What is going on? Weekends are usually on the quiet side in the news world, except for an occasional natural disaster. Well, sadly we do have a couple this weekend . . . along with some unexpected displays of man’s-inhumanity-to-man, as though we needed any more of those. But let’s start with Mother Nature, shall we?

Two 6.3-magnitude earthquakes struck western Afghanistan near the city of Herat today, with at least one 5.5-magnitude aftershock being felt. The latest news report says that “dozens” of people were killed and “many more” injured, while local estimates were of 100 killed and 500 or more injured. The United Nations reports that the figures are still being verified.

And speaking of earthquakes . . . Although in terms of the human toll, Afghanistan’s tremors have been far worse, Hawaii yesterday took the prize for the sheer number of events when it experienced some 320 earthquakes in 24 hours due to the continued rumblings of Kilauea Volcano. Although it hasn’t started erupting yet, Kilauea — one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes — has shown signs of “elevated unrest,” according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) news release, with small streams of smoke seeping up from the volcano’s Halema’uma’u crater. Officials have warned of “potentially hazardous levels of volcanic gas in downwind areas and rockfalls enhanced by earthquakes,” with possible hazardous levels of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Surrounding trails, viewing areas and parking lots in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been temporarily closed. Good move.

When Jesse Stone (pen name: Charles Calhoun) wrote the hit song “Shake, Rattle and Roll” in 1954, I really don’t think this is what he had in mind. But our planet seems to be doing a lot of it lately, and it can’t stop too soon for me.

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Next . . .

In the seemingly limitless category of man-made disasters, we have to start with Israel today, where the early morning quiet was shockingly disrupted by a barrage of rockets being fired from Gaza by Palestinian Hamas militants. In an obviously well-planned assault, Hamas gunmen charged into a score of Israeli locations outside the Gaza Strip, some as far as 15 miles from the Gaza border. As reported by the Associated Press (AP):

“In some places, they roamed for hours, gunning down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response. Gun battles continued well after nightfall, and militants held hostages in standoffs in two towns and occupied a police station in a third. Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said at least 250 people were killed and 1,500 wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in decades.”

Retaliatory airstrikes were launched by Israel into Gaza. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is quoted as saying the country is now at war with Hamas; he vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price.” Exchanges of air strikes and rocket barrages have already begun, with Netanyahu warning that “This war will take time. It will be difficult.”

“Take time”??!!! It’s already taken centuries. With both sides having valid, conflicting claims, and neither willing to compromise, I ask once again — as I seem to do so often lately — WHEN WILL IT END?

And this time, I also have to ask what happened to Israel’s legendary intelligence agencies? Were they asleep at the switch? This was simply unthinkable two days ago. Today, it’s reality.

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And on the Russian front . . .

It almost seems anticlimactic today, but self-styled Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has been keeping himself relevant again by making further threats on behalf of his real boss, Vladimir Putin. In his latest harangue, he again blames the United States for Russia’s war — or “Special Military Operation” — in Ukraine, saying:

“I am getting the impression — I say again that it is my opinion — that Americans are pushing Russians toward using the most terrifying weapon. They arm Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky and his army and provide long-range missiles. Even missiles able to fly for 300 km [186 miles].” He added that if such a missile were to strike Russian territory, Moscow would be obliged to respond. [Mariya Knight, CNN, October 6, 2023.]

Not yet satisfied, he continued that the “fanning of tensions” between the U.S. and Russia could result in Russia’s “[taking] out the red button and [putting] it on the table.” There’s that implied “n” word again: “nuclear.”

Lukashenko’s threats came a day after Vladimir Putin expressed the opinion that it would be possible to revoke the ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty. Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also put in his two cents’ worth by promising that the State Duma Council “will definitely discuss the issue of revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty” at their next meeting. [Mariya Knight, CNN, October 6, 2023.]

Lukashenko further seized the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Congress’ inability to agree on continued assistance to Ukraine, calling it a signal for Ukraine “to hurry up, expand the scope of the counteroffensive and throw more young men there.” It doesn’t take long for Putin and his puppets to seize on our problems and turn them to their advantage. And we never seem to remember that.

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That’s enough grim news for one weekend — actually, just half a weekend. I’m sure if I kept digging I could find more, but I’ve lost the drive. I wonder why.

Brendochka
10/8/23