THE MIDGET BRAIN
Ahmadinajad, the Midget Brain political leader of Iran, has made a variety of scurrilous statements about Israel, the Jews, and the Holocaust. He proposes the destruction of the State of Israel, a holocaust for the Jewish People, and the denial of a major historical event that was set in motion by an equally midget brained national political leader, Adolf Hitler.
The Jewish People survived the Holocaust and created the modern State of Israel. Over the millennia of its existence, this People has contributed to the advancement of the human race. They have shown the way of morality, the equality of all people - including that of women, legal systems, medical advancement throughout their history, science and the arts, literature, and creativity across the spectrum of human endeavor. Today, despite their small number compared to other nations and ethnic groups, they have won more Nobel Prizes, suffered the lowest losses in the flattened world economy, have created more uses for electronic devices, hold more seats on the New York Stock exchange than most of the world’s nations, and, Midget Brain, have one of the most advanced and capable well-trained and well-equipped armies of the world.
Those who hold this Iranian midget-minded monster in high esteem should provide him with warnings about his threats against the Jewish People. Today, after having suffered the tragedy of near extinction in Europe, and after fighting and winning against overwhelming odds in the face of four wars of extinction by the combined armies of the Muslim world, and after suffering continued border attacks supported by surrounding Muslim nations and wreaking havoc and destruction on those attacking nations, Israel has provided sufficient warning to all its war-like enemies that they must beware of the outcome of attacks on the Jewish Nation. The history of the David and Goliath conflict should provide the necessary paradigm for today’s antagonists.
“So David volunteered to fight Goliath. It took some persuasion, but King Saul finally agreed to let David fight against the giant. Dressed in his simple tunic, carrying his shepherd's staff, slingshot and a pouch full of stones, David approached Goliath. The giant cursed at him, hurling threats and insults.
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied ... today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel ... it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
As Goliath moved in for the kill, David reached into his bag and slung one of his stones at Goliath's head. Finding a hole in the armor, the stone sank into the giant's forehead and he fell face down on the ground. David then took Goliath's sword, killed him and then cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. So the Israelites pursued, chasing and killing them and plundering their camp. Israel today has a “pouch of stones” in readiness.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Jerusalem Artichoke: Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY)
Jerusalem Artichoke: Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY)
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF THE THINKER WRITER PROTAGONIST.
I'll address two issues. The Holocaust was a seminal event in Jewish/Israeli history no less than Moses talking with God on Mount Sinai or Abrham's journey to Mount Moriah. That event is much more than what you see and describe, and certainly more impactful for the generations whose lives were touched by it. Yet equally important for the narrative of our people as its history unfolds today in the furnaces, the crematoria if you will, of conflicts designed to destroy us.
Dealing with the life you chose to lead and the spot in which you chose to lead it, mandates an awareness of the impact that you have on the future, not only of your small family, but on the future of your People and the Palestinian People. I look forward to how you will address the conflict as it affects your daily life and the lives of those around you; Jew and Arab.
Write AND PUBLISH!
Nachum - November 14, 2009
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF THE THINKER WRITER PROTAGONIST.
I'll address two issues. The Holocaust was a seminal event in Jewish/Israeli history no less than Moses talking with God on Mount Sinai or Abrham's journey to Mount Moriah. That event is much more than what you see and describe, and certainly more impactful for the generations whose lives were touched by it. Yet equally important for the narrative of our people as its history unfolds today in the furnaces, the crematoria if you will, of conflicts designed to destroy us.
Dealing with the life you chose to lead and the spot in which you chose to lead it, mandates an awareness of the impact that you have on the future, not only of your small family, but on the future of your People and the Palestinian People. I look forward to how you will address the conflict as it affects your daily life and the lives of those around you; Jew and Arab.
Write AND PUBLISH!
Nachum - November 14, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The World has Two Classes
The world, your world, has two classes; the Rich and Powerful, and The Rest of Us. If you don't know which class you belong to, you are in "The Rest of Us."
Politically, if you are in the leadership grouping of any government other than a dictatorship, you are The Rest of Us.
Militarily, if you are in any rank but not the dictator, you are The Rest of Us.
Religiously, if you are any level including the top rank of your religious structure, you are The Rest of Us.
Artistically, no matter how high you are in your field or how wealthy and well-known you are, you are The Rest of Us.
Professionally, no matter how high in your field or how wealthy and well-known you are, you are The Rest of Us.
Financially and industrially, if you do not know what class you are in, you are The Rest of Us.
If you are employed by the Rich and Powerful, you are The Rest of Us.
If your world is not connected to the whole world, you may be the Rich and Powerful, but not for long if your world has anything worth acquiring by the whole world's Rich and Powerful.
The Rich and Powerful eat at the table. The Rest of Us eat under the table, and then only the crumbs, the left-overs, the tough parts, the small or burnt portions. The Rest of Us fight each other for whatever is under the table. The Rest of Us kill each other for whatever is under the table - often in the belief that we will be rewarded with a place at the table. That almost never happens, and if it does, it is only temporary.
The Rich and Powerful travel apart from The Rest of Us. They vacation apart from The Rest of Us. They belong to clubs closed The Rest of Us. They know each other and help each other. They belong to families that have been known for generations. They belong to families that have known each other for generations. Money is not a key into the world of the Rich and Powerful. Vast money may be forged into a key, but not always.
The Rich and Powerful need The Rest of Us. The Rest of Us do not need the Rich and Powerful. More correctly, we do not need the Rich and Powerful to exploit and enslave The Rest of Us. But The Rest of Us must learn how to undo the burden of exploitation and slavery.
How? By rejecting religion, patriotism, unequalism and inequality, and by teaching and learning the need for self -fulfillment to the extent of each individual's capability, and cooperative functioning and sharing.
Politically, if you are in the leadership grouping of any government other than a dictatorship, you are The Rest of Us.
Militarily, if you are in any rank but not the dictator, you are The Rest of Us.
Religiously, if you are any level including the top rank of your religious structure, you are The Rest of Us.
Artistically, no matter how high you are in your field or how wealthy and well-known you are, you are The Rest of Us.
Professionally, no matter how high in your field or how wealthy and well-known you are, you are The Rest of Us.
Financially and industrially, if you do not know what class you are in, you are The Rest of Us.
If you are employed by the Rich and Powerful, you are The Rest of Us.
If your world is not connected to the whole world, you may be the Rich and Powerful, but not for long if your world has anything worth acquiring by the whole world's Rich and Powerful.
The Rich and Powerful eat at the table. The Rest of Us eat under the table, and then only the crumbs, the left-overs, the tough parts, the small or burnt portions. The Rest of Us fight each other for whatever is under the table. The Rest of Us kill each other for whatever is under the table - often in the belief that we will be rewarded with a place at the table. That almost never happens, and if it does, it is only temporary.
The Rich and Powerful travel apart from The Rest of Us. They vacation apart from The Rest of Us. They belong to clubs closed The Rest of Us. They know each other and help each other. They belong to families that have been known for generations. They belong to families that have known each other for generations. Money is not a key into the world of the Rich and Powerful. Vast money may be forged into a key, but not always.
The Rich and Powerful need The Rest of Us. The Rest of Us do not need the Rich and Powerful. More correctly, we do not need the Rich and Powerful to exploit and enslave The Rest of Us. But The Rest of Us must learn how to undo the burden of exploitation and slavery.
How? By rejecting religion, patriotism, unequalism and inequality, and by teaching and learning the need for self -fulfillment to the extent of each individual's capability, and cooperative functioning and sharing.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
WHEN WILL PEACE COME?
WHEN WILL PEACE COME TO THE MIDDLE EAST?
So long as the Arab/Muslim world continues to show death-dealing animosity to Israel's existence, Israel will simply continue to prepare itself for war. When the bombs stop falling on Israel, when the Saudi text-books that show Israel's destruction as a good thing to young Arab minds, when the oligarchies of the Arab world show a willingness to normalize relations with Israel, when every Muslim and Arab terrorist organization in existence ceases its active war against the Jews and Israel, when the new nuclear-powered Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, ceases his denial of the Holocaust to loud applause by the Muslim world, and when 85% of the Palestinians cease to wish for, work for, pray for, the destruction of Israel and death to the Jews, peace will come.
So long as the Arab/Muslim world continues to show death-dealing animosity to Israel's existence, Israel will simply continue to prepare itself for war. When the bombs stop falling on Israel, when the Saudi text-books that show Israel's destruction as a good thing to young Arab minds, when the oligarchies of the Arab world show a willingness to normalize relations with Israel, when every Muslim and Arab terrorist organization in existence ceases its active war against the Jews and Israel, when the new nuclear-powered Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, ceases his denial of the Holocaust to loud applause by the Muslim world, and when 85% of the Palestinians cease to wish for, work for, pray for, the destruction of Israel and death to the Jews, peace will come.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
HISTORY versus TRUTH
The time frame of history begins with pictures on the walls of caves and ends at today's newspaper and website writings and pictures. Oral history, however close to the truth of the past it may be, relies on the vagaries of memories and limited presentations to small audiences.
The need for written records matched the growth of settled populations and competition fostered by accumulation of wealth. Mercantilism and religion joined forces to increase their control over populations and wealth. Somehow, the history of financial dealings and transactions, and the word of God, became entwined. The leaders of both these forces relied on the past for their present power; the one for stories of success and the other for stories of communication with God.
Quite obviously, conflicting needs led to conflicting accounts of past events and transactions. The very definition of truth became fungible. The statements of high priests were the ineffable truth. The wealthy and powerful, by force of position created the truth. Thus, the history of events and transactions became subject to the needs and desires of the victors of wars or the people who paid the writers to create the history of events. Kings, Pharaohs, High Priests, Emperors, and their minions, dictated history and history thus became what was written.
If we call what was, the truth, and we call what was written, history, it becomes readily apparent that the two may not be identical. This can be demonstrated by two versions of the same event as depicted by winners and losers of wars.
As a starting point, Israel's "War of Independence" became Palestinian Arabs' "Naquba" or "Tragedy." Israel describes the exodus of the Palestinians as responsive to the demands of the invading Arab armies to clear the way for them to throw the Jews into the sea. The Palestinians assert that the Jews attacked the civilian population mercilessly, forcing them to flee into exile and leave their homes and homeland for the refugee camps in neighboring Arab countries. Both histories have become immutable truths. Both truths are immutable history to their believers.
More familiar but with fewer details, which is the "true history," the two-faced history of America's westward movement from the initial landings of Europeans on the east coast through the declarations of statehood of the western territories of what is now the United States of America or the tragic history of the slaughter and theft of their lands of Native Americans in that same period?
The lesson to be learned here is that the "Truth" and "History" of the same events may be at variance and this syndrome has been repeated from the beginning of recorded events and shall always be repeated. That history repeats itself is the nature of history. A corollary is that power uses history to guide its actions in the present and thus, contrary to Santayana's warning, knowingly repeats the lessons learned from history. With this in mind, a search for the facets of events as seen by those affecting them and affected by them is mandated, keeping in mind that the powerful, usually the "winners," write the histories though the truth might lie elsewhere.
The need for written records matched the growth of settled populations and competition fostered by accumulation of wealth. Mercantilism and religion joined forces to increase their control over populations and wealth. Somehow, the history of financial dealings and transactions, and the word of God, became entwined. The leaders of both these forces relied on the past for their present power; the one for stories of success and the other for stories of communication with God.
Quite obviously, conflicting needs led to conflicting accounts of past events and transactions. The very definition of truth became fungible. The statements of high priests were the ineffable truth. The wealthy and powerful, by force of position created the truth. Thus, the history of events and transactions became subject to the needs and desires of the victors of wars or the people who paid the writers to create the history of events. Kings, Pharaohs, High Priests, Emperors, and their minions, dictated history and history thus became what was written.
If we call what was, the truth, and we call what was written, history, it becomes readily apparent that the two may not be identical. This can be demonstrated by two versions of the same event as depicted by winners and losers of wars.
As a starting point, Israel's "War of Independence" became Palestinian Arabs' "Naquba" or "Tragedy." Israel describes the exodus of the Palestinians as responsive to the demands of the invading Arab armies to clear the way for them to throw the Jews into the sea. The Palestinians assert that the Jews attacked the civilian population mercilessly, forcing them to flee into exile and leave their homes and homeland for the refugee camps in neighboring Arab countries. Both histories have become immutable truths. Both truths are immutable history to their believers.
More familiar but with fewer details, which is the "true history," the two-faced history of America's westward movement from the initial landings of Europeans on the east coast through the declarations of statehood of the western territories of what is now the United States of America or the tragic history of the slaughter and theft of their lands of Native Americans in that same period?
The lesson to be learned here is that the "Truth" and "History" of the same events may be at variance and this syndrome has been repeated from the beginning of recorded events and shall always be repeated. That history repeats itself is the nature of history. A corollary is that power uses history to guide its actions in the present and thus, contrary to Santayana's warning, knowingly repeats the lessons learned from history. With this in mind, a search for the facets of events as seen by those affecting them and affected by them is mandated, keeping in mind that the powerful, usually the "winners," write the histories though the truth might lie elsewhere.
RELIGIOUS SADISM
Adherents of many religions, from the flock to the shepherd, find satisfaction in cruelty to others ostensibly mandated by the commandments and the laws passed down to the present day practitioners of cruelty. From self-flagellation to torture of others in the fulfillment of their God’s requirements as they and the factotums of their faith dictate, cruelty and the infliction of pain fulfill their sense of piety and obeisance to their God.
The lash, the wheel, stoning, the long fall from the precipice and the fire at the stake, all fill the need for the infliction of unbearable pain and for the deep satisfaction that comes from observing and sharing in the rituals of one’s religion, however cruel.
From the days of Egyptian Pharaohs’ lash, through the Roman practice of feeding Christians to lions to the roaring approval of the coliseum’s crowds, to Torquemada’s re-education of recalcitrant non-believers and the burning of Joan of Arc at the stake to the immense approval of the supposedly more religious observers, cruelty and the infliction of severe and deadly pain were religious norms.
These early tortures served as tutorials for today’s Islamic practices to obtain adherence to Koranic requirements for modesty, abstinence, killing of Jews and Westerners, and obeisance to law as dictated by the Imams of the religion.
The early Hebrews substituted a lamb for their sacrificial offerings and ceased that act of cruelty with the second destruction of their temple and the destruction of temple worship. Such sacrifices acquired the name of “Sa-ir l’aza’zel,” “Emissary to Hell,” in recognition of the inhumanity of the act. And in precognition of events in 2008 and 2009, Hell was located in Gaza.
Apparently, civilization does not require the elimination of cruelty in religious practice for the so-called civilized world is mum in the face of an enormous variety of cruel and painful religious practices.
The lash, the wheel, stoning, the long fall from the precipice and the fire at the stake, all fill the need for the infliction of unbearable pain and for the deep satisfaction that comes from observing and sharing in the rituals of one’s religion, however cruel.
From the days of Egyptian Pharaohs’ lash, through the Roman practice of feeding Christians to lions to the roaring approval of the coliseum’s crowds, to Torquemada’s re-education of recalcitrant non-believers and the burning of Joan of Arc at the stake to the immense approval of the supposedly more religious observers, cruelty and the infliction of severe and deadly pain were religious norms.
These early tortures served as tutorials for today’s Islamic practices to obtain adherence to Koranic requirements for modesty, abstinence, killing of Jews and Westerners, and obeisance to law as dictated by the Imams of the religion.
The early Hebrews substituted a lamb for their sacrificial offerings and ceased that act of cruelty with the second destruction of their temple and the destruction of temple worship. Such sacrifices acquired the name of “Sa-ir l’aza’zel,” “Emissary to Hell,” in recognition of the inhumanity of the act. And in precognition of events in 2008 and 2009, Hell was located in Gaza.
Apparently, civilization does not require the elimination of cruelty in religious practice for the so-called civilized world is mum in the face of an enormous variety of cruel and painful religious practices.
HOW THE WORLD WORKS
THE SYSTEMS AND FORMULAS OF THE WORLD
Have you ever thought about how the world works, that is, our world on the planet Earth? And did you ever think about how the world worked in the past, before telephones and airplanes, and before cars and trucks were invented? How did peoples and countries communicate with each other, if they did communicate with each other? What did they try to do to make their lives comfortable and how did they measure success in the world of ten thousand years ago and five thousand years ago? Who and how did what in the many different societies that existed over the millennia since mankind emerged from caves and started living in homes that they built on land that they owned and farmed, using tools that they made and materials that they pulled from the earth? And how were leaders chosen, if they were chosen? Who rose to the top and how did they rise to the top of their societies?
Our world generally operates within systems and uses formulas to achieve local successes. The systems are interconnected and the formulas are similar from nation to nation and from one international entity to another. The international connection enables trade for mutual benefit and the internal systems are designed to accommodate differences such as currency, language and cultures, economic level, and political establishments. Except in cases of rogue states or states that are in the process of violent change or collapsing, these statements hold true.
Natural resources like oil that are in huge universal demand and huge populations that provide low cost labor, skew the systems and formulas as much as internal warfare, regime change, and major natural disasters do over shorter time periods. The drive for power and wealth acquisition brings a measure of tranquility to international exchanges that benefit the elites in whatever combination of nations are engaged.
Internal systems and formulas are based on how wealth and allegiance are achieved. Variations between and within the systems reflect the nature of a nation’s wealth, history, government, culture, people, and often, religion. The history, language, natural resources, and geography of a nation are key determinants of wealth acquisition. A typical formula has multi-generational power continuation that regardless of huge disparities in wealth distribution, auger for economic stability. That power can be embedded in government or in royal symbolism or in religious unity within a country. Governments as a matter of course represent power elites that invest the money to obtain government sinecures for their lackeys. “What is good for General Motors is good for the country,” used to be considered instructions for government functioning. With General Motors teetering on bankruptcy at the end of 2008, the slogan requires a name change, perhaps to the more truthful and realistic, “What’s good for the wealthy and powerful, is good for the country.”
Success is measured in accumulation of wealth just as failure is measured in loss of wealth.
Have you ever thought about how the world works, that is, our world on the planet Earth? And did you ever think about how the world worked in the past, before telephones and airplanes, and before cars and trucks were invented? How did peoples and countries communicate with each other, if they did communicate with each other? What did they try to do to make their lives comfortable and how did they measure success in the world of ten thousand years ago and five thousand years ago? Who and how did what in the many different societies that existed over the millennia since mankind emerged from caves and started living in homes that they built on land that they owned and farmed, using tools that they made and materials that they pulled from the earth? And how were leaders chosen, if they were chosen? Who rose to the top and how did they rise to the top of their societies?
Our world generally operates within systems and uses formulas to achieve local successes. The systems are interconnected and the formulas are similar from nation to nation and from one international entity to another. The international connection enables trade for mutual benefit and the internal systems are designed to accommodate differences such as currency, language and cultures, economic level, and political establishments. Except in cases of rogue states or states that are in the process of violent change or collapsing, these statements hold true.
Natural resources like oil that are in huge universal demand and huge populations that provide low cost labor, skew the systems and formulas as much as internal warfare, regime change, and major natural disasters do over shorter time periods. The drive for power and wealth acquisition brings a measure of tranquility to international exchanges that benefit the elites in whatever combination of nations are engaged.
Internal systems and formulas are based on how wealth and allegiance are achieved. Variations between and within the systems reflect the nature of a nation’s wealth, history, government, culture, people, and often, religion. The history, language, natural resources, and geography of a nation are key determinants of wealth acquisition. A typical formula has multi-generational power continuation that regardless of huge disparities in wealth distribution, auger for economic stability. That power can be embedded in government or in royal symbolism or in religious unity within a country. Governments as a matter of course represent power elites that invest the money to obtain government sinecures for their lackeys. “What is good for General Motors is good for the country,” used to be considered instructions for government functioning. With General Motors teetering on bankruptcy at the end of 2008, the slogan requires a name change, perhaps to the more truthful and realistic, “What’s good for the wealthy and powerful, is good for the country.”
Success is measured in accumulation of wealth just as failure is measured in loss of wealth.
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