A Night at the Opera

At the London opera, one performer decided to stage a protest. It involved bringing a Palestinian flag onto the stage and holding it up for the audience to see.

This demonstration had no impact whatsoever on the situation of Palestinians in their homeland, nor did it bring peace between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. It also did not undo the reasons why the Israeli army — in its search for Hamas terrorists — has extensively destroyed buildings in Gaza.

Instead, the performer in question demonstrated a lack of respect for his employer, the art form he practices, and his audience. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that he found satisfaction in getting his moment in the spotlight — at the opera, in London, in Britain, and in the global media. And even in this blog.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Branch of Extinction Rebellion Faces Possible Ban 
In Finland, the Enemy Is Clear – and Now the Truth Is Emerging for the Palestinians Too
Does Germany’s Ban on Arabic-Language Posters Signal a CDU/CSU-AfD Coalition?

Russian Aircraft Violated Finnish Airspace – But What’s the Point?

The Finnish Ministry of Defence issued a terse statement reporting that a Russian aircraft had violated Finnish airspace. This was by no means the first such incident—something similar occurred most recently in late May.

Such actions are, of course, inherently irrational coming from a state that has entangled itself in a years-long war. If this were to lead to a military confrontation on Finnish territory, it would significantly complicate Russia’s position in Ukraine, as part of its armed forces would have to be redirected to a new front.

However, there appears to be little risk of that happening. The Russians seem to trust that Finland will handle the matter through diplomatic channels. In this case, that meant summoning the Russian ambassador to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, where he was given a message to take back to Moscow.

I find it difficult to understand Russia’s behavior in the Baltic region, as it yields no visible benefits. Not even testing the readiness of Finland’s air force qualifies, since the Russians have seen that many times before.

Therefore, the reasons are likely to be found in Russia’s domestic politics. Perhaps this kind of low-risk saber-rattling offers the Kremlin a sense of satisfaction—or even a narrative to present to ordinary Russians worn down by the war in Ukraine.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Did a Finnish Fighter Jet Rush to Intercept a Russian Sukhoi Yesterday?
The Downing of the Azerbaijani Plane Is a War Crime That Must Be Condemned
Finns - Among the World’s Best

Number of Predators is Increasing in Russia

The war in Ukraine has had many different consequences. However, not many people have considered that one of them is the rapid growth of the wolf population in the Murmansk region, which has led to an exceptionally large number of these dog-like predators crossing the border into Finland.

Wolves are also being spotted on the Russian side of the Kola Peninsula in places where they have never been seen before. And this is not a one-time occurrence, as Russia’s wolf population has grown significantly during previous wars as well.

According to Finnish large carnivore researcher Ilpo Kojola, the explanation for the increase in wolves is that military personnel have played—and still play—a significant role in regulating Russia’s wolf population. And they are not dealing with the wolves when they have been transferred elsewhere to kill people.

So, could it be said that a community has now been found whose members would surely express—if they knew how to speak or write, say, on social media—their satisfaction with Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine? And who would support the continuation of the war forever, until the very last Russian soldier?

* * *

Today we also heard the news that Chinese soldiers have been fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian forces. It remains to be seen whether China will acknowledge this.

Similarly, it remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will ultimately dare to declare to Russia that the United States will support Ukraine as much as necessary — until the very last Russian soldier is either dead or has left Ukrainian soil. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
President of Finland Asked Whether There Are Top Politicians With Serious Intellectual Limitations
Wolfs affect nature conservation
Leaders infected by a parasite