Peace on earth -- if only!

This Christmas Eve, the butcher in Moscow continues to rain death on Ukrainian civilians, and the civilians fight back as best they can, with whatever they have. The Wall Street Journal tells the story of a red-haired mother of two, who on a 24-hour shift tries to target the elusive Shaheds with a Kalashnikov rifle as old as she is.

The story does salute more-sophisticated aerial defenses, like the US Patriot missile launcher, but doesn't mention Ukraine's astonishing coup a few days ago, shooting down not one but three supersonic Su-34 fighter-bombers.

The Journal has a robust paywall, but the link is supposed to bypass it. The second link is to the Kiev Independent, which I read first thing every morning; you can subscribe for free, but a donation will help these brave journalists -- many of them foreign volunteers -- to continue their work.

Especially at this time of year, as another Russian is supposed to have warned us, "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." The missiles falling on Ukraine -- and on Israel as well -- are aimed at all of us in what we were once proud to call the Free World.

Nevertheless, happy Christmas to you and yours, and may the New Year bring us a better world -- Dan Ford