Invasion day +90 Today marks the end of the third month of Putin's 'Three Day War.'
How much longer must this strife go on? Surely it is time to sweep a very ugly Putin away from Ukraine's land and mind. The tide is turning as his bizarre scorched earth policy throws us all even further back into the heathen ages.
There does seem to be some truth and substance in stories that Putin is slowly dying and maybe will be gone within a year. He appears to have blood cancer and is largely being kept alive by medical interventions of increasing scale. The question is how is this affecting is mental state and to what extent does it give a cause to the conflict?
More importantly what steps can be taken to try and prevent people who may or may not be certified as madmen taking over the world by force?
Mugabe, another madman, was reported to have been slowly dying from syphilis for over twenty years and yet he continued with his barbaric and destructive policies until the country, one of the most potentially prosperous in Africa, was a failed state with all the misery that entailed. 'Russia as a Failed State?' Unthinkable for the world. Russia must be a proper member of the human race not a desert of despair like Zimbabwe. Putin must go.
Meanwhile...
The situation in the Donbas is dire according to all reports but in the south the war moves into a stage of insurgency which could drag on and on with ever more bloody losses to everyone involved.
Direct external intervention will probably be needed to end this war at some stage so why not now? A huge UN peace keeping force might be needed or a coalition of navies, air forces and ground troops? Possibly.
But what about a world wide movement of peace workers flooding into Russia with their own national backing, millions of people flooding into the country and swamping Russia with the message of peace, and truth and justice from all around the world? Setting up camps, distributing the message, bringing the Russian people hope in their own fear and bewilderment and despair.
There are probably around 90,000 grieving parents in Russia right now. Some of them will not follow Putin' s dictat that we heard from a 'former Russian source' this week. A mother, told that her son had been killed in the war is reported to have replied. 'He died for Russia, as Putin has asked me, I shall give birth to other son to replace him and carry on the fight.'
Chilling.
There is a long way to go but we must keep the furnace of peace and hope alive.
Pease keep writing and drawing and singing and praying and doing whatever it is you are doing for peace in the world but please also let us know so we can also publicise your efforts.
All submissions will be considered for publication towards the end of the conflict, maybe sooner. And we are starting to produce 'Sunflowers Two' so please write for this and our June competition: so many opportunities!
Thank you all,
Hoggy
Today's Letters
From Geoff Jackson, Essex
Dear Hoggy,
The World: A Prose Poem
How things change in the world about us, how things vary between good and bad.
Can we make changes to our world?
Are there things that we can do to alter our lives?
Do we change the frequency of our travels?
Are there places that need our help in order that the people can live safely and not in a man-made hell?
Why is it that there are many in our world who cause disturbance and hatred?
Were they not schooled; did they not have love afforded them?
Is this why they display hatred and fail to recognise kindness in the world around them?
I show gladness in my life, that I have friends, friends that live normal happy lives.
There are some exceptions at times which although they may be upsetting, do not cause that disturbance,
Or the hatred shown by some.
Geoff Jackson
Dear Geoff,
A poignant prose poem, thank you.
It shows the angst many of us are feeling.
It is also a challenge to the quotation from Shakespeare’s Hamlet that ‘Nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so.’
I think we know what is good or bad in Ukraine right now and we do not need to think about it too deeply to come to our own conclusions.
And yes, we can, must, makes changes.
Bringing peace back to Ukraine and the world being the biggest change needed right now.
To allow this to happen, Putin must go.
All wishes,
Hoggy
And finally today, here is another offering from Steve Weatherill for us all,
'Lavrov doublespeak'
Eurovision: Fake news, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Our duet was much better! Lukashenko and Putin sing...
Hospital Waiting Room
Thanks Steve!
Hoggy
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