Spinning Out Of Control
The situation in the Middle East is rapidly degenerating from terrible to atrocious. Already bordering on living hell for those at ground zero in the battle zone in Lebanon, the conflagration could spread out of control. While the mainly Sunni Hamas are offering token resistance to the Israeli ground incursion in Gaza, Shia Hezbollah are putting up a robust resistance in South Lebanon. Israel has every right like any nation on the Earth to defend itself, however the disproportionate response has been shocking to its friends and foes alike, undermining Israel’s moral domination in western perceptions. In the eyes of its immediate neighbours and the rest of the muslim world, the callousness reinforces their opposition to Israel’s existence, even among those who have been persuaded over the years through intellectual interaction that Israel can live in peaceful co-existence with its neighbours.
Separating Fact From Fiction
As individuals we need to face upto the truth. One of the great contradictions of life is how knowing the truth we pretend it to be otherwise. Sooner or later this failure to recognize facts as they are creates problems of some magnitude. Regretfully, even academics of good knowledge and standing tend to have their judgment coloured by emotions on major issues. How can we then blame the masses for being blind to the obvious? We have a collective propensity as a nation to follow individual inclinations to look a fact in the eye and than blithely deny its existence. In the present world environment where we are held culpable for our words and deeds, particularly after 9/11, this can have dangerous consequences.
Midsummer Realities
From June 21 to 23 the World Economic Forum (WEF) which traditionally holds it’s Annual Meeting at DAVOS in the winter (except for the 9/11 Special held in 2002 in New York) organized an EXTRAORDINARY Annual Meeting at the Dead Sea Resort (400 meters i.e. 1300 ft below sea level) near Amman in Jordan in the middle of summer. His Highness King Abdullah 2 of Jordan graciously put the full resources of the State to making the Summit a success, the location was an inspired choice, all the major religions of the world commenced in this region. Close to the crucible of civilization a sense of history permeates through the senses. One would expect insecurity because of the proximity of the West Bank and suicide bombings, the audacity to hold the event in such circumstances not only underscored the confidence and courage of the young King but the attendance bestowed a positive vote of confidence by the world’s elite. Even though the normal complement of Heads of State and Government were missing, second string leaders from the region were in attendance.