Message of Christmas – USA Gov Policy

Ret. U.S. Army Chaplain Col. Don Zapsic has provided this article exclusively to the New York Analysis of Policy and Government.

“Christmas a humbug, uncle!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “You don’t mean that, I am sure?” “I do,” said Scrooge. “Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.” “Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, “Bah!” again; and followed it up with “Humbug.”

The 2017 movie release of “The Man Who Invented Christmas” is a big screen account of Charles Dicken’s great triumph of writing a book called, ‘A Christmas Carol’. The book itself was a secular rendering of what it means to celebrate Christmas featuring the miserly Mr. Scrooge. The work was originally published in 1843 and little has changed when it comes to celebrating the season of hope known as Christmas. In a sense, we all invent our own versions of what the Christmas season is all about through our daily living practices.

How one experiences Christmas largely depends upon a number of factors. I gained a first-hand knowledge of how the poor experience the holiday season through a couple of years of inner-city work. The invention of Santa Claus for example creates some interesting dynamics considering that there is zero discrimination when it comes to the dubious hope that he singularly inspires with parental collusion. Any small child, rich or poor, can dream about what he or she wants under the tree on that magical morning, since hope doesn’t cost anything. Whether 1843 in Dickens time or 2019 in contemporary America, hope is a wondrous thing when it inspires generosity rather than disappointment.

Dickens tale does not stop at The term pheromone was coined by two hormone researchers, Karlson and Luscher who created the word which has Greek origins, pherein, meaning to bring or transfer; and hormon, meaning to buying cialis online excite. A man has a good sexual intercourse and perfect erection when takes order viagra from canada . To determine what merit levitra cost of sales deeprootsmag.org support programs you could be suitable for, visit meritaid.com. The Genetic Literacy Project also states the studies have shown that, when faced pharmacy viagra with the possibility of impotence issue, your doctor shall check a history of when you started to have issues with penile erection for an agreeable time span. contrasting the plight of the poor against the season of hope as there is more than financial poverty to consider. There is also a leanness of human spirit and social isolation to ponder when the pursuit of money overtakes an interest in the common good. Scrooge’s nephew Fred extends a party invitation to come and ‘make merry’ only to be spurned by the miserable old man. The party itself was not some wine-soaked occasion; rather a joyous celebration of people who simply enjoyed each other’s company. Scrooge simply didn’t like most people largely due to his fixation on the bottom line encapsulated in his statement, “Christmas is just a poor excuse to pick a man’s pocket.”

“A Christmas Carol” is obviously a cautionary tale rooted in fiction. Jaded cynics bereft of childhood innocence, like Scrooge’s shrewd business partner Marley, forge their chains in life, link-by-link, through word and deed. Life rarely presents a redo at some critical turning point at the approaching midnight hour. Or does it?

Christians note that it is important to keep in mind that Dickens was not the man who ‘invented Christmas’. The man who did was actually no man at all. He was simply a baby born in Bethlehem. That little baby was God the Christ-child who chose to come into the world impoverished in a stable environment that was literally a stable reserved for animals. The original giving of Christmas gifts was to the Christ-child in humble submission to the God of Heaven exemplified by the three wise men. A mystery no doubt; a tradition meant to be replicated by the giving of oneself in service to others. Whether deserved or not, in recognition of our own undeserving nature in the presence of a righteous and merciful God. The Divine Magistrate who grants last-hour pardons embodied in the pardoning of the thief on the cross. While I wish each and every one who reads this article a Merry Christmas, it is really up to each of us to invent our own Christmas.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

Ukraine’s Frozen Conflict

As we approach winter in the northern hemisphere, the war in Ukraine is beginning to resemble a “frozen conflict” from many perspectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently told the media he hopes the war will end faster once President-elect Trump takes over in January. Opinions in Moscow, however, differ from that of the Ukrainian leader. Russian President Vladimir Putin argues that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) needs to exclude Ukraine from joining in “exchange” for peace. If it does not, he says, then no end to the war is in sight. So far there is no Christmas solution. Several NATO countries, according to Vladimir Socor of the Jamestown Foundation, are tentatively considering “coalitions-of-the-willing” to provide security for Ukraine outside of the formal NATO framework. There is, however, no collective mechanism today under which such an arrangement is viable. According to the NATO Charter, while Ukraine is a NATO partner country, it may not join as a full member since it has not fulfilled the requirements for membership. That has not stopped NATO and allies from continuing “to provide Ukraine with unprecedented levels of support, helping to uphold its fundamental right to self-defence,” according to the organization. Socor says that keeping Ukraine out of NATO will not advance peace with Russia. Waiting for a peace settlement, he suggests, would only serve to encourage Moscow to continue the war indefinitely. Although the Biden Administration officially withdrew its support for Ukrainian membership in 2021, NATO maintains an “open door” policy toward membership-seeking countries. The current White House position led the way for European states to oppose Ukraine’s membership saying that a decision should be delayed until “conditions are met.” Biden pushed for changing “open door” to a “bridge” metaphor. It is not intended as an across-the-board NATO policy and has been implemented in the past on a case-by-case basis, says Socor. “The alliance’s open-door policy was not fully insulated from Russia’s non-statutory blocking power, and NATO-aspirant countries’ path toward membership was not always irreversible.” Russia has successfully blocked states like Georgia from joining, first in 2008 and again after the war in Ukraine began in 2014. Russia recognizes the value add of Ukraine to NATO is enormous and that Kyiv has a better case than some other nations. Putin’s invasion was, in part, intended to foreclose that option. By 2021, Moscow was pushing hard to maximize its war objectives, which included further annexations of Ukrainian territory. A main goal for Putin was, and is, to ensure there is no Ukraine left to join NATO. As President-elect Trump prepares to assume office in January, he is faced with the historical challenges presented by the war. Post-conflict security guarantees were the center of several proposals made during the 2023 military stalemate. The incoming Trump Administration has yet to outline how it intends to handle the Russia-Ukraine war. Analysts in Washington believe that the new Administration will expect its European allies to guarantee the majority of Ukraine’s security needs. As we approach 2025, several European nations have acknowledged that they do not view Ukraine as eligible for NATO membership as it would draw the organization into the middle of the conflict. Others want to wait until the war is over or pending a “peace” settlement before considering Ukrainian membership. Socor reports that some “influential voices” are suggesting that “Kyiv should join NATO after “freezing” the war along a stable armistice line, de facto accepting Ukraine’s partition, with NATO security guarantees applying de jure to the government-controlled territory only.” This would mean starting accession talks soon with the actual talks to commence only after a ceasefire is in place. Trump arrives in Washington at a time when Putin’s hybrid strategies of war in Ukraine have eviscerated commonly-held differences between war and peace. “Absent a political consensus in NATO over Ukrainian membership, certain European allies, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, are holding informal consultations about post-conflict security guarantees to Kyiv by NATO members outside of NATO’s framework,” according to the Jamestown Foundation. The Biden Administration downplayed the discussions on possible forms of military assistance and defense industry cooperation by sending only an Assistant Secretary of State. For a European peace to hold the Trump Administration would need to formally extend the United States’ nuclear deterrence to Ukraine. Options under discussion in Europe include a “coalition of the resolute” to deploy forces to Ukraine as part of a possible armistice package, deterring further Russian attacks, says Secor. European officials are also debating, without any agreement, whether its military forces could perform non-combat logistical roles to free Ukrainian forces to fight. None of the possible courses of action has moved forward as all eyes are waiting on the incoming Trump Administration for clues about its intended level of support for a NATO framework and other non-NATO proposals. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept.