S JULY 4TH APPROACHES:  We can celebrate all we wish, and Americans always have something important to celebrate, but much of the world is a mess this weekend, and the U.S. is clearly losing influence.  Our Founders would disapprove.

Consider:  In France, an uprising largely made up of Muslim immigrants is threatening the stability of the nation.  It's the heart of the tourist season, and trotting off to Paris might not be the best idea.

In the Mideast, tensions are rising between the Israelis and Palestinians, with Israel making it clear it will defend the lives of its people.  Our weak government frowns at such bravado, hardly a way to side with an ally.

In our own country, the air is filled once again with the refuse of Canadian fires.  And imagine, only yesterday we were being told that almost all global warming was caused by American Buicks.  I don't know how CNN will handle the current climate truth.  They apparently know that Trump is to blame.

And look at this:  the war in Ukraine, perhaps the hottest hot spot in the world, is getting hotter.  From the New York Post: 

Ukraine is reportedly “preparing for a nuclear explosion” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, heightening tensions in the wake of Russia’s first overnight drone attack on Kyiv in 12 days.

Worries over a potential blast have prompted training to prepare residents for what might occur, according to Kira Rudik, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament.

“I still cannot process that in the 21st century, this is what is happening. We are preparing for a nuclear explosion and the whole world is watching and there is nothing that can be done,” Rudik told Sky News.

It is “unprecedented” that Russia has not allowed UN officials into the power plant to carry out checks, according to Rudik, who noted Ukrainian officials called several times to make the plant a neutral zone, but “Russia never agreed to that.”

Russian troops have been ordered to leave the power plant — which has been under Russian control since March 2022 — by July 5, according to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

"The latest data indicates that the occupying forces are gradually leaving the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Three employees of Rosatom, who led the Russians’ actions, were among the first to leave the facility,” DIU said on Telegram.
Rosatom is a Russian state corporation specializing in nuclear energy.

“Ukrainian employees who have signed a contract with Rosatom have also been advised to evacuate. Under the instructions received, they should leave by 5 July,” DIU said.
Russian troops ordered to remain in the area have allegedly been instructed to “blame Ukraine in the event of any emergency,” Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

As the Zaporizhzhia region readies for the situation to possibly go nuclear, Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian military officials said Sunday.

COMMENT:  Americans seem to be forgetting Ukraine,  where a true European shooting war, just as in the good old days, is actually being fought.  We forget at our peril.  Russia has an estimated 5,000 nuclear warheads, and with political and military power unstable within the country, we must be physically ready for any contingency.

Have a happy fourth.  The best fireworks appear to be somewhere else.

July 2, 2023