Three huge, recent developments to give one hope

Three things have taken place recently and really, if you think about it, they really could give you great hope.

The first is that we have, to date, avoided war, or anything like it, with Syria:

Assad tells American media he will get rid of chemical weapons

First things, first on this one, too.  Don't think for a minute I'm foolish enough to think or believe a) this is a done-deal or that b) it will be easy. It won't.  It will at least take some time for Assad and Syria to get rid of its gas weapons, if they even do at all but, that said, we came perilously close to bombing Syria.

 

But we didn't. 

 

And we aren't.

 

And that's a good thing.

 

That's a VERY good thing.

 

Making it even better is that Russia and their leader, none other than Vladimir Putin jumped in to make it happen.

 

He knew we'd do it and knew, also, it would only hurt Russia, besides their partner.

 

This is a big, big good thing.

 

The second good thing to happen to give one hope are all the good signs coming out of Iran and from their new leader, President Hassan Rouhani:

 

Iran's Rouhani says wants peace

 

The truth is, there have been so many good signs and public statements coming from Pres. Rouhani lately, I can't even post them all.

 

And he's due here next week.  He and President Obama are to meet and talk.

 

Report: Obama and Rouhani may be ready for historic handshake next week

 

Fantastic stuff.  Inconceivable, not that long ago.

 

Finally, the third good thing happening of late are all the good signs and, again, quotes, coming from the new Pope and head of the Catholic Church:

Pope Francis: Church too focused on gays and abortion

If only the Republicans in this country could do the same.  That is, realize they're too focused on social issues like gays and abortion, for starters, but make less stupid, divisive, ugly statements and work, instead, to get America back to work, maybe we'd really be getting somewhere.
 

If we can just get beyond the Republicans' stupidity and attempts at ending the Affordable Care Act and shutting down the government, and get them, instead, working for the benefit of ALL Americans and not just the wealthy and corporations, we might really be making some breakthroughs.

 

 

Quote of the day---from a very unexpected source

"In a country whose legitimacy is rooted in its people, then there is no fear from free media."

--Newly elected President-elect Hassan Rouhani of Iran


Link:  President-Elect of Iran Says He Will Engage With the West

The Iran we never see

It seems we always demonize enemies and supposed enemies. While clearly this video is created by a source with an agenda, they make a good point. I think when most of us Americans think of the nation Iran, we think desert and blown up buildings and their leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We don't think of beautiful trains going through what looks like green forests. I think it's important to both point this out and see what more of this country and people are like so maybe, maybe, hopefully we don't do something paramountly stupid like attacking one more country.

Two things going this President's way

First this story, today on Yahoo! News: Ahmadinejad says Iran may end enrichment Iran would consider ending uranium enrichment, the most crucial part of its controversial nuclear activities, if world powers send Tehran nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters Friday. So that's good news. It's not a total answer and we're not there yet but it's a reaching out, so to speak, from them to the rest of the world. That and the Israelis and Palestinians are said to be close to working out a deal for peace, according to sources close the negotiations. At least that was what was said a few days ago. Right this minute the Israelis have to extend the halt to more settlements on the West Bank and that seems up in the air but we can hope. I'll say again, too, that if there is a true peace accord between the Israelis and Palestinians, look for President O to be up for another Nobel Peace Prize AND Man's "Person of the Year". Links: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100924/ap_on_re_us/un_un_ahmadinejad; http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/m/middle_east_peace_process/index.html?scp=6&sq=israel%20palestinian%20agreement&st=cse