The old folks would reclaim the world, and send the last two generations back to school.
Because without the calculators, they couldn’t do basic arithmetic, let alone this thing called “Common Core” math.
Without a GPS, they couldn’t find their way to the nearest emergency room or sushi restaurant.
And without Google, they’d have to learn to use a card index in a building called “a Library” — if they could even find their way to the Library without a GPS.
They’d have to learn to speak to people face-to-face, because there would be no email or texting. They’d also have to learn to use a telephone attached to a wall in a building or a phone booth. But first they’d have to look up the number in a big, heavy phone book.
And they’d have to go into a bunch of different stores to shop, because there would be no Amazon. (Sorry, Jeff Bezos.)
They’d have to start wearing a watch to know what time it is . . . which, of course, would necessitate learning to read an analog clock.
Typing would be on an actual typewriter, using all eight fingers, with the right thumb reserved for the space bar. By the way, let me introduce you to carbon paper, typewriter erasers, and something called White-Out, which smells odd but won’t really get you high.
And while we’re designing the curriculum for this re-education program, let’s teach the young folks how to write in cursive, just for the fun of it.
Travel would be more interesting, too. Flying would require calls to various airlines for flight times and fares, and a visit to the airline office to pick up your paper tickets. For a road trip, you might want to call the AAA (American Automobile Association) for a TripTik, to map out your routes and make your hotel reservations.
Want to watch a movie? We’re not going back to the Stone Age, so you could still do this at home . . . but only at the scheduled time on one of the dozen or so TV channels. Or you could buy a VCR and a whole library of VHS tapes of your favorite flicks.
Because there wouldn’t be anything “on demand.” Life would be slower — but would that really be such a bad thing?
Sure, we’d miss all of our tech “stuff” if it were taken away from us now. But for those of us who grew up without it, that slower life was somehow easier, and quieter, and more friendly. And sometimes I miss it. It might be nice to reconnect to the human side of life.
But on the other hand, you wouldn’t have been reading my blog back in those low-tech days, because the concept of a “blog” didn’t exist yet. So maybe . . . just maybe . . . our tech stuff isn’t all bad.
The jury is still out on AI, though. That shit really scares me.
Christmas is a time for families and friends, and often total strangers, to come together in harmony and peace. It’s a time for messages of love and good wishes for the coming year.
And this year, it was a time for America to receive the biggest, bestest gift imaginable for the coming year: three additions to the family, whose names are:
Canada, Panama Canal, and Greenland
Yes, those would be strange names for a trio of newborns . . . if we were talking about people. (Though not any stranger than some of Elon Musk’s offspring, but let’s not belabor that subject.)
We are, however, talking about geographical entities. And the incoming American Alienator-In-Chief has decided that the United States needs all three in order to secure our . . . well, I’m not sure exactly what we’re supposed to be securing. But he says we need them, so it must be true.
Accordingly, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau will hereinafter be known as Governor Trudeau of the State of Canada; the Chinese (who may or may not be in Panama at all) will no longer have control (which they may or may not actually have at all) of the Canal; and the people of Greenland will have to forget their Greenlandic and Danish languages and begin working on their English.
And someone will be busily trying to figure out how to arrange 53 stars on a flag. Good luck with that . . . 53 isn’t divisible by anything.
Wait! I’ve got it! Three rows of 11 and two rows of 10 . . . a total of 53 really, really small stars.
It’s been just under a year since the Feenstra family — Arend, Anneesa, and eight of their nine children — left Canada to settle on their new farm in Russia. And what a year it has been!
Receiving the “Year of the Family” Award
After a rocky start, they did somehow manage to overcome a series of bureaucratic obstacles and are now settling into their forever home near Nizhny Novgorod. Without any knowledge of Russian laws and regulations, or even a smattering of the Russian language, they have acquired a nice piece of farmland on which they themselves have built a large house (still a work in progress, but habitable) and outbuildings; found the resources for installation of plumbing and electrical work; and set themselves up with all the equipment they could ever hope for, including farm machinery, a family-size van, and laptop computers for the children’s home schooling.
They also — in a land where all social media are being blocked — enjoy Facebook and other accounts, as well as an almost daily YouTube broadcast on which Arend regularly extols the advantages of life in Russia as opposed to the difficulties they left behind in Canada.
And further, he has established himself as an outstanding proselytizer for the Russian government — encouraging conservative families such as his to join them in their adopted Nirvana and leave behind the evils of the liberal, “woke” way of life in the West.
Which, of course, explains all of the perks. The Feenstras have been required to sell their souls in order to save their souls.
*. *. *
But they’re supposed to believe it’s all been worth it, because now they have received an award (and a bouquet of flowers) from their new President, handed to them personally by the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod at the conclusion of Vladimir Putin’s “Year of the Family.”
It was the culmination of a year of Putin’s propagation-pushing propaganda — a massive drive to stop the population decline of the past several years. I suppose when you’ve lost a few hundred thousand young men in your illegal war against Ukraine, you do become somewhat desperate to find means of replacing them. So you begin a campaign to “encourage” young couples to begin having more and more children, and you try to glamorize the joys of life in a large family.
And then you have a contest, and you offer rewards and a moment of glory to the outstanding families of the year across the country. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the families were brought together in a large, grandly-decorated hall where they were treated to a buffet luncheon; a ballet performance created specially to depict the glory of love, marriage and multiple children; and, finally, a moment onstage with the Governor to have your picture taken as you receive an expression of gratitude from your country.
In Nizhny Novgorod, there were numerous families with children ranging in number from 2 to 14. But the Feenstras appeared to be the only non-Russians, and they were clearly lost as to what was going on. The ceremonies were conducted in Russian, and were unintelligible to them for the most part. The baby fell asleep on Anneesa’s shoulder. They were not able — because of the language difficulty — to mingle with the other families during the luncheon or following the ceremony. But they did have their moment of glory.
From the YouTube video, it appeared that they were the last family to be called forward, and the Governor said a few extra words to Arend, praising him for bringing his family to Russia and encouraging him, in turn, to encourage others to follow. And they received an enthusiastic round of applause as they left the stage.
Well done, Feenstras.
As they left the building for the drive back to the farm, Arend had a few words to say to the cameraman who always seems to be with them. He said it was a “very cool experience, like nothing I would ever have experienced in Canada,” and that he and his family were “absolutely honored to be included, [as] they didn’t have to do that.”
*. *. *
Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Vladimir Putin has extended his greetings to the participants, organizers and guests at a ceremony labeled “Year of the Family: Continuing on the path to the future — with love along the way.” His message included one final bit of hype to cap off his year-long campaign:
“Today, the National Centre RUSSIA welcomes the forum’s participants, including families with multiple children, entire labour dynasties, winners of the national contests Family of the Year and Our Family, and families of veterans from the special military operation* across various regions of the country. These are individuals who, through their life experiences, profoundly appreciate the immense, lasting value of home, as well as the foundations and traditions passed down through generations. It is within the family circle that a child’s personality and worldview are significantly shaped, and where enduring moral values such as care for others, devotion to one’s children and parents, love for the Fatherland, and a sense of connection to its destiny are instilled.
[* Known to the rest of the world as the war in Ukraine.]
“I would like to highlight that enhancing the demographic situation, supporting birth rates and multi-child parenting, and improving the welfare of Russian families constitute our primary national objectives. Over the past year, considerable efforts have been made to fortify the family’s social standing and high status. This vital and necessary work to preserve and nurture family foundations, as well as the culture of. motherhood and fatherhood, must continue, with particular attention given to families with many children.
“After all, a large, harmonious family serves as a formidable pillar for the country, society, and the individual.
“I wish you success, health, and all the best. And, of course, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my New Year wishes to you all!”
[From “Greetings to participants of the Year of the Family annual review ceremony,” en.kremlin.ru.]
*. *. *
Kudos to the person(s) who wrote that speech for him. I’m reasonably certain their words will be of great comfort to the Feenstra children throughout all the years of their lives in the land their parents chose for them.
What was the world like before the advent of the internet, hand-held devices that are smarter than we are, and that miracle of connectedness: social media? I can hardly remember.
But in some parts of the world, all of that accessibility to information and communication has proven a hindrance to the sort of control a government might need to exercise over its citizens. Take Russia, for example.
Yes, that’s the place. That’s Red Square above, with St. Basil’s Cathedral on the left, and one side of the massive Kremlin Wall on the right. Beautiful, isn’t it? And oh, so misleading.
Because behind those impenetrable walls sits a man who for the past quarter-century has gradually tightened the reins on the Russian people until life for most has again begun to feel like a replay of the old Soviet days: more restrictive laws, people being thrown into prison simply for saying the wrong thing, friends and relatives turning against each other. And now, a giant roadblock on the information highway.
Unless you know the right people, of course.
Tuesday’s news brought word of the “de facto” blocking of YouTube traffic in Russia, down to a mere 20 percent of its “normal” levels, according to a Telegram post by Mikhail Klimarev, director of the non-profit Society for the Protection of the Internet. That post also stated that Russian authorities had begun deliberately slowing down the service in July of this year. [Current Time, December 23, 2024, as reported by RFE/RL, December 24, 2024.]
And in the city of Surgut, a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said that YouTube has been “inaccessible for some time. I first noticed YouTube becoming frustratingly slow in the summer, now it is simply impossible to open.” [RFE/RL, December 24, 2024.]
Russian authorities, of course, have said the problems were caused by Google’s failure to upgrade its equipment. Anonymous sources in the Russian government have said otherwise, as have YouTube’s own representatives. [Id.]
Vladimir Putin reinforced Moscow’s claims last week, and further addressed the subject at his annual call-in news conference on December 19th by demanding that YouTube and its parent company, Google, obey Russia’s laws and not use the internet as a tool to “achieve [the U.S.] government’s political goals.” [Id.]
But how to explain the fact that other social media platforms, such as Facebook and X, are also blocked in Russia? I suppose those were due to the providers’ equipment malfunctions as well.
*. *. *
And even more puzzling is the question of how, just last month, my blog — which is posted on Facebook — was read by two individuals from Russia. That was only the third time in two years that that has happened. I’ve had viewers from all over the world — various countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific — though not from the penguins in Antarctica. And only three times from Russia, with just the one time since the media “blackout.”
The feedback I receive on my blog lists only the country of the viewer, and not the specific location. That’s okay . . . I don’t want to invade anyone’s privacy. I’d just like to know who’s been reading me in Russia . . . and how they’ve managed it.
Unfortunately, I know I can’t expect an answer. I just thought I’d ask.
Traditionally, royalty has always married royalty; and this has been especially true in the royal houses of Europe. There’s nothing strange about that — it’s a class thing.
But there are problems that, over the centuries, are inevitably going to arise when an heir to one throne has to wonder whether his feelings for, say, the daughter of another country’s monarch might actually be . . . well . . . almost incestuous.
Case in point (though happily not a case of impropriety):
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
In yesterday’s news, it was announced that Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, age 69, following a reign of 24 years, has renounced the throne of his country in favor of his son, Prince Guillaume, age 43. There was no scandal; Henri is not known to be ill. He is merely following in the footsteps of his late father, Grand Duke Jean, who passed the torch — or scepter — to him on Christmas Eve of 1999.
In his speech to the people of Luxembourg this week, Henri said:
“When I look back today, after almost 25 years, I do so with deep gratitude and humility. It has been a period during which Luxembourg has made much progress, and I am pleased to have been able to be part of that journey with you.” [Chris Benson, UPI, December 25, 2024.]
Tradition.
And as I looked at the article, and at the accompanying picture of the retiring monarch, my eye saw — not a Grand Duke of Luxembourg — but a long-deceased King of England: George VI, father of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“Now, that’s just plain spooky,” I thought.
So I immediately went into research mode and Googled old King George, and this is what came up — just as I had recalled:
King George VI of Great Britain
Brothers by another mother? Not quite. But it turns out that they are (or were, since George is no longer with us) indeed related. In fact, Henri and Elizabeth were third cousins twice removed, being related because they “share a descendant from Christian IX of Denmark.”
Now, Christian IX was married to the much better-known British Queen Victoria. And their descendants today rule over the lands of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
But let us not forget another of Christian and Victoria’s grandchildren, whose offspring would no doubt also still be ruling if their monarchy hadn’t been overthrown by that notorious revolutionary, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov — better known as Vladimir Lenin — in 1917. And that grandson was the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II:
Nicholas II, Tsar of All the Russias
In fact, here are “Nicky” and his cousin, England’s George V, together during happier times:
Tsar Nicholas II and King George V (or vice-versa?)
Not incidentally, it was George V’s refusal to give political refuge to the Tsar and his family at the time of the Russian Revolution that led to the ultimate slaughter of Nicholas, the Tsarina Aleksandra, their five children, and members of their household staff by Lenin’s Bolshevik revolutionaries.
I guess no one ever told George that blood is thicker than water.
*. *. *
And now take a look at the second in line to the British throne today: young George, the eldest child of William and Catherine:
Genetically speaking, at least, the past is indeed prologue.
The origin of “Boxing Day,” celebrated in the U.K. and a number of other countries on the day after Christmas, is somewhat murky. But in general, it seems to be agreed that it originated as a day of giving gifts of money, food and other necessities to the less fortunate. All in all, a nice idea.
For years (when I was much, much younger), I thought it was so named because it’s the day we get rid of all the boxes from the gifts we opened the day before. Which, of course, it is . . . but as it turns out, that’s just coincidental.
In any event, December 26th is also a day for catching our collective breath after the rush of festivities, shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, etc., etc. And it’s a time for looking ahead to a fresh new year . . . full of hope and a promise of peace throughout the world, and a renewed resolve to be just a little better — to others and to ourselves — than we were last year.
Yeah . . . right.
Like that’s really going to happen. The world’s not going to change overnight; deep down, we all know that. And on a personal level, we make the same ridiculous (though well-meaning) resolutions year after year: to lose weight, to get more exercise, to clean out all our closets or the car or the garage or the pantry or whatever, to keep in touch with old friends, to read all the books in that “to-be-read” pile . . . The list is endless. And we usually try at least to keep up with some of it, until life intervenes again.
Let’s face it — t’s hard to start on that healthy diet with all the holiday leftovers staring at you every time you open the refrigerator, especially considering the price of food these days. (By the way, who was the smart aleck who determined that 2024’s U.S. inflation rate was a mere 2.6 percent? I would like his or her phone number, please.)
Anyway, it would be sinful to waste that $60 cheesecake and the $20 worth of ingredients that went into the potatoes au gratin. We’ll renew our commitment to broccoli and tofu when all the goodies are gone.
In all fairness, you did begin reading that one book, and you were just getting into it when the kids started begging you to play their new Nintendo games with them. After all, what’s more important: your relaxation, or spending quality time with the little ones while they’re still young enough to want you around? There’ll be plenty of time to read when they’re in college.
As for the exercise . . . well, trying to get in your three miles a day when the streets are covered with snow and ice would be nothing short of suicidal. And there isn’t time for that after playing with the kids anyway, what with the sun setting so early. Maybe in the spring.
So you’ve taken your use-it-or-lose-it leave this week. What a perfect time to tackle those organizational tasks you’ve been ignoring for months. You open the pantry closet, and the first thing you see is the spice rack: 37 . . . no, 38 little bottles and tins of everything from Anise to Zaatar, all of it outdated and most of it used once in some experiment that had the whole family gagging as though you’d fed them rat poison. You can probably keep the cinnamon and the basil, and toss the rest.
Okay, this is good . . . we’re on a roll here. Next: cereal. Boxes of sweetened, unsweetened, high-fiber, high-protein, low-sodium, flakes, squares and circles. Opened, half-eaten . . . and, of course, past their “may be toxic” date. Toss it all, and add oatmeal to this week’s shopping list.
Canned goods? They last forever, don’t they? Sorry, but no. I clearly recall one pantry clean-out that included soups that had expired two years earlier because I had never thought to look for an expiration date.
And so it goes, until you’ve filled three of those big trash bags with enough food (if it hadn’t already grown tentacles) to have fed a family of four for a month.
And now you’re feeling guilty about all that waste, so you head back to the kitchen for some more of those expensive leftovers before they go bad. And you start thinking about the next project. Maybe the utility closet.
Right . . . first thing tomorrow. Immediately after you make your famous turkey noodle soup from the carcass of the Christmas bird. It would be a shame to waste all those good bones.
I’m sure you get the picture. By February, you’ve racked up enough good intentions to pave an eight-lane superhighway to Hell. And now the refrigerator needs to be cleaned out again because the left-over turkey soup from Boxing Day is beginning to smell like another one of those science experiments.
In 1991, Czechoslovakia finally saw the departure of the last of the Russian military occupiers following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Prague, Czech Republic
Scarcely had the celebrations died down when the newly independent nation did its impression of an amoeba and split into two distinctly separate entities — the Czech Republic (or Czechia) and Slovakia — and the principal concern became the rebuilding of their respective economies.
Politically, they each seemed to be on the right track. Both countries have since become members of NATO and the European Union (EU). But disturbing signs have recently been emanating from Slovakia as the result of its Prime Minister Robert Fico’s inexplicably friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . . . despite Russia’s war of attrition against Ukraine, and in violation of Slovakia’s obligations to NATO and the EU.
Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Vladimir Putin
Following in the footsteps of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Fico made a surprise visit to Moscow this week to meet personally with Putin . . . in direct conflict with the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy and its sanctions against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. [Thomas Mackintosh, BBC News, December 23, 2024.]
The purpose, according to Fico, was to discuss supplies of Russian gas to Slovakia, now that Ukraine has refused to renew its gas transit agreement. In anticipation of the expiration of that deal, most European countries have established other means of obtaining the needed gas supplies; but Fico maintains that his country still needs the supply from Russia.
And he is more than happy to continue doing business with Vladimir Putin, frequently criticizing the EU’s support for Ukraine and saying that Putin has been “wrongly demonised” by the West. [Id.]
Much of Europe has been understandably critical of Fico’s actions and his continuing friendship with Russia’s tyrannical leader. Jan Lipavsky, Foreign Minister of Slovakia’s “fraternal twin” — the Czech Republic — has said that his government had managed to become independent of Russia for its energy needs.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky
And in Fico’s own back yard, Michal Simecka, Deputy Speaker of the Slovak National Council, has said that “Fico had made his country a tool for the Russian leader’s propaganda and his trip was a ‘shame for Slovakia and a betrayal of national interests.’” [Id.]
He added in a statement on X that: “If the prime minister actually cared about gas transit, he should have negotiated with Ukraine rather than turning Slovakia into a tool of Putin’s propaganda.” [RFE/RL’s Russian Service, December 22, 2024.]
*. *. *
Not satisfied with backing Putin, Fico has taken jabs directly at Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, complaining that Zelensky’s favoring of sanctions against the Russian nuclear program was “unacceptable,” and that it would financially damage and endanger Slovakia’s production of electricity in its nuclear power plants.
To which Zelensky responded:
“To be honest, during war, it’s a bit shameful to talk about money, because we are losing people.” [Id.]
Since I could not possibly have said it better, I will leave it here.
Volodymyr Zelensky
*. *. *
In countries that just three decades ago fought to throw off the yoke of Russian rule, now seeing people like Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Hungary’s Viktor Orban being elected to leadership positions is beyond disturbing . . . it is a terrifying sign of the continuing power of authoritarian propaganda in a world hungry for peace and prosperity.
Christmas Eve, 1941. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor just seventeen days earlier, and the United States had responded by declaring war on Japan . . . and, a few days later, on Germany as well, thus bringing the U.S. firmly into the throes of World War II.
On that day, a top-secret meeting was afoot at the White House, where even the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, had not been told who her house guest was to be. Only when his ship, the HMS Duke of York, was safely docked at a Virginia port was Mrs. Roosevelt told to expect the British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, for dinner. [Stephen Collinson, Caitlin Hu and Shelby Rose, CNN, Meanwhile in America, December 24, 2024.]
British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The tale of that two-week summit in Washington — Churchill’s hazardous crossing of the Atlantic by ship, his idiosyncrasies, his preferences in cigars and various alcoholic beverages, and the differences in personality of the two world leaders — is beautifully told by CNN’s reporters, and I will not attempt to recreate it here.
But it’s the result of that period during which the two found common ground that is most significant. Because by the end of a fortnight, they had “forge[d] a bond and create[d] the blueprint to win the war: Roosevelt and Churchill eventually linked a Europe-first strategy to defeat the Nazis before imperial Japan and a joint move on North Africa.” [Id.]
They also managed to agree on the United Nations Declaration, which would be created “. . . to spare future generations from the horror of war and to unite the West with institutions and a common transatlantic mission . . .” [Id.]
And on that Christmas Eve, Churchill stood by on the South Portico of the White House as Roosevelt flipped the switch that lit the national Christmas tree on the nearby Ellipse. Speaking by radio to the nation, Roosevelt asked:
“How can we give our gifts? How can we meet and worship with love and with uplifted spirit and heart in a world at war, a world of fighting and suffering and death?” He then urged Americans to gird for the fight ahead with “the arming of our hearts. And when we make ready our hearts for the labor and the suffering and the ultimate victory which lie ahead, then we observe Christmas Day — with all of its memories and all of its meanings — as we should.” [Id.]
It would take another three and a half years, but that joining of Allies did ultimately bring about the victory over the Axis formed by Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito. And, in October of 1945, the United Nations was born, and the world — while far from perfect — has at least not seen another world war in nearly 80 years.
Even so, during those eight decades the world has endured a Cold War, “hot” wars in Korea and Vietnam, and far too many Middle Eastern conflicts. We are currently embroiled in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Israel’s continuing battle against several of its neighboring countries and terrorist organizations, and the saber-rattling of China and North Korea, to name but a few of our problems.
What we desperately need now — with the advanced technologies and weaponries of the modern world — are statesmen like Churchill and Roosevelt, who are willing and able to put aside their meaningless differences in order to lead the fight for the creation of a safer and better world for all of its citizens.
But do such leaders even exist any longer? And if so, where are they hiding?
Yesterday, December 22nd, at a conservative convention known as “AmericaFest 2024” in Phoenix, Arizona, President-elect Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to meet with me as soon as possible.” [RFE/RL’s Russian Service, December 23, 2024.]
Okay, great. Let’s get the ball rolling on an equitable solution to that horrendous, dragged-out war in Ukraine, shall we?
But . . .
It’s never that simple with the Russians, is it? And it’s not just the well-known sticking points of this particular negotiation process, wherein Russia wants to keep parts of Ukraine and prevent it from ever joining NATO, but Ukraine somehow prefers to remain an independent, sovereign nation free of Russian control.
No, this time it’s a bit more than that. It’s a flat-out contradiction by the Kremlin of Trump’s statement. The very day after the Phoenix gathering (this morning, Moscow time), our old friend Dmitry Peskov — the spokesman for Putin himself — told Russian news agency TASS that “so far, there have been no real impulses” for a meeting with Trump prior to his inauguration on January 20th. [Id.]
Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Peskov: A Meeting of the Minds
Not that the timing matters that much as far as the diplomatic process is concerned; it’s only a month, after all. Of course, it does mean another month in hell for the people of Ukraine . . . but politicians are far too focused on the “big picture” to give much thought to such mundane matters as death and destruction.
So while they play their game of one-upmanship, the rest of the world is left to decide whom to believe: Trump or Putin.
The Blog About Everything … and Sometimes Nothing 