For a while now, anticipation has been building over the upcoming release of declassified U.S. government files on UFOs. A number of highly placed intelligence officials, including at least two former CIA directors, have publicly confirmed that sightings by seasoned fighter pilots have been occurring for decades now.
As the era of civilian air travel dawned in the wake of World War II, professional pilots also reported seeing odd objects, including syndical discs hovering, darting and speeding away in maneuvers human aircraft are not capable of.
After a brief period when such sightings were made public in the late 40s and early 50s, spurring many additional reports by civilians, intelligence agencies deemed all such incidents as classified events.
Meanwhile, as our unclassified knowledge of the universe grew, we became aware that it was extremely unlikely that we are alone as an intelligent species in the vastness of space and time. Any life form just a tad more advanced than our own may well have solved the riddle of space travel well enough to travel between solar systems before we have been able to do so.
Today, as the topic moves from the realm of science fiction to scientific inquiry, we have to all be open-minded about the evidence. It's unlikely that anything conclusive has been discovered, such as an alien spaceship or alien life forms. But we now know enough to say that there is much more that we do not yet know.
Come to think of it, that could be said about virtually every question facing us as a species at this time.
Including Covid-19, its origin and its impacts.
Some of the pandemic's lasting effects are only now becoming apparent. Perhaps facing a common enemy in Covid-19 will prove to have unified us even though that may be difficult to see that at present due to our polarized political sphere.
Meanwhile the political faultiness have shifted, dramatically in the case of the current Israeli-Palestine conflict.
For as long as I can remember, official U.S. government policy has been unwavering support for Israel, including massive foreign aid that guaranteed its military superiority in the Middle East. That support has remained constant through countless wars and bloody incidents in the region.
But now increasing numbers of younger people are pointing out the hypocrisy of American support for Israel when it mercilessly suppresses the human rights of its Palestinian population.
Accordingly, the moment may have arrived when Israel can no longer have it both ways -- calling itself a democratic ally of the U.S. while engaging in imperialistic land grabs and wanton murder.
Unfortunately, on the Palestinian side, Hamas doesn't help the prospect of a peaceful solution to the conflict by acquiring and firing rockets in response to the Israeli aggression. Pro-Palestinian advocates need to realize that and pressure for change there too.
All reasonable voices want a two-state solution and peace in the region. Perhaps the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged during the pandemic, and the emergence of a new generation of progressive leaders hold the key to us finally getting there.
Or perhaps we'll soon solve the UFO riddle and realize our earthly problems are no longer worth fighting about.
I for one would take either solution.
***
The news:
* Are We Entering a New Political Era? -- The neoliberal order seems to be collapsing. A generation of young activists is trying to insure that it’s replaced by progressive populism, not by the fascist right. (New Yorker)
* Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Belarus’ interception of a Ryanair flight and arrest of an opposition journalist on board as a “shocking act” by the country’s leadership that threatened press freedom and the lives of passengers on board. President Alexander Lukashenko personally ordered a fighter jet to accompany the plane and divert it to Minsk, where Raman Pratasevich was arrested. [HuffPost]
* The European Union is banning member airlines from Belarusian airspace after the country’s leaders brazenly forced down a commercial jet and arrested a dissident journalist. (WP)
* Before Rage Flared, a Push to Make Israel’s Mixed Towns More Jewish -- An eruption of Arab-Jewish violence inside Israeli cities has focused attention on a movement of religious nationalists seeking to strengthen the Jewish presence in areas with large Arab populations. (NYT)
* As India Stumbles, One State Charts Its Own Covid Course -- Kerala uses tracking of patients and supplies, a network of health care workers and coronavirus “war rooms” to succeed where the national government has fallen short. (NYT)
* Iran and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agreed Monday to a one-month extension to a deal on surveillance cameras at Tehran's atomic sites, buying more time for ongoing negotiations seeking to save the country's tattered nuclear deal with world powers. (AP)
* That Covid escaped from a lab isn’t the predominant hypothesis for the pandemic’s origins, yet prominent scientists are calling for a deeper probe and clearer answers from Beijing. (WSJ)
* Dr. Fauci says he's 'not convinced' Covid-19 developed naturally (CNN)
* Lawmakers worry the toxic mood on Capitol Hill will follow them home -- Tensions among lawmakers have been running high since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. As House members head out of Washington for three weeks, some Democrats have concerns for their security back home. (WP)
* Half of New York Voters Stand by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Poll Finds (WSJ)
* Seven people are dead and 33 others injured following four separate weekend mass shootings in Ohio, South Carolina and New Jersey. This year is setting itself up to be particularly violent when it comes to gun violence, with 223 mass shootings recorded as of this month, according to nonprofit research group the Gun Violence Archive. [HuffPost]
* Biden administration moves toward making the pandemic work-from-home experiment permanent for many federal workers (WP)
| *Are U.S. Officials Under Silent Attack? -- The Havana Syndrome first affected spies and diplomats in Cuba. Now it has spread to the White House. (New Yorker) |
* NYC mayor: Public schools will be all in person this fall (AP)
* It’s Crunch Time and Biden’s Climate Gambit Faces Steep Hurdles -- He wants to require power companies to replace fossil fuels with clean energy. It’s a broadly popular idea but its path in Congress is perilous. (NYT)
* Rich in quartz, limestone, and algae, Lake Erie is also rich with seasonal color. (NASA Earth/Twitter)
* How UFO sightings went from joke to national security worry in Washington (WP)
* In a few years, there’s a good chance your Uber or Lyft ride will be in an electric vehicle. At least 90 percent of the miles driven by ride-hailing companies in California must be in electric vehicles by 2030, according to a new mandate by the state Air Resources Board. (Sacramento Bee)
* Water crisis ‘couldn’t be worse’ on Oregon-California border (AP)
* As hurricane season looms, Biden doubles funding to prepare for extreme weather (WP)
* New Orleans Airbnb Touts Location In Heart Of Historic Airbnb Quarter (The Onion)
***
"Alien" (excerpt)
sung by Dennis Lloyd
written by Nir Tibor
Riding around the world
I'm feeling like a stranger lately
'Round and around we go and around we go
'Round and around we go and around we go
A million miles from home
What am I going for? How can I know
What I'm fighting for?
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