Another example of classic human behavior is playing out in Ukraine. Russia is massing its forces on the Ukrainian border, the US and it's NATO allies are threatening from the West. The US and it's allies are accusing Russia of warmongering, Russia counters by claiming the West is acting hostile towards it, threatening its security. Russia seems to be establishing an alliance with China. This is the same behaviour that precipitated WWI and II, we can't afford WWIII.

If praying is your bag,
Pray for peace.

If hoping is your bag,
Hope for peace.

Hoping for peace is not going to achieve anything.
The West needs to not back down as far as Putin is
concerned. Stand up to him and not tolerate his
attempts at intimidation. He needs to back off in
the Ukraine. And that should be made quite clear.
No more handling with kid-gloves. The man needs to
be told that his tactics will NOT be tolerated by
the West.

It will be difficult. But it must be done. Or tragic
results will indeed ensue. The Ukraine will only be the
beginning. Other land grabs will follow.

Putin argued in 2014 that Russians and Ukrainians are
"one people. That Kiev is the mother of Russian cities.
That Ancient Rus is our common source and we cannot live
without each other." And earlier he described the Ukraine
as being turned into "anti-Russia" by the West.

The language and memes become even less elegant as you descend
into the vomitarium of Russia state media talk shows and
troll farms.

What is even more disturbing is the more recent Russian
Foreign Minstry's depiction of countries who were occupied
by the USSR as "orphaned" by the end of the Cold War.
As if Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech
Republic were lost urchins somehow pining for the return
of Big Daddy Moscow.

These constant references to family makes one think that
other motivations could be relevant here.

The West must be united in being strong in its stance -
and call Russia's bluff. It needs to stand up to Putin and
not allow another land grab as happened with Crimea.
Because the end result will be tragic not only for Ukraine.
The Ukraine will only be the first step in Russia's
plan to regain what it sees as its territories.

It must not be allowed to happen.

cont'd ...

The Russians want Ukraine because of its rich food
production as the Ukraine currently exports to
the West. Apparently Russian food production has
slumped. Its Russian troops on the border of the
Ukraine is to provoke the Ukrainians to attack
and then Russian can invade as a form of "self-defence."
(typically Russian tactics). The West and its allies
need to offer more trade in food resources - but not
allow Russia to get its foot into the Ukraine.

Today Ukraine, Tomorrow all the previous occupied
territories.

Hi Foxy,

Them there be fightn' words! I didn't start this thread as a call to arms, by the right over the wrong, and I don't know who that be, rather as a call to piece. As a pacifist I don't support war in any shape or form, there must be a better way. Warmongering by both sides does us no good. As the powerless I can only ask for us to pray, or hope, for peace. If there are those of goodwill, let them overcome the belligerent.

Dear Paul,

The United States Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms each stand in protection of the
individual against the capriciousness and overwhelming
power of the state. Their respective Constitutions
have guaranteed the individual certain fundamental rights
and protections. Their laws are based on the principle that
law serves the individual, not the state, and that state
political interests cannot outweigh the interests of the
individual, who must stand in law as a free man.

In contrast, V.I. Lenin made it clear that, in his political
philosophy, law has one primary goal: "A law is a political
measure, it is politics." No Soviet authority or communist
leader has abandoned this concept. It has been applied
in the territories "liberated" by the Bolsheviks during the
October revolution, in the captive nations occupied by the
Red Army during World War II, and in the lands won by
military force or "wars of liberation"
in Asia, Africa, the Far East, and the Caribbean.

We can pray and hope for peace certainly. However, those
tactics did not work previously so perhaps other tactics
need to be included as well because as we know - praying
and hoping does not work with bullies.

Hi Paul,

I've been watching the news.

Russia demands an end to Nato activity in Eastern
Europe. It wants Nato to pull out of Poland and
the Baltic States and countries like Poland.
Russia's made a list of what it wants and basically
it wants Nato's protections in these countries gone.
It's aim is to force Nato out. I seriously am not
sure if prayers and hope are going to work in this
instance.

Anyway there's more at the following link:

http://france24.com/en/europe/20211219-amidst-simmering-tensions-with-russia-lithuania-call-for-vigilance

If the US gets involved so will Australia.