Yesterday my daughter gave me a lift to a hospice on the other side of Greater Manchester, so that I could visit an old friend and former work colleague who is quietly dying of an aggressive form of cancer. It’s hard to get there by public transport so I was grateful for a lift. My friend has outlived the few weeks or months they predicted she had left. But she is very much weakened and told me at one point that she felt “kindlich” (German is her first language) which I think translates as “like a child”. It must be hard to have to rely on others the do almost everything for you when you have been an independent, determined quite outspoken person all your life. What a cruel situation.
As I prepared to leave, a former student of hers and mine, someone who studied two languages for A-level, arrived. (I almost said one of the rare people who studied two languages but my friend and I had quite a large number of shared students over the years we worked together.) how wonderful that former students are prepared to go out of their way to visit her!
Throughout the last few months, despite her illness, she has continued to post items and opinions about the parlous state of the modern world.
The day before yesterday it was the 80th anniversary of the Americans dropping the bomb on Hiroshima. Nobody has dropped such a bomb since the end of the second world war. We know how dangerous it would be. We need to remember that because there are some crazy people contemplating and accepting the possibility of using nuclear weapons again now.
Here’s Martin Rowson’s take on the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima.
By the way, when we say America we usually mean the United States of America. Here’s a reminder of all sorts of different Americas. How small the USA looks!
I read that Dean Cain, an actor who apparently once played Superman, has signed up to become an ICE agent. “I’m actually a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer – I wasn’t part of Ice, but once I put that out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy,” Cain said on Wednesday. “So now I’ve spoken with some officials over at Ice, and I will be sworn in as an Ice agent, ASAP.”
Asked what inspired him to join, Cain said: “This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing.”
Hmm! I seem to have the idea that his country was built on colonisation and waves of immigration from just about everywhere. Maybe Superman has done a u-turn and is now wronging rights.
Here’s a piece of news that I’ve just come across:
“Germany halts military exports that could be used in Gaza, Merz says
The German government will not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice, chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday in response to Israel’s plan to expand its military operations there.
Merz said it was Israel’s right to disarm Hamas and to seek the release of the Israeli hostages but “the German government believes that the even tougher military action in the Gaza Strip decided upon by the Israeli cabinet last night makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals can be achieved”.
According to Reuters, Merz said in a statement:
Under these circumstances, the German government will not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.
The release of the hostages and negotiations for a ceasefire are Germany’s top priorities, Merz said, expressing deep concern over the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip.”
Well! That is a bit of a surprise! Let’s hope it makes a difference.
Meanwhile people are still starving, people seeking aid are being killed and protestors are still bing arrested:
“A protester who was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide” is taking legal action against the police force involved.
Armed police told Laura Murton, 42, that her demonstration in Canterbury, Kent, last month expressed views supportive of Palestine Action, which had been banned under terrorism legislation earlier in July.
Murton said neither of her signs mentioned Palestine Action. When asked directly whether she supported any proscribed organisations, she replied: “I do not.””
While we’ve all been following news reports about the war in Ukraine and genocide in Gaza, everyone seems to have been quiet about Sudan. Here’s a link to an article about atrocities there.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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