Your Eyewitness just read about a school kid from Essequibo winning a “Europe Day” essay contest sponsored by the EU – and his interest was piqued. He had known about “Victory in Europe Day” – held on May 8. This marks the day in 1945 when the German Nazis surrendered to the Brits and Yanks to end WWII. A goodly number of Guyanese had gone up to England – the “Motherland”!! – to enlist in the British Army and the RAF – even to do mundane tasks in munitions factories – to “beat back those nasty Huns”!!!
It was the “war to save democracy” – never mind we didn’t have democracy here in Guyana!! The franchise was soooo restricted that just a few persons with money and jobs could vote!! Thing is, the Germans kept on fighting the Soviets who’d advanced from the east – for another day, so that’s why Putin and his Russian people celebrated “Victory Day” on May 9. This year, their parade in Red Square was a bit sparse, since so many troops and war equipment were deployed in Ukraine!! It was a sign of the times that, as the Ruskies were celebrating THEIR victory, the Head of the EU was showing solidarity with Ukraine by visiting!!
So, if the Ruskies have their May 9 celebration, what’s this “Europe Day” on May 9?? For which the kid won a prize. Isn’t that kinda like giving support to the ungodly (ex) commies with whom a nasty “Cold War” had been fought from 1945 to 1989?? Well, THAT was a proxy war in which most casualties were in the Third World – like here in Guyana!! And so that doesn’t REALLY count!!
So, it turns out there’s a story about this Europe Day also!! Seems after WW II – as Europe moved to rebuild from the ashes – a “Council of Europe” was founded on 5 May 1949. And THEY chose that day for celebrating when the holiday was established in 1964!! So, the Europeans have a May 5th also!! But, as their union developed from the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Economic Community (EEC) to European Union, a series of “Europe Days” were proposed and adopted – culminating in 1985 with the present European Day” of May 9th.
It’s supposed to celebrate “peace and unity” in Europe. It marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’ that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable. A tad ironic this year, since a war is waging between Ukraine and Russia right now!!
But hold it!! While Russia and Ukraine are European – they’re not European Union!! Seems there are Europeans AND Europeans. And some Europeans are more equal than other Europeans!!
…and Justice
Well, at last a Court found Donald Trump guilty of sexual abuse of journalist E. Jean Carol back in the 1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman store. He’s also been found guilty of defamation for publicly berating her as a “liar”, and has been fine US$5 million in total. Of course, he’s certainly not shown any contrition, and has already announced he’ll appeal!!
The man who boasted on tape that he frequently grabbed women’s “pu55ies” called the verdict “ridiculous”, and on the judge, “What else can you expect from a Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possibly be; speaking to, and in control of, a jury from an anti-Trump area, which is probably the worst place in the U.S. for me to get a fair ‘trial’.”
As usual, your Eyewitness is certain that this conviction will have no effect on Trump’s supporters for his 2024 Presidential bid!! He’s their man!!
…and justice
St Lucia – the tiny island with only 179,000 citizens – just acceded to the CCJ as their final Court of Appeal. So, what’s stopping St Vincent, whose PM said having Charles III as their Head of State was “ridiculous”?
