Who among us is curious or questioning about recent events in Ukraine? Do we just take as fact what the mainstream media tell us? Is this a story of Russia aggressively preventing Ukraine’s selfdetermination? Headlines speak of war fever and it seems a foregone conclusion that the United States will send weapons to Ukraine. What then, you might ask? The probability is horrifying! What can we do to stop it? Where is David to this Goliath?

Probably David is you and me and you and you and me again all speaking up until we’re heard. Tell Susan Collins and Angus King and Chellie Pingree that you’ve had enough of war, that you expect them to lead a wise and compassionate nation rather than a military empire.

I believe the story actually begins with the U.S. inviting Ukraine to join NATO and to associate herself with Europe rather than with Russia. Inviting Ukraine to join NATO was a huge insult to Russia who had been led to believe that she might be included in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. When did we change our minds about that?

I don’t know many of the details but haven’t we have all been witness to a pattern of U.S. military expansion all over the globe? A few examples include our encircling of both Russia and China with military bases and war ships in order to keep them in check. We have all watched havoc develop in the Middle East, no news there. Understanding the plans we have in Africa under our “African Command” or Africom takes a bit more effort.

I believe the full story in Eastern Ukraine needs to include U.S. funded mercenaries — self-proclaimed fascists — stirring up tensions between Russia and Ukraine at the very start of this chapter in American gamesmanship. Nobody wants to hear that or to acknowledge the sinister nature of our foreign policy. But if we are to recover from this ghastly period of endless war then it really is time to get some new information from sources we can trust to be credible. We need to read some of the brave journalists who risk life and limb to look at the dark side of the military/corporate/congressional complex Eisenhower warned us about: Jeremy Skahill, David Swanson, Noam Chomsky and many others. Watching Democracy Now with Amy Goodman (www.democracynow.org) is a way to hear the voices the corporate powers would like to drown out. What can I say? The truth isn’t easy but was it Jesus of Nazareth who said that the truth will make us free?

Rosalie Paul
Topsham