Will Smith’s action lacked an “objective correlative”, an emotional reaction proportional to that which induced it

THERE WAS NO OBJECTIVE CORRELATIVE!

By Professor Gilbert Morris

TS Eliot spoke of an “objective correlative”, an emotional reaction proportional to that which induced it. Eliot thought Hamlet’s response to his situation lacked an objective correlative.

Will Smith’s action lacked the same: the impulse to defend honour implies there is honour to induce its defence.

Mrs. Jada Smith’s behaviour even her recent illness does not imply a defensible honour in the manner of Mr. Smith’s undertaking.

This is especially true when one considers that Mr. Smith knew already that he would have the mike and an adoring global audience and could have humiliated Mr. Rock by mere explaining that Mrs. Smith was in fact unwell!

Rock would have poured on apologies and the vindication would have been proportional.

What would have impelled Rock to joke about Jada? Well, he’s a comedian and everyone is game. Second, he and Will are friends: could he have been intending to defend his friend?

I have no interest in this situation, expect it’s an opportunity to discuss a foundational moral point concerning emotional proportionality in the vortex of human behaviour that justifies it.

Consider: Had 50 Cent or Shaq made that joke, would Will have risen from his seat?

There is an internal calculus when nice boys contemplate violence. It occurs in seconds, a sort of “sizing up”. In Will’s calculus Rock was vulnerable and essentially defenceless.

That is what’s pernicious!

So, what actually drive Mr. Smith?

Well, who knows abundantly?

One surmises that he didn’t defend Mrs. Smith at all: he defended himself and perhaps his children watching with the need to witness an alignment of familial loyalty; which is to say, a defence of their mother by their father.

The hear is strange and estranging. One understands defending a devoted wife, friend and companion, but first she must be a devoted wife friend and companion.

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U.S. Imperialism Keeps The Fire Burning

U.S. imperialism adds fuel to the fire, but from afar

Economic, commercial and financial sanctions, as a means to exert pressure on a country, do not solve the current crisis, but rather add fuel to the fire and aggravate the international economic situation

By Madeleine Sautié Rodríguez | informacion@granmai.cu

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee First Secretary and President of the Republic cited three elements that are sustaining and aggravating the world’s current difficulties, during his closing remarks at the Ministry of Culture’s annual review for the year 2021, held at José Martí National Library.

The tightened United States’ economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba; the aggressiveness of the United States internationally; and the uncertainty created by covid-19 were the three issues impacting the current situation he emphasized.

With regard to the blockade, the President said that we are now experiencing a different moment, a particular feature of recent years, "Things began to get very complicated in the second half of 2019, when the Trump administration adopted more than 240 measures that cut off our sources of financing.  They placed us on their list of countries that allegedly support terrorism.  And all this has been maintained under Joe Biden's administration," he explained.

The blockade, he recalled, has caused shortages, financial persecution, persecution of fuel suppliers, in particular, and to this was added the even greater aggressiveness of the U.S. government against Cuba, with a broad media campaign demonizing our country, in an attempt to discredit all elements of the Cuban Revolution, seeking to construct the appearance of total failure, that everything is wrong and everything the country does to mitigate current conditions does nothing to solve the problems, he stated.

The President pointed out that this aggressiveness can be seen in the way the events of July 11 were addressed and the way a play was staged, announcing to the world that on November 15 the Cuban Revolution would collapse, and now they are attempting to distort Cuba's position with respect to the current events in Europe.  This imperialist hostility is not only directed toward Cuba; it is evident at a global level, he noted.

He called for reflection on the fact that we live in a world that needs peace more than ever, at a time when more than twenty countries have not yet been able to vaccinate even 10% of their populations and do not know when they will be able to do so, reminding those present that only 61% of the population worldwide has been fully vaccinated.  We know, he said, that until the planet’s population is immunized, the pandemic will continue.

It is never the time to be starting wars, the President said, adding, "They have mounted this aggressive media campaign, attempting to distort the essences.  I understand very well that our people are following the current military conflict in Europe and the regrettable loss of human lives, in addition to the material damage and the general threat to peace and regional and international security, but Cuba has expressed itself clearly, firmly and repeatedly, in strict adherence to our foreign policy that is based on the principles of the Revolution, with careful and rigorous analysis of the facts from all angles," he said.

And this is a serious matter, of extreme complexity, with historical roots, including those of recent history, which cannot be ignored, just as the conditions that have led to this situation cannot be ignored, he said.  "Cuba firmly and consistently defends international law, the United Nations Charter and the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace," he reaffirmed, assuring that, "We defend peace under all circumstances and unambiguously oppose the use of force against any state."

As a small country we understand this better than anyone, besieged for more than 60 years.  Under constant threat, we have suffered state terrorism, military aggression, biological warfare and a brutal blockade, and we are absolutely clear about the value of the principles of international law that serve as protection against unilateralism, imperialism, hegemonic policies and attempts to dominate developing countries.  These are principles and norms that we have defended firmly and consistently in all scenarios.  On this occasion, we have denounced political manipulation and double standards, and we have spoken the truth, he said.

An offensive military encirclement has been established around Russia, he said, condemning the fact that, for decades, the U.S. government has progressively expanded its hegemony and military presence in the region, with the continued expansion of NATO in Eastern European countries, ignoring commitments made by U.S., European and Soviet leaders in the 1990s, after the unification of Germany and the disintegration of the USSR, he recalled.

This conflict could have been avoided if the Russian Federation's well-founded demands for security guarantee had been seriously and respectfully addressed, he said.

Díaz-Canel noted, "To think that Russia should remain passive in the face of NATO's offensive military encirclement is irresponsible, to say the least.  They have taken that country to an extreme situation," he said, pointing out that the continued use of economic, commercial and financial sanctions as a means to exert pressure on a country, does not solve the current crisis, but rather adds fuel to the fire and aggravates the international economic situation, which has been severely affected by these two difficult years of pandemic, he added.

U.S. imperialism is adding fuel to the fire, he said, but from afar, using European countries as its backyard.  Cuba has made this point regularly in different international events, he stated, and recalled the speech delivered by Army General Raúl Castro, on February 22, 2014, in which he emphatically addressed this issue.

As we have reiterated, we will continue to advocate for a serious and constructive diplomatic solution to the current crisis in Europe, advocating peaceful means that guarantee the security and sovereignty of all, as well as regional and international peace, stability and security, he stated.  Cuba has been obliged to confront the pandemic under the brutal economic, commercial and financial U.S. blockade, which has been qualitatively escalated since 2019 to an even more damaging level, he noted.

We will have the opportunity to review these highly sensitive issues in greater depth and trust that the people will continue to keep an eye on these events and make the effort required to distinguish truth from manipulation, he stated.

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The Group of Financial Services Regulators (GFSR) of The Bahamas direct all financial institutions to review dealings with Russians, Belarusians, and Russian and Belarusian entities

Statement from The Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Ongoing Review of the Invasion of Ukraine

Pursuant to our ongoing review of the situation in Ukraine and consultations with our CARICOM partners, The Bahamas Foreign Ministry advises the public of recent orders from the regulators of the Financial Services Sector and the Attorney General as follow:

They are the INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS (ECONOMIC AND ANCILLARY MEASURES) ACT (CHAPTER 16) and INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS (ECONOMIC AND ANCILLARY MEASURES) (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) (UNILATERAL SANCTIONS) DIRECTIONS 2022 and the Group of Financial Services Regulators Directive on Russian Business Activities.

Pursuant to our Treaty Obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, we have shared these directives with our Caricom partners. The conversation continues with them.

Foreign Ministers of Caricom have been charged by the Heads of Government to continue an active review of these matters and keep the heads advised.

The measures by the Group of Financial Services Regulators (GFSR) of The Bahamas direct all financial institutions to review dealings with Russians, Belarusians, and Russian and Belarusian entities on the prescribed schedule and report back to the Attorney General. The Financial Regulators have advised all financial institutions not to engage in dealings with Russians, Russian entities, Belarusian and Belarusian entities who are subject to international sanctions.

The directive from the Central Bank, the Securities Commission, the Insurance Commission and the Gaming Board issued on 13 March 2022 reads in part: "Regulated entities should apply the highest level of risk management controls to deter the potential for any misuse of the Bahamian financial system in the current global environment and indeed, every circumstance.

"For the purposes of this directive, sanctions include those issued by the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the European Union and any other jurisdiction which the Group of Financial Service Regulators may specify from time to time."

This is an evolving story and remains under active review.

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The US, the EU, the drowsy politicians, and the media are plunging us into a cesspool of hatred towards Russia as a nation

RUSSOPHOBIA, HATE FOR HATE

By Jon Kokura

In the wake of the war between Russia and Ukraine, an ice cream shop in the city of Cordoba in Argentina banned Russian cream from its ice cream menu.

And this seems like a joke, it's not.

It's the supreme idiocy cooked from the "media" and feeding so many guiles.

"You have to hate Russia, with no mercy, no compassion."

In December 1941, after the Japanese Navy's attack on Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) - a tsunami of hate was unleashed against all Japanese citizens residing in the US.

Humiliated, spat on and trampled on - they were taken to concentration camps in the desert - for the "crime" of being born in Japan, being children of Japanese, or looking Japanese. And they were just hard-working immigrants.

You know how hardworking and polite the Japanese are.

But in those years of war, when these thousands of people were in concentration camps on American soil for having "eyes sharp" - no one asked; "What are we doing...? "

You got to hate for hating.

Russophobia is not new in Europe. It's been around for hundreds of years. And in the US, Russophobia has been going on since Russia opted for communism at the beginning of the last century.

Napoleon, once, with an invincible army - attempted to destroy the Tsar Empire. He was defeated, and in his failure, set Moscow on fire.

Hitler said that the Russians were a people of slaves; sub-humans - who had to be annihilated and invaded. Russia, with an invincible army of millions of soldiers, including hundreds of thousands of nazis Ukrainians who were infinitely more cruel and bloody than the SS themselves... defeated Hitler's Army.

The war in Ukraine is 8 years old. There are 14,000 women, children and men killed by the Ukrainian Army in the separatist provinces. No servile and tracker "journalist" ever told you about those 14 thousand human beings that are no longer here.

Yeah, they keep lying to you. Never like today so many lies are exposed at the hours of being cackled by the media. Today, in a kind of "war tourism", hundreds of stray journalists are in Europe "covering" the war.

What did they go for if they all repeat the NATO report? And they even show you the same images, over and over again.

From so much media hammering, there's no shortage of the dumbass who owns an ice cream parlor and decides not to sell more Russian cream ice cream - because he was gripped by a terrible hatred of Russia.

The US, the EU, the drowsy politicians, and the media are plunging us into a cesspool of hatred towards Russia as a nation.

And it's dangerous, there won't be a duck of Russophobes who will give a beating to some young man for having been born in Russia - and living in this so good, innocent and Christian West.

The Russian people are like any people in the world - with their dreams, frustrations, and hopes. Thousands of Russians are in the streets today calling for an end to the war. Hundreds of them have been arrested for protesting.

Russians are neither aliens nor predators... Even if the media tells you yes, and celebrate like crazy every minute sanctions are imposed against the Russian people. Sanctions that are contrary to sanity and common sense.

The US even banned the release of "Batman" in Russia. "Holy robin bell tower!" We will not be able to perform in Moscow!"

(This Thursday 3rd is the Mudial Premiere of the last Batman Film, except in Russia)

Meanwhile from the media, Russophobia is encouraged every minute - like a Sunday sermon. I wonder; "In the not too distant future - if we will have to clandestinely buy the novels by Dostoyevsky, Tolsti, Chejov, Solzhenitsyn, Gorki, etc, etc...? "

"Are they going to ban the Russian salad...?" "If in doubt, I advise you to prepare it only when you have guests of your most absolute trust."

And lastly, even if I'm accused of being pro-Russian; I'll give you the ingredients for the Russian cream:

*5 eggs (only the yolks)

* 100 grams of whipped cream.

*8 tablespoons of condensed milk.

*1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

*1 tablespoon of lemon zest.

*1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

I'm not going to tell you how to prepare the Russian cream. I have a cat to look after. Who gone feed it if something happen to me....

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The Invasion of Ukraine is a Test of American and European Hegemony and Resolve

PUTIN PUT HIMSELF AT RISK; THOUGH HE EXPOSED THE WEST IN THE PROCESS!

By Gilbert Morris

The masters of war over the length of human civilisation have been those rare breeds who knew how the war would end, before it began.

For this reason, I imagined that Valdimir Putin would not enter Ukraine, because there is no good ending to such a scenario:

- 1. If he entered Donbass alone, he could use mercenaries already in Donbass, without risking Russian troops, and at minimal costs

- 2. This would allow him to control Donbass, but deny a Russian invasion

- 3. The downside is - if the rationale is to prevent a NATO footing at the Russian border, NATO would still have such a footing in the rest of Ukraine

- 4. Even if Russia held all of Ukraine, NATO would still be on his border in Poland and other Baltic states.

Second, there is even a midway strategy: If Putin has kept his soldiers on the Ukrainian border…then activated and deployed the Russian mercenaries already in Donbass (as above)…then, used short range missiles to destroy Ukrainian military installations and infrastructure…he could still plausibly, though not convincingly claim not to have invaded, yet still have the same effect of an invasion, without the costs.

Third, if Putin moved into non-Russian dominated regions toward the West and Northwest of Ukraine, another set of issues emerge:

- 1. The costs of holding such a large area is beyond Russia’s capacity

- 2. The risk of holding such a large area is unintended consequences that could brew from an insurgency

- 3. The downside of holding such a large area is once the costs become too great, withdrawal is humiliating; as was Russia’s and the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in utter defeat

I have zero feeling one way or the other about Superpowers dominating their regions of the world - as America has done and has done far beyond its region. Emotional and hysterical reactions will not help the Ukrainian people; as it did not help the Greek states, nor the Roman vassal states, nor the Chinese tributary states. As a general mode, I’d rather the Ukrainians had peace…but there is nothing new in their condition, unless one has failed to read basic histories.

Four, the invasion of Ukraine has nothing to do with Ukraine or NATO directly. Rather, it should be obvious that this is a test of American and European hegemony and resolve.

Neither China, nor Russia, nor Pakistan have condemned Putin’s Russia, and obviously, neither has Iran. That’s nearly 40% of the world’s population that is not feeding brainlessly on American media; the same media that exhilarated in the invasion of Iraq under a fat tissue of lies…an Iraq that’s 6,900 plus miles from America!

Speaking in diplomatic terms: one can only be shocked at the utter incompetence of today’s “diplomats”. The impetuous sophomore appointed by President Biden as Secretary of State flits around the world threatening and hyperventilating rather than proposing deals to solve crisises. This is hardly in the tradition of Professor Henry Kissinger or the sheer gravitas of General Colin Powell or the elegant James Baker…who, between them, understood the world as it was and tried to solve problems rather than save souls.

THEREFORE WHERE ARE WE:

- 1. Sanctions will not work because sanctions do not work on people who are prepared to do anything to survive: Putin offset those with China-Russia trade deals over the last two years and developed a ‘war chest’ (puns intended), to offset any funding issues from sanctions

- 2. Sanctions are likely to hurt Americans and Europeans more than Russia, for instance, Russian assets in the west are likely to go unleased and western banks will bear the brunt of the loss of income, together with staffs and co-investors.

- 3. Fuel prices have risen already and in a state of pandemic induced supply chain crunches and falling demand, sanctions reduce demand without preventing the behaviours for which they were intended, as if Russian leaders ever cared whether the Russian people starved

- 4. The West has no moral leg to stand on: The US has a Monroe Doctrine that says to other nations, DON’T ENTER THE AMERICAN SPARE. The US fought Britain and Spain under the same rubric as Putin now uses for Ukraine. France still has 14 African nations whose reserves it steals. Britain was handmaiden to every unwarranted invasion in the 20th century and with its European partners have ‘blood on their hands’ in the disintegration of Yugoslavia, genocide in Rwanda, Liberia and Sudan and bloodlust in Syria, Libya and Iraq.

The proper posture of a scholar is to see things clearly and to posit a system of the world in his or her response to worldly phenomena, by first rejecting his or her own feelings, allowing the raw facts to stand in their full propensities and in blunt isolation.

- 1. Putin has over reached as the first two scenarios would have been measured and would have achieved his objectives without the costs, and with plausible deniability of an actual invasion

- 2. The West’s reaction has been callow, hysterical and hypocritical: it has opted for lazy measures that will not help Ukraine, together with empty gestures that makes the West feel good about itself as it leaves Ukrainians in the lurch

- 3. NATO has been exposed as ineffectual and morally crippled.

- 4. This situation cannot end well for any nation in the world, and the unskilled Western reaction has proven the thesis of rising/retuning powers that the age of the West is dead.

For those who wish to see the forest above the trees: this moment is most alike to the pre-World War I moment, in which incompetence, foolish high sanctimonious rhetoric and unmitigated hubris saw the world stumble into a world war. Yet, mere gown up maturity would have had sufficient diplomacy to have prevented this situation.

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THE UKRAINE CRISIS - THE SCAPEGOAT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED!

...It’s ALL DUE TO THE UKRAINE CRISIS...

By Sean Parnell

I have been skeptical about the situation in Ukraine since the beginning, & many of you have asked me about my thoughts on the situation - so, here it goes.

The intel was always murky. Ukraine is not an ally. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. The Biden family has enriched themselves off corrupt Ukrainian oligarchs & shady business deals there.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has basically told Biden to cool it with the wartime rhetoric.

The whole situation seems off. Like we are rushing into a chaotic situation. Like we didn’t have a full picture of what was actually happening there. Add to that, potential conflict with Russia in the winter…historically NOT GOOD.

Then this headline posted last night. And there you have it.

SCAPEGOAT ACTIVATED.

That crippling inflation you’ve experienced the last year. The rise in costs for just about everything.

The pain at the pump. It’s definitely not because Biden is a corrupt & incompetent leader.

Don’t you see? It’s ALL DUE TO THE UKRAINE crisis.

This is a blatant lie. This is lazy propaganda from the media. Total fake news.

Wonder why people trust Joe Rogan over the media?

This is why.

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Why does Ukraine matter?

For those who ask: "Why does Ukraine matter?"

Ukraine matters. That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world

From My Local Pages

Naturally the people of Ukraine are incredibly important; but here is why the Country of Ukraine matters:

- It is the second largest country by area in Europe and has a population with of over 40 million. More than Poland.

Ukraine ranks:

- 1st in Europe in proven recoverable reserves of uranium ores;

- 2nd place in Europe and 10th place in the world in terms of titanium ore reserves;

- 2nd place in the world in terms of explored reserves of manganese ores (2.3 billion tons, or 12% of the world's reserves);

- 2nd largest iron ore reserves in the world (30 billion tons);

- 2nd place in Europe in terms of mercury ore reserves;

- 3rd place in Europe (13th place in the world) in shale gas reserves (22 trillion cubic meters)

- 4th in the world by the total value of natural resources;

- 7th place in the world in coal reserves (33.9 billion tons)

Ukraine is an important agricultural country:

- 1st in Europe in terms of arable land area;

- 3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world's volume);

-1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil;

- 2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley exports;

- 3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world;

- 4th largest producer of potatoes in the world;

- 5th largest rye producer in the world;

- 5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons);

- 8th place in the world in wheat exports;

- 9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs;

- 16th place in the world in cheese exports.

Ukraine can meet the food needs of 600 million people.

Ukraine is an important industrialised country:

- 1st in Europe in ammonia production;

- Europe's 2nd’s and the world’s 4th largest natural gas pipeline system;

- 3rd largest in Europe and 8th largest in the world in terms of installed capacity of nuclear power plants;

- 3rd place in Europe and 11th in the world in terms of rail network length (21,700 km);

- 3rd place in the world (after the U.S. and France) in production of locators and locating equipment;

- 3rd largest iron exporter in the world

- 4th largest exporter of turbines for nuclear power plants in the world;

- 4th world's largest manufacturer of rocket launchers;

- 4th place in the world in clay exports

- 4th place in the world in titanium exports

- 8th place in the world in exports of ores and concentrates;

- 9th place in the world in exports of defence industry products;

- 10th largest steel producer in the world (32.4 million tons).

Ukraine matters. That is why its independence is important to the rest of the world.

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