Russian version
The bacteria of stupidity
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Tony Blankley
Jewish World Review August
30, 2006 / 6 Elul, 5766
Quite surprisingly, what may turn out to be the world's most fitting
epigram in our time was uttered by none other than the official spokesman
of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority, Ghazi Hamad.
According to the Jerusalem Post yesterday, Mr. Hamad told his fellow
Palestinians to dismiss Israel's responsibility for the growing state of
anarchy and lawlessness in the Gaza Strip. He said it was time for the
Palestinians to embark on a soul-searching process to see where they erred.
"We're always afraid to talk about our mistakes. We're used to blaming
our mistakes on others. What is the relationship between the chaos, anarchy,
lawlessness, indiscriminate murders, theft of land, family rivalries, transgression
on public lands and unorganized traffic and the occupation? We are still
trapped by the mentality of conspiracy theories — one that has limited
our capability to think."
I pray for this man's safety after he said such a sensible thing in
such a lunatic place. But what takes his comments beyond a brave, local
wisdom to a shrewd global insight was his epigrammatic conclusion: "We
have all been attacked by the bacteria of stupidity." "We have lost our
sense of direction and we don't know where we're headed."
That seems to sum the world up pretty well. From Iran, Lebanon, Gaza
and Israel to the leadership of the Republican and Democratic Parties in
Washington, to the governments of most of Europe and South America, to
the local, state and federal officials responsible for Katrina recovery,
to the U.S. State Department, it is hard to spot any leadership that is
both sane and competent.
The leadership of Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and Venezuela seem politically
competent, but they're nuts. Most Western leaders seem at least clinically
not insane, but are wandering around bumping into large objects.
The West is being run, more or less, by the most incompetent generation
of middle-aged white men since the 6th century — when they let the Roman
Empire collapse without providing for an alternative (other than the Dark
Ages.)
When did Americans forget how to fix things? From the Big Dig in Boston,
to the Katrina aftermath (where the Corps. of Engineers announced this
week that a year later the "repaired" levees couldn't hold back a Category
Three hurricane), to our Southern border — things are broken and can't
seem to be repaired.
Maybe the public schools should reinstate those wood, metal and print
shop classes they required us boys to take until the mid-1960s. Apparently,
we are devolving rapidly back to the Lemur stage of primate tool use skills
(no offense intended to my Lemur friends who struggle on bravely without
the advantage of opposable thumbs. We middle-aged white guys, on the other
hand, seem to have become all thumbs.)
Not that we should let off the hook women and people of color who also
hold positions of responsibility in government. The recently re-elected
mayor of New Orleans's almost absurd incompetence and lethargy in the face
of his duties puts him right up there with the white guys in Boston who
have proven themselves utterly unable to build and maintain a tunnel. D—
- it, prairie dogs build tunnels better than Bostonians.
And our once estimable secretary of state, Ms. Condoleezza Rice, has
proven to be a more able concert pianist than conductor of diplomacy. I
have talked to some very senior figures in Europe and here at home (Bush
supporters, no less) who were staggered by the secretary's failure to nail
down the terms and conditions for troop deployment with France before permitting
the French resolution to go to a vote in the Security Council.
It used to be the attribute of adult homo sapiens that when they tripped,
they got back up on their hind legs and moved on. But today, we seem to
stay on all fours — often with our heads in rather unfortunate places.
For instance, after tripping in Lebanon, The State Department seems
to have decided to start giving money away to Lebanese, willy-nilly, in
some demented compassion contest with Iran's Hezbollah cutthroats. Conservative
critics, equally dazed, demand not a penny be spent — as a matter of some
principle.
The rather obvious competent policy option — that seems to be ignored
by both sides — is to calculatedly offer Lebanon not only money, but things
Iran can never provide: diplomatic, business, engineering and other help,
re-integration into the international world — on condition that the Lebanese
government behave in various ways inimical to Hezbollah. In fact, most
Lebanese want to move in that direction, but need our help.
But our State Department, once again panicked into premature action,
offered free money, while conservative critics just want to run off with
their ball — when there is an important game to be played — and won.
Some people of a theological bent see the current mess as a sign of
G-d's imminent apocalyptic plans for us. And they may well be right. I
prefer, however, to look on the optimistic side and consider that there
may just be a politically curable stupidity bacteria in the air. But it
certainly seems like a pandemic.
Tony Blankley is editorial page editor of The Washington Times.
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
Russian version
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a