SSP Diaries | Just pondering ...

GARBAGE COLLECTION

In recent times, this service has evolved to become a weekly collection effort. In my community where the service had been almost non-existent for months, garbage trucks are now rolling through at least once per week. At first this was a welcome sign, but of late I have become subjected to yet another twist in the delivery of a public service.

One is now bombarded by constant requests for money or drinks of all description on a weekly basis. This is a far cry from what obtained before in that I looked forward to contributing to my garbage collector’s welfare routinely at Christmastime.

Alas, the collection is now a weekly event, and the focus has changed from that of garbage to money or some other material item. Garbage collection is an important job, but it is fast becoming a financial strain for inhabitants of communities benefiting from the service. The trend must be checked and not allowed to blossom into a type of “extortion”, which is where it seems to be heading.

OUR RECENT BLESSINGS

Spare a moment and thank the Lord for the rains enjoyed in September to November so far this year. These are very much a blessing in most cases, and particularly to our farmers who experienced drought conditions for the majority of 2023. In times of good weather, we have traditionally failed to plan adequately for the worse. Many citizens continue to live or build their homes in places likely to have landslides and flood-prone areas to include the infamous gully/riverbank!

My cry here is for the Government to exercise greater responsibility in enforcing the law by ensuring that people do not build on their own or captured land in such areas, and where this currently exists, to remove them forcibly if necessary. If adequate legislation does not exist, then they ought to put it in place. The lives to be saved will be an even greater blessing.

ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT

If ever there was an example in modern-day history of the wanton extermination of a people, then we must look no further than the terror being waged by Israel upon the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the attack on Jews by Hamas on October 7, in Israel. From an international perspective, the United Nations has once again been exposed for its inadequacies in that it has no power to order a ceasefire and bring parties to the negotiating table. The champions of the developed world, the US, the UK, Canada, the EU countries, etc., continue to support their agendas at the expense of the lives of the innocent and culpable alike. It’s the classic case of ‘he who pays the piper, calls the tune’, and as a result countries like the US display double standards with impunity.

The current situation has reached the point where it has no solution but the continued breeding of hatred, which in my opinion will spread in the Middle East, severely impacting that region, and could later result in the demise of the developed world as we know it today. Two wrongs don’t make a right, the proponents of violence have conveniently put history aside so they can satisfy selfish agendas. There will never be peace in the Middle East until Israel and Palestine recognise their right to existence as two separate states. This can only be achieved when the so-called developed world stops being hypocritical.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEBACLE

Perhaps one can learn something about how media houses operate, their value system and focus, in bringing news to the public. The advent of the Israeli/Palestine engagement suddenly became more important than the fight between Ukraine and Russia. It is not difficult to see how this came about.

The major players in support of Israel are basically the same in support of Ukraine. Achieving and maintaining stability in the Middle East, however, seems of greater importance to at least one nation than NATO expansionism, the reality of which could prove to be elusive, or catastrophic, at worst. President Zelenskyy is not likely to relish being placed on the ‘back-burner’ for much longer.

Russia, on the other hand, might just be feeling that there is now a chance to ‘surge’ as the supply chain of its adversary could be weakened. Desperation will drive nations closer to ‘madness’. There will likely be a lot of this soon.

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