Grain. That’s what today’s article is about; both figurative and literal.
Late last week a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey between Ukraine and Russia to transport wheat was announced. That is a big deal. In advanced countries like the United States, it would help bring down food prices and in the process inflation. In the world’s poorest countries it would make the difference between starvation and life. Serious stuff!

A “short course” is that Ukraine is a major wheat producer. It needs to export that wheat in order for the rest of the world to eat as well and/or economically as it is accustomed to. The most efficient and cost effective way to do that is via ships which leave the southern coast of Ukraine and early in their journey sail in waters largely controlled by Turkey but first it must leave those ports which the Russian navy had blockaded.

The deal was a winner for all but for all intents and purposes didn’t last 24 hours. The Russians technically didn’t renege on the deal; they just “torpedoed” it. They launched missile attacks on Odessa which is by far Ukraine’s largest southern port. In other words, you can ship your grain if you can load your ships and they can make it out of port where they are sitting ducks while loading.

If people in the poorest countries in the world starve in the process Vladimir Putin doesn’t care. If elected officials in places like the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany suffer politically in the process Putin, in many cases, is actually overjoyed. If only Putin had a grain of humanity or integrity.

The 1/6 Committee is revealing that Donald Trump was operating a big lie machine and acting as the puppet master of his useful idiots. If only Trump had a grain of honesty; well, I guess he wouldn’t be Trump then.

The new phrase of the week in American right wing circles is “Christian Nationalism”. Basically, the theory goes that America was founded by Christians and that Christianity should be the basis of government. There is a lot to unpack there and I’ll try to do some of that below.

Other than the fact that the theory is entirely based on at least two less than complete truths (I’m being kind) my first question is how are the right wingers defining the word “Christian” today? You see much like “real Americans” they have a floating of convenience definition of “Christian”. Are Catholics Christians? How about Mormons? I could go on but the reality is that obviously Christian denominations like those are only accepted when the right wing extremists need their numbers.

Then we need to look at history just a bit. Christian nationalism is not new. It is a recycled theory that has been used to justify racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and misogyny in the past. This time is really no different.

In reality, advocates of Christian Nationalism need to deceive some into being initial followers because at the moment they need the numbers. Christian Nationalism is little more than a slightly modified master race theory. The radical right believes that white, property owning, cisgender, heterosexual, Christian (by the “selective” definition) males are superior and only they deserve to be citizens of America.

If only they had a grain of decency!

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