Hi Poirot,

Happy Mother's Day!
It's good to be back. And I've got an upgrade to my computer which is great. So much stuff on there now - it will take a while for me to get used to it all. But I'm happy. (Been a frustrating couple of weeks - with my ancient computer).

Yes, welcome back Lexi, and happy mother's day to all the mums.

Happy mother's day. Good to hear from you, Lexi.

Going to see the ballet, Don Quixote. Possibly, the end of war is a quixotic idea.

Dear Squeers,

Thanks for the welcome back and the Mother's Day wishes. I'll be heading off soon for a delish lunch with my family and our mothers as well as my loveable grandson. I'm looking forward to it very much.
Happy Day to you and yours as well.

Dear David,

Thank You.
I still remember my first ballet experience. Our Music teacher took our class to a Matinee performance of "Les Sylvides" (I'm not sure if I've spelt it correctly). When the curtain went up there was a blue mist emanating from the stage and the dancers were in their classic white full length dress. I simply gasped and sat there mesmerized as they slowly began to dance. It was magic, and I've been a fan ever since. Don Quixote sounds wonderful. I haven't actually seen any performances of that particular ballet. I imagine it should be very colourful. I agree that perhaps war ending is a Quixotic idea. But
sometimes these ideas can snow-ball if enough people get behind them.
All we need is the right leadership?

I'm not looking to offend anyone but I'm going to call the statement "I think it is more about heroism and patriotism as sacred cows for the unthinking zealots", as a touch elitist and more than a touch dismissive.

There may be many who don't have the time nor the propensity to contemplate these issues as we are doing yet I invariably find that if the opportunity avails itself most people are not "unthinking zealots" and often reach more humane conclusions than the 'elite'.

Those who watch the Jon Stewart Daily Show may have caught his last show of 2010. He devoted it entirely to the stalled Zadroga Bill which was designed to set up a trust fund for 'first responders' after 9/11. It had looked as though it was doomed to die until Stewart, a 'left-leaning', small 'l' liberal, comedian, did his show. Chris Wallace of Fox News picked it up calling it a "National shame". The bill looks certain to now pass.

Jon Stewart is the last person one would call an 'unthinking zealot'.

The buttons he pushed were far more about guilt than patriotism, though granted patriotism is a great vehicle for dressing up guilt.

Poriot makes the point; "Heroism, patriotism, dignity and purpose are far easier to digest than fear, confusion, despair and hate." but they all come from the same parent and are all genuinely human.

Dear Lexi,

I am pessimistic about ending war.

To my way of thinking an international community would consist of the peoples of the world coming together and expressing their commonalities and their differences. The UN remains a forum composed of those representing the government of the nations composing the UN. The UN is another layer of control over an international community. Various UN agencies have done worthwhile things. However, the UN to my way of thinking is not an international community and is not likely to become one.

The words, peace process, to me is a negation of peace. It makes peace something on the never-never. The process continues but never finishes. I want peace not a peace process.

We do have a growing body of international law. What is lacking is an impartial enforcement mechanism. No government may want such a mechanism.

The World Court is not part of the UN. It's the popular name of the Permanent Court of International Justice, established pursuant to Article 14 of the Covenant of the League of Nations. The protocol establishing it was adopted by the Assembly of the League in 1920 and ratified by the requisite number of states in 1921. It dissolved in 1945 when its functions were transferred to the newly created International Court of Justice,

I don't know what you mean by not liking to see another war down the track. Australia is at war although the fighting is not on Australian soil.

I was in the United States during the Vietnamese War and protested against it. My impression is that the Vietnamese resistance contributed more to the end of the war than the protests. The protests were not significant until the body bags came back in large numbers.

The ballet was beautiful even though the plot seemed to have little to do with Cervantes’ book. While I was at it I did not think of the wars that Australia is waging, the refugees from those wars, the many hungry, the many obese and the destruction of the environment. My thinking about it would have done no good