Hatreds May Fade Away But They Never Die

Yesterday was the 30^th anniversary of the massacre of Srebrenica. It passed with no apparent notice here, though there probably were in Bosnian neighborhoods of St, Louis, Chicago, Toronto, Utica, and elsewhere in the Bosnian diaspora. Some say 8,6000; others, 10,000 Muslim Bošnjaci were systematically assassinated, rank after rank, by Serbian Orthodox troops under command of a fellow, but Serbian Orthodox, Bosniak, General Ratko Mladić. Mladić also commanded Serbian troops during the siege of Sarajevo.

Also yesterday, appropriately, came word that General Ratko (isn’t that the right name for such as him?) Mladić, 83, had died while still imprisoned in the Hague. Mladić, hiding in rural Serbia, was captured in 2011 by Serbian security forces (at that time, Serbia was seeking admittance to the EU, and needed to be seen as reformed  – but is still awaiting admittance.) He was tried by the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, convicted in 2017, and sentenced to life in prison. (As you probably know, the US has rejected membership in and refused to recognize authority of the UNICTs and of the International Criminal Court, not only passively citing our sovereignty but also undertaking active opposition, which has included sanctions, legal barriers, and non‑cooperation. Jack Smith’s service in the Hague as an ICC investigator and later as Chief Prosecutor of Kosovo War Crimes trials, is in the eyes of he who shall not be named and of MAGAs his “treason” to the US.

When Ann and I were in Sarajevo in 2019, we visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center, another of Europe’s many grim memorials to man’s bottomless capacity for inhumanity to his fellow man. The Center should be a required stamp for any tourist visa holder or penalty upon leaving Bosnia of a healthy fee. The exhibits and photos are stomach-churning, searing themselves into one’s memory. Unlike Buchenwald or Treblinka, slowly fading into ancient history in the minds of young people, Srebrenica is still fresh enough to be relevant, still horrific enough to chill the blood.

Can such happen again? Of course. The only thing we seem to learn from history is how not to learn from history. And in the case of the Balkans, these land of honey (bal) and blood (kans), hatreds do not die. They may fade away but they never die. If the Russia-Ukraine War spreads, it may be Serbia that brings it to the doorsteps of NATO (i.e., Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Rumania, and Greece) via its dream of Greater Serbia throughout the peninsula. It is Ratko we should remember and vilify in our memories that this never happens again.

For more on the Balkans, read Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, A Journey Through Yugoslavia, as relevant today as when written on the eve of WWII. 

Je suis Canadien

 You’ve heard about Trump attacking Canada: fantasizing about it becoming one of our United States; trashing the tri-lateral trade agreement he signed with our two largest trade partners (yes, trade with Mexico and Canada are each larger than trade with China, and have been so for many years); and now putting punitive tariffs on Canadian products, claiming that our overall trade deficit with them and their attitude justify it. Take away our oil and electricity imports, however, and it turns out we have a manufactured goods trade surplus with Canada.

Trump is pissed at Mark Carney, first because of his speech at Davos calling for consortia of mid-sized economies to stand up to giants like the US, China, Germany and Japan; second, because of his rejection of Trump’s notion about Canada becoming part of or subservient to the US; and now, because he won’t roll over in Trump’s tariff war.

You’ve seen the headlines and perhaps short news clips of Carney’s speech to Canada. But until you see the whole of Carney’s speech, you don’t grasp what a powerful leader he is. My Vancouver (BC) friend Bryan R sent me the tape of his statement to the nation and his press conference. Here it is; the first 23 minutes are his views and report on why Canada is withdrawing from the trade talks and retaliating, dollar for dollar; the rest is press conference give and take: https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/pm-carney-speaks-to-media-after-suspension-of-canada-us-trade-talks?id=6b77d2c2-d09d-47fb-9bf1-7c88f3c2445c.

 Take a look. Compare the Canadian leader behind his podium with ours. Their leader is articulate, smart and resolute; he is self-aware and self-controlled; he knows what his goals are and how to use his tools (e.g., dollar for dollar retaliation) to achieve them. He knows how to deal with a playground bully.

 And think about our Iran war; first we fight to close the Strait of Hormuz, next to keep it open, now to close it again. We achieved regime change, and now we face a more determined and radical regime than before. Meanwhile costs, interest rates, and inflation rise. What kind of leadership is that?

 A US/Canada trade war makes no sense. It is a trade war nobody can “win.” It raises the costs of living and of making – of food, gas, electricity, clothing, booze and beer, cars, lumber (for building new homes,) steel and aluminium (I said I was a Canadien), dairy products, beef, and all sorts of products. It hurts US households more than it does Canadian ones, but it hurts both sides.

I am a loyal American, but boy – do I ever admire Mark Carney and what Canada is doing and stands for. Compare how they handle immigration with our ICE-tyranny. Would that Mark Carney’s example embolden Republican Senators and Representatives to stand up and take charge. 

In the meantime, one of our granddaughters, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, is awaiting her Canadian work permit and intends to eventualy become a Canadian citizen. Another loss for America.

When is Enough Enough?

 When is Enough Retribution Enough?

Retribution: isn’t that just a nice word for revenge? Netanyahu’s campaign is being defended and rationalized as destruction of Hamas and justifiable retribution for 7/10/’23. His campaign is being attacked as genocide of Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank, an unjustifiable retribution for 7/10/’23.

In 1943, the Nazi regime in Germany had instigated war and, as some people knew, was committing war crimes against their Jewish citizens, other minorities, and political opponents. “Bomber” Harris and General Spaatz collaborated on “strategic bombing” of Germany, a campaign aimed at destruction of war industries and, moreover, at demoralization of civilians -- a campaign rationalized in part as retribution. The Russians felt it; the western allies felt it – the satisfaction of revenge.  Hamburg, Dresden, Frankfort, Berlin, and other cities we obliterated; in all, 1,080,000 civilian casualties resulted, 300,000 killed and 780,000 wounded, in the bombings of Germany. 

After the war, a comprehensive US Government assessment, the US Strategic Bombing Survey, concluded that strategic bombing “significantly weakened Germany’s war economy” but “did not break civilian morale.” The campaign against civilians was defended by some as a strategic necessity and attacked by others as genocidal retribution.  

Is there a difference between then and now? How do Netanyahu and Major General Asor, head of Isreal’s Southern Command, which includes Gaza, differ from Roosevelt and General Spaatz, head of Strategic Air Command in WWII? Are they war heroes or war criminals?

When and how do you stop retribution? How much killing is enough? The Israelis lost 1,195 citizens on October 7^th; they have killed 72,000 Gazans since invading to eliminate Hamas – and to exact retribution?

How does one cease retribution, to declare over and enough? Especially in a democratic republic where leaders draw their legitimacy from a majority of the electorate? If people want revenge, they must have it – unless.

Unless there is a leader, a movement, a spiritual wave that eschews hate and revenge.  Jesus taught love of enemy. The Buddha taught that hatred is never appeased by hatred. Muhammud taught that forgiveness is superior to retaliation; that violence is only justified against attackers and that violence against civilians and non-combatants, especially women and children, is forbidden. Rabbinic law replaces ayin tachat ayin, an eye for an eye, with compensation, measure for measure.

The best way out of retribution is to never enter into it. More easily said than done, obviously. Humans are wired for revenge – an eye for an eye appears in the Code of Hammurabi, in the Torah, and later in the Bible books of Exodes, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. But the bloodbaths of the 20thC should have taught us that vengeance, retaliation, revenge doesn’t work. In the end, the vengeful are as wounded as their victims, if not more so, and the victims will spawn multitudes seeking their vengeance in turn.

Ghandi said “an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” Confucious said “before taking vengeance, dig two graves”. Netanyahu isn’t listening. The new ayatollah isn’t listening. Trump isn’t hearing. What other world leader will lead his people into vengeful victimhood, into the dead-end of retaliation? Who will have the strength of character to say “no, enough”?

You'll Never Guess What I'm Reading

A few years back, I was privileged to work on some tricky issues with a very gifted woman, my successor as President of the Board of Horizon House, Karen Lane Rahm. Aside from her various public service roles, she was curious and adventurous. (After she termed out of the Horizon House Board, she went to live in Paris for six months to polish her French and wrote charmingly of her explorations in a series of posts she called "Karen at Large.")

Somehow, one day, we talked of books and she mentioned belonging to an Anthony Trollope reading club. In my ignorance, I was astounded; I had read Trollope's Barchester Towers as a junior in high school, but assumed no one today bothered with that 19thC relic. I could remember nothing whatsoever about it and had only a vague sense that I had found it of no interest whatever. Callow youth.

Well, a few years ago, I undertook to re-read what I read or should have read those 75 or 70 years ago. I learned by these re-visits that my high school and college professors knew what they were about. I have re-read Moby Dick, Gulliver's Travels, Don Quixote, The Book of Job, Magic Mountain, You Can't Go Home Again and several others. (I also am now re-re-reading the Fagles translation of The Odyssey.) 

Last year, I came across a reference to Trollope's Palliser series of novels, so in honor of Karen, I decided to explore why such a keen intellect as hers would be enthused by an obscure 19thC English novelist, one whose works on Kindle were listed at $0 or a buck or so. I downloaded and opened Phineas Finn, the Irish Member because it appeared to be about English politics. And, indeed, it absolutely delighted me with its sly wit and descriptions of the foibles, pretentions, and posturings of upper class England. I found myself chuckling again and again; Trollope is funny!

Now I'm hooked. I'm 2/3rds through Can You Forgive Her? (1865), which preceded Phineas Finn in the series. Four to go. 

I am sure that this admission will not surprise my buddies but merely confirm, for them, their assessment of Fletch, their weird friend. So be it. 

In the Present

In these fraught times, one side is promising something wonderful about the future while the other, something horrible. Or one side is blaming the other for something in the past and and the other in turn, finding something new to blame the first for. One side magnifies past sins of the other, while the other heaps blame upon the first. Both make grandiose promises about the future.

Past or future; we need to stop for a moment and call out something uplifting from the present that we all can share, especially this semiquincentennial weekend (who came up with that!) Let me suggest:                 

    Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.

    For purple mountains' majesties above the fruited plains. 

    America, America, God shed his grace on thee

    and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Words by Katherine Lee Bates in 1895 and set to the music Materna, composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1892. 

America the Beautiful says it all to me, plus I can sing it. And it isn't rooted in conflict, in bloody Fort McHenry or any other conflict. No having to extol courage under fire. We've had enough of bombs bursting in air. 

Of course there are many who have doubts about that brotherhood stuff; I can think of a couple whose initials are SM and JDV. Invariably, such patriots consider themselves good Christians, i.e., good Catholics or good Protestants -- or good Buddhists or good Hindus or good Muslims or good whatevers, despite that their creeds endorse universal brotherhood. These folks have been steeped in suspicion of the other, in dislikes of strange names or odd (to them) hats or foods or worship. (We're suspicious of their foods until one of them opens a hot restaurant in town.) 

Well, I've wandered away from something many of us should be able to agree on here in the present: America has beauty inherent in her. 

Let's work together to make it manifest once again.

        PS Ann points out to me that over half of the USMNT are immigrants.

Underdogs

I watched my first World Cup game of this year’s tourney: Germany vs Cote d’ivoire. For a period and a half little Cd’I led one nil. Then Germany got their tying goal, and in stoppage time, their go-ahead score. It was a lovely and well-played game despite some German defensive sloppiness.

I looked up the two: Cote d'Ivoire isn't so little after all: 33 million folks. I had no idea. Germany, of course, the largest in Europe at 84 million.

I rooted for Cote d’Ivoire. I have an urge to add ‘of course.’  I suppose there are people who favor the favorite, but I would guess most favor the underdog. Consider that phrase, create an image of an under-dog: chilling isn’t it? A small dog on his back, a larger dog lying on top with a grip on the underdog’s throat. I know many cheer for the expected winner; many for the competitor given less of a chance by the bettors. Americans supposedly support the underdog out of a sense of fairness, of equalizing the match with their enthusiasm and cheers. The bettors usually know better.  Unless ‘you’ve got a dog in that fight,’ the American will cheer for the underdog. Good on us.

Germany got two goals from Deniz Undav, a Stuttgart sub born in Bremen whose family is Kurdish‑Yazidi, father from southeastern Turkey and mother, northern Syria. Thus, those hateful immigrants brought Germany its advantage. My bet is that most of Germany’s soccer fans are MGGA’s, perhaps members of AfD, folks who are intolerant of immigration just as are our MAGAs who stupidly don't connect dots.

(While the boom of my neighbor's practice shots-on-goal echo in my ears.) 

 

I

What Do You Know About SYSO?

Seattle is known for Microsoft, for its persistent growth, for Grunge and Kurt Cobain, for its suffocating traffic, for its Seahawks and dearly departed Sonics, for Starbucks coffee, for Dr. Frasier Crane – but not for SYSO. Would that the world’s attention be somewhat more encompassing . . .

. . .  for SYSO is one of Seattle's cultural gems.

The Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra Program is the largest youth orchestra program in the world, renowned for feeding conservatories and music schools with a steady stream of students. Symphonies the world over have SYSO alum as players, principals, concertmasters, conductors and even composers. SYSO also is known for its traditional affinity for and recordings of the music of Gustav Mahler, something no other youth orchestra has tackled. SYSO has five performing orchestras, each with its own conductor, seven if training orchestras are included, more than any other youth symphony program.

I must admit that had it not been for our grandson, Max Janes, being Principal Trumpet in SYSO's senior Youth Orchestra, I might not have known of SYSO either. SYSO is a cultural gem hiding its brilliance under a bushel.

You might naturally assume, as did I, that SYSO is a division within the Seatle Symphony and run by them. Not so: SYSO is an independent not-for-profit organization, with its own board and management, its own staff, and its own fund raising. SYSO’s mission is “Empowering youth through excellence in orchestral education.” And it delivered this past year:

• 1300 students were enrolled
• from 256 Pacific Northwest schools.
• 32 concerts were given
• before 12,500 attendees.
• In addition, 270 more students received over 400 hours of instruction in schools.
• the senior orchestra toured Portugal, playing with orchestras and ensembles in four major cities.
• SYSO's total budget is over $2.6mm.

SYSO and its supporters (which includes our family) believe that participation is transformative. Students and graduates speak of developing leadership skills, confidence, improved school performance, discipline, collaboration, community, and joy.

Recently, Ann and I attended the spring concert at UW’s Meany Hall. It was packed not just with doting parents and grand-parents, but with folks who were there simply to enjoy classical, orchestral music. The sound, even from the “Debut” orchestra, the youngest kids, was incredibly polished and mature.