Malaysian Airlines Jet Crashes in Ukraine

　　The crash of MH17, Malaysian Airline Boeing 777, was really shocking and now it is said to be shot down by a surface-to-air missile. I held a short silence to the passengers and crew here in my rural hospital. The conflict in Ukraine has cost hundreds of lives who have nothing to do with it.
　　I sometimes wonder what was wrong with Ukraine. It has been known as 'the breadbasket of the USSR' and also a strategically important region. I recalled that Ukraine had nuclear weapons when it was a member of the USSR. Didn't Putin fear the Ukrainian nuclear weapons on depriving it of Crimea? This inquiry has long been in my mind and recently was solved.
　　After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine had a deal with three countries; the U.S., Russia, and Britain in 1994. In return for abandoning its nuclear weapons, Ukraine could have been supported, when it was invaded. Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma firmly shook hands with Clinton, Yeltsin, and Major in Bucharest. Naturally, this pact is still valid at the present.
　　However, no country dispatched forces for the rescue of Ukraine. Even the UN couldn't take any measures due to the veto of Russia. East Timor, Kosovo, South Ossetia, South Sudan, Crimea,,,. International laws are flexibly and self-righteously in other words utilized by western superpowers every time. I'd like to show doubt to the UN's significance of existence.

(Vocabulary)
breadbasket 穀倉地帯

Comment from Shiroi_Tora:

I agree with you, partially.  The UN has never had significance.  If we are to remain sovereign nations in control of our future...we must ensure it never does.  Promises are only for the mollification of fools.  What matters is what the balance is for potential gain, and for whom, at the moment of conflict.  It is not right...it is historical fact.  It is also not merely the Western World.  If times are not so bad, and if the cost is not so high, promises are kept to keep up the illusion of solidarity in hopes of future gains.  In times of great high prices to be paid...alliances polarize in line with projected needs.  Alliances dissolve as needs switch polarity.

Promises are what kept Russia out of Germany's way while it trounced, what is now, Eastern Europe...until Germany thought it could turn on Russia.  Promises are what kept England from responding to Hitler when he took Czechoslovakia and then Poland.  Promises are what kept the Jewish people mollified, even as they were being marked for death.  Promises are the tools of con men.  Their marks are the fools who put credence in promises.

The greatest indicator of a person's future actions is his past actions and inactions.  Even these are not sure.  Everyone has a price for which he will promise something.  Everyone has a price he is unwilling to pay to keep his promise.  This is human nature.  How can it be different for nations?

I do not condone this...however, it is reality.  It has always been reality, in all nations, Western or Eastern.  Promises are only kept when the price is not too high.  There have been exceptions to this if you don't look too closely.  However, there is always a more pressing need to keep an alliance in the face of seeming altruism...a larger picture of the future which takes precedence.  Just as former enemies become allies easily, especially in the face of a common enemy, they can just as easily become enemies again if their needs become polarized.

It is basic tribalism.  The only bond which seems to hold is if separate tribes become one in thought...in heart and mind.  When this happens, they become, essentially, one tribe.  When they intermingle freely, trade freely, become interdependent...reliant upon one another, not just militarily, but socially...when they think of each other as part of the same tribe or family...that is when they operate as one...and so, when promises are not needed.  It is when actions prior to any need are foreseen and prepared for.  Especially when their economies are interlinked, that is more of a guarantee than any promise.  When one falls, the other is also endangered.  Just out of survival, the other nation must respond.  This is an implied promise in action...and the only one which can stand against future needs polarizing since they will have the same needs at the same time.  That is why in business, there are escrow accounts.  That is a guarantee against default.  People shouldn't have to rely on trust.  Smart people don't depend on it.  They find a way to guarantee it.

-----------------
Prices for keeping promises, toribalism in the face of a common enemy, I understood.  Smart people....  Exactly! I picked several words up for my vocabulary, as usual. thanks a lot!


(Vocabulary from comments)
mollify〈人〉をなだめる, 慰める = placate = pacify
mollification  なだめる［慰める］こと
solidarity  団結, 結束, 連帯
polarity [C,U](フォーマル) (意見・思想などの) 正反対, 両極端
polarized [他] …を両極に分ける, 二極化させる; [自] 正反対に分かれる, 二極化する
polarization 二極化, 二分化
trounce〈競争相手・相手チームなど〉に大勝する, を大差で破る
credence 信用, 信頼
lend/add credence to sth ＜話・理論など＞に信用［信頼］を与える, の信憑性を高める
give credence to sth ＜話・理論など＞を信じる, 受け入れる
gain credence 信用を得る, 受け入れられる
condone …を大目に見る, 許す, 容赦する
tribalism 部族主義;(共通の仕事・宗教などに基づく) 集団意識, 同族意識
intermingle [自] 混ざる, 混ざり合う
foresee …を予見する, 予想する
I don't foresee any problems. この先問題があるとは思えない．
foresee that  …と予見する
interlink [自] 密接に関連し合う, 結びついている
in escrow〈金・財産が〉第三者に預託されて

Comments

[KUMO]

Prices for keeping promises, toribalism in the face of a common enemy, I understood. Smart people.... Exactly!
I picked several words up for my vocabulary, thanks a lot!

[Shiroi Tora]

I agree with you, partially. The UN has never had significance. If we are to remain sovereign nations in control of our future...we must ensure it never does. Promises are only for the mollification of fools. What matters is what the balance is for potential gain, and for whom, at the moment of conflict. It is not right...it is historical fact. It is also not merely the Western World. If times are not so bad, and if the cost is not so high, promises are kept to keep up the illusion of solidarity in hopes of future gains. In times of great high prices to be paid...alliances polarize in line with projected needs. Alliances dissolve as needs switch polarity.

Promises are what kept Russia out of Germany's way while it trounced, what is now, Eastern Europe...until Germany thought it could turn on Russia. Promises are what kept England from responding to Hitler when he took Czechoslovakia and then Poland. Promises are what kept the Jewish people mollified, even as they were being marked for death. Promises are the tools of con men. Their marks are the fools who put credence in promises.

The greatest indicator of a person's future actions is his past actions and inactions. Even these are not sure. Everyone has a price for which he will promise something. Everyone has a price he is unwilling to pay to keep his promise. This is human nature. How can it be different for nations?

I do not condone this...however, it is reality. It has always been reality, in all nations, Western or Eastern. Promises are only kept when the price is not too high. There have been exceptions to this if you don't look too closely. However, there is always a more pressing need to keep an alliance in the face of seeming altruism...a larger picture of the future which takes precedence. Just as former enemies become allies easily, especially in the face of a common enemy, they can just as easily become enemies again if their needs become polarized.

It is basic tribalism. The only bond which seems to hold is if separate tribes become one in thought...in heart and mind. When this happens, they become, essentially, one tribe. When they intermingle freely, trade freely, become interdependent...reliant upon one another, not just militarily, but socially...when they think of each other as part of the same tribe or family...that is when they operate as one...and so, when promises are not needed. It is when actions prior to any need are foreseen and prepared for. Especially when their economies are interlinked, that is more of a guarantee than any promise. When one falls, the other is also endangered. Just out of survival, the other nation must respond. This is an implied promise in action...and the only one which can stand against future needs polarizing since they will have the same needs at the same time. That is why in business, there are escrow accounts. That is a guarantee against default. People shouldn't have to rely on trust. Smart people don't depend on it. They find a way to guarantee it.