Author Archives: markdowe1

Britain, Defence, Government, Military

Fighter jets to land on a UK carrier again

ROYAL NAVY

HMS Queen Elizabeth has embarked on a landmark voyage to the United States to begin flight trials of new stealth fighter jets.

After the retirement of the Harrier aircraft, it is the first time in eight years that our jets will take off and land on a UK aircraft carrier. At 65,000 tons and costing £3billion, HMS Queen Elizabeth is Britain’s biggest warship, which has been hailed as a “true statement of our national power” and has left Portsmouth to begin trials.

Two American supersonic F-35B test jets will perform around 500 landings and take-offs during the carriers 11 weeks at sea.

Trials of the fighter aircraft have been much anticipated owing to their “game changing” ultra-advanced technology, which includes their ability to fly at 1,200 miles per hour and go virtually undetected by enemies.

A Royal Navy commander on board the carrier said the voyage to the east coast of America follows increased activity in the North Atlantic by the Russian fleet.

The commander said: “The increase in Russian activity we have seen in the last couple of years is frightening and for national security reasons it just underlies why we need to maintain a balanced strong and capable fleet. It’s quite eye-watering what we’ve seen in recent years.”

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Arts, Literature, Philosophy

(Philosophy): The Stoic – Opinions Are Like…

UNBIASED THOUGHT

“What IS bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil. Let a person shift their opinions only to what belongs in the field of their own choice, and I guarantee that person will have peace of mind, whatever is happening around them.” – Epictetus, Discourses, 3.3.18b–19

OPINIONS. Everyone’s got one.

Think about all the opinions you have: about whether today’s weather is convenient, about what liberals and conservatives believe, about whether so-and-so’s remark is rude or not, about whether you’re successful (or not), and on and on. We’re constantly looking at the world around us and putting our opinions on top of it. And our opinion is often shaped by dogma (religious or cultural), entitlements, expectations, and in some cases, ignorance.

No wonder we feel upset and angry so often. But what if we let these opinions go? Let’s try weeding (ekkoptein; cutting or knocking out) them out of our lives so that things simply are. Not good or bad, not coloured with opinion or judgment. Just are.

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Arts, Canada, History, Scotland

Fallen idol: Canadians tear down statue of Scots founder

SIR JOHN A MACDONALD

HE was the revered founding father of the Canadian nation.

Coming from humble beginnings in Scotland, he would go on to bring together the British Colonies under one rule.

But now a statue of politician Sir John A Macdonald has been torn down by protesters over his treatment of indigenous tribes.

Macdonald was Canada’s first and one of the country’s most highly regarded Prime Ministers, his family having emigrated in 1820 to what is today Ontario.

As well as being Prime Minister for 19 years, the Glasgow-born politician was a dominant figure in the confederation, which brought together the various British colonies such as Nova Scotia to establish the collective new nation of Canada.

But his treatment of indigenous tribes, specifically the children of the Esquimalt and Songhees tribes, has caused a Canadian city to pull down his statue.

The Mayor of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, has divided the Canadian nation over the move.

Mayor Lisa helps said: “We do not propose to erase history but rather to take the time through the process of truth-telling and reconciliation as part of the Witness Reconciliation Program to tell this complex and painful chapter of Canadian history in a thoughtful way.”

The statue which was removed for storage within the last few days has seen protesters both for and against its removal airing their views.

Those in favour of keeping the statue claim that Mayor Helps is trying to rewrite history with the removal of the monument.

One protester remarked: “Mayor Lisa Helps, in a final act of cowardice on this issue, is removing the statue under cover of darkness.”

Another said: “If you want to see what a traitor looks like here it is. Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria, is taking down [the] statue of Sir John A Macdonald to protect the feelings of Indians.”

The statue is to be replaced with a plaque which reads: “In 2017, the City of Victoria began a journey of Truth and Reconciliation with the Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees nd Esquimalt Nations, on whose territories the city stands.”

Macdonald was the architect of the Indian residential school system. The schools were part of a system that is “best described as a cultural genocide” according to a report by the board which is overseeing the reconciliation work with the indigenous inhabitants.

The schools would separate children from their families in an attempt to suppress their culture.

Mayor Helps said: “John A Macdonald was a key architect of the Indian Residential School system.

“In 1879 he said, ‘When the school is on the reserve, the child lives with its parents, who are savages, and though he may learn to read and write, his habits and training mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write.

“It has been impressed upon myself that Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence’.”

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