Wise men say, Only Fools Russian??

Not wanting to steep my toes too much into the threatening complexities, weapons pointing, dialogue avoiding evil into which Russian/Western relations seem to have been given by our diplomats permission to degnerate into, I'd like to hope that my behind the scenes activities last week in supporting SGI Russia will have been helpful in fostering the much needed human revolution in a land which has suffered so much from every other Western imported revolution to date.

The Russians were having their first ever national course at SGI-UK HQ Taplow Court .
It being a dank holiday weekend, a hardy group of some 40 pioneers exchanged the glories of an early Russian summer with temperatures in the high 30s for what was at times rain so unremittingly bad as to make one question whether global warming could ever shift the perception expressed by Lord Byron that the English weather is a quaint idea occurring annually for a month between July and August. Suffice to say the inner sunshine won out through vigorous, vibrant chanting of daimoku 'nam myoho renge kyo', gongyo and what seemed to be a most intense series of lectures, training and instruction.

It is my sincere wish that SGI Russia continues to grow and thrive in transforming into medicine the poisons of a society that, as much as any other throughout the world if not more so is crying out for a humane and active life philospophy capable of leading people to happiness.

The geopolitical hurly burly over targetting parts of Europe (probably as simple as using a TomTom SatNav) as exchange for the US independently stationing a missile shield against Korean or Iranian ICBMs reminds us once again that in a nuclear age the stakes for mankind's tendency to mindlessly wander down the three evil paths of anger, greed and foolishness are as high as ever.

As Robert Service (admittedly dressed like one of the Wurzels in a less than fetching rustic scarf and mustard suit number) counselled on Newsnight, a bit of the Michael Winner realpolitik 'Calm Down Dear, it's only a Chechnya/human rights/beating up the neighbours smokescreen' is in order.

Russia would prefer to sell us petrol, minerals and buy up the more exclusive areas of West London than turn Central Europe into a radioactive dustheap. The West in return would prefer peace, stability and the ability to focus on coping with the ever increasing pressures of globalisation and public service reform. After all we have learned and absorbed from the dark century that was the 21st, it is rather pitiful to see what should be maturing societies who are demographically moving downstream squaring up to each other. It's as dignified a spectacle as a punch up at the local Gala bingo hall - am I alone in thinking we could do with better global leadership than this??