2016-2017

So the year ends on a tragicomic note, thanks, above all, to Obama. With nothing more to lose, he has revealed all during the final months of his mandate. His scissionist tactics, his inane globalist support, also indicating where his true loyalties lie, seem to clearly spell out betrayal. But Putin is a far better chess player. To end the year with panache he has check-mated Obama with relative ease.
The Russian President also gained prestige by managing to persuade Erdogan to hold back in Syria. Thus Russia, with Obama conspicuously absent, permitted the Syrian Christians to celebrate Christmas for the first time in five years. Although, to some extent, this may be com, it comes as heartwarming com to end the year.

But the world still has serious problems to contend with. The main problem is between 'we the people' and the institutions that continue to pretend they represent us. If Obama's 'legacy' is doomed to fizzle out like a wet firework, (and the worst for him might yet be still to come) there are other die-hards who are feverishly engrossed in continuing to push their absurd, dangerous and culturally destructive globalist project.

The EU under Juncker, is surreptitiously trying to promote this. Merkel seems to have no objection. Trudeau of Canada with his permanent 'Sound of Music' smile is all for it, and Turnbull of Australia is also shamefully bought out.

Despite the democratic UK vote for Brexit, the globalists are making it as difficult as they can for the UK to leave the Euroclub.
The UN, no doubt also favourable in establishing Dystopia, is showing its true, Arabian colours. The last resolutions against Israel are so uncouth, historically incoherent and totally partisan, that once more they make a mockery of what in principle the United Nations should stand for.

It's painfully obvious that the UN of 1947 has nothing in common with the UN of 2016. One wonders why this institution now devoid of any credibility, chose to victimise Israel. The Hebrew authorities agreed to the UN propositions of 1947, but the Arab League who assumed the right to decide what would be best for the 'Palestinians', categorically refused the UN plan).
Has the UN ever considered the terrible consequences of the Arab League's refusal? It engendered terrorism, thousands of deaths. It engendered the Hezbollah, Hamas. It led to years of conflict and misery, above all for the 'Palestinians' who have inherited the pseudo cause, status quo that most of the original Arab belligerents no longer seem to care very much about. It contributed in ruining the Lebanon which once was a multicultural, democratic jewel of the ME. Lebanon became a constant battle ground, and its multicultural society was, and still is, very negatively effected by the ever growing presence of Palestinian refugees. But the UN prefers to victimise Israel, also a multicultural, democratic jewel. The UN should be the first to appreciate that there is no other people in the world more capable of defending and preserving the Holy Land for posterity than the Israelis. Yet the institution constantly chooses to make the Israeli task more difficult. In whose name?

The UN even allows Saudi Arabia, which has one of the worst international reputations regarding women's rights, to contribute in representing the international defence of women's rights! No one, no institution, could ever possibly show more cynicism, which also reinforces the view that the UN no longer has any real international reason of being.

'We, the people' therefore have a task before us, to contend with the elite ideologues who like to pretend that they know what's best for the world. We look towards leaders like Trump, Putin, Orbán and Netanyahu, intelligent leaders who will need our support. We trust that there will be others. And we hope that the irresponsible initiative of promoting no borders and uncontrolled immigration will cease. This process that can only lead to chaos, must be reversed whilst there's still time.

If certain leaders who are supposed to represent democracies have caused the year to end more negatively than could have been the case, let 2017 be a year of positive change, of improved international relationships, of effective cooperation, and above all, of peace.

Happy New Year 2017!
 

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Text and image © Mirino. December 31st, 2016