That Man from Moscow

This week world leaders met at the United Nations to discuss world events, one of which was the war in Syria. As the world has watched the mass exodus of people from Syria to, first refugee camps in neighboring countries, and then to the more economically desirable lands of Europe, it has become apparent that a solution to this conflict is not fast arriving.

For some time now it has seemed as if everyone and his brother are fighting in Syria; the Assad government, which is attempting to remain in power, the various rebel factions trying to depose Assad, the terrorist group ISIL, which apparently wants Syria as part of its caliphate, the Kurds who would like a cozy enclave of their own to attempt a socialist experiment, and a coalition of Western powers, including the United States, who are hunting ISIL. Oh, wait, I forgot Turkey, who seems to be allying with the US led coalition to fight ISIL, maybe. Except they seem to be hunting Kurds more so than ISIL extremists. But the one power who seemed to be keeping a distance was Russia. Oh, sure, there was some hint here and there of Russian intelligence working the area, but no significant build up of military hardware or troops. Until recently. Apparently the Russians have set up anti-aircraft batteries, flown in fighter planes, and have brought in some troops, presumably to man the equipment sent in. Of course there is speculation as to their purpose. Are they there to support Assad, fight ISIL, or simply be on site to conveniently pick up the pieces if things go south for Assad? Only one man knows for sure.

This is just a portion of the Charlie Rose interview with Vladimir Putin that aired on 60 Minutes, but it gives the gist of his thinking, and has the benefit of being short.

There are a couple of things wrong with his reasoning about supporting the “legitimate” government of Bashar Assad, one of which is that it is questionable, since so many Syrians are opposed to his government, that it actually is legitimate. The other being that Assad's government would work for reform.

Here is Putin's speech at the United Nations.

Mr. Putin talks about human rights and the right to life in his speech.  Yet he is proposing supporting a government that has shown it has no compunction in killing its own people, which has helped lead to the displacement of millions of Syrians.

Mr. Putin wonders about people not learning lessons from the past. He might want to ask himself that question.  

The Martian

It's time for me to do another book. But fortunately for those who don't want, or don't have the time, to read a book, they have conveniently made it into a movie. My first reaction was how could they make it better than the book? But then that's always my first reaction. I have not seen the movie, as it doesn't come out until October 2, but I see it is starring Matt Damon. Well, if it's got Matt Damon in it, that alone would encourage one to give it a look. But it seems that those who have seen it are giving it some good reviews, so I feel safe in recommending it.

The book is "The Martian" by Andy Weir. The plot revolves around a lone astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars after a severe storm causes NASA to abort the mission he and his crew mates are on. What was so fascinating for me was the ingenuity shown by one man who had only himself to rely on for survival. For someone like me, who never studied science too seriously in school, the idea that scientific knowledge could be the skill needed for survival in a thriller was a bit of a revelation.  As the review says it is a nerd thriller. But I never found it to drag or bog down in details that were not integral to the plot line. Or put another way, there wasn't a lot of filler that I had the desire to skim over.

I would read the book, but if that isn't your thing, here is the trailer for the movie.

Terror and Tears

Since I have been rather serious of late I was considering writing a lighter post, but as I have watched the thousands of people making the long trek to Europe in any way they could I simply could not forget their plight. It is the beginning of school season here and one of my relatives sent me pictures of her daughters' first day of school. They, along with other neighborhood children, were lined up freshly dressed, with their hair carefully fixed, to board the school bus. It was such a stark contrast, a heart wrenching contrast, to the children I see every day in the news who are caught up in the turmoil of the Middle East. 

This video is from January 2014.

(Clicking on the lower right corner will show a full screen, which may make the subtitles easier to read.)

Since the start of the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIL there have been millions of people displaced by the fighting. Most have fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East where they have waited for the situation in Syria to improve. It has not, and many are tired of waiting, so they have chosen to try to reach Europe in hopes of finding a better future for themselves and their children. The shear numbers are staggering.

These people are running from the terror of a civil war that they have no control over. ISIL's recruitment numbers pale in comparison to the millions of people who have chosen to flee Syria rather than join ISIL's Caliphate.

On the news tonight they reported that President Obama has decided to up the number of refugees allowed into the United States by 10,000. I am glad to hear that he has decided to increase the number, but I am thinking that more is needed. Europe is already feeling the strain of previous migrant inflows from poorer countries in Europe as well as immigrants from the Middle East. There is a point where social stresses may be stretched too far.

Sweden:

Germany:

What would it take to stabilize Syria to the point where people could return? Perhaps this needs to be revisited, unless we are willing to up that 10,000 figure by a significant amount.

On God's Authority

Why do these people presume to think they know what the word of God is?  And why do they believe they have the right to impose their beliefs on others?

Update:

A federal judge today ordered county clerk, Kim Davis, to jail for contempt of court.

Judge's decision

Update 2:

Judge Orders Kim Davis' release - but bars her from interfering with deputies issuing marriage licenses