Russia Invades Ukraine 2022

[temporal1]

The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

do you arm your friends? honest question.

[Soloist]

The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

do you arm your friends? honest question.

me never... but in military strategy you want allies that are strong enough to help you, but not strong enough to defeat you. The best gear you keep for yourself and share the next best. Your enemy, well we have done this many times funding future terrorists to counter the Russians.

Sun tzu wrote an entire book on military strategy full of these pithy sayings but not this specific one.

[Jazman]

Numerous mentions of Anabaptist thought in this Why Do American Evangelicals Endorse War as a Christian Cause? I like this line, "But in addition to learning from Niebuhr, American evangelicals could also learn from members of peace churches that the violence of the state is not the only way to resist evil and oppose injustice. - Daniel K Williams"

It made me recall the debate (here and elsewhere) around the Iraq wars... oh the mess war brings...

[nett]

The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

might want to reconsider your enemies when that makes your "friend" literally neo-nazis.

[temporal1]

The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

do you arm your friends? honest question.

me never... but in military strategy you want allies that are strong enough to help you, but not strong enough to defeat you. The best gear you keep for yourself and share the next best. Your enemy, well we have done this many times funding future terrorists to counter the Russians.

Sun tzu wrote an entire book on military strategy full of these pithy sayings but not this specific one.

i only know a little about Sun tzu’s The Art of War. It’s fascinating, its place in history is remarkable.
Ancient China 5th Century BC. The epitome of human reasoning??

Along came Jesus, who turned everything upside-down with His pithy sayings. Not by mistake. i know you know.
Matthew 5:44
https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-44.htm

Love Your Enemies
…43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’

44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…

A REALLY hard one:
Matthew 5:46
https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-46.htm

46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Do not even tax collectors do the same?

47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even Gentiles do the same?…

i’m not sure contemporary dumpster-fires rate sophisticated Sun Tzu. But, clumsily, they go “in that direction.”

[temporal1]

hmm. yeah. if there had been “law” maybe there wouldn’t have been NATO expansions over the years?

1994 / “The Clinton-era blunder that set the stage for today’s Ukrainian crisis”
Instead of working toward a new, inclusive European security order, Clinton expanded NATO over the objections of a prostrate Russia.
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/ ... an-crisis/

my father started teaching me about the “psychology of losing,” when i was about 13.
we took a short trip to Georgia, travel was uncommon for folks like us. lots of children, not enough money.
it was summer, hot, no AC in the family car. AC was not common anywhere. (not really until computer mainframes required them in workplaces.) AC was not for employees! it was for computers. employees liked it.

we saw many new things from the backseat windows on that trip. one thing was Confederate flags. i was puzzled.
when i asked, “why?” “the Civil War has been over for so long.” “who thinks about it?”

my father, a man of few words, just said, “you didn’t lose.”
that’s when i began to learn about the importance of caring about (losing) others.

winners are often haughty, dismissive, arrogant, uncaring, unfeeling. it’s normal. maybe not desireable. esp long term.

in my view, the U.S./the West would have two options. either attempt to forge a new path for Russia to become invested in civilized politics, OR, because of habit/convenience/profiteers, maintain “Russia as the designated evil one,” and continue on that path, no matter the collapse of the USSR or anything else.

does the U.S. have any idea how to function without an opposing super power? or is it just too ingrained to let it go?

i’ve been wondering since the 1990’s.

very thoughtful response t1. Thanks for posting it.

Fathers are so important.
Even my very human, very imperfect father was a priceless loved presence in our family.
i suppose my mother personified, “hate the sin, love the sinner.” (she NEVER spoke those words.) she lived them.

[temporal1]

The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

might want to reconsider your enemies when that makes your "friend" literally neo-nazis.

i think i understand what is currently meant by “neo-nazis.”
what are (lib) nazis called? world order nazis? i.e., those who claim to be for human rights and “all things bright+beautiful,” while using nazi-like language+measures to get there? i think there are many more of the latter, and, worse than raw numbers, they organize to dominate U.S., Canada, and Europe’s politics, and treasuries.

[mike]

What are the best places to donate money toward helping Ukrainian refugees?

Here are conservative Anabaptist organizations that are glad for immediate funds. The funds are transferred to aid workers in Europe on a daily basis.
https://www.plainnews.org/wp-content/up ... nels-1.pdf

Thanks for that Ernie. If anyone is looking for a way to get funds directly and immediately to a family in Poland that is working as we speak to deliver materials to refugees, is housing refugees, and is helping find local housing for refugees, message me, and I will give you a PayPal link. This family is related to my brother in law and they have lived in Poland for years operating an ESL school, and they are working tirelessly to help the Ukrainian refugees that are pouring in.

He just posted on Facebook 20 minutes ago,

We are learning step by step how to do this better. Together with our good friends, we are moving toward using apartments (free or for rent) long-term and organizing teams who can help with cleaning, transportation, food, and taking care of details.

Poland is struggling to deal with the influx. Tonight someone told me that there are 50 very young children “camping” at the train station in Wrocław. May God have mercy.

[Sudsy]

Numerous mentions of Anabaptist thought in this Why Do American Evangelicals Endorse War as a Christian Cause? I like this line, "But in addition to learning from Niebuhr, American evangelicals could also learn from members of peace churches that the violence of the state is not the only way to resist evil and oppose injustice. - Daniel K Williams"

It made me recall the debate (here and elsewhere) around the Iraq wars... oh the mess war brings...

Interesting read. Whether Evangelical, Anabaptist or any other Christian label one can find scriptures to support their beliefs. What to me is missing by most is the concept of being an ambassador of another Kingdom that is not of this world. When the focus is on the salvation of individual souls, there wouldn't be any need or time to get involved with killing people that you want to see saved. And we can also be busy not engaging directly in the killing of others and be focused rather on alleviating the suffering wars cause yet still not be reaching those with the message of eternal salvation.

To me, it is how we understand our mission here. Do we have an eternal perspective or a temporal one. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but rather warring with the spirit realm and the souls of mankind. In this regard it is not just many Evangelicals that get side-tracked but also many Anabaptists and most other Christian groups. 'In the world' and also 'of the world'.

We are in a war every day and everywhere. Right where we live. Souls die all around us without knowing the Lord. But what seems to concern us more is the warring going on of flesh and blood. That is what happens when we don't guard our hearts and allow the media to get our attention off of eternal matters, self included. My conclusion is that most of us are not Spirit filled and Spirit lead followers of Jesus as our guidance has been given over to worldly inputs.

Sorry, all these earthy threads get to me at times when I don't read a more eternal perspective given them. I need to vent with some of my own beliefs occasionally.

[JimFoxvog]

From what i’ve witnessed (which isn’t a whole lot) -
the military may be THE MOST DEMOCRATIC, MOST EVENLY INTEGRATED, MOST EVENLY RULED, system in the U.S.

Most evenly integrated with the best chance for minorities might be correct. Nothing democratic about it; very much a top-down authoritarian structure. One obeys commands, not votes on what to do.