Archive for
May 15th, 2008
Stories
Russia: Roses and Migrant Workers
Russian photographer Oleg Klimov (translation of his travel notes from Russia's Far East are here and here) visited a commercial greenhouse outside Moscow and posted his observations (RUS) about a birthplace of the roses one buys in Russia's capital:
[two photos from the greenhouse]
Why is it considered romantic to give flowers as gifts? I went to [Podmoskovye], observed how they are growing roses there. It's easy. Dutch technologies. Expensive. The director is from Cosa Nostra or is representing it: black shoes, black jeans, black leather jacket and a black Beemer. The real owner is a deputy from the [Putin-led United Russia Party], still a businessman, but a future politician, too, or, more likely, both. Engineers and the agronomist are Dutch. The workers are [gastarbeiter, migrant laborers], and they have fewer rights and respect than Moscow bums from [Kurskiy train station]. And a corresponding salary - “whatever God sends down.” One rose costs 30-40 rubles [$1.25-$1.70] at the […] farm, and 130-140 rubles [$5.45-$5.90] in Moscow. Everything they produce goes to Moscow. There are not enough flowers. The business is flourishing and growing. Damaged flowers are sent to churches. For free. A way to atone for their sins, obviously. God is not at the market - won't notice the damage.
[Migrant workers] can barely speak Russian. They work almost illegally, and perhaps their status in the country isn't too official, either - but it's hard to find out. […]
A woman from Tajikistan, whose hands are all covered with bruises from rose thorns, said to me in Russian: “I love flowers, they are hope.” It was strange to see the silent and humiliated human beings - as if transfered from the Middle Ages - work next to the high-tech [equipment]. And I still don't understand why women like everything that has to do with slavery: diamonds, gold and flowers.
China: Seismologist Claims Sichuan Earthquake Was Predicted
Li Shihui, a researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), exposed in his blog that the Sichuan earthquake on May 12 was already predicted at an earlier time. In spite of the various rumors of earthquake omens which are flooded on the Internet, Li's specialty and systematic statement have helped him gain many people's confidence, even after his controversial articles are deleted by the network administrator.
The front page of Li's blog
Clicked on the relevant articles of Li's blog, the page appears to be”Sorry, the blog you visit doesn't exist.”
A copy of Li Shihui's article on chinalabs.com:
地震预报专家欲哭无泪 :今天的强震有人预报
中国科学院工程地质力学重点实验室 李世煇2008-05-12 23:45:02在西方现代科学技术主导下，破坏性地震（5级以上）的预报，特别是临震预报是不可能的。这是国内外地震界主流的共识。从这个角度看，32年前的唐山地震和今天的汶川地震都是不能准确预报的。凤凰卫视“有报天天读”提到：有的报纸说唐山地震是“三分天灾，七分人祸”；“时事辩论会主持人说：如果唐山地震时不拒绝外援，不会死几十万人。这些看法不符合实际。实际情况是，如果尊重中西文化优势互补的科学家的意见，这些灾难倒是可以避免的。请参阅本人博客上转载的和发表的有关文章。
在中国，一批（1970年代）年轻的中国地震工作者学习中国传统文化的精华（包括充分利用历史文献记载和“取象比类”的方法等），取得遥遥领先国际的科研成果。例如，耿庆国根据历代(包括1956-1970年)大旱与地震关系的统计，发现“6级以上大地震的震中区，震前1-3.5年往往是旱区。旱区越大，干旱时间越长，相应的震级越高”的统计规律（公元512年-1879年中国大旱后2-3.5年,发生了7次7.5-8级大地震）。1972年耿庆国提出“旱震关系大地震中期预报方法”，根据这一规律，耿庆国预报了1975年的海城地震，特别是1976年的唐山地震。在1980年代出版了专著《中国旱震关系》（科学出版社）。这些成果触犯了地震界当权者的利益，耿庆国被调出预报队伍，去了地震报社。
今天，2008年5月12日，听到四川汶川发生7.8级强震，中国的地震科学家耿庆国欲哭无泪，心里在流血。2006年他根据旱震关系提出中期预报，近年阿坝地区将发生7级以上地震。2008年4月26日和27日在中国地球物理学会下属的“天灾预测委员会”经集体讨论,作出“在一年内（2008.5-2009.4）仍应注意兰州以南,川、甘、青交界附近可能发生6-7级地震”的预报（文字报告已报中国地震局等，4月30日密件发出），而且，耿庆国根据强磁暴组合，明确提出“阿坝地区7级以上地震的危险点在5月8日(前后10天以内)”（以上地震预报三要素均已明确）。明明是国宝，却受到当权的主流地震科学家的排斥，只能靠微薄的退休费坚持搞科研。可惜这位退休的地震科学家的话，没有起到作用。
我的感觉是满腔悲愤。什么时候耿庆国、汪成民、任振球、王迪兴等一批国宝才能不受排挤，放开手脚为振兴中华效力呢？
Seismologist with tearless grief: Today's strong quake was predicted
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Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Li Shihui
2008-05-12 23:45:02
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Under the direction of the modern science and technology of Western World, the forecast of destructive earthquake（over 5 magnitude) is impossible, especially the imminent earthquake prediction, which has been a general consensus in the seismology world. From this point of view, there is no way to well predict the Tangshan earthquake 32 years ago or today's Wenchuan earthquake. The TV program “Read News Everyday”(有报天天读）of Phoenix mentioned: some newspapers said the calamity of Tangshan earthquake is “mainly caused by human error” ; the anchor of “Debate on Current Affairs”(时事辩论会) said: if China had accepted the international aid, hundreds of thousands of people would have survived. Those opinions are not in accord with the facts. The truth is the tragedy might have been avoided if authorities had accepted the views of the scientists, who combined the research of the east and the west. Please refer to the relevant articles I copied or published in my blog.
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During 1970‘s, a group of young seismologists in China had achieved great results which were well ahead of the world level by studying the essence of Chinese traditional culture(including the methods that fully make use of the historical documents and “analogy drawn from phenomena”). For example, according to the statistics of the relationship between drought and earthquake throughout the ages（including 1956-1970), Geng Qingguo discovered a law that “the epicentral region always suffered droughts 1-3.5 years before the earthquake over 6 magnitude. Besides, the larger the drought region occupied and the longer the drought lasted, the higher the corresponding magnitude would be.” (2-3.5 years after the long droughts during 512-1879AD, seven 7.5-8 magnitude earthquakes had occurred in China) In 1972, Geng Qingguo put forward a theory of “medium-term earthquake prediction based on the relationship between drought and quake”. By that law, Geng Qingguo successfully predicted the Haicheng earthquake in 1975 and especially the Tangshan earthquake in 1976. In 1980's, He published his treatise The Relationship between Drought and Earthquake in China (Science Press). However, those achievements challenged the powers in the Chinese seismology circle, so Geng Qingguo was shunted from the prediction team to an earthquake newspaper office.
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Today is May 12, 2008, Chinese seismologist Geng Qingguo is suffering with tearless grief. In 2006, according to the relationship between drought and earthquake he predicted in recent years there would be a serious earthquake over 7 magnitude in Aba autonomous region. After a group discussion on April 26 and 27, 2008, Committee of Natural Hazards Prediction subordinate to Chinese Geophysical Society (CGS) reported that “a 6-7 magnitude earthquake may occur to the south of Lanzhou, around the borders of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.” (the written report had been sent to the China Earthquake Administration by confidential letter on April 30). What's more, Geng Qingguo clearly indicated that “the dangerous point of an earthquake over 7 magnitude in Aba region is on May 8 (within 10 days before or later)” in accordance with the magnetic storm Combinations.（The prediction above had obviously pointed out all the three essential factors). Geng Qingguo, an undoubted national treasure, is excluded by the earthquake experts of mainstream, and can only depend on a meager pension to continue his research. The pity is what this old seismologist said didn't make any difference.
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I am filled with grief and indignation. I was wondering if there will come a day when Geng Qingguo, Wang Chengmin, Ren Zhenqiu and Wangdixing such national treasure are not frozen out any more, and freely work for the rejuvenation of China.
摄于2006年12月17日“从海诚地震到青龙奇迹研讨会（第20次天地生人学术会议）”会前，左为耿庆国，右为汪成民，中为李世煇。
A picture taken before the “From Haicheng Earthquake to Qinglong Miracle Conference” on December 17, 2006. The one siting left is Geng Qingguo, Wang Chengmin on the right and Li Shihui in the middle.
The mass circulation of Li Shihui's article in the blogsphere and BBSs has provoked more criticism on China Earthquake Administration which did not publish any warning before the dreadful earthquake while some other netizens expressed their doubt about Li's unofficial statement.
Comments on KDNET:
作者：东风51 发布于 2008-5-15 0:11:55
……
总之，应以科学老实，实事求是的态度对待有关地震的信息，向民众讲清这些信息既不能说成是谣言，也还不足以可靠到可以公开发表的程度，相信人们是能理解的。简单粗暴的意识形态斗争式的处理方式只能适得其反，这个教训需要汲取的。
另外，拿耿庆国的预测说事也实在不可取，因事先并无法知道他预测的准确与否。
有朋友认为事先应对他的预测给予足够重视，因为人命关天。但这些朋友不知像这种“预测”成千上万，事先让人们从浩如烟海的信息中找到哪个是有价值的是困难的。
……
Author: Eastwind 51 Posted on 2008-5-15 0:11:55
…
In a word, the information about the earthquake should be treated with scientific and realistic attitude. Tell the people that those information is neither rumors nor totally reliable truth. I believe people will understand that. To deal with the situation only by violent ideological confrontation can only backfire. The authorities should learn the lesson.
On the other hand, it is really inadvisable to give too much emphasis to Geng Qingguo's prediction, because before the earthquake no one knew whether his prediction was right or not.
Someone may believe that it's a case involving human life, so the authorities should have paid more attention to his prediction. However, those friends may not know there are hundreds and thousands of such kind of prediction. it's not easy for the authorities to pick the valuable out of vast information.
…
作者：后台操作 发布于 2008-5-15 0:21:34
让政治需要下地狱吧！
Author: Background Operation Posted on 2008-5-15 0:21:34
To hell with political needs！
作者：李三来也 发布于 2008-5-15 3:28:16
如真有此事，地震局长应送交法办！
If the thing is true, the head of the Earthquake Administration should be handed over to the justice!
Comments on Tianya:
作者：中国结3 发布于 2008-5-14 11:13
如果地震局的领导有一丝人性的话 这样的预报至少也应该引起他的一些重视吧 密而不发 他居心何在！！让他去和温总理一起到四川 去挖那些遇难者！！
Author: Chinese Knot 3 Posted on 2008-5-14 11:13
If the head of the Earthquake Administration still had a little humanity, at least he should have paid some attention to the prediction, but he just kept it as secret. What was he up to!! Let him go to Sichuan with Premier Wen and unearth those victims.
作者：游客 发表于 2008-5-14 12:04
国家作了自己该做的事情,可是地震局是否履行了自己的职责?是否存在失职??国家是否应该追究???全国人民都在为温总理,为所有营救的官兵、医务人员、媒体工作者感到骄傲；为死难者感到悲哀的同时，那些玩忽职守的人，是否该去体验一下失去亲人的痛苦呢？？？
我不懂地震学，不知道上述人员是否是地震学的专家，如果是，那真是中国的一大悲哀。如果中国不重用人才，国将……
Author:Guest Posted on 2008-5-14 12:04
Our country is doing all that which is to be done, but whether the Earthquake Administration carried out their responsibilities? Is there a negligence of duty?? Should the authorities call the Earthquake Administration to account??? All the people are proud of Premier Wen, the rescue officers and soldiers, the medical personnel and the reporters; When those people who are negligent of their duties mourn for the dead, is it necessary to let them experience the bereaved family's feelings???
I have no idea of Seismology and I am not sure whether the person mentioned in the article is a Seismologist. If so, it's really a big woe of China. If China does not value talents, the country will…
作者：游客 发布于 2008-5-14 13:06
我觉得不是预测不出，也不是玩忽职守，而是怕负责任。如果预测的地震确实发生了，那么算是立了一功。但是更多时候可能是预测不了那么准确，责任谁来负呢？从技术专家到行政首长，谁愿意承担这个风险呢？
Author:Guest Posted on 2008-5-14 12:04
I don't think it's a negligence of duty or problems of prediction capability, but a terrible fear of responsibilities. If the predicted earthquake occurs, the prediction become an honor, but more often the prediction will fail, and in that case who is going to be responsible for the failure? From the technical experts to the chief executive, who is willing to take the risks?
作者：游客 发布于 2008-5-16 3:46
这些是地震一发生,我就产生的疑问了.地震局的相关人员还在打太极,说什么不能预报,不能预警.
狗屁,那要这个地震局是干啥的,就是为了测已经发生的地震的级数的吗
我们可怜的中国老百姓!!!!!那么多幼小的生命!!!!!!!
Author:Guest Posted on 008-5-16 3:46
I was in doubt about the earthquake at very beginning. The officials of Earthquake Administration are still practicing Tai chi chuan, prevaricating with a excuse that prediction and early warning are impossible. Bullshit！The work of this Earthquake Administration is only to measure the quake magnitude?
Poor Chinese!!!!! We have lost so many little lives!!!!!!!
Notes From Berkman@10 Conference
At the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, attendees and special guests discussed “The Future of the Internet,” and its political dimensions and its affect on the global community. In addition, during the opening remarks there was an announcement that the Berkman Center will become a university-wide research center.
In this global framework, John Palfrey led the conversation about ways to help Cubans find creative ways to circumvent their restrictions and overcome legal risks in order to blog freely in a country with restricted speech. There was also a special focus on two of the Berkman Center's projects: Open Net, which investigates and analyzes the various filtering and surveillance practices around the world. The project is a joint effort of four universities and a team of top-level investigators in the field.
Global Voices Online is another featured project, which focuses on global conversations in blogs, as well as the outreach projects of Rising Voices. A new project of GVO is Voices Without Votes, which covers what is being discussed about the US elections throughout the world's blogs.
All the attendees seemed to agree that the internet is nothing more than people linked together, who are learning how to interact on a daily, yet spontaneous basis. However, one hard question raised during the discussions is not necessarily about freedom of speech, but rather what happens after speech. Often the behavior of individuals and how they react to others' opinions are where the problem lies. Some attendees asked, “Do we need to fix people?” A Russian attendee and another individual working in Asia raised these concerns.
There was also a lot of focus on new ways to overcome problems. For example, computer games are being used to teach about technology and transmit expertise in developing countries, as well as new inventions to share information in Cuba. The Facebook campaign that mobilized Colombians against the FARC was also used as an example. However, access issues still remains a top concern, where it appears that the internet is only used by a limited group of people, and that it is not only a digital divide, but also a participation divide. The closing commentary was provided by Kevin Wallen of the Prison Diaries project, which has been funded by Rising Voices. He described the project, but also added that it is really hard to get people from the grassroots connected, involved and to become interested in the message. He asked how it would be easier to collaborate with people on the ground in order to make a real difference in the real world.
The Future of the Internet and the future of The Berkman Center is still “unforeseeable”. However, now they can proudly say that via action, via breaking the patterns that they are making a real change in the world.
Palestine: Sixty Years of Al Nakba
Celebrations are under way to mark Israel's 60th anniversary - but for millions of Palestinians whose great grandparents, grandparents and parents were made refugees in the process, today marks Al Nakba - a day they were forced to flee their lands or were forcefully expelled from their homes as the State of Israel was born.
Lord Nabeel [Ar], who lives in Jordan, writes about how Palestinians in diaspora dream of the day they return to their homes - and how the dream is kept alive, one generation after the other. He says:
كفانا صبرا
ومع ذلك فالنصر قريب
والحق كالشمس مضيء
حق العودة كالشمس يضيء ويرق بعيون وقلوب
وعقول كل الأجيال الفلسطينية
حق ملكية المفتاح ينتقل من جيل لجيل
أجمل ما سمعت وشاهدت
( جد يقول لحفيده : - سيدي هذا مفتاح الدار اللي في بلدنا
وهو أمانه بعنقك إذا ما رجعت أنت أمانه تسلمه لأبنك
وما تنسوا يا سيدي الدار والبلد وفلسطين )
وأنا أقول وأستحلفكم بالله أن تقولوا لكل أبنائكم أن لا ينسوا
ابدا بيوتنا وأراضينا
وحقهم بالعوده لها مهما حصل وصار
حق العوده مطلب حق وأساسي لكل فلسطينيي الشتات
ستون عاما واليهود يحتفلون بإستقلال دولتهم
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
أي دوله
ومين كان محتلها
وكيف إستقلوا
أنا ما بحب الحكي الكثير
وزهقت ومليت من السياسه والتنظير
مليييييييييييييييييييت
قرفت بجد قرفت
قال إستقلال دولتهم
؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
هههههههههههههههه
وإحنا شو نقول
؟؟؟
ستون عاما على نكبتنا
؟؟؟
ستون سنة على هجرتنا
ستون حولا على تعاستنا
ستون عاما على تشردنا
الله كلمات ذات معان جزله ومنمقه جدا
الله الله الله
حلوة كثير مش هيك ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
ومفتاح البيت ينتقل من يد ليد ومن جيل لجيل
ويا الله كم من جيل سيستلمه بعد هذا الجيل
يا ريت ما ينسى الجيل القادم شو يعني فلسطين ؟
يا ريت ما ينسى شو حق العوده بيعني له ولسيده وأبوه
؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
خلص كفايه
بجد مليت من الحكي واللت والعجن
عن جد بيكفي حكي
سلام
We have had enough of waiting,
And despite this, victory is close,
And truth is as bright as the sun,
The right to return shines through the eyes, hearts
And minds of all generations of Palestinians,
The right of ownership of the key, is passed down one generation to the next.One of the most beautiful things I have heard and seen is a grandfather telling his grandson: Sir, this key is for our house in our country. It is a trust. If you are not able to go back, give it to your son. Sir, I don't want you ever to forget our home, our country and Palestine.
And I ask you to promise to tell all your children never to forget our homes and our land, and their right to return, whatever happens. The right to return is an integral right to all Palestinians in diaspora.
The Jews are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the independence of their country!!!!!!
What country?
And who was occupying it?
And how did they become liberated?I would like to say a lot but I am fed up of talking, of politics and of theories. Seriously fed up.
They say the independence of their country??????
HeheheAnd what do we say?
Sixty years for our catastrophe (Nakba)?
Sixty years of us being forced to leave our home?
Sixty years of our misery?
Sixty years of us not finding a home?Words with a lot of meanings? Aren't they nice?
And the key to that house being passed on from hand to hand, from one generation to the other, and God only knows how many generations it will still be passed on to.I hope the next generation don't forget what Palestine means. I hope they don't forget what the right to return means to themselves and their fathers.
I am now seriously fed up of talking. Enough of talk.
Peace.
Still in Jordan, The Black Iris shares with us the following apology to Palestine on the 60th anniversary of Al Nakba, saying:
It’s been 60 years
And I am sorry for your loss
I am sorry for your continued loss
I am sorry for the sorrow
I am sorry for the grief
I am sorry for the bloodshed
I am sorry for the apathy
I am sorry for the indifference
I am sorry for the sympathy
I am sorry for the empathy
I am sorry for the funerals
I am sorry for the casualties
I am sorry for the politics
I am sorry for the history
I am sorry for the ongoing history
I am sorry for the injustice
I am sorry for the ongoing injustice
I am sorry for the past
I am sorry for the present
I am sorry for the future
I am sorry for the massacres
I am sorry for the darkness
I am sorry for the seconds
I am sorry for the minutes
I am sorry for the hours
I am sorry for the days
I am sorry for the weeks
I am sorry for the months
I am sorry for the years
I am sorry for the time we remained silent
I am sorry for the time we will continue to remain silent
I am sorry for not speaking enough
I am sorry for not saying enough
I am sorry for not caring enough
I am sorry for not writing enough
I am sorry for not acting enough
I am sorry for not saying sorry enough
I am sorry for the heart ache
I am sorry for the tragedies
I am sorry for this legacy
I am sorry for this exodus
I am sorry for this catastrophe
I am sorry for this calamity
I am sorry for this apology
And all other apologies
That seem to never
ever
end
Egyptian blogger Zagazig [Ar] has a different take on the issue and writes:
اليوم هو يوم التدوين عن فلسطين ….واليوم هو أيضا يوم التدوين عن النكبه …النكبه التي يصر الجميع - ولا أدري السبب – علي تسميتها النكبة وليست الهزيمة …ربما !!
.فلسطين التي كانت منذ سته عقود فقط ملكنا ! – ولو إسما – فلسطين التي كان الحجاج منذ سته عقود فقط لابد وحتما أن يمروا عليها وهم ذاهبون وهم عائدون من الحج …فلسطين التي كانت منذ عقود بسيطة تابعه لمصر – ولو إداريا - ، فلسطين هي الأرض التي يغني لها كل العرب من ستون عاما ” عائدون ….عائدووووووووون ” ولكن ياللحسرة فلم يعد أحد !!
….فلسطين هي أيضا الأرض التي يصر الجميع أننا بعد ستون عاما ” للعوده أقرب ” …علي الرغم أنهم لا يملكون – علي الأقل – أمخاخا تؤهلهم لهذه العوده !!
أما الكيان – إسرائيل – الذي يهنيء اليوم قائدنا ورئيس شعبنا المغوار الكيان الصهيوني بمناسبه إحتلالهم لأرضنا المقدسة ،،
الكيان الذي يصر جميع العرب – ماعدا الرؤساء بالطبع – أن مصيرها إلي الزوال !!
مصيرها إلي الزوال وهي تنفق 6.5 % من دخلها القومي علي البحث العلمي بينما ننفق نحن 0.2 % من دخلنا القومي علي الإنتاج ….فعلا إلي الزوال !!!
مصر التي تنفق المليارات علي التسليح – ليس للحرب أيها الأذكياء – بل لصد هجوم الشعب – القله المندسه – عبر مليوني جندي أمن مركزي !!
إسرئايل دولة – فعلا وأؤكد – مصيرها إلي الزوال بينما الحسين بن طلال يبكي شهداء اليهود في الهولوكوست !!
إسرائيل – دولة مصيرها إلي الزوال – بينما تقضي عائله أمير قطر ” الويك إند ” علي شاطيء تل الربيع ” تل أبيب ” في قصرها الخاص هناك وأرسل طائرة خاصه لإعادتهم بعد أن هدد حسن نصر الله بقصف تل أبيب …
إسرائيل دولة مصيرها إلي الزوال بينما التجنيد هناك إلزاميا للنساء والرجال ،، ومن يتخرج من التجنيد يكون جنديا إحتياطيا طوال عمره …ليس التجنيد هناك بأن ” يتشمسوا قليلا ” بل بالتدريب علي السلاح بأنواعه !!
نعم إسرائيل دولة مصيرها إلي الزوال ،، وهم يمتلكون القدرة علي البكاء علي الهولوكست حتي الآن وممارسة حق تطبيق قانون معاداة الساميه القادر علي الإطاحه بأعلي رئيس دولة من منصبه ولهم القدرة أيضا علي المطالبه بتعويضات بملايين الدولارات – من مصر – لمساعدتها الإرهابيين في غزة ….بينما نحن لا نجرؤ ، أو لم نفكر بالأساس في المطالبه بتعويضات لشهدائنا في 67 أو شهداء الحدود ، سواء كانو جنودا أو مواطنين تم قنصهم بالعمد من أبراج الحراسه !! بينما رؤساؤنا الأفاضل يمارسون ضبط النفس بكل قوة وحكمة !
نعم إسرائيل دولة مصيرها إلي الزوال وهي تمتلك من الأسلحه النووية وتعلنها بأن لديها أسلحه نووية ، ونحن العرب نرفض بكل شهامة وسماحه خلق وأدب أن نمتلك سلاحا نوويا ، لأننا – نحن العرب – مسالمون !! ولأن إسرائيل هي دولة صديقه !!
ونعم إسرائيل دولة مصيرها إلي الزوال وهم يحاصرون مليونا ونصف المليون في غزة ويقتلونهم – عفوا يذبحونهم – ولا من أحد يحرك ساكنا …ولا من أحد يسمع صرخات الباكيين …
Today is the day to blog about Palestine. It is also the day to blog about the Nakba. I don't understand why everyone insists on calling it the Nakba and not the day of defeat! Perhaps …
Palestine was six decades ago ours! Palestine was the place pilgrims to Mecca used to stop by six decades ago on their way to and from Hajj. Palestine, which was just a few decades ago administratively under Egypt's rule. Palestine is the land all Arabs have been singing to “We will return .. We will return..” for 60 years. The misery is that no one has ever returned!!
Palestine is the land which everyone insists on saying - after 60 years - that we are getting closer to returning to it - even they don't even have the mentality to enable them for this return!! But all Arabs (except their leaders) still insist that the entity - Israel - which the leader of our people congratulates on the occasion of their occupation of our land, will cease to exist!
It will cease to exist when it spends 6.5 per cent of its gross national income on scientific research while we spend 0.2% of our income on production. It will certainly cease to exist!!
Egypt spends billions on armament, not for war you smart people but to fend off an attack from the public!! Israel is a country, which I insist, will no longer exist, while King Hussain bin Talal cries on the Jewish martyrs during the holocaust!! Israel, a country will won't be there, while the family of the Amir of Qatar spends the weekend on a beach in Tel Aviv, in its private palace there, and who had to be evacuated by private helicopters, after Hassan Nasrullah threatened to bomb Tel Aviv. Israel is on its way to oblivion, while military service is mandatory for men and women and whoever drifts from training is made a reserve soldier for the rest of his life. Military service there is not for tanning purposes is on training how to use different types of weaponry!!Yes, Israel will cease to exist, and they have the ability to cry over the holocaust until now and are able to impose the anti-Semitic law, which is able to bring the downfall of any leader. They also have the ability to demand millions of dollars in compensations - from Egypt - for its help for the Gazan terrorists, while we don't have the courage, and have never thought, of asking for compensation for our martyrs from the war of 1967 nor for the martyrs of the borders, whether soldiers or civilians, who have been purposely targeted by snipers from the guard posts. All this is happening while our leaders are exercising self-control, with all strength and wisdom!!
Of course Israel will cease to exist, while it owns nuclear weapons and announces to the world that it has nuclear weapons, while we Arabs politely refuse to own nuclear weapons, because we Arabs, are pacifists!! And because Israel is a friendly country!!
Yes, Israel will soon cease to exist while it surrounds a million and half people in Gaza, which it is killing - excuse me, slaughtering - without anyone doing anything about it nor hearing the cries of those who sob..
Lebanon: Back from the Abyss??
While the situation in Lebanon remains uncertain, Lebanese bloggers keep writing about their fears, pain and disappointment.
Of course, there is new hope: a deal brokered by the Arab League to end the strikes which have brought Lebanon to the brink of second civil war is being finalized.
But all signs point to a deal made on terms highly favorable to Hezbollah, which, according one blogger, means a return to peace is an “illusion.”
Here is a small selection of what some of those who write in French have to say.
Chroniques beyrouthines has been updating several times daily, with detailed bullet points of all the major events in Lebanon. As I write, they are on Day 8.
Le Jour du tac tac writes about the Homs road to Syria, rumored to be partially open; it eventually leads to the airport at Damascus, where the hotels are full of Lebanese attempting to flee. There are rumors: shuttles from Jounieh port and Beirut may run again tomorrow. The airport may reopen. tac tac writes:
Faut-il y croire? impossible de se prononcer pour le moment. Ne jamais planifier ni se projeter dans l’avenir lorsqu’on est libanais. Une leçon importante que nos politiciens tentent de nous rappeler, trop souvent peut-être.
Last week, Frencheagle was so incensed and pained by the crisis in his country, he “>contemplated the temporary closure of his blog.
Voila, cela faisait 2 ans que je disais qu’un conflit était inévitable vu la politique insensée conduite par certains et par les propos inconciliables d’autres que je soupçonnais vouloir construire des cantons religieusement “propres”
On en est la aujourd’hui.
Today, we are there.
Je n’aime pas parler de guerre, c’est pour cela que je pense temporairement fermer ce blog ou parler d’autre chose.
Je n’aime pas parler de guerre, parce que je suis un fils de la guerre civile. Je suis née durant la guerre civile, j’ai vu des personnes décédés, j’ai vu mon propre père ensanglanté mais vivant, j’ai vu le pire durant mon enfance.
I don't like talk about war, and for that reason I think I'm temporarily going to close this blog or talk about something else. I don't like to talk about war because I am a son of the civil war. I was born during the civil war, I saw people killed, I saw my own father drenched in blood but alive, during my childhood, I saw the worst.
Je ne peux souhaiter la guerre, la guerre n’est pas une option, la guerre est un échec. Un échec à cause du manque de vision, la politique menée aurait dû être différente. Notre révolution est désormais un échec, en raison du manque de maturité de certains hommes et du non renouvellement d’une classe politique déjà seigneur de guerre plus rêveurs de leur ancienne gloire de criminels que de personnes de paix.
Je voudrais dire merde à ceux qui durant les 3 dernières années étaient les prophètes du conflit fratricide, je pense à certains individus qui dénués aujourd’hui de tout scrupule veulent reprendre leur ancienne gloire.
Je voudrais dire merde à ces médias dit traditionnels mais au combien partisans qui ont abouti à non pas limiter la casse sociétale du partisianisme mais au contraire ont augmenté les tensions sociétales. Il faut être 2 pour faire la guerre, on connaissait le Hezbollah, on découvre aujourd’hui les autres milices dont celles de la majorité.
An Nahar, Al Manar, Futur, LBC, OTV, tous pareils en fin de compte, tous coupables.
I want to say f*** you to all those who in the last three years were the profits of fratricidal conflict, I'm thinking of certain individuals today who are unencumbered of any scruple and want to reclaim their former glory.
I want to say f*** to you those so-called traditional media with how many subscribers that have managed not to limit the social damage of partisanship but rather who have increased social tensions. It takes two to make war, we knew about Hezbollah, today we discover the other militias of which these are the majority.
An Nahar, Al Manar, Futur, LBC, OTV, all the same at the end of the day, all guilty.
His readers rallied, each echoing this sentiment, expressed by one reader: “I understand that you feel like closing your blog, but permit me to offer some advice, don't do it. Lebanon needs its children to express themselves.”
Fortunately, Frencheagle has kept blogging. In a recent post about everything he would do if he were president, a reader sarcastically replies: “One can always dream, but when you have good intentions, there is a 50pc chance you will be assassinated (Bachir Gemayel et René Mouawad). To be a politician in Lebanon is the most dangerous occupation in the world…”
And in response to what the government has compromised in order to secure a truce, including its decision to abandon plans to fire the head of airport security, a purported Hezbollah sympathizer, Frencheagle writes:
Le gouvernement a annulé sa décision de révoquer le responsable de la sécurité et d’enquêter sur le réseau de télécommunication du Hezbollah, faisant illusion que la paix reviendra.
Maintenant qu’il y a eu cette déflagration, ce n’est que partie remise, j’ai envi de dire que “c’est reculer pour mieux sauter” au sens propre comme au sens figuré.
The government canceled its decision to revoke the head of [airport] security and to investigate Hezbollah's telecommunication network, greating an illusion that peace will return.
Now that there has been this explosion, this is just putting off the inevitable, I feel like saying its a “recoil in order to jump farther” both literally and figuratively.
Les faiblesses de l’état ont en effet été exposées, la majorité a perdu militairement et peut-être même politiquement maintenant avec ce recul, les armes du Hezbollah ont été sanctuarisées alors qu’il y avait une voie de discussion à ce sujet, souvenons nous du discours d’Hassan Nasrallah en aout 2006 déclarant que les armes ne sont pas éternelles. Aujourd’hui, elles sont d’une certaine manière devenues éternelles, divines et remercions ironiquement les déclarations incendiaires de certains poussant à l’extrémisme…
Yet, Frencheagle concedes “Today a compromise is more necessary than ever”.
On her blog moustique, Sanaa writes bittersweet verses about home in a post titled “Mea Culpa“:
Je regrette….
Je regrette de ne pas arriver à regretter de rester dans ce pays….
Je regrette d’avoir espéré et cru…
Je regrette d’espérer toujours
Je regrette de ne pas pouvoir me projeter dans un « demain » qui serait ailleurs
Je regrette de ne pas avoir appris à m’offrir l’idée d’un demain qui irait au-delà d’aujourd’hui
Je regrette de m’attacher aux « cordes de vent » (traduction littérale de l’arabe)….
Je m’excuse déjà de ma jeunesse,
Pardonne moi de te laisser couler dans les rues de Beyrouth….
Pardonne moi … je ne saurai t’offrir de meilleure garantie pour tes souvenirs des 30 premières années… je t’ai construite en grand château…. Et il s’avère être de sable…
Pardonne moi de ne pas avoir su
Pardonne moi de toujours ne pas vouloir savoir
Pardonne moi Sanaa pour ce que je t’inflige en restant là….
Mais, crois moi, nulle part ailleurs je ne serai chez moi comme ici….
I am sorry that I have not yet come to be sorry for staying in this country….
I am sorry for having hoped and believed…
I am sorry for still hoping
I am sorry that I can not throw myself into a “tomorrow” somewhere else
I am sorry for not having learned to give myself the idea of a tomorrow that will go beyond today
I am sorry for attaching myself to the “strings of wind” (literal translation from Arabic)….
I am already sorry for my youth,
Forgive me for letting you run in the streets of Beiruit….
Forgive me … I won't know to better protect your memories of the first 30 years…I built you in a big castle….And if it proves to be sand…
Forgive me for not knowing
Forgive me for never wanting to know
Forgive me Sanaa for what I have put you through by staying….
But, believe me, I will never be more home anywhere than I am here….
Read more: Moussa Bashir has written two roundups of anglophone blogs on the political crisis in Lebanon and Lydia Beyoud translates the harrowing accounts of a Moroccan foreign exchange student in Beirut.
Macedonia: Bloggers Emphasize Need for Open Communication with Greece
Amid the internal turmoil caused by Greek actions to block Macedonia's accession to NATO and the EU, and due to an increasing number of reports of attacks over Macedonian truck drivers by nationalist mobs in Greece (official reaction), many Macedonian bloggers are attempting to bridge the gap of ignorance existing between the two nations. On the one hand, they've identified the need to pass information about Macedonians to Greeks, and, on the other hand, some have taken to the task to share information from Greek media with fellow Macedonians.
Many bloggers reacted to a statement by Greek Foreign Minister that even mentioning the existence of Macedonian language and ethnicity is “not helpful” to solving the name issue, perceiving it as continuation of the policy of ethnocide. Zharko Trajanovski, referred to the related U.S. Dept. of State Briefing, extracting the most interesting parts (MKD).
In the same vein, dozens of bloggers promoted the video of the song “Postojam” (”I Exist”), by embedding it in their own posts and even reposting copies of it on YouTube. The video features scenes from documentary films about the ethnic cleansing of Macedonians during the Greek Civil War of 1946-49, accompanied with humanistic lyrics: “I exist… All is forgiven: even your wish for me to be no more.”
The author of the blog Agnes wrote (MKD):
Since its official release, the video of the single “Postojam” by the pop rock singer Miyatta received wide media coverage and it is a topic of discussion among the Macedonian population all around the world. Interest for the English translation of the lyrics and releasing it abroad has also been shown. Regardless of the context, the video has become something worth a comment. Those who were familiar with that part of Macedonia's history congratulated Miyatta for delivering this audio-visual expression. Those who see such pictures for the first time, think that it is too painful to be true. Some believe that this is just an attempt at attention-seeking. All kinds of positive and negative comments are yet to be heard. I am happy that the number of people who were indifferent towards “Postojam” is rather small.
Images of sorrow and exile on the one hand, and images of unity and pride on the other make for a rather authentic representation of Macedonia.
The past is not to be revived, but to be outgrown.
Let us outgrow it, but first,
Let us know it!
Macedonia exists.
In the other direction, the blog Drugarche posted translations of articles from the Greek press, including cartoons [MKD]. A number of bloggers also praised the interview of the Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski [GRE], given to the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia, and posted links to its English translations. Some offered more historical information from ancient books [MKD] and Western newspaper archives [MKD], as well as about the possible origins of the Greek flag.
But, most importantly, blogs have proved to be the primary vehicle for distributing information on grassroots peace-building. The news about the upcoming visit of about 50 Greek peace activists to Macedonian capital Skopje scheduled for May 17, 2008, appeared [MKD] on the influential Vuna blog first:
This is not an attempt to stoke fires of the Macedonian nationalist sentiments. This is not a call to stone embassies, supermarkets or whatever.
On the contrary, this is a call to participate in an event intended as opposition to all the madness. Greek citizens are first and foremost human beings, and most of them have nothing to do with their retrograde and fascizoid state policy, nor with the hordes of morons who harass people on the highways. At the same time, not all Macedonian citizens are hotheads who “hate every Greek thing” and can't wait to throw stones on the Liaison office.
[…]
Peace, love, empathy!
Links for Thu, 2008-05
Or Does it Explode reports on a protest in Damascus, Syria, calling for the release of their relatives, who are imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. According to the blog, Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death at least 28 Syrians for drug possession and jailed hundreds more.
Egyptian blogger Hossam el Hamalawy reports that the Egyptian stock market continues to decline
Jordanian Ahmed Humeid is excited Queen Rania of Jordan has mentioned a number of websites related to citizen journalism in a recent newspaper interview.
Orange Ukraine posts a Ukrainian politics roundup with this telling title: “Yulia's Bloc Blocks President for Blocking Yulia.”
Lebanese blogger Maze, who lives in Kuwait, asks: Will peace ever prevail in Lebanon? He appeals to his countrymen: “wake up ..don't let those sick minds who are in power influence you…yes we are governed by sick leaders..leaders who care for their personal interests and how to make fortunes from wars…these are WAR LORDS!”
Window into Palestine announces the winners of the Expression of Nakba (catastrophe) online gallery.
An update on yet another political crisis in Ukraine - at Foreign Notes.
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