Two too many atrocities,...how many more?

Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is serial atrocities

Born in 1593, Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi was the first woman to establish herself as a successful artist in a profession long dominated by men. One of the most striking aspects of her work is the way she paints women. Her male contemporaries tended to portray women as passive victims or tentative actors. Artemisia’s women, on the other hand, defend themselves, scheme and relish in perpetrating violence.

“Here lies the dark underside to ‘Win Narratives’ that become unyoked from the facts on the ground: The EU spokesman is compelled to affirm the mandatory narrative of Ukraine’s “right to defend itself … from aggression” – but then to nix anything and everything that Russia may say.

Put plainly, ‘win narratives’ kill empathy; they kill active listening and understanding. Diplomats are supposed to practice deep listening. If what they hear jars with what they expect, or want to hear, they are supposed to listen harder, and try to run-down what it is that lies out-of-sight, behind what they hear, so to understand what was intended, and to better understand their interlocutor. The West does not practice this now.

People often ask why is there so little empathy evident today? Why do states talk past each other? Why are channels of communication jammed? Well, that’s why: Flipped narratives based on easily exposed untruths”.—Alastair Crooke

Preface

I want to start this blog by paying tribute to a great journalist with tremendous insights into the world situation, and I refer to Alastair Crooke.

One of the ways of getting through the dark times we are experiencing now is to be mentored by great journalists and Crooke is one of many I follow closely. Their understanding, insights and experience are essential to understanding our times as knowing and understanding are in themselves therapeutic and allowing us to rationalize a civilization gone mad. Especially when the MSM exists in utter disgrace independent journalists like Crooke become more essential than ever.

The above quote is from his article Something Lost Never to Be Found Again as posted on Strategic Culture Foundation. SCF is also a platform for many journalists of Crooke’s stature. The article provides critical insights into the present situation.

Crooke’s writings, and others like him are testimony to why we must share the word widely to offset and attack the lies and tyrannies haunting our existence .

Existential is a word for our times as we have to plum the depths of what it is to exist in these time, who we are, what we are, and where we are headed These are unique times as we are under assault from the failed custodians of our societies who are supposed to sustain the pillars when they are shattering them at every turn. We are left aghast at their utter contempt for decency and the public they are supposed to serve.