Random Thoughts 3/15/2022


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One must be awed, amazed and just plain overwhelmed by the courage, strength, fearlessness, and determination of the Ukrainian people. They are in a war/conflict where they are outnumbered, outgunned, and for most people would be considered dire or hopeless. To them, there is hope as long as there is life, something very admirable about people who face such overwhelming odds with such vigor and tenacity.

Does not matter what side you are on in this conflict, you must at least admire the people of Ukraine. They are very amazing people to take on such a big superpower and hold their own as long as they have. I myself support Ukraine, they should be able to decide their own destinies without interference from any nation be they from the east or west. To be honest though, who knows what is propaganda and what is not in this modern world. My trust in news agencies has gone way down in the last 10 years. So my support for Ukraine is less political and more of a Moral and personal opinion than anything else. Human lives are on the line and the right for a nation and people to choose their own destinies is as well.

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My message to Putin is, back off and go home. You made your point and got your message out and to the rest involved, give Putin a way out so this senseless war/conflict can come to a close. Peace is the best choice, Peace by diplomacy and sanity and not peace by destruction and death.

China, be the responsible superpower you should be, regardless of your political differences and your close ties to Russia you could be the broker of peace in this situation. We all need to bring this conflict to an end and find some common ground between us all before this escalates into a full-out world war. Because we all know if another world war breaks out someone will eventually make the mistake of using nuclear weapons and that would be the end of humankind as we know it if not total annihilation.

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It kind of confuses me to be honest why the two of the largest nations in landmass would be so concerned about expanding or reclaiming former pieces of land that are small in comparison to their own. They pose little to no threat militarily and their economies though good is not much of a worry to such industrious nations as China or Russia. Work on diplomatic solutions, economic ties, and instead of controlling those areas, befriend them and make this world a safer and happier place for the future children of all nations, including your own.

Democracies, monarchies, dictatorships, communist / Socialist republics alike are forms of government though different they all serve the same basic function. Just because we all govern differently does not mean we can not co-exist. We will, of course, have issues with one another, especially over human rights, but I feel not a single nation out there hasn’t at one point or another failed when it comes to the human rights and treatment of its citizens.

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The demonization of other nations and their political structure only leads to mistrust and conflict, not saying we shouldn’t call out a nation doing wrong, but do it responsibly and with facts only. Leave the opinions, propaganda, and rhetoric at home. People are far more intellectual nowadays than you may realize, the majority of us do see the propaganda, political agendas being pushed through news agencies, and so on.

We quickly point our fingers to the east and say propaganda news, the state ran tv, etc, and forget though our news may be corporate, it is still propaganda to a degree and is being used by both political parties to sway the masses here at home. Disinformation and Psy-ops as they call it is being used I believed in every country to one degree or another. That is The reason so many of us do not trust news sources anymore.

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My point is, don’t always believe what you read or see, think for yourself, and when you do read or watch news and opinions, fact check and tear it all apart to make sure what you are receiving is factual not opinion or political biased propaganda.

Well, it seems once again I have raved on long enough with my random thoughts. Right or wrong they are my opinions of what is going on in this world and my life. They may differ or may be similar to your own. But please think for yourself, don’t take what I say here for anything but what they are, the opinions of an average man.

Random Thoughts 3-10-2022


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Have you ever noticed that in this world those that show the most compassion, have a peaceful nature, and those who see the world around them as a whole a higher priority than their own desires and needs tend to be looked upon as either weak or they are socially shunned?

Seems it is more socially acceptable to be selfish, brutish, and cold-hearted than to be compassionate and selfless in nature. Too many people are stuck on what is in it for me, or what can I get out of it, and not focused on how it will affect the world around them. To be fair, we all have a bit of selfishness in us all, between self-preservation and the desire to find some happiness in this life it is unavoidable to be a tad bit selfish at times.

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Unless one is seeking to live a life of a monk or nun, there will be some desire to accumulate wealth and possession. The key is to know when it is enough to be happy and when it is becoming just plain overindulgence. We as a species need to recognize that even though we are individuals we also are a part of the human race which is in turn just a part of the world we all live in regardless of species and or beliefs. The whole as they would call it depends on all of its parts from the smallest living microorganism to the largest of the animals.

Thinking we are an individual, separate from all other living creatures great and small only causes us to think of one drop of water in the ocean of life. Seems to me that is a very lonely and unfavorable way of looking at one’s self and life, we are all a part of something much larger than just ourselves. We should think and act as we are stewards of the world we live in and have a love for all of life. So if ya see someone in need, do not judge them due to their appearance, financial status, or social position in society, instead, reach your hand out to help them.

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Society will continue to shun those with a caring and loving nature it seems until we change the mindset that to love is weak and to be bullish and selfish is a sign of success or strength. Until there are social consequences for those that are hateful, selfish, and spiteful and reward for nurturing and loving people.

We should make it a priority to teach our children respect for all life, and respect for all people. Teach them to be at the least tolerant of different belief systems and ways of life. Humanity will always have a multitude of religious, social, and political beliefs. It is one of the things that keeps the species growing and changing. Those differences between us all will help us learn as a species and grow as a whole.

Well, Enough of my random rants and thoughts for now. Be blessed and may you find peace and happiness my friends.

Random Thoughts 3-7-2022


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War only leads to the destruction, disruption, and loss of life due to political and sociological differences. The reasons for war are infinite in the minds of those waging it, the way to avoid war is diplomacy and using a rarely used collection of things such as patience, tolerance, and understanding. There are always going to be differences of opinion, ideologies, political policies, and differences in how countries chose to govern.

Watching a Superpower such as Russia invading their neighbor Ukraine seems like a high school fight between the Quarterback on the football team and the average-sized kid who doesn’t play sports. All due to the fear of Ukraine possibly joining N.A.T.O. or possibly the EU. Considering Russias Military strength and nuclear arsenal, I can not see what Russia would have to fear, Even if The U.S. were to go to war with them the use of nuclear weapons would be off the table (I would pray). Since there are no winners in a Nuclear war.

I do believe though, the 3 superpower nations and most nations, in general, do not desire a world war or the destruction of the planet we live on along with all life. Only if world leaders could put aside their differences long enough to work together on the things they all agree on, could you imagine how much as a species humankind could achieve?

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I definitely dislike war and do believe there is always an alternative to war, though the parties involved would be required to be more understanding and be willing to find a compromise that is fair and balanced. The War or Military exercise as it’s been called by one side is decimating the poor civilians of Ukraine, be it intentional or unintentional they are getting caught in the crossfire.

Regardless of which side you are on or support, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the loss of lives on both sides militarily should be enough of an incentive to find a peaceful solution to this conflict. Human Lives are a cost that is permanent, buildings, infrastructure, etc can be replaced and rebuilt but once a person dies it is gone.

It seems the Covid Pandemic has caused much division in the world, a lot of mistrust but worse of all it has claimed too many lives and now we add deaths of civilians and military in this conflict. Though it is nice to see many coming together to aid those in Ukraine, now if we can get a cease-fire and work on a peaceful and fair resolution to it all.

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I pray for peace, world stability, and the return to some form of normalcy. I desire the peaceful, harmonious, and happy co-existence of all people on earth.

Be Blessed, Be Safe and may you all find happiness and show compassion to one another

Ray Barbier