Peace Challenges Us More Than Conflict (According to Renee Meriste)

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In this world twisting on profits and power, have we forgotten shared duty to prevent wars, support the less fortunate, and adhere to the values we proclaim?

Human comrades, let's not shy away from or dismiss the truth.

It's four months since President Donald Trump ascended to office - an event striking the Western world. For some, it brought long-awaited change; for others, a terrifying reality. But regardless of where we stand, one thing's clear: we're stuck with this world, and it's time to face it head-on.

Trump, accompanied by his tech comrade Elon Musk, has been shaking up global politics and industry. Their moves create both turmoil and transformation - some decisions will be reversed, others unaltered. As events unfurl at breakneck speed, we must brace ourselves for the long-term consequences of decisions made before they can be retracted.

Trump's commitment to ending the war in Ukraine is one of his signature campaign pledges. Although a potential truce hangs in the balance, the outcome remains uncertain. Across Europe, Ukraine and the Baltic nations, responses have been swift and divided.

What we need to comprehend is this: for the next four years, the current US leadership is intact, and for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine, Russia will remain their neighbor.

Over the past few months, I've attended countless international gatherings and confidential conversations - all centered around the same troubling questions. I've heard anger, frustration, and despair. A European diplomat plainly stated, "People are so stupid." Another added, "Americans are so stupid," while yet another said, "You should be ashamed to be American." These remarks are not just grueling - they manifest a growing sense of powerlessness and disconnection.

During one exchange, an American scholar reminded us of a dreadful truth: when Russia seized Crimea in 2014, neither Europe nor the U.S. offered Ukraine meaningful support. Many Western businesses continued to profit from ties with Russia for years after that illegal invasion - and some still do, even today.

This is the cold reality: wars are often fueled by power and wealth. For many, conflict is a business - an opportunity to sell goods, services, or munitions. It's a haunting truth we seldom confront, even as it perpetuates ongoing suffering. Yet we're surprised when politics, enterprise, and war are tightly intertwined.

But this isn't merely about money. It's about choosing morals every day.

Are we ready to echo values like freedom, equality, and mutual assistance in public - while silently sustaining systems constructed on greed and exploitation in private? Are we willing to challenge our own comforts?

I once witnessed such a moment during a discussion about Elon Musk. When asked if they'd halt driving a Tesla, someone responded: "No, I have five in my family. I love the car. Elon Musk has evolved. He's earned his success."

But the professor offered a harsher view: even if Musk has evolved, supporting his ventures perpetuates a system of power that benefits a select few at the expense of many. Refusing to abandon comfort, even when it contradicts our values, reveals the difficulty of genuine responsibility.

Our society doesn't assess success by how the weakest among us are faring. Instead, we idolize the richest 0.001%. But a healthy society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable - by whether the poor, the displaced, the silenced, are heard and protected.

We must stop overlooking the burgeoning chasm between the wealthy and the poor. We must acknowledge how this divide jeopardizes our shared future. What we do today, as individuals and as communities, forms the world tomorrow.

So, what are your plans for tomorrow? What will define your thoughts, your words, your actions?

The war in Ukraine has ended.

I lived. Many did not. And now we stand at a crossroads: shall we revert to yesterday's comforts, blind to the risks that once more lead us to the brink of war? What matters most - another promotion on a spreadsheet, another purchase we don't really need, another hour spent with machines instead of fellow humans?

We're told to embrace the age of automation - to let machines nurture our children, compose our words, even guide our decisions. Let them take over, as we slip into passivity, asking only for more. But a society where citizens demand more while doing less cannot endure.

Think.

Do you want to be content, to thrive, tomorrow? Then begin by questioning: what must I alter - in mind, in speech, in deed - to make war not just unimaginable, but impossible? How can I live in a way that fosters peace, empathy, and responsibility?

The truth remains: we must be the change we wish to see in the world.

These opinions are the author's own.

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In the face of global political upheaval, it is crucial to remember that our shared duty as a global community is not just centered around profits, but also preventing wars, supporting the less fortunate, and upholding the values we proclaim.
As the international community grapples with Trump's policies and their impacts, debates are raging on social media platforms like Mastodon, with people sharing their opinions through cryptic emails and fiery conversations.
The war in Ukraine remains a contentious issue, with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and other countries closely monitoring recent political developments in the region, fearing potential future conflicts with Russia.
Policy and legislation regarding war-and-conflicts, business, and politics are influenced by the collective actions of people, and it is essential for each individual to consider the long-term consequences of their words and actions in shaping the general news landscape.