Cead Fáilte
A thousand welcomes to the Village Oak Tree once again.
Today, I offer you my interview with a rather famous Medium writer, Sam W. from Eastern Canada. She kindly consented to let me talk to her about all of the things she writes about here on Medium and in her web site at World Weary.com.
(Hit the play button at the top of this page to see the interview)
One of the first things I asked her about, is how much of U.S. politics is effecting the average Canadian? She tells us that it is starting to become a problem up there. More so in the last year or two. There is a right-wing faction that is stirring up more nationalist sentiment to unseat Trudeau’s liberal government. Then there are the western provinces like Alberta who appear to not like anyone and want to do what they want independent of Ottawa (Canada’s capitol). Does this sound familiar?
She talks about the ultra-right-wing premier in the province of New Brunswick and his bias against the local LGBTQ+ citizens there. A province I am well acquainted with, having grown up near there and lived very close to the border for over ten years after I left military active duty in 2004.
The conversation slides over into the climate and environment, especially the wild fires in the far west provinces. How mining is bad for the environment and other similar topics.
Of course we talk about a few other things in between as well. She is very special and not afraid to speak her mind. A very Canadian thing. They just don’t seem to have that ‘in your face’ attitude that Americans seem to have but she gets her point across.
In other news, and there is a lot of that right now, the world is falling into more and more chaos every day.
As of today’s writing, Israel is assassinating every senior Hamas and Hezbollah official they can spot anywhere in the middle east. Everyone is talking about it of course, wondering what happens next. Will Iran or Hezbollah retaliate? What will the United States do if Israel starts an offensive in Lebanon?
In Ukraine, the word on the news wires today, is that president Zelenskyy is possibly looking for a peace agreement. I am sure there will be more on this within the next few days or so. I am going to be scouring my usual sources and then some to find out more for next weekend’s Sunday Edition.
I have to wonder about that, given how adamant the U.S. and NATO are about “defeating Russia”. Maybe someone besides Zelenskyy has finally decided that enough is enough. Wouldn’t that put a sock in the Biden war machine for a change. Especially this close to the election in November.
On the home front, we have the usual shenanigans from the Trump campaign trying to paint the new presumptive democrat candidate as anything but. The racial and gender insults are coming in from all directions and platforms.
She says she is used to it but I would think there has to be a line at some point since she is still the Vice President of the United States. At what point does it cross the line over into a lack of disrespect for her position and basic decency?
Then there is the question of whether she will stand on her own two feet or just be a mouth piece for the democrat party and a continuation of the same failed policies that got Joe Biden in so much trouble with the voters?
I know we have to give her some time to let us see her for who she is and I am fine with that, for now. I know I am saying what a lot of independent voters are thinking and saying as well. She is being watched very closely right now. The uncommitted from the mid-west are still uncommitted, so far.
In some good news for her, she is picking up a bunch of endorsements from environmental groups as they seem to think she will be good for the environment. Then she publicly states that she will not touch the oil frackers. Again, I have to ask, what is her position really?
The number one question for her is how she plans to handle the Israelis and the genocide? They are getting worse there now as if they see a deadline of some sort coming. Maybe something was said behind closed doors when Netanyahu came to visit last week that is making them ramp up the atrocities?
Turkey has decided to get involved. Just talk so far about a possible interference of some sort to persuade Israel to stop the genocide. Since Turkey has the largest and best trained military in Eurasia, that is making some people take notice.
As all of you can see, there is so much going on around the world, I can only touch on the more outstanding things making the news feeds.
We aren’t even focusing much attention on the mass killings in central Africa right now. The middle east is captivating the collective worlds attention away from all of the people being killed by militias and government troops nearly every week in places like Niger, Mali and Kenya this week.
Bangladesh has been in the news a lot lately with their student protests and government crackdowns. There is a lot of unrest still in India between the Hindus and the Muslims. Things are a little quieter after Modi’s recent win but still…
Then there is Venezuela. Maduro’s controversial election. Did he win fair and square or did the CIA backed opposition lose by hook and crook? The world wants to know. The main reason the U.S. wants to get rid of Maduro is because of the oil down there. Maduro has stood up to a couple of U.S. presidents since he took office in 2013 and they don’t like it. Mostly because he won’t give the U.S. Venezuelan oil for free or nearly so.
And all of this since my Sunday Edition from last weekend, just a couple of days ago. Imagine if I had waited a full seven days to bring you the week’s highlights?
I will be posting another Sunday Edition commentary next weekend. Mitch will be out of town so it will be just me again. I have something in the works that is ever evolving as the week progresses. Even I don’t know what it is going to look like by next Sunday. There is just too much happening on a daily basis for me to tell anyone what I will be talking about by then.
I hope everyone watches the interview and cheers Sam W.’s continued advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights, the environment, and toxic politics. She plans to be around for a long time writing about her passions and I know I will always be there to root for her.
I have been reading all of her articles, both on Medium and her website (I am a subscriber) for a couple of years now and I plan to continue for as long as I am able. I hope anyone reading this will also do the same.
We need the young people of this world to stand up for what’s right everywhere. The Pro-Palestine protestors will be back when school returns in the fall. Some have continued this summer but the college students will be back in full form once schools start up again later this summer. Good for them. I will support them with my meager media talents here in between everything else.
That’s all I have this week. That’s enough, don’t you think? I will be back next weekend with some more craziness and another chapter from Michael Campi’s “The Priest (formerly known as Bob)”. Sláinte
As I say good bye this week, I wish to leave you with this Irish blessing as you go about your day. “May your hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want” Slán go fóill.
T. Ó Domhnaill — Gaelic Seanchaí
The Village Oak Tree