MONTAIGNE... KIERKEGAARD... SHOPENHAUER AND OTHERS

Some  meaningfull , serious  and  sober  quotations , that indicate sometimes  our  evolution and path  in  life .

Montaigne  once  said  " I  sometimes  get  others  to  say  what  I  cannot  put  so  well  myself  because  of  the  weaknesses  of  my  language , and  sometimes  because  of  the  weakness  of  my  intellect .....   and  sometimes  to  reign  in  the  temerity  of  those  hasty  criticisms  which  leap  to  attack  writings  of  every  kind , especially  recent  writings  by  men  still  alive ....   I  have  to  hide  my  weaknesses  beneath  those  great  reputations ."

Kierkegaard ,  " What  happens  to  those  who  try  to  warn  the  present  age ??
It  happened  that  a  fire  broke  out  backstage  in  a  theater . The  clown  came  out  to  inform  the  public . They  thought  it  was  just  a  jest  and  applauded . He  repeated  his  warnings , they  shouted  even  louder . So  I  think  the  world  will  come  to  an  end  amid  general  applause  from  all  the  wits , who  believe  that  it  is  a  joke ."

Kierkegaard , " The  clergyman , counselling  on  the  idea  that  God  is  love . But  after  several  attempts  the  clergyman  says :  Well  I  have  only  one  counsel  to  give  you , there  is  a  book  about  the  love  of  God  by  so  and  so , " read  it , study  it , if  that  does  not  help  you , no  man  can  help  you."  The  unknown  man  replies   " I  myself  am  the  author  of  this  book ."

Shopenhauer , "The  man  who  habitually  slams  doors  instead  of  shutting  them  with  the  hand ...  is  not  merely  ill-mannered , but  also  coarse  and  narrow  minded ."

--  When  they  asked  Socrates  where  did  he  come  from , he  did  not  say " from  Athens "  but    
  "from  the  world ."





As  usual  my  gratitude  for  your  time  and  patience , salamat .


 

THE OTHER VIEW ....

Many here in Lebanon , who are as concerned and worried of the expansion and overflowing of the Syrian situation , are considering  a  late development of the Iranian political  situation , in their  view  the expulsion of  the  moderate Iranian candidates  to  the upcoming  presidential  elections , means  that the actual  leader and his  hard  line  is  winning and is still very much in control .

They  assert  that  Iran  decided  to  go  full  blast  into  winning  Syria , it's  regime , and  securing  Iraq , and  consequently  securing  the  fate  of  Hezbollah , and  that  the  Russians  who  were  screwed  out  of  Libya  will not  accommodate  an American  or  Western  rescue  of  the  Syrian  situation ,  I'm not  sure  if  this  interpretation , will  further support  my  view  of an  American / Russian  understanding  or  not , and forcing  of  a  solution , or  as  apparently  things  are , in maintaining  the  status quo  and  a  slow  and  failing  reliance  on  A Geneva 2  type  conferences  . Further  allowing  and  giving   power  to  Iran  in  the  area  , such  innaction  could  prove  very  detrimental  to  US/western/ Arab/ even Russian  interests , and of course  to  the  future  of  Syria  and  it's  neighbours , Israel  and  Turkey  included .

I'm  still  in  the  camp  of  the "strategising  pragmatically  and  intelligently" , and thus  believe  that  American  interests  with  all  it's  allies , including  long  term  Russian  interests  will prevail , and  an  action , swift  actions , will take  place  instead  of  failed  diplomacy  and  total  inaction . Only  time  will  tell .



Again  thanks  for  your  time  and  patience.

TWO AND A HALF YEARS DOWN THE LINE .........

Two and a half years down the line of the Syrian situation and impasse , the only way out nowadays in my opinion , is a direct intervention of the west , the situation politically and on the ground  totally justifies a Libyan style intervention by the US. NATO and possibly a Russian  limited  intervention .

Justification for such an act , after a long stale mate between the different powers involved , would be to first , finish the old Assad regime and get him out , second , pressure and finish the ultra  salafist and alquaida influenced  factions and get them out as well , the direct help of Turkish troops would make it easy , plus the political and monetary consent of all Arab countries including Saudi Arabia , Qatar and the Arab golf , Israel of course would go along without saying .

A third  objective  would be to rid the area of a very dangerous and quickly expanding war , that will engulf all of Syria's neighbours , ie.  Lebanon , Jordan , Iraq  and eventually Turkey itself , Israel is not out of such scenario .

Weakening Iran  and it's ally  Hezbollah  to an almost  stand still , is a sure  and clear advantage  to Israel , the Arab countries  and  strategically  to  the  US. and  the west in general .

Another  reason and  for  fairness sake , is  the establishment  of  a  sort  of  democratic power  sharing system , to govern  and  slowly  rebuild  Syria , such a regime  that  has  better chances than  actual  Iraqi's  faltering  democracy . Thus  returning  some  of  America's lost  credibility in the world  after the  fiasco of  the  Iraqi  adventure .

The Russian side could , if not already , be convinced//pressured  of having a secure  share in the intervention itself and the following  political  and  economical  sharing  in the  future  Syria . Something  denied  to them  in  Libya .  China  has  no  real  power  or  saying  in  this  part  of  the  world .

Iran itself  will be  totally  cornered  with  an  Israeli  watch dog  threatening  and  keeping it in check , even  happy  for  an Iranian  miss-calculation  to  strike  and  destroy .

Clearly  a  win -win  situation  to  all  sides  and  parties , including  the  Russian  and  Iranian  axis  who , even  though  looks as if  holding well behind  the  Assad  regime , know  that  time  and the future  is  not  to  their  advantage .  The  West  will  prove  to  itself  and  to  world  opinion  to  be  more  fair  and just  in policing  the  world  and  it's  affairs .

The  Arab  countries  and  their  populations , who  classically  and for  long  decades , have  been systematically  denouncing  American  and  western  imperialism and  interventions  in  various  forms  in the  Middle East  , are  nowadays  begging  for  such  an  intervention .  US.  military  and  the  public  opinion  manipulating  machines in the US. and  Europe  will be  very  happy  to  oblige . Again  a  win-win  happy  situation  and  outcome .




A month  and a  half  in  the  middle  East  , my  observations  made  me totally convinced  of  what  I believe  is  the  only  way  out  of  this  quagmire  and  potentially  ticking  bomb  to  the  area and to world  safety .  Thanks   for  your  time , and  salamat.

WE ARE ALL WITNESSES .......

At  least  no  one  can  say afterwards  that  we  didn't  know , that nobody  told  us .

There  is  something  we  can  all  do  to  procure  ourselves  a  better  conscience , tell  the  world  repeatedly , record  the  massacres  of  the  innocent , which  might  lessen  the  chances  of  the  next  massacre . That  sometimes  being  neutral , fair  and  unbiased , on  the  side  of  those  who  suffer  is  also  a  noble  and a good  thing .

The  Syrian  war  is becoming  more  lethal  by  the  day , shells  and  rockets  are bigger , more  destructive , more  bullets  fill  the  air and  more  knives  to  butcher  innocent  people  from  all ages  and  walks  of  life .  Ethnic  cleansing  is  becoming  more often  than  not  the  rule  of  the  game .

Some  of  these  people  flee  to  safer  areas  within  the  country  or  to  neighbouring  countries , some  are  simply  unable  to  go anywhere , they  stick  to  their  lands  and  ancestral  homes , fearing  every day  the  death  of  their  loved  ones  and  themselves , no  horizon  for  them , unless they  die .

But  this  situation  has  in  itself  the  dangers  and  risks  for   those  who  manage  to  flee  as  well  as  for  those  who  receive .  Lebanon  comes  to  mind  immediately , as  it  hosts  now  an  estimated  2  million  Syrians , divided  equally  between  rich  people  who  can  afford  a  good  standard  of  life  to  people  living  humbly  with  friends  and  relatives , to  very  simply  starving  kids  and  moms  generally  unattended  and  not  helped .

A  very  risky  and  dangerous  situation  for  the  country of  Lebanon  and  it's  people , it  is  indeed  a  ticking  bomb , as  many  if  not  most  Syrians  might  one  day , and  maybe  sooner  than  later , revolt  as  a  result  of  any  accidental  injustice , or  even  some  feud  between  rival  young  begging  gangs , or  due  to  those  upper  scale  power  recipients  of  the  Syrian  regime  not  used at  all  to  behaving  and  being  treated  as  normal  citizens , risking  to  start , trigger , and  fuel  a  new  civil  war  in  Lebanon  between  Lebanese  and  backed  by  different  Syrian  factions .

It  all  happened  literally  in  the  early  seventies  with  less  Palestinians  around  who  triggered  and  fueled  back  then  a  merciless  civil  war  for  20  years , the  same  scenario  could  repeat  itself  anytime now .

There  are  no  set  rules  to  the  war  in  Syria  and  no  easy  solutions  either ,  both  factions  are  as  criminally  involved  and  both  conduct  their  daily  business  in  the  utmost  barbaric , vicious  and  savage  way .  The  regime , it's  armies  and  ethnic  militias  ,  as well  as  the  different  opposing  Musslem  factions , conduct  the  same  killing  and  ruling , the  former  for  survival  purposes  of  himself  and  his  immediate  family  and  surroundings , the  later  with  grandiose  visions  of  a  nation  of  Islam under  false  views  mirroring  their  stupid  versions  of   life  under  the  Musslem  prophet  and  his  friends some  1400   years  ago .

There  are  so  many  good  and  decent  thinkers , politicians and  philosophers  in  Syria  who , unfortunately , are  being  systematically  marginalised  under  the  mottoes  of  both  factions , ""You're  with  us  or  against  us , you're  from  our  race  or  theirs ""  killing  and  massacring  the  other  generally  follows , and  comes  so  very  naturally .        




From  LA LA  lands , I  thank  you  all  for  your  patience  and  time .