on communicating locally

[Hugh Williams]

After managing to write several things on Palestine and the genocide in Gaza for some other publications with a much broader readership, this Christmas Note is what I managed to put together for local readership where one has to be much more sensitive to what one’s 'neighbors and friends' can handle … Its very short and without the additional links (supplied below in the text of this email) to important sources on the deeper aspects of this ‘genocide’ of our times that is occurring with direct Canadian complicity, I’m sorry to say ….

local Recent River Valley Sun piece -

https://rivervalleysun.ca/letter-to-editor-giving-some-thought-to-the-sutation-in-gaza/

additional information and deeper questions on Oct 7/23 Hamas attack –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mxfnya3ZRc&t=16s

information on bill before federal parliament to end Canada’s direct complicity in this genocide –

 https://leadnow.ca/campaigns/no-loopholes/?link_id=0&can_id=c69f712ad4ecbf6bab47a673df586e92&source=email-canadas-moral-stain-2&email_referrer=email_2988565&email_subject=breaking-canadian-arms-in-israel

consider passing this on

Hugh Williams

[Hugh Williams]

A Learning and Teaching Moment? On the US and Venezuela

(there is an old proverb from my neck of the woods that says - ‘when a mouse finds it has to dance with an elephant, it must know the dance steps well …’)

I know, I know … I’ve sent too many ‘communications’ or links to communications.

But these communications are not random. They are based upon an imperfect effort to be attentive, intelligent, reasonable-realistic, and responsible and to cultivate these intellectual virtues among the body politic.

Here below you have two communications both from the Left side of the political spectrum, which is very diverse in its views and commitments. One from the US in Bernie Sanders very brief recent speech which in my view is attentive, intelligent, reasonable-realistic, and responsible. This is a very important 'voice' coming out of the US at the moment given the loud and upsetting voice we hear way too much of, and that in my view is simply dehumanizing and insulting to say the least … in short this communication from Sanders is both humanizing and hopeful.

The second is much more substantial and will take more work in that it requires reading. However, it is an accessible but involved analysis of the very complex Venezuela situation but it comes from 2019 by someone very close to the situation which helps by way of a very attentive background review and analysis to give intelligent context and meaning to what is happening there as we speak. …

Can one imagine a world if these two perspectives embodied in these two human beings, who both have, or who have had political leadership responsibilities, were to talk and negotiate with one another for the sake of a political-economic ‘common good’ …

pass these on if you find them helpful ....

Hugh Williams

--------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oWjBtBVoNY&t=364s

https://jacobin.com/2019/01/venezuela-maduro-chavez-military-intervention

[Hugh Williams]

Subject:	'when a mouse has to dance with an elephant, it must know the dance steps well'
Date:	Wed, 7 Jan 2026 08:03:31 -0400
From:	Hugh Williams <hwil...@nbnet.nb.ca>
To:	Hugh & Stephanie Williams <hwil...@nbnet.nb.ca>

[Hugh Williams]

I would only add for the more scholarly that the two items in the previous post should be read and listened to in conjunction with 

the attached communications, not that long ago, with John Benton and Terry Quinn regarding the relevance of

Lonergan's understanding of economy for this local and global situation ...

I'm simply not able to connect all the 'dots', for by the nature of its complexity cannot be the solitary endeavor of a single mind

but yet I am convinced of the relevance and will at some point try to say something further 

in my own ongoing speculations on this needed conjunction

regarding what Lonergan once mentioned as the necessary liberal-marxist dialogue and synthesis ...

so as to avoid the descent into tyranny ...

Hugh 

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[John Raymaker]

Thanks, Hugh, for sharing Senator Sander's message. He is a potential Lonerganian in spirit I would say, while Trump is his own type of uncprincipled fascist, John 

[Hugh Williams]

My friend Charlie Angus' analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX_5VRebVtY

is going much deeper ...

there is a choice to be made

in all of this ....

Hugh