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Maverick's avatar

This is an excellent look at motivative forces, for both politics and journalism. I'm reminded that I've never felt any pressure from any of your articles, Thom. You just present the facts and leave it up to us to determine which is best. If I felt that you were always putting in a plug for something in your articles -- for example, always reminding us that it's never too late to update your vaxx shots, like our CBC media does -- I'd realize that your platform was being supported by some corporation that had a financial interest in whatever message you were promoting.

Sometimes, too, especially in politics, it's not in what's said, but in what goes unsaid. This morning I read of Japan's Kishida meeting with your leader Biden -- they're going to discuss all sorts of military subjects. What struck me is that there was no mention of them discussing the climate issue. So they're discussing all sorts of potential future attacks on their citizens from North Korea and China, and attacks on democracies such as Ukraine's, but not a mention of how your own country is under attack, RIGHT NOW, on the climate front. Both sides of your country are being dealt devastating blows from the climate. I'm not saying Biden hasn't tried to deal with the climate issue, but judging by what these leaders are discussing, it's clear that weapons and armament are their top priorities. To my mind, they're avoiding what should be their immediate concern for what might lie in the future. This is a reminder of how much influence the fossil fuel and the military industries still have in U.S. politics.

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Ginger's avatar

In recovery, we call 'fear' the 'corrosive, evil thread' that runs through all our lives. We drink/use/addict to anything, to avoid/suppress fear. Problem is, fear is not going anywhere. If you feed fear, it grows. The Cherokee have a wonderful proverb; a Grandfather explained fear/hate versus kindness/tolerance by comparing our internal, battling natures to two wolves - one wolf is kind, calm and loving and the other wolf is angry and vicious. The wolf that dominates is the wolf you feed. I will add a third component; being of service and helping others is the antidote to fear. Get out of your head and into someone else's - there's no greater joy than being of service. Help someone, save a life today.

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