http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=1011828&bl=2&contrassID=2

Something fishy between Israel and Georgia

Alarm signals: Saakashvili warns, Georgia in critical danger of being made the Lebanon of the Caucauses. Saakashvili characterizes the current war as sheer insanity.

...We can only shake our heads in astonishment at the destruction his provocation has caused, at the story of the decision to take these provocative steps, then, after thousands are dead, how the people in the middle, in the Capital, effectively had to surreneder.

The romantic attitude of the youthful, inexperienced Saakashvili has met with strong opposition from more reasonable elements during this trying time. He has shown to politicians throughout the world his obvious immaturity and irresponsiblity in managing this crisis.
...
This pointless conflict in Georgia hardly can seem sensible to us. For example, we can consider how unlike this are our own dealings with Hamas, the satisfaction we feel when, in the war on terror, we can spare our people another round of violence. Ethics Professors warn us of moral gangrene and rot. And we smell the stench of criminal nationalism, in the behavior of this fellow, Saakashvili.

But, does complaining about it do any good? And if Georgia fails to learn from this experience, the stupidity of violating international law and causing chaos: then this young fool may once again shatter the world's peace with his violence. To deescalate conflicts, leaders must reconcile disturbances amongst themselves, they must embrace compromise, how can they jeopardize this process by losing control of themselves? It's like a game of chess. Why compare the situation to Lebanon? Would you compare it to a rock concert? Or a car accident in America?

E-mails and bloggers on the internet in France talk about the "Israeli connection". On an internet site on August 12 it was reported, that Israel forbid the translation of information and censored someone for daring to translate some comments. They described the actions in Georgia as disgusting and stupid.

...The reason for this problem with the Arabs and the Lebanese, is largely the mandate of 1939 with respect to Israel's enemies. The British were preparing to battle Germany. But why fight us? Lebanon was deemed Arab land, although it could have been allotted to Israel.

I'm not trying to make a fuss here. I've long accepted this limitation and am well aware of it in my heart, so what's the point of fighting with the Arabs about it, and to confuse readers and friends of the Arabs when we've given up our claims? It seems to me crying about spilled milk (such absurd demands) and the Arabs would simply dismiss them. We can learn from this example of evil: the ordinance is absurd, we can stick our heads in the sand, and try to wipe it away with a stroke of the pen. But will that satisfy the Arabs? God forbid we should do anything to offend the Arabs....

So many of our youth have been sacrificed to meet the criteria of the bureaucrats...

But something stinks here. It's as if Georgia were trying to imitate Israel in its President's fluent English.

Let's consider Newton. Newton was summarizing mathematically virtually everything that was known about motion at the time. A great deal of his information was, I suspect, coming from the gunnery experts who, most certainly, must have understood gravity and motion very well indeed if they ever wanted to hit their targets. Newton's contribution was to apply new mathematical techniques -- in particular, Calculus -- to his summary of existing knowledge. He was not speculating. He was not approximating. He was not looking for or selecting new data. He was simply expressing existing knowledge in a new and innovative way, that made it easier to work with. And, more particularly, his work aroused very little controversy. It was never seriously challenged by the Church, for example, or any other important social group. Its utility was self-evident, as was its validity.

How much scientific work really meets Newton's standard, in terms of these criteria:

1. Validity
2. Utility
3. Lack of controversy
4. Abscence of speculation
5. Innovation in mathematical conception

Pan Tadeusz: 1812

Au Nord ! Comme plutôt du Ciel
Les oiseaux, le peuple est pressé en notre Terre,
Dirigé par inconnu, instinctif pouvoir.

Chevaux, hommes, armes, aigles, nuit et jour
Constammant; tout brilliant, les cieux en masses d'éclairs,
Tremblement de terre, écoutant, tambours et tonnerre.

C'est la guerre, la guerre !
Pas de coin de Lithuanie la terre
Où on n'écoute son rugissement; en les forêts
Trouvant les paysans, leurs parents et ancêtres
Sont morts ici, en ces frontières,
Qui sait, sauf les cieux, ces cris
Hurlements partout dans la terre, sauvages, bestiaux,
Mais on ne voit que les forêts animaux.
Maintenant, on voit éclairs étranges aux cieux,
Aux broussailles, un boulet fait ses travaux,
Cherchant une route forestière, de champs de bataille,
Déchirant les souches, cassant brindailles,
Un gros bison, noble, viel,
Frémit en la mousse, secoue ses cheveux gris,
Demi-debout, sur deux jambes restant,
Dressant étonné, sa barbe secouant,
Soudainement, aux broussailles, les cendres brilliants
Une grenade errante, sifflant, là tourbillonant,
Éclate comme un éclair; et un peur inconnu
Lui fait fuir et se cache en les bois hors de vue.

La bataille, mais où ça ? -- les jeunes demandent,
Saisant leurs armes;
Aux cieux les femmes levant leurs mains;
Tout le monde, la victoire assurant, pleurant et hurlant:
"Le Grand Dieu et Napoléon, Vive Napoléon !"

Printemps ! On peut le voir marchant en notres champs,
Printemps d'une guerre souvenue, Printemps abondant !
Printemps ! On peut le voir fleurir
Avec le maïs et autres fleurs
Avec les gens scintillants comme des fleurs,
En effet déçu, mais pleine d'espoir !
Élysée exquise, encore je peux te voir !
Né emprisonné, enchainé pour toujours,
J'aurais eu juste un tel printemps restant de mes jours.

Traduit par Jerome Raymond Kraus (2008)
© Copyright Jerome Raymond Kraus (2008)

Pan Tadeusz: Kaff

Unbedeutend, sich befeuchten, zum Finsternis davonschleichen
Morgenrot ohne Rot, Tagen passen, ohne Licht in die Augen
Tag ist hier langweilig, es gibt keine Lichter hier,
Nebel liegt über alles, wie Stroh es ist bestreut,
Über den Hütte litauisch, klar wir sehen an Osten
Da ist eine himmelisch Blaue, der groß Kreis an oben
Der gebrochen Sonne, seine verdammt Weg hat reisend,
Aber düsterlich gehend, freudlos schlummern.

....

Still im Wald. Kein Vogelgesang
Federn kusheln taufeuchte, die Bäume knuddeln
Kopf mit Armen, Augen schielend
Der Sonne abwarten. Da Auenwald Lachen
Wo Storchen klappern; alte Krähen auf Blattern sitzen
Gruppenweise abschleppen, sie plaudern und ratschen
Um abscheulich Niesel, Bauern weissagten.
Allen längste zu Arbeit gefahren.

Jetzt üblich Rauch den Gesang der Entarbeiter zu giften
Jeder Tag nieslig, dunkle, leer zu sehen
Jetzt traurig machen, weil Nebel lautlos sich einsaugt;
Sicheln und Maiskolben, auf der Wiese kommen in Sicht,
Reihen Entarbeiter an stillen Morgen umstehen
Gesang brummeln; ....
In dicke Nebel, Leute nicht sehen
Nur Sensen, Sicheln und Gesangen
Wie unsichtbares Musikers Stimme.



Übersetzt durch Jerome Raymond Kraus (2008)
© Copyright Jerome Raymond Kraus (2008)

You can kiss the independant nation of Georgia goodbye


The Russians are sounding very chatty and cheerful on the radio today. They always are when their tanks are rolling. They've been expressing their "deep concern" about the "legitimate rights" of the Russians in the breakaway state of South Ossetia for quite a few months now. Which, given the behavior of the Georgian Government -- a close ally of the U.S. -- do have some validity. Mind you, so did the claims of the Chechnyans, who have effectively now been crushed.

They're talking about a "threat" to Russian peacekeeping forces. I strongly suspect that threat will be neutralized rather quickly. And, effectively. They are mentioning that John McCain -- who's pretty familiar with the Russians -- doesn't like what they're doing, and says that they must respect the territorial integrity of Georgia. Doesn't sound like they care too much, though. The Bush administration is so weak and helpless nobody really gives a damn about them anymore. Bush isn't even being mentioned.

The timing of all this during the Olympics does not appear to be entirely coincidental. Both on the part of Georgia and of Russia. The world is distracted. When the cat's away, the mice will play.

They are discussing the situation in some detail. They definitely ain't agonna let Georgia join NATO! That seems quite clear. Very calm, quiet, peaceful sounding. Sounds more like a discussion of negotiations, not of military conflict. No emphasis on attacks, violence, casualties. Very detached. Sounds like they mean business. Emphasis on rights, morality, justification. Comparisons to other separatist movements around the world. Businesslike, matter of fact. No passion. The Russians are cold killers. They're interested in how they're being perceived by other nations, of course, but the see themselves as being in the right here.