Saturday Morning Confusion: W A R !

 I don't know what all the fuss is about, folks... the wars in Ukraine and Gaza can be solved in one day with two phone calls!

The first would be to Putin... who would be told to get out of ALL of Ukraine TODAY... or tomorrow Zelensky would be given ALL the weapons he needs to win... and as many of them as necessary!

The next would be to - "Bi Bi" - telling him to get out of Gaza TODAY... or tomorrow, Israel gets no more support (militarily or diplomatically) from anyone!

VOILA! Ya got a happy Zelenski:

And a bunch of confused Arabs wondering what the hell just happened!!!

fini

Here's the Russian plan to divide up Ukraine!

In this picture, the Russian Bosses are discussing how they would like to carve up Ukraine!

SEE THAT SMALL BLUE AREA OVER AT THE FAR LEFT?

THAT'S WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF UKRAINE!

How to Solve the Israeli / Palestinian problem!!!!

It's about time to get this mess in the Middle East straightened out kids!

Yes, we have to re-settle the Palestinians... but in the long run... this is probably the best solution: (Pick #1 or # 2... or both with a highway running between them!)

🌊 1. Gaza-to-Arish Coastal Strip (25 km Inland)

✔️ Advantages

Cultural:

• Shared identity: Proximity to Gaza ensures continuity with existing Palestinian language, customs, and family ties.

• Symbolic coastline: Access to the Mediterranean aligns with historic Palestinian expectations and national aspirations.

• Urban familiarity: Easier transition for Gaza residents, including those displaced or in refugee camps.

Political:

• High international visibility: Coastal territory aligns with pre-existing discussions on Gaza expansion.

• Trade & port development: Sea access offers economic independence, reducing dependency on Israeli crossings.

• Potential buy-in from Palestinian factions: Proximity to Gaza could promote political unity and governance continuity.

❌ Disadvantages

Cultural:

• Limited expansion room: Still relatively narrow and may remain overcrowded despite new space.

• Land ownership disputes: Possible local Egyptian resistance to resettlement.

Political:

• Egyptian sovereignty: Reluctance to cede territory, even if not including Arish itself, due to nationalist and security concerns.

• Security implications for Israel: Concerns about militarization or smuggling routes resurfacing along new borders.

• Hamas control: Continuity with Gaza might entrench current leadership, complicating diplomatic legitimacy.

---

🏜 2. Southern Tip Zone (Paran to Gulf of Aqaba)

✔️ Advantages

Cultural:

• Clean slate: Opportunity to build a modern, unified Palestinian identity from the ground up, without factional baggage.

• Low local resistance: Sparse population reduces conflict over resettlement or heritage sites.

Political:

• No host country complication: The territory is wholly within Israeli borders; sovereignty transfer is straightforward if agreed upon.

• Buffer zone potential: Distance from major urban centers allows for demilitarization and international peacekeeping options.

• Access to Gulf of Aqaba: Strategic economic access for shipping, tourism, and trade via the Red Sea.

❌ Disadvantages

Cultural:

• No historic connection: Remote desert region lacks emotional or symbolic ties to Palestinian identity or heritage.

• Extreme environment: Harsh climate makes resettlement and agriculture difficult without massive infrastructure.

Political:

• Disconnection from population centers: Isolated, making political and social cohesion harder.

• Perception of displacement: Might be seen as exile or land-for-peace concession without justice.

• Requires large-scale investment: Infrastructure for water, housing, transportation, and energy would be cost-prohibitive initially.

---

🧭 Summary Table

Category	Gaza-to-Arish Strip	Paran-to-Aqaba Tip
Cultural Fit	Strong	Weak
Political Viability	Moderate (with Egypt’s buy-in)	High (within Israel’s control)
Economic Potential	High (trade, ports)	Moderate (Aqaba access)
Security Benefits	Riskier for Israel	Lower-risk, isolated zone
Population Integration	Seamless for Gazans	Challenging

***

Policy Brief and Diplomatic White Paper

Title: Territorial Proposals for a Viable Palestinian State: Updated Strategic Options for Lasting Peace

Prepared for: International Diplomatic Working Group on Middle East Peace

Date: May 2025

---

Executive Summary

This policy brief presents updated territorial proposals for establishing a viable Palestinian state, revisiting two distinct geographic options. These options are analyzed for their cultural relevance, political feasibility, economic viability, and strategic risks. 

The two options are:

1. Gaza-to-Arish Coastal Strip: A territory extending from the northwestern tip of Gaza down to the edge of Arish (excluding Arish), and 25 km inland.

2. Southern Tip Corridor: Located in Israel's far south, spanning from Paran to the Gulf of Aqaba.

---

Option 1: Gaza-to-Arish Coastal Strip (25 km Inland)

Geographic Scope

• Begins at the northwestern edge of Gaza and stretches south along the Mediterranean, ending before Arish.

• Extends 25 km inland.

Cultural Advantages

• Shared identity and proximity: Continuity with Gaza ensures integration with existing Palestinian demographics and traditions.

• Symbolic coastline: Aligns with long-standing aspirations for Mediterranean access.

• Refugee relocation potential: Expands options for overcrowded Gaza residents.

Political Advantages

• Gaza connection: Reinforces territorial cohesion for Palestinians.

• Trade route development: Maritime access enhances economic autonomy.

• Popular legitimacy: More acceptable to Palestinian factions and international stakeholders.

Cultural Disadvantages

• Overcrowding risk remains: The narrow strip might be insufficient for large-scale expansion.

• Local tensions: Egyptian citizens may resist any perceived land transfer.

Political Disadvantages

• Egyptian sovereignty concerns: Egypt would be unlikely to accept even partial cession without significant guarantees.

• Security tension with Israel: Close proximity to Gaza could heighten border vulnerability.

• Militant entrenchment: Hamas control may persist, complicating future diplomatic recognition.

---

Option 2: Southern Tip Corridor (Paran to Gulf of Aqaba)

Geographic Scope

• Occupies land between Paran and the Gulf of Aqaba, along Israel's southern desert.

• Provides direct access to the Red Sea.

Cultural Advantages

• Minimal displacement: Sparse population and arid terrain reduce cultural disruption.

• New identity formation: Opportunity for constructing a modern, unified Palestinian society.

Political Advantages

• Fully within Israeli jurisdiction: Simplifies legal transition without third-party negotiation.

• Security buffer: Isolated zone eases defense management for Israel.

• International collaboration zone: Potential hub for economic and peacekeeping initiatives.

Cultural Disadvantages

• No symbolic or historical ties: Desert terrain is alien to most Palestinians.

• Difficult living conditions: Harsh climate deters voluntary resettlement.

Political Disadvantages

• Disconnected from core population centers: Risks fragmenting Palestinian identity.

• Perception of forced exile: May be viewed as political displacement without redress.

• High infrastructure cost: Development would require major foreign investment.

---

Comparative Analysis

Category	Gaza-to-Arish Strip	Paran-to-Aqaba Corridor
Cultural Fit	Strong	Weak
Political Viability	Moderate (Egypt cooperation needed)	High (within Israel's control)
Economic Opportunity	High (trade, ports)	Moderate (Red Sea access)
Security for Israel	Riskier due to Gaza link	Lower risk, more isolated
Population Integration	Seamless for Gazans	Logistically challenging

---

Recommendation

The optimal solution may involve a tiered territorial model:

• Primary Palestinian settlement zone on the Mediterranean Strip.

• Secondary economic and logistical enclave at the southern tip for Red Sea trade, resettlement, and special development.

• Include international guarantees, demilitarization, and multilateral investment frameworks.

---

Diplomatic Implementation Strategy

1. Feasibility Studies: Commissioned by UN and Arab League with regional partners.

2. Territorial Framework Negotiations: With Israel and Egypt under international auspices.

3. Palestinian Referendum: To validate proposed territorial plans.

4. Global Development Plan: Economic and infrastructure aid coordinated by World Bank, EU, and Gulf states.

---

Conclusion

These updated territorial models provide an opportunity to creatively address both humanitarian needs and geopolitical realities. They invite all stakeholders—Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and international—to reconsider pragmatic options for a durable two-state resolution.

---

Prepared by: International Conflict Mediation Team

For inquiries, contact: diplomacy@peaceinitiative.org

A letter from British Columbia!

Allan: Since Canadians have begun boycotting US products, what are some Canadian products we can boycott in return? "A Proud American!"

 Danielle said: Remember, it is your guy that started this and is using falsified data to justify his actions. 

You should be embarrassed to think about boycotting Canada. 

 Your country is the one trying to destroy the country next to you and absorb it into yours. This is the same as Russia invading Ukraine. 

 If you are shocked over Canada rejecting joining what you have been told since birth is "the best country in earth," it is because you have been lied to about this!!! 

 In quality of life for average people... the USA is not even in the top 10 in most things. 

***

 Canada is standing up to an unjustifiable act of aggression by the USA. An act that has cost the USA all of its friends and is making it an international pariah. 

 Open your eyes and you will see that in less than a month you new leader has made the USA one of the bad guys in world affairs. 

At the same level as Russia. 

 Now watch as the prices of almost everything in the USA go up... as well as unemployment. 

You will be lucky if the USA does not break up into several countries in the next few years. 

 Danielle... lives in Metro Vancouver!

***

DUMP TRUMP!

Q:  To what extent is the United States dependent on Canadian products? 

A:  Are there any comparable American alternatives to these products?

• America imports 60% of its crude oil from Canada, at an average **discount** of 15%. That discount has applied for close to 4 decades, minimum. Roughly 80% of vehicle fuels used in the US are derived from this CANADIAN-SUBISIDIZED oil. The closest substitute your refineries can handle comes from Venezuela. I’m sure the orange stain won’t mind buying from them at all.
• 50% of aluminum consumed in the US comes from Canada. There are few alternatives as aluminum takes a god-awful amount of electricity to produce. Canada has shit-tons of hydroelectric power that we use to make aluminum.
• That same hydroelectric power generation is so plentiful, that we export most of the rest to the US, which keeps the grids along the east coast and into the mid-west humming. No Canadian hydro means rolling blackouts across a third of the US.
• 80% of potash used in fertilizer is sourced from Canada. Canada is the world’s largest producer, having a full third of global production. The next two largest producers are russia and China, and put together, they produce ALMOST as much as Canada does by itself. You could try and buy half the output from both of them, or all the output from one, I guess.
• Canada exported almost 3–trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which helps keep the Midwest and Northeast states warm and generates a significant amount of electricity. According to your own sources, natural gas accounted for 43.1% of your total generating capacity last year.
• A full quarter of the uranium you use annually comes from Canada. The ore is of unusually high purity too. That’s another quarter of your generating capacity going down, and 18.6% of electricity is produced by nuclear.

In order to replace any of these would require a huge amount of work. 

You could build a dozen aluminum smelters to pick up the slack from Canada alone, but you still need electricity to run them. And you can see the problems with that. 

More pressing is finding new ways to heat your houses, fertilize your fields and afford to drive anywhere. 

The “good guy” discount Canada has been giving the US for five decades is going to end... so you can expect your local gas prices to rise by an average of 15%, regardless of what the orange-stain does now.

M Spicer. 

Forget Trump... I'll settle the Ukraine problem in 24 hrs!

 SEE THIS MAP?

O.K. 

By this time tomorrow... Russia gets to keep (?) what they have now... (approximate) and Moldova becomes a part of Ukraine!!!!!!!

Then U.N. 'Peace Keepers' patrol the border!

(You're Welcome!)

A no win situation kids!!!!!!!

 I heard something on TV today that sort of brought up the situation in Ukraine with an amazing amount of clarity!

I have long suspected... but never actually articulated... what the situation over there was all about!

Well... what the woman on the TV said brought it all into "Perspective!" (God I love that word!)

She said: "The West... for their own political reasons... are giving the Ukrainians just enough HELP so that they don't lose... but not enough so that they can WIN!

I guess the number of people killed for political reasons is of secondary importance... eh kids?

Why my parents left Germany after the war!

During World War II, American and British planes mercilessly firebombed the German city of Dresden, leaving an estimated 250,000 (?) people dead, most of them civilians — with bodies piling up so quickly that officials were forced to simply pile corpses in the city square and cremate them en masse for weeks on end. 

 Even after the dust settled, Dresden was largely left in ruins for decades. 

 Though volunteers quickly gathered to clear the rubble after the war, it wasn't until the early 1990s that rebuilding began in earnest. 

 The hard work undoubtedly paid off, and Dresden is now considered one of the most striking cities in the country.

Back by popular demand! WAR!

People need to be reminded of stuff every now and then! 

I'm writing this because things seem to be getting out of hand on the International scene lately and before things get worse... maybe we should have another look at what fighting a war looks like!!!!!!)

The old adage says: “History is written by the victors!”

I would like to add my own saying and it goes like this: The winners always downplay their own sins by a factor of up to ten.. and exaggerate the loser's sins by up to a factor of ten.

One of the misconceptions of WW11 is the death toll of Dresden by Allied bombers and the death toll of Hiroshima by the A-bomb!

First Dresden: It was a culture and art city of 750,000 people with little military value, and there was another approx. 500,000 refugees fleeing the advancing Russian army.

This gave it a population of between one million to 1 1/2 million women, children and old men. (Since the young men were off fighting the war!)

Twelve weeks before the end of the war the Allies fire-bombed the entire city and burned it to the ground as this picture shows:

(Taken from the top of city hall)

Now, although original estimates put the death toll at half a million people.. the allies claimed it was closer to 35,000 and just in the past few years lowered it further to 25,000.

Now Hiroshima:

It was a city of up to half a million and Allied estimates of casualties were a little more accurate since they claimed about 100,000 deaths but you have to remember that after the bomb only concrete buildings remained standing since all the houses we made of flimsy wood and practically the whole city burned to the ground.

To the victor goes the spoils!

There is only one foolproof method to stop any war!

 Allan: 

What would be an "easy way" to end any war?

There is only one foolproof method to stop any war, but I warn you, many will not like this answer.

In 1916, in the midst of World War I, an amendment was proposed to be added to the United States Constitution in which any possible act of war would have to be submitted to a national referendum.

Where is the repellent element for any future war? Well, in the same proposal, it was written that whoever voted yes to the war would have to participate in military service in the US Army too!

(The proposal was rejected for obvious reasons!)

***

Why is the U.S. losing the war in Ukraine?

 

Allan: Why is the U.S. losing the war in Ukraine?

***

A Russian wife turned to her husband and asked, "What's this special military operation our glorious leader keeps talking about?" Her husband replied, "It's a war to stop America and NATO." "Oh, right,” she says. “How's it going?"

“Well,” he replied, “so far we have lost over 20 generals, 100,000 troops killed, countless injured, 3000 tanks, 300 aircraft, hundreds of helicopters, countless armoured vehicles, artillery and trucks, our flagship along with other naval ships, our army is being defeated in most areas and we have had to resort to conscripting 500,000 Russians including murders and rapists to replace our losses”.

“Wow,” replied the wife, “what about America and NATO”?

“They haven’t turned up yet”

Saturday Morning Confusion: No, this is not Ukraine

This is Chechnya.

In 1999, the Russians erased the capital Grozny. But three years before that, Russia signed a peace treaty with the Chechens. They already lost the war and needed a break. Only to come back and kill up to 300,000 Chechens, 25% of the entire small but proud nation that simply wanted freedom.

This is how peace talks with Moscow always end.

Meanwhile, back in the good 'ol U.S. of A!

Trump is not ‘mentally, emotionally or morally fit to be president’: Conservative lawyer George Conway!