminals who senselessly murder families?

Why is Zelenskyy showing mercy to these guys and letting them call their moms in Russia?

This is not ethnic cleansing type of conflict..

Yet. There was that whole "final solution" to the "ukrainian problem" rhetoric from the accidentally posted victory statement and the question of the mobile crematoriums. If they thought this was going to be a quick cakewalk then those crematoriums weren't for their troops.

Ethnic cleansing involves either/or:
1. Massacre. Force hundreds into building mass graves and shoot them into it.
2. Systematic rape as a weapon, to birth the victor's children.

It was implemented in the Bosnian wars.
It has been implemented in nearly every uncontrolled, large scale conflict.

It's the ugliest and most horrific crime against humanity.

I fervently hope we will not see any of that in Ukraine. I do not think so, because ethnic cleansing is reserved for when warring factions are of different ethnicities and "othering" each other. In this conflict, the aggressors look like the victims. Indeed, Russians were witnessed phoning home complaining they didn't know who to shoot, since everyone looked like them. A lot of Ukrainians speak Russian. This may be what saves us from the worst.

You don’t really understand the term ethnic cleansing. The term did come from the Bosnian war when the Bosnian Serb leadership used a word “cleansing” to describe operations that would remove all Bosnians from certain parts of Bosnia. Massacres and rape can be a tool to accomplish that, but ethnic cleansing can be done without those specific acts. For example, indiscriminate shelling of the civilian population that forces them to flee a region is also a tool of ethnic cleansing. So is using “humanitarian evacuations” to remove the population from a region.

Ethnic cleansing is a descriptive term, not a legal term. War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are the legal terms that are prosecuted. Ukraine definitely has war crimes and crimes against humanity. Putin seems to be setting the stage for genocide - mass shelling of population, getting population to flee from the east and south, extermination of political opposition, probably no Ukrainian language and not allowing the state of Ukraine to exist and just making it part of Russia. That would fit with “intent to destroy in whole or in part” the definition of genocide.

FWIW, Putin is definitely “othering” Ukrainians - accusing them of being Nazis and saying that they refuse to allow Russian culture and language (both untrue). You don’t have to look different to “other” someone. Frankly, in Bosnia, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians look very similar until you ask their name or their religion.

Anonymous wrote:

Isn't it better to prevent WW III that you people don't publicize this stuff.

Geesh. That should be obvious

Just watch their planes fall from the sky and don't gloat

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope this is true.

It is - the question is, can they keep it up? If they can change the hearts and minds of the people, it will make Putin's job that much harder.

Come on, governments! Surely there's a back channel way of supporting these erstwhile pirates!!!

That's Awesome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So is Russia now a pariah state in the direction of North Korea? All of the thought control laws they have now seem like a step beyond normal propaganda.

Unfortunately Trump un pariahed North Korea.

Yes, it was Tremendous. Kim wrote such beautiful letters. People are saying it's wonderful that Vlad is sending beautiful letters to me here at sunny Mar A Lago, too. Liddle' SleepyJoe doesn't get any letters. Who would want to send him letters.

I sent Joe a letter many years ago thanking him for being our keynote speaker at the annual convention of the National Stuttering Association. He was scheduled for half an hour but he stayed and spoke with us and answered questions for two hours. Later, when he was VP, he wasn’t able to attend the convention but he sent a video about his experiences as a stutterer. I don’t always agree with his views on stuttering but he’s very sincere and he’s been an inspiration for me because I, too, am a stuttering trial lawyer. I’m not the only trial lawyer who stutters and I’m not the first but there aren’t many of us and we all know each other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So is Russia now a pariah state in the direction of North Korea? All of the thought control laws they have now seem like a step beyond normal propaganda.

Unfortunately Trump un pariahed North Korea.

Yes, it was Tremendous. Kim wrote such beautiful letters. People are saying it's wonderful that Vlad is sending beautiful letters to me here at sunny Mar A Lago, too. Liddle' SleepyJoe doesn't get any letters. Who would want to send him letters.