Fright or Flight [News Poem, April 11, 2010]
“Lech Kaczynski... was a firm backer of U.S.-led attempts to expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which he saw as a bulwark against Russia's attempts to reassert influence in the region. He sought to strengthen Poland's position against Russia and Germany, its powerful historical foes to east and west”
–Marc Champion and James Marson, Wall Street Journal, APRIL 11, 2010, 12:18 P.M. ET
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304168004575177943816071322.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
“Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has scrapped a state body set up to oversee the country's eventual accession to NATO"
--Reuters,April 6, 2010 6:09 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/06/world/international-uk-ukraine-nato.html
“Back in 2005, the last time angry crowds toppled the government of Kyrgyzstan, the United States found itself in an awkward position: among the rallying cries was an allegation that the ruling family had benefited handsomely from Pentagon contracts. Now, substantially the same thing appears to be happening again.”
-Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times, Published: April 11, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/world/asia/12manas.html
“About 1,300 U.S. troops have been stuck at the Manas airfield in Kyrgyzstan because of the civil unrest there. ”
--Barbara Starr, CNN, April 10, 2010 5:04 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/10/kyrgyzstan.us.troops/
“Construction has commenced on the 1,224 km Nord Stream Natural Gas pipeline, which will link Russian natural gas reserves to Europe. “Our pipeline will provide a direct link from here to Germany’s Baltic coast and from there on to gas consumers right across Europe,” said Nord Stream Managing Director Matthias Warnig.”
--Pipelines International, Mon, 12 April 2010
http://pipelinesinternational.com/news/nord_stream_construction_commences/040074/
Conviction's sight will often fix
Ahead, behind, but rarely fore.
The animal inside us tricks
And thwarts our guile. We thus ignore
The panicked pump inside our brain
That throttles intellect asleep.
Before we step onto a train
Or through a crowd, it's smothered deep
Within a narrative of calm—
That we may carry-on with life.
Routines and plans are both the balms
For fight or flight. The world is rife
With airplane trips that sometimes crash
And brazen bones that burned to ash.
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