Yemen and Germany

The recent bombing plots have prompted Germany to immediately halt all flights from Yemen to Germany. It seems that twice weekly flights from Yemen to Franfurt are too risky for comfort. Germany - and all of Europe - will soon be forced to take extraordinary measures to protect itself. Does anyone blame them?

Leningrad Siege

On this day began the famous German siege of Leningrad (1941) during World War Two. Read about it in Russia Today. The Russians never surrendered. In fact, when Hitler insisted on taking Moscow that same year, the final defeat of the German Army began after it was repudiated by several Russian Army Divisions secretly held in reserve by Stalin, just as they (the Germans) were on the outskirts of Moscow - December 6, 1941. The German war machine never recovered from that defeat.

Fairness and Kindness

From a Yahoo! News story: “STAR CITY, Russia – Russian and American astronauts on Friday downplayed suggestions of disputes on the international space station over access to food and equipment. On Friday, Fincke, Lonchakov and Simonyi said that if there were disputes, they were only on the ground, not in space — and not among the space travelers. "Please don't make a mistake. This is the best partnership that human beings have ever had. We're building the best space station that's ever been built. We're going to the stars together," Fincke told reporters at Russia's cosmonaut training center outside of Moscow. "So let's not let these little small things stop us from realizing this partnership we have together." "It's called an international space station because people from different nationalities work there," Lonchakov added. "In space there are no politics," he said. "What's decided on Earth is decided on Earth. What we are working in space is completely different, we work things out differently." Sure, of course. Humans behave well in space, no matter how they act down here. Sure. How dumb can anybody be? And, these guys are scientists. What a farce. If you wait long enough, someone will be the first victim of murder (or at least the first bloody nose) in space – probably over a low supply of oxygen. Who knows?

Russia and Europe

From Yahoo! News: “WASHINGTON – A standoff over an obscure air base in a Central Asian country few Americans could find on a map is becoming an opening salvo in a new kind of Cold War with Russia. The prize is not military mastery or the global supremacy of ideas, but the defensive protection of resources and security. Each of the 20th century’s nuclear superpowers wants say-so over the decisions the other has reserved the right to make, and with a new U.S. administration signaling possible compromise with Russia on a missile-basing plan detested by Russia, Moscow is using U.S. dependence on the base for the Afghan war to drive a hard bargain. Security officials in Kyrgyzstan said Friday the United States must quit the Manas air base, but U.S. officials said they have not gotten any official eviction notice and that negotiations to stay are under way.” Let us not forget the Russians are expert chess players. Caught in the middle of all this are Germany and France, as always... somewhat amusing if it weren’t such serious stuff.

Church and State again

Well, now the saga between the pope and the newly re-instated bishop and the Jewish council in Israel has escalated to include the German government. Whatever happened to separation of Church and State? The pope has even asked the wayward bishop (in Argentina) to recant, which I'm sure he won't do. This will get dicey for sure, though the Vatican is very good at diplomacy. (See post of January 28 - Bishops and Rabbis)