Russia is, and has always been an Evil Empire.

Russia is, and has always been an Evil Empire. 

Never a Democracy… always run by a ruthless Dictator and it’s merciless, and often covert apparatus.

Since the beginning of the civilization Russia has been constantly terrorizing it’s neighbors, never respecting any international laws, nor treaties.

It’s completely normal, that any country acts to provide the best environment for it’s security, growth and prosperity.  There are generally acceptable ways of conduct leading to that, benefitting also all the neighbors, and providing a natural and self-propelling, stable environment. 

Unfortunately many countries with the imperialistic appetites, like Russia, always preferred having an upper hand in any international relationships, providing it by the sword and fire.

After the October Revolution of 1917, when Russia got rid of the Tsar, and established the USSR (CCCP), only the political system changed, not the appetite for domination and control over the surrounding countries.  Although, coming out of the WWI, USSR gave the sovereignty to Poland (previously oppressed and divided between Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary), it’s long term plan for the hegemony and iron clad control over this part of Europe was far from over. 

When it was threatened by a possibility of the Hitler’s aggression, Russia didn’t have a moral dilemma, but initiated the conniving treaty with Ribbentrop (Foreign Minister of Nazi Germany), giving Hitler a ‘carte blanche’ for his plans to invade the rest of the Central Europe, as long as the Russia was spared.

Based on this sneaky agreement, when Hitler initiated the WWII, invading the Poland from the West, USSR invaded the Polish Eastern territories (which happen to be the Polish part of the Ukraine).  Only recently, after decades of denying the facts, Russia finally acknowledged the Katyn massacre, where several thousands of Polish Army officers were seized and killed by the Russian forces, at the beginning of the war.

USSR suffered tremendous losses during that war.  More than 20 million of its citizens lost their lives, and other millions were displaced by the war activities.  Also, helped by other countries of anti-Nazis coalition (especially American food and weapons), USSR played a major role in the defeat of the Nazi-Germany War Machine.  These are the well known facts.  No one can diminish their importance.

And yet, there is an other face of this coin, showing how the defeat of Germany by the Russian Army was achieved, and how it looked from the perspective of the countries, which laid on it’s way. 

For political reasons no one wanted to talk, nor even remember of the millions of people in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, etc. who suffered the impact of the Russian, behaving like ‘locust’, army.  Millions of women have been raped, and millions of properties looted by the Russian soldiers.  Everything what hadn’t been destroyed by Germans, fell victim to the ‘locust’, Russian army.

There is also a little known to the World (or little remembered) incident of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, against the occupying German forces in Warsaw.  The uprising happened when the victorious Russian Army was approaching the Polish capital.  And yet, the Russians stopped short, on the East side of the Vistula River, watching the Warsaw Uprising to bleed out and die, with a great number of it’s brave fighters exterminated by vindictive German forces.

Russians, having the clearly defined plan for the future of Poland, being it’s communist satellite, preferred to see the Polish uprising die, instead of having to deal with the strong and ‘empowered’ Polish opposition. 

And then, the history brought the creation of the New World Order, where the USSR took over the Eastern and Central Europe and enslaved hundreds of millions of people in the controlled by the local Communist governments countries of the Eastern Block.  The Russian ruthless leaders kept changing, but method of the control stayed the same.  Army and the Police in all the countries of the Eastern Block applied the disproportional force at the smallest and most innocent signals of the public distress, opposition, or descent.  People disappeared and rotted in the prison, or the labor camps all over the region, not sparing the Russian society.  Stalin himself (died finally in 1953, allowing a partial ‘thaw out' of the communist rules in Poland) was responsible for the death of more than a million of his own people, who voiced disapproval, or simple were suspected of the descent.

The external policy of Russia has always been imperialistic, executed with no scruples, under false presences, and with completely dishonest explanation. 

Russia always opposed any form of the Western intervention, or mingling with the affairs of other countries, publicly demanding that all the nations have a right to making their own political and economical decisions…  But the same principles never applied to the Russian intervention and mingling with other countries' fate.  
The Cold War was in a full swing, bringing the World very close to the Nuclear Annihilation - when Nikita Khrushchev (the Russian Leader in the Sixties) tried to install the nuclear missiles in the Communist controlled island of Cuba, a few hundred miles South from the US mainland. 

Established right after the WWII, United Nations (replacing the League of Nations) created the Security Council (in 1946) - an International body comprised of 15 members - and only 5 Permanent Members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States), who was supposed to provide the collective security in the World... It soon became a farce - when any initiative could, and often has been brought down by the ‘veto’ of one or another Communist power (when a couple of days ago the UN Security Council tried to forge a simple statement condemning the Russian Annex of the Ukrainian Crimea - Russians exercised the right to VETO for the 100th time - what an achievement !).

Right after the WWII the West felt very uncomfortable with the growing strength and importance of the USSR, and it’s territorial and political ambitions.  There were discussions of the open war with the growing adversary…  We had ’The Bomb’.  We used it, and the World knew it’s potential.  So, we could think about the World according to our gospel…  Oh, wait… On August 29, 1949 we lost this edge.  USSR exploded it’s first atomic bomb.  It’s name - ’Tsar’ exposed the imperial tendencies of its owner.  The same year brought another event, changing the power balance in the World - The Communist Revolution in China.  It was spreading like wild fire.  The fall of Cuba to the communist forces of Castro (sponsored by Russia) didn’t help.  It was under our noses, it was on our watch!

The Cold War was expanding.  ‘One who strikes the first, dies the second’ - all strategists were unanimous.  We will be living under constant thread of nuclear annihilation, since there is no way to win the nuclear confrontation.  The feeling of helplessness and the constant threat produced the only thing it could - fear of Russia and it’s influences. Senator McCarthy’s idiotic suspicion of the Communist infiltration in the US Congress and the society at large fell on the fertile ground.  While Russia was exterminating the descendants within its society and the population of its satellites, the USA was on its own ‘witch hunt’, trying to find and get rid of the ‘communists’.  If found or suspected, they didn’t disappear and die, but they were ostracized…  We came to our senses, finally, but the fear of ‘McCarthyism’, like the Sword of Damocles has been hanging over our heads since.

The Cuban missile crisis was an expected consequence of the situation under our noses.  It’s scary even to think, what would have happened, if the Russian leader, Nikita Khrushchev hadn’t blinked…

The history will tell, if the Western reaction on what Russia with its Chinese ally was imposing was right or not.  Scholars will debate forever if the Eisenhower’s ‘Domino Effect’ theory was right or not, and if our acting upon it was at all justified, or at least prudent.  We know - there was no Domino Effect - but, what if the Vietnam War prevented it?!  There is no way of proving one way or another, after the fact.

After all, the whole Vietnam War grew so unpopular in the USA, that the war weary US population started looking at the USSR and its policies with a little softer look.

But, let’s remind ourselves, what is a subject of this article…  Getting back to our thesis…

In 1954, a year after the Stalin’s death, Nikita Khrushchev (the next ruthless dictator) gave the Crimea, ethnically Russian in more than 60%, to the Ukraine.  Ukraine population has always had the nationalistic, separatist movement, which created constant problems for the Moscow government.  Maybe the Crimea ‘gift’ was a way of appeasement…  There are many theories, but I will leave them aside.  It happened, but within the Great USSR it was a formal move, with no consequence.  At least to the Western observer.  It was creating a difference in the lives of the Ukrainians.  In the USSR, in order to travel to other districts, or Republics, one would have to obtain an official permit, claiming an important reason for the travel.  All the travels were controlled, and in many cases restricted.  Having Crimea within the Ukrainian borders gave the Ukrainians the Black See resorts.  Most of the high rank members of the Party, had their vacation residences there.  But, as stated before, it was a formal move, of little significance…

Close to another corner of the Empire, in April 1978, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) seized power in Afghanistan in the Saur Revolution. Within a few months the anti-communist government launched the uprising in the Eastern Afghanistan.  The full fledged civil war exploded soon after.  While Pakistan was training and supporting the mujahedeen, the Russia started sending arms, and later the army to support the communist factions. 

By mid-1979, the United States had started a covert program to assist the mujahedeen, but not until the President Reagan approved arming the fighters with the sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons, Russians were in control over Afghanistan. 

The Russian involvement in the Afghan war put tremendous strain on the resources in not very economically efficient USSR.  Un-winnable, prolonged war created also a very heavy psychological burden on the soldiers and the population.  
There were many independent factors leading to that, and finally, after loosing grip over it’s satellite countries, and losing them one by one, on December 26, 1991, the USSR formally ceased to exist.  As a result Russian Federation (the former USSR) lost several of it’s former Republics, who got their sovereignty, and established more or less hostile (very rarely friendly) to the Russia governments.

The World was celebrating, but in the intelligence community no one discarded the threat of the Russia’s drive to rebuilt it’s power and domination.  The beast was wounded, but as dangerous as ever.

Years passed, and Russia had a few leaders, who no one will probably remember.  But on the last day of 1999,  after Yeltsin resignation the Acting President position was filled by the former KGB ‘apparatchik’ (high ranked member of the KGB - USSR Internal Security Agency) - Vladimir Putin.  Being a ‘shorty’ - 5’5”, in a short time he demonstrated to the World the “napoleon complex”, showing off his masculinity, and flexing his own, and his country, military ‘muscles’. 

Like in the old days, he tried to crush the separatist movement in Chechnya.  Like in the old days, in 2008, Russian forces crushed the opposition in Georgia and annexed the free and independent country, without much of the Western opposition.

In the new formed country, as far from the Democracy as the former USSR, Putin has been playing politics with his ‘patsy’ Dmitry Medvedev, switching places with him - always with the 100% support of the Russian population.  We all know how truthful were any elections in the USSR, North Korea, China… Always overwhelming support, always almost 100% attendance and almost 100% vote YES.

Putin didn’t even try hiding, or covering this farce.  He has been playing this game with the West in the open.  He has been playing this game to the tune of the millions of Russians who still haven’t given up the dream of the New-Old Empire - Great and Powerful RUSSIA.  Millions support Putin, and those who do not, are intimidated and often killed.  It happened to many journalists who naively believed that something had changed in their country, and tried to address the ‘shady business’ of the Government.  The list is really long, but let’s remember here at least a few: Nina Yefimova, Natalia Estemirova, Nadezhda Chaikova and others (please review the whole list -*1).

Yeah, you can take a boy out of the KGB, but you can’t take the KGB out of a boy.

Putin dreams of the revival of the Russia as a Superpower.  He also dreams of restoring the glory and owe, brought by the Russian drive to be or have the biggest, the most expensive, the richest and often most tasteless… After the fiasco of 1980 Moscow Olympics, when the West in general boycotted the event, Putin dreamt about the Winter 2014 Olympics to be granted to Sochi - the ’summer’, Russian resort.  And it happened.  The most expensive Olympics ever - with over $90 Billions price tag.

Yes, he did it.  It was his Olympics, his triumph - although shaded by lack of snow and his anti-gay laws.  He has proven once again, that for the Russian leader - his image, and his place in the history is the most important thing, in his and his country reality. 

During the Sochi Olympics, the pro Russian government of Ukraine, who had just rejected the trade agreement with the UE, and accepted the extensive trade agreement with Russia instead - hed to deal with the strong, populous, and very decisive protests over the Central, and West part of the Ukraine.  In the Ukraine Capital - Kiev the clashes with the security forces, and the Police led to hundreds of people to be killed by life ammunition used by the apparatus.  As a result, the President of Ukraine - considered by the West as a Russian puppet - Viktor Yushchenko was ousted, and escaped to Russia.  The formerly imprisoned on manufactured charges Julia Timoshenko (former Ukrainian PM) was released from the prison.  Thanks to the on going Olympics Putin had to seat on his hands in the decisive period of the conflict.  After the Olympics ended, when the International support for the new Interim Government of Ukraine led by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk grew strong, Putin couldn’t make an open move, like in Georgia years before.  So, he did what he could - claiming the discrimination of the Russian ethnics in Crimea by the ‘Nazi’ elements in the Ukraine, he threw a several thousands of ‘unmarked’, but clearly Russian special forces into Crimea to ‘protect’ Russian population (we all remember the Annexation of Austria or Annexation of Sudetenland by Hitler in the 1938 - done under the same ‘ethnic protection’ pretext). 

Free and independent from the USSR/Russia since August 1991, the Ukraine is one of the most important countries who spanned from the USSR.  It had to be a grain of sand in the Russian eye from the very moment of independence, since by default it possessed tremendous arsenal of the nuclear weapons - Russian weapons.  It acted swiftly and in 1994 it gave up the whole arsenal, and according to the Budapest accord received assurances - not to suffer the use of force or be threatened by any military action against the newly independent nation.  The Accord was signed by USA, Russia, the UK, and Ukraine.

And yet, Russia thrusted the thousands of its soldiers to the territory of the independent country, forced the ad-hoc referendum where both questions were pro Russian:  either to succeed form Ukraine and join Russia or accept a status quo (already created independent Crimea).  In both cases the Crimea wouldn’t be Ukrainian any more.  As expected, with the majority of the Russians, the boycott of the referendum by Crimean Tatars, and the Russian Army supervising the execution of the referendum, there was no ‘risk’ of failing.  the vote was YES. 

Two days later the Russian DUMA (Russian Parliament) approved the Annexation of the Crimea.

The World promised repercussions.  Some, insignificant restriction of travel for Russian and Crimean officials have been imposed.  But the Europe is totally dependent on the Russian gas.  Without it the winters in the whole Europe will be very long and very cold.  Although the USA has a trade balance with the Russia on the level of $70 Billion, UE’s trade balance is more than twice this amount. 

All the Russian actions so far have been politically motivated.  Putin in fact wants to put his country in the fiscal turmoil, knowing that the Russian population will soon forget about the reasons for the sanctions and just turn against the West in the unified and overwhelming anger.  It’s easily predictable.  

So far Putin promised not having any plans, nor appetite for annexing any other part of the Ukraine.  No one believes in that.  He already mustered about 80 thousand of troops on the Ukrainian border.  Just to have the military exercises.  We heard the same assurances from Hitler in 1938. 

The Crimea is not physically connected to Russia at this point.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin asked for the land ‘corridor’ leading from Russia to Crimea.  This is what Hitler did in Poland, imposing the corridor through the Polish territory, connecting the Reich with a Free City of Gdansk.  And then… we all know what happened.

 

At this point Putin has all the chips.  The World knows about the history of the Crimea (it always was Russian, until the whim of the former Russian leader in 1954).  Although the UN mandate states that no country can redraw the borders by force, the Crimean case is (if it stays confined, as it is now) inconvenient, ideologically wrong... but too small to act upon, jeopardizing the prosperity of the countries involved in assuring the Budapest Accord. 

So, Putin will enjoy playing a flute on the nose of the West for the foreseeable future…  
Like Hitler did before the WWII.

_____________________________

*1:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia

Winter Olympics 2014 in Russia !?!?!?!?

The time has finally come - Winter Olympics 2014 are about to commence.

The whole World awaits summer and winter Olympics with the great deal of anticipation.  We all cheer our athletes, wishing them to overcome shortcomings and to be better than the athletes from other teams.  The Olympics come very often with the great deal of controversy.  2014 Winter Olympics follow the suit.  
They are very expensive, exceeding 50 million Euro, and organized in the usual Summer Russians resort, instead of Winter resort - as it would be expected.  They have been, from the very beginning, the ‘pet’ project of the President Vladimir Putin.  Done in a very Soviet way, defying the impossible, very hard on the local population and the environment.  
We've heard already the horror stories, about the whole villages, destroyed or subjected to severe degradation of the livelihoods, because of the construction projects related to the Olympics.  The new highways have been built, with total disregard to the local population, separating the villages, and cutting off the supplies.  Just yesterday, I watched a very interesting reportage on France 24, describing one of these cases.  The summer resort Sochi was completely unprepared for the Olympics.  It’s estimated, that more than 90% of infrastructure had to be built.  Thus, such an incredible price tag.  Not counting, of course, the overwhelming corruption. Corruption is nothing new to Russians, inherited from Soviet Union and growing every day in the New-Old country.  Looking from our perspective, one may say, it's not our business.  It's not our business, until if it affects us, or our athletes.
Quite recently, Russia has introduced the anti-gay laws.  When the whole World grows in acceptance of the gay community, Russia moves in the opposite direction.  After the mass protest all around the World, against these ridiculous laws, Pres. Putin softened his position and welcomed members of gay and lesbian community to the Olympics, prohibiting only, what he called ‘gay propaganda’.  
It didn't stop, what these laws released: a wave of violence against gays in Russia.  Criminals and anti-gay militants started taking the law in their own hands and acted with impunity – I will leave it without further comment. 
These laws are just the latest example of the treatment, being received by all the people who think differently or behave differently from what the Government would like them to think or behave, in Russia.  Since the fall of the Soviet Union, when Russia put a new face on the old system, and pretended to accept the ideological change incorporating the market economy and talking highly and loudly about abuse of human rights in other countries, the dissidents and the journalists who were dissidents, or just tried to follow the truth, were disappearing.  Many of them, disappeared and never resurfaced, and others turned out dead.  The world protested, but as expected, it couldn't, and didn't produce any results.  The Russian human rights record remained ‘spotless’ and untouchable, as in the Soviet Union.
For quite some time, Russia has been involved, in an un-winnable war with the Islamist extremists in Chechnya.  In a Very Soviet way, Chechnya has been under siege by Russian military for years.  No one in the free world sympathizes with the extremists, no matter what agenda, or political affiliation they may present.  The Chechnya extremists want to separate from the Russia, and establish the Muslim state with the Sharia law in its extreme form.  To prove their point, and force Russian government to accept their demands, they organized, numerous bombings, killing a great number of civilians as a result.  They have been considered ‘terrorists’, by both Russians and the outside world. 
In the 1980, during the Summer Olympics in Moscow, some countries of the Western world boycotted it because of what was going on in Afghanistan, and other Republics of, then, communist Russia.  The Russian involvement in Afghanistan started on the full-scale in 1979. Even though the Russians were granted Summer Olympics before it started, when the war unfolded and no one could do anything about it, the World was outraged.  Russians were isolated and punished for not respecting human rights and the international law.  It was a slap on the hand but at least something was done to communicate the message to the arrogant Russians.

When Russia was granted the winter Olympics of 2014, all the human rights abuses were well known to the World.  Of course not proven, since no one could actually investigate all the allegations, but the general consensus was set -  even though they changed the name and the face, the modus operandi stayed the same. 

I never could understand, why the International Olympic Committee granted the right to organize Winter Olympics (or the Summer Olympics, for that matter) to the Dictatorial State, like Russia (or China), just to satisfy the Dictators’ thirst for success, and in a way legitimize them in the eyes of the World.  Let’s not forget that the same Committee granted the right to host the Summer Olympics to Nazi Germany (1936).  
This right should the highest privilege, a reward for being a champion of Democracy, bringing the joy to all the people in the World including those who host the Olympics, and those who spent years to build the infrastructure.  Instead, some migrant workers from the neighboring countries, who worked on creation of the Olympic Park in Sochi, were deported forcefully right after the work was done. 
The reality is a little bit different.  The conflict in Chechnya, spread to the surrounding territories, and can produce the real threat to the life and well being of all participants in the Olympics.  There have been numerous warnings against bomb attacks, which can be orchestrated using the suicide bombers.  In order to prevent this from happening, the Russian security forces, flooded all the Olympics facilities and surrounding areas in thousands.  No one knows actual number of the security functionaries used to control the Olympics venues.  The probability of attack by so-called ‘black widows’ is huge.  Can all the participants be protected?  Can all the visitors be protected?  Can all the journalists be protected?
Two American warships are stationing right now on the Black Sea in a vicinity of Sochi.  Filled with antiterrorist specialists, they are ready to react to any threat.  I'm not sure if it makes me feel good about the safety of people in Sochi and surrounding facilities.

But what I am sure about, is that the winter Olympics of 2014 should have been organized somewhere else. They should have been organized in a country with much better record for human rights, and being able to provide the security without making it a police state.  Because of what is happening, related to Chechnya and its extremists, the travel in this part of Russia is impossible without the permit.  The heavy surveillance on the streets and the video surveillance in the hotel rooms, thousands of uniformed and plainclothes security officers, restriction of travels…  Those who remember the Soviet Union can't help but recognize the state of affairs.
When the international Olympic Committee granted the right to organize Summer Olympics to China - another country with a ‘spotless’ human rights record (!!!), I had the same reservation.  But at least in China there was no open war and no threat of terrorism.

The world in the second decade of the 20th century has become more violent and unpredictable.  I don't think that this process will reverse itself.  Taking this under consideration, we shouldn't create the situation when the terrorism would affect our everyday activities, or endanger the most peaceful endeavor like the Olympics - giving them to Russia created such a situation.

We can only hope that the Winter Olympics 2014 will be recorded in annals of history, as the celebration of brotherhood, well meant friendly competition, and all in all, joyful even - as it's supposed to be - not a blood bath.

Let the Games commence!

Chinese New Year is coming… - and why?

For some it may be a subject, which is not as important as others I wrote about so far.  Nevertheless, bear with me for a moment…

One of my friends (a great guy, American, white, professional… ) has sent me recently an invitation to the Chinese New Year's celebration.  As he counted - it's going to be already a 35th celebration of the sort, he has organized.  When he started doing so, we didn't know about each other's existence.  But since we first met, almost 20 years ago, I skipped only a few of these events.  Always fun, always a great gathering of 40-50 friends, and friend of friends… We meet sometimes in between the events, but this celebration brings together all of us.  We all laugh, eat strange food (sometimes afraid to ask: what's in it), drink some alcoholic beverages, bringing immediate association with a gasoline or a paint stripper… basically - have fun.

Chinese New Year's is an event known around the World.  Chinese calendar in its peculiar references to the animals - 'symbols' of a year - is well known.  Almost everybody is familiar with the animal, which is associated with the year one was born, and search within oneself for the particular traits of such an animal.  I, for one, am a monkey…  Almost everyone, at least once in their life-times violated the local Police restrictions and shot some (illegal) fireworks for the occasion...

The invitation came, as always, well expected, or I would say eagerly anticipated…  And then it dawned on me… Why do we do it, besides the obvious - 'any occasion for a party is a good one'?

Really - why do we all celebrate the Chinese New Year's, and not any other, also based on a Lunar calendar (or LuniSolar, not a Solar, like most of the World)?  Why not Arab New Year's, or Jewish New Year's…

Let's look into that fascinating matter a little bit deeper, maybe let's weigh (or try it at least) how deeply our Culture - the Culture of the Western Civilization has been affected by the various cultures with the Lunar based calendar.

Here we go:

1. China and it's culture has been always far from the West.  Far in a physical distance, and so different from all we have known.  It was a great mystery.  Early trade brought us the silk.  And later, the gun powder.  Finally we weren't limited to the hand thrown projectiles, or a trebuchet.  From that time on we could stuff this compound into the iron, round containers, and eject them from the elongated bronze tubes, called canons.  The effect on the receiving party was 'hear warming'…  Finally, a devastation, our enemies deserved.  Of course we haven't stopped there.  Cruise Missiles and 'Daisy Cutters' are just a natural progression…

Imported from this wast and far away land was a 'china' on everybody's table (later too expensive to import, si in XIX c. most of Western Countries manufactured their own 'imports' - almost like originals. 

It has been absorbing our technology (not always legally), manufactured goods, and sent them back to us.

China has been always isolated, by distance, by the Chinese Wall (and their attitude toward the West), and then, since the beginning of the XX c. by politics.  At the end it gave the World: Confucius, Chairman Mao, Chinese New Year's, and cheap sneakers and electronics.  It also gave the World a fad of cryptic Chinese tattoos on so many young necks, arms and abdomens…  If only the proud bearers knew the meaning…

2. When in the 7th Century, Muslim religion was noticed by the Christian World, everyone knew - it was the beginning of the great era of conquest and exploitation of the still young and divided Culture associated so closely with this strange, new religion.  When the Holy Inquisition was doing it's 'best' to destroy the thousands years long literary heritage of Greece - it's philosophy, epics, science etc., the Arab scribes meticulously                  copied all the ancient works they could put their hand on and stowed them away from the claws of the Christian Church for safe keeping.  If it wasn't for Arabs, 'Homer' would be an abstract word… and no one would calculate the area of a triangle…

And then the 'beautiful' concept of the Crusades… I am getting all fuzzy inside… So big adventure, so much of spoils… Unfortunately for us in the Western Civilization, Arabs can't keep their liquor, so Koran forbade the use of it,  but they keep the grudge, quite well.  We have been reminded of it on the numerous occasions in the history - when Vienna almost fell in 1529 to the Ottoman Empire army, or when Twin Towers did fall in 2001 in New York City.  As a result, the Western Civilization has changed dramatically, refining the old Chinese import (gun powder) to the new heights, and new applications,  and reducing our overly free societies to fear and war mongering.

So, Arabs gave the Western Civilization all, otherwise lost Ancient literature and Science, wonderful art and architectural patterns in the Europe, The Patriot Act and NSA spying scandals.  

3. Since its founding father Abraham (ca. 1800 BCE) Jews were a huge influence on the surrounding cultures.  Living among other cultures, in more or less the same part of the Asia Minor, have always been a very strong and unified society.  Rather peaceful peoples, often found themselves on the receiving end of the bad will of one or another monarch in the area.  As a result forced to flee, relocate, travelled in small or bigger groups around the World settling down in many far away countries of the World.  As I mentioned, their influence on the World's Culture has always been strong.  When our calendar started, the Christianity began, created by the people who then, for years surrounded and followed (a person and his teachings) a Jewish Prophet Jesus of Nazareth, who quickly disassociated himself from the society he sprang from.  Christianity soon became the most powerful religion in the World.

Jews created a very strong and unified Diaspora in other countries.  As most of the rulers have never tolerated any strong, hard to control groups, the persecution of the Jews in many countries occurred, sometimes with a passive acceptance of the host societies, or with armed support to the Jewish community - like during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.  No one can even try to understand what the Jews suffered during The Holocaust.  Nazis tried to wipe them out of the planet surface.  Thankfully they failed.  But this period of the XX Century brought a very important event - a massive exodus of the Jews fleeing the Nazi occupied Europe to the USA and other countries.

Strong and unified, already being scientist, actors, doctors in other countries they brought their skills to the US, where their skills and knowledge fell on a fertile ground and flourished.  The science exploded, the Broadway and Hollywood opened up and became not only cultural entities, but strong industries.

So, what did they bring to the Western World? - Inventiveness and technology (Atom Bomb among others), great literature, music, and the whole Entertainment Business.

I know that the above comparison comes short, and it's not in any way a scientific summery.  I quoted, selectively, only a few aspects, although important and undeniable, only a few.

But tell me now: Why do we celebrate a CHINESE NEW YEAR'S and not an ARABIC NEW YEAR'S or a JEWISH NEW YEAR'S?  Beats me... 

Syrian predicament…

Since President Obama threatened to order a 'limited', punishing attack on Syria a few days have passed.  Few days, bringing 24/7 warmongering debate on some TV channels, also a few days with some major international political developments…

Tonight President Obama spoke to the Americans from the White House.  In the very well written, and passionately delivered speech the President tried to make a case for the punishing strike on Basher Al Assad (Syria), as our duty to the Humanity, since the use of the chemical weapons is, and has been condemned even by the countries we usually do not associate with freedoms and respect to the World's Law - like Iran… but as a second option - if the political option fails…

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  In these short few days since the day when Obama announced to the World his decision to bomb Syria to today, a whole avalanche of events happened:
We first learned about the possibility that the Syrian Army attacked 11 neighborhoods in Syria (near Damascus), defiant to Assad to that point, on August 21.  These locations were places where Syrian rebells lived and which they defended bravely.  These were neighborhoods, unbreakable by conventional weapons to that day.  
During a few next days we learned the whole scope of the attack.  Although the Regime denied the attack claiming that it was a provocation, and actually the rebells did it…  We learned that Sarin gas was used (most likely by Assad, since the delivery methods belonged to the organized army, not the disorganized rebells).
We witnessed the injured gasping for air in the last hours of their lives, since no one could help them at that point.  We saw hundreds, upon hundreds of dead on the floors of the make-shift hospitals…  The doctors complained that in a first few hours they run out of the only medicine which might have helped - atropine, and afterwards they could only watch people die, but couldn't help…

For most of us the Syrian Government's guild is not in question.  After killing more than 100,000 people using conventional weapons, Assad's regime moved to one of the most horrific weapons of ever invented - poisonous gas - Sarin. 

On August 28, US President Obama started making the case for the military strike, which would punish Assad's regime for the use of chemical weapons and prevent him from doing it again.  "I have not made a decision" on Syria military strike - Obama stated, but he added that all the options were on the table and "We have concluded," the president said, that Assad's regime in fact carried these out.  And if that's so, there needs to be international consequences" (5*).

On August 29, British Parliament voted against British involvement in the military intervention in Syria, leaving Prime Minister David Cameron stunned.  On the same day, the Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said that: "If the United Nations doesn't back it, Italy will not participate…"(1*)

On August 31, President Obama announced that, although he is convinced that the US should attack Syria, he would seek the Congress authorization of that action (6*).

At the beginning of September the so called G20 started, this time in St. Petersburg, Russia.  As expected at the Leaders Summit, one of the main, and the most controversial subject was the War in Syria and the possibility of the military intervention, to which the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin decisively opposes. On September 6, the European indices and the Wall Street took a dive after the Russian President warned to aid Syria, if America attacks militarily. (3*).  "We have our plans…" - Vladimir Putin warned US (4*), and he ordered the military buildup in the East Mediterranean (missile cruiser Moskva).

Although our media didn't emphasize the whole gravity of the situation, Obama's decision to peruse the military option creates a very dangerous situation, not only in the Middle East, but worldwide.  It brings to mind the infamous 13 days in 1962 - known afterwards as "Cuban Missile Crisis".  I do not want to draw parallels too far.  Times are different, the state of the US-Russian affairs is not as bad as it was than.  But it seems like the same game of "chicken" JFK was playing with Nikita Khrushchev (the leader to the USSR at that time).  Game, which was played a few steps too far for comfort...

During the G20 Summit the Syria didn't go out of agenda.  America was trying to get as much support for the attack, aided by French, British (only words, since the Parliament voted it down), Turks.  Russians were strongly opposed, and threatening.  On another front - The UN - on September 5, the US Ambassador to the UN accused Russia to held the UN hostage on the Syrian subject, preventing any resolution of the problem (7*).  Nothing changes - Russians won't give up support to Syria, since it's their only zone of influence in the Middle East, and they desperately want to cling to it.  If Assad is too weak to stay in power, their influence may not last long...

As the Guardian reported on September 9, according to the German Intelligence services: "President Bashar al-Assad did not personally order last month's chemical weapons attack near Damascus that has triggered calls for US military intervention, and blocked numerous requests from his military commanders to use chemical weapons against regime opponents in recent months…"(2*)

On the same day the US Secretary Of State John Kerry presented the ultimatum to the Syrian regime, that they had a week to surrender all the chemical weapons in the whole country, or the US would strike.  Immediately afterwards he appeared very skeptical about the success of such a proposal (8*).  And yet, it seams that President Putin welcomed this idea as one that would help him to keep his hands on this part of the Middle East a bit longer (9*).  Supposedly Assad agreed to that, and he promised to surrender all stash of his chemical weapons to the international community with no reservation.  
No one can imagine how it would be possible to execute, taking under consideration that Syria is in the state of Civil War, there would be an 'army' of international inspectors, and security personnel… At any given time, if the communication, or transportation fail, or there is no cooperation from the regime, or too much of the red tape… the US may strike.  But then the Russian fleet will be in place, at the shores of Syria.
Russian President jumped on the wagon of the almost impossible to perform peace initiative just to play "chicken" more efficiently, to have more 'arguments'.
___________________

This finally brought us back to what I started this article with - Obama's speech in the evening of the September 10.  President postponed the Congressional vote on authorizing the military option, while giving more time to the diplomatic option, coined by Kerry and picked so eagerly by Putin (whatever his intensions might be - and I am sure the World Peace is the last thing he though about).
Obama referred to the populous opposition to the possible military strike, but at the same time our moral obligation toward the Humanity would be to prevent any possibility of Syrian Regime using this kind of weapons again, or proliferation of these weapons in the region or farther, when Assad looses control over the stash.
I agree, that these are legitimate concerns.  I agree that the chemical weapons in the hands of the madman like him or someone like his 'replacement' (if he is to fall) is the very dangerous situation.  I agree with all these arguments.  There is no doubt in my mind that it is a tinder box and the World has to deal with it.

At the same time I am certain, that we can't afford entering this conflict.  I am sure that there is no clean way out of it if we get militarily involved.  The Russians will make sure that we are to blame for all the instability in the region, and loss of life it carries with it.  The loss of life which is unavoidable in any military action.  
Obama planned to use Cruise missiles, stealth bombers, what not.  I can foresee the regime presenting to the international community images of the atrocities caused by the strike.  I can foresee hundreds of the bloody corpses piled up, or layed down evenly on the floor showing 'alleged victims' of the 'imperialist's' attack.
Obama stated:  'It won't be another Irak, nor even Lybia…'.  That's right, it won't be - it will be much worse.  In Libya the World wanted to get rid of the Regime, and Russians didn't have anything to say.  It was too obvious.  Syria is different.  Also, the public opinion in the whole World is weary of war.  The public opinion in the whole World is weary of the American 'trigger happy', self appointed role of the 'fixer' of the World's problems.  
'We have the moral obligation to the Humanity to act…'.  Maybe we do, but every time, someone has to weigh very carefully what we can and what we cannot do.  We know what the wars we have been involved in costed us, financially, morally, in human toll… After so many failed plans of limited involvement, one should ask oneself a question if  the 'limited strike' is at all possible.  
We are not to topple Assad.  OK.  We will hurt him, kill a lot of soldiers, and probably a lot of civilians…  In his last chemical attack he killed around 1500 people.  How many corpses are we going to add to that?  Are we going to be the champions of the Free and Moral World.  Champions against tyranny of the Dictators?  Are we going to be the Champions for the weak and meek of the World?  But these weak and meek of the World want our help only when they start struggling alone against what ails them.  Right after they feel a bit supported they turn agains us.  The history repeats itself over and over.  

Every single time we act as a 'Policeman' of the World, every time when some 'collateral damage' occurs the multiple characters get radicalized, and join our enemies.  We are feeding the hatred.  Let's stop that. 

British Prime Minister had to agree with the voice of the nation when he lost decisively in the the Parliament vote.  There is a very good chance that the Congress of the USA won't authorize the military action against Syria.  But the President of the USA has the power to call for execution of his plan even if the Congress votes against it.  
I only hope that President Obama will not do that.  He did a lot of good things for America already.  He ended the Irak war, finishes the Afganistan war.  He introduced so long overdue healthcare reform (of course not ideal, but workable).  For the first time people can change Insurance without being not covered for the 'preexisting conditions'.  I could multiply the evident achievement of President Obama.  But, he made the issue of the strike against the Assad regime so personal to him, that it looks like he lost perspective…  If his "chicken game" backfires and Russians or anybody else catches our bluff and forces the US to strike we will all suffer.  I do not believe in a possibility of keeping the conflict contained, if we get into it.  And what will be Obama's legacy?  Syrian War (10*).




___________________
1*  -  http://news.yahoo.com/pm-says-italy-not-join-syrian-operation-unless-141415354.html
2*  -  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/syria-chemical-weapons-not-assad-bild
3*  -  http://www.milanofinanza.it/news/dettaglio_news.asp?id=201309061619527359&chkAgenzie=TMFI
4*  -  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/04/putin-warns-military-action-syria
5*  -  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57600534/obama-i-have-not-made-a-decision-on-syria-military-strike/
6*  -  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/31/president-obama-says-us-must-act-on-syria/
7*  -  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/world/middleeast/new-us-envoy-to-un-strongly-condemns-russia.html?_r=0
8*  -http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/09/kerry_gives_assad_one_week_to_surrender_chemical_weapons_or_face_attack.html
9*  -  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/10/putin-chemical-weapons-united-nations-obama/2794529/
10* -  LBJ is known as the President who escalated Vietnam - not a revolutionary President who proclaimed the WAR on POVERTY, and introduced many successful social programs

NO - to war on Syria

The Arab Spring bringing down the old and compromised regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and then Libya took all the world by surprise.  And yet, it happened… after the decades of the abuse, the citizens of these countries said: Enough is enough… down with dictators… and the revolution began.
I wrote about it extensively, while it was happening.  I wrote about my (and others') frustration by the American indecision.  
All the promises contained in Obama's speech in Cairo University, kind of faded away, un-addressed in the real life.  
Yes, we helped in Libya.  The French took a lead, leaving us with the support role.  I was happy, that at last Americans do not have to be the Policeman of the World.  To be honest - the Libyan intervention was done in a perfect, limited way, without endangering our troops, and without loosing the face internationally.  
When the Egyptians elected in a democratic way the new President who happened to be one of the leaders of Muslim Brotherhood, we all almost choked… But as many said: FROM HUSSEIN TO JEFFERSON THE ONLY WAY IS THROUGH KHOMEINI (what translates loosely to:  From dictatorship to democracy the only way is through the support of religion).  The history proved that it was the common way of development (Poland in the Nineties, etc).  However, this democratically elected president (who stated previously that would support all multi religious and gender rights) quickly denied his democratic promises and put Egypt on the path to dictatorship and Sharia…  After months of the protests, Morsi's government was deposed by Egyptian Army responding to the populous demand.
And at that point America roared agains this action.  Like all the events of Morsi's abusive presidency didn't happen…  Army is not a good solution, by if they intent to pass the power to the civilian, elected government and stand aside… 

Syria.  The civil war in this Middle Eastern country exceeded our worst fears.  It's been already 2 years of the conflict.  In first months the whole world was shocked and disgusted by the indiscriminating killing performed by Assad regime, claiming fighting with terrorists…  The daily death toll was rising to more than a hundred a day…
It's September 2013.  By now Assad killed more than a hundred thousand people.  Not the army, or rebel fighters.  He has been decimating the whole neighborhoods, cities, indiscriminately shelling and with artillery, tanks, shooting from air…  
For two years Obama set quiet and America did nothing but the insignificant UN protests.  There were the congressional debates, plenty of White House rhetoric about how bad it was in Syria, and that it should stop immediately, and nothing real was coming out of it.  

For quite some time the rebels were bringing reports of the use of the chemical weapons on the population in Syria.  The White House rhetoric started to be more harsh and aggressive… President Obama started to 'draw a red line', which if crossed would result in the American military action.  
In the resent weeks Assad regime indeed used the Chemical Weapons - they gassed about 1500 cyvilians with Sarin gas.  The UN inspectors went to Syria and gathered evidence, but before they brought it back, the Obama Administration announced to have enough evidence to authorize a strike against the Syrian-Assad assets with a limited missile attack.  

More than a hundred thousand casualties by the conventional weapons was not enough, and didn't push out Administration even to arming the rebels - before they got fragmented and infested with Alkaeda. 

The Russians supported Assad  since the inception of his father.  He assured their access to the Middle East and together with Iran created a strong counterweight to the Western influence.  This fact alone creates the situation, in which Syria is a tinder box, and one has to very careful with fire around it...

And yet, Obama is pushing for a military, limited missile strike.  After days of empty rhetorics and threads, and after the British, and Italians refused to be part of the coalition in the war agains Syria, suddenly the President asks the Congress for the authorization of the strike.  I am not a constitutional lawyer (he actually is), but I know that this is not the proper order of things.  
The Congressional approval or disapproval should precede any form of actual action, and flexing of our military muscle.
Sent by the hasty decision of the President, there are already several US Navy ships armed with Cruise missiles ready to fire, at the shores of Syria.  
In our TV news channels, like CNN the nation is bombarded by the reheated Domino Effect Theory (introduced by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 in the context of Vietnam and the Indochina in general).  It's pathetic and repulsive that the theory which didn't work in Vietnam is brought as an argument now in the context of Syria.  
We should have learned that Vietnam war destroyed our credence in the World, but didn't bring anything positive in return.  We lost 58K troops and we lost a face at the same time.
None of other wars which we launched left and right hasn't brought anything beyond the exhaustion, economical crisis, and total hatred of the World.  

Beside that point, all the wars have already proven that there has been no such thing, like a limited conflict.  Going to Syria in any capacity we open a Pandora's box.  It's easy to win the war with a inferior army of a Third World country.  It took us 2 months to 'finish'  Saddam… And then, 10 years later the war is still on and we quietly leave the mess behind us.  

I read on the subject, from the various sources.  No one ever concluded, that any military action now (not 2 years ago, which might have been successful) would bring any positive, and long lasting effects.  We simply missed our window of opportunity.
Now we can sit and watch - maybe supporting the 'chosen' rebels with weapons and supplies… 

We can't take out the Assad regime, because the void would be even more dangerous.
We can't bomb the chemical weapons themselves, because the contamination would be like a chemical attack itself.
We can take out some delivery systems (the key word is "some").
We can take out his air force (not helicopters) and air strips, and this will make him just angry…
So, why doing so?  Just to make sure that the President's words are not in vain ? - it is just plain stupid.  He shouldn't make this threat at the first place.

We brake it - we buy it…  It may be our war for the rest of our days.

Warren Buffett is right again...

I strongly believe, that the content of the interview with Warren Buffett (quoted below) should be known by every American.
PLEASE, PASS IT ON TO AS MANY AMERICANS YOU CAN.  When we all talk about it, we may make a change.

The presidential elections are just round the corner.  In less, than 2 weeks we will have the second term of HOPE-GENERATING PRESIDENT (Pres. Obama), or turn back to the DARK AGES, where all minorities including women have no rights, the sick simply die without the health coverage on pre-existing conditions, and where the Super-Rich are carried on the shoulders of the middle class.
Although, the Warren Buffet interview doesn't have a direct bearing on the result of the elections - it may have a long lasting impact on who is elected in the nearest congressional elections, and who is creating the laws of this country.

******************** QUOTED AFTER LIVELEAK (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=712_1319407857) ****************

Warren Buffett in Recent interview with CNBC, offered one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000031948
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000033852

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18-year-old's) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 01/01/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Warren Edward Buffett: (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world's wealthiest person in 2008 and is the third wealthiest person in the world as of 2011.

Buffett is called the "Wizard of Omaha", "Oracle of Omaha" or the "Sage of Omaha" and is noted for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth. Buffett is also a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Gates Foundation. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees at Grinnell College.


******************** QUOTED AFTER LIVELEAK (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=712_1319407857) ****************

I am back! - a personal note in the troublesome political climate.

I took a 'sabbatical' for a year.   Even though my blogging endeavor was only one year old, I had to put it aside, to commit myself to other, quite absorbing issues.  Blogging went on a 'back burner'…

The presidential campaign already started to be the most idiotic political background one could imagine.  Republicans started proving to the America and the World that the truth was important only to the 'weaklings' and they - 'alpha males' didn't care about it at all, and bent it the way they felt fit.

Many things got into play at that time, but one of the most unsettling was - cancer.  In May, last year I was diagnosed with an early stage of prostate cancer.  I lived with this 'Sword of Damocles' for years, since my father fell victim to this condition, not-diagnosed on time.

To my surprise, and more to the surprise of others, I didn't react to this news with the typical panic followed by psychological triad: denial, anger, depression.  

I was constantly waiting for it - this natural, human reaction to the news of a terminal disease…  But, no.  It didn't come (although any American might have gone into panic just thinking about the direction the Country might be going if the Republicans were at the helm).
Instead, it proved to be a 'Reset Button'.  It brought the clarity, absolute clarity about my life, with it's achievements and it's failures.

Clarity, which reorganizes the life in a very positive way, beginning with the new look at some relationships, friendships, business ties, which were taken for granted till that point.  Some didn't stand a chance under this review…, some grew stronger.  

Many, facing a possible demise, dive into the awaiting arms of religion, becoming born again, devotees, religious freaks… 

In my case, instead, my growing clarity reinforced my pragmatic, atheist outlook.  No BS in life, no BS in business, no BS in politics, no BS, period.

It took a few months of 'second opinions', and additional tests to make sure that the condition is as it was diagnosed, treatable in it's early stage.  It took months of rapid educational course on a subject, including reading the CT and MRI scans, various methods of treatment and various approaches to living with it.

And then - preparation, surgery, a very brief hospital stay, a few months of recovery…  normal life again - slimming down, and more energetic than ever...

The news about Republican, medieval approach to women rights, medieval approach to minorities, both ethnic and sexual, were overwhelmingly flooding the media.  Inquisition like approach to the role of the religion in the private lives and in the functioning of the State was spewing from the lips of the Bible Belt born and raised Presidential Candidates (all in spite of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA).  There was nothing else on any news channel, beginning from MSNBC, NBC, CNN to Al Jazeera (sorry, I do not even acknowledge the existence of FOX News - since FOX NEWS is an oxymoron).  

And yet, all that time, my clarity grew stronger.  I realized, that life itself doesn't have a value.  What really matters is what one does with it, what one experiences in one's life and how trustworthy one becomes.  Life can end any time for one of the countless reasons - completely independently from how one leads the life and what it matters in one's mind.  

Religious teachings (in many religions) put emphasis on living one's life, like there is no tomorrow (although this term is generally misinterpreted).  The judgment day may come tomorrow and one will face the maker and weigh their souls against a feather… and so on...  

A near brush with death (or it's emissary - cancer) made me realize, that, although there are countless things I would like to achieve in the remaining part of my life, I have already had a life which provided me with what is important.  My life has already given me - knowing places and working on 4 continents, participating in preserving the World's Cultural Heritage, learning languages and things which changed me, having interesting and stimulating job, trying things others would be afraid to, knowing deep feelings like real love, having good and interesting people around me, and being with right life-companion (my wife of 21 years).

I never cared about the material gains (sometimes it would be nice to have more of it).  It was always more important to do interesting things, to be involved in interesting development, to do something better for bettering oneself.

This is the main reason why I evolved to be a liberal, who I am at this point.  This is the reason why I can't agree with the Republicans when they say (OK, Mitt Romney said that on one of fundraisers in Florida) that 47% of US population doesn't pay income taxes - and he doesn't care about them (since they would vote for Obama anyway).  Republicans believe (on record) that only the way it was delivered is wrong, but the message was right (!!!!!!!!!). 

This is outrageous.

I do not believe in redistribution of wealth (as they accuse President Obama of having this as a desired goal).  But I strongly believe (as our President believes) that those who do not worry about their economical status - because they have an accumulated wealth - have to make their contribution high enough, to allow the poor and the meek to live their lives without the constant appearance of their 'Sword of Damocles' - hunger, or homelessness.  

I do believe that the Republicans' efforts to shift the burden of maintaining the Country (with it's military might) even more to the shoulders of the Middle Class is UNPATRIOTIC.  Yes, I dare calling the most socially detached Presidential Candidate - Mitt Romney and his cronies UNPATRIOTIC.

There is nothing patriotic also in treating the 'unsuccessful' economically people who fell under the poverty level, like trash - because Mitt Romney and his likes closed their factories and sent the jobs oversees.  We still talk about the American Dream, but it's only a talk… Soon we will read about it in Wikipedia:  "Once upon the time…" - no one alive will actually experience it (thanks to Republicans' economical plans).

I have spent 50% (exactly this year) of my life outside of my 'country of origin'.  What means, that most of my adult life has been spent in the United States, and traveling through, or briefly living in other countries.  

2012 - being the "YEAR OF CLARITY" for me, is also a year of my 20th Anniversary of my US Citizenship.  I care about the USA and it's population.  It goes without saying.  This is my HOME.

At no point in my life I experienced so much anxiety about the future of the USA.  I still believe, that the USA is (still IS!) the best real system, so far created - with the freedoms never experienced anywhere else - including the most advanced societies of the Western Europe.  It's a fragile system, which requires as much giving to it and caring for it, as taking out, and benefiting from it.  

But Mitt Romney and others (all his competitors before his nomination) have proven that what they are interesting in, is just SUCKING IT DRY - like leaches.

I dream about the situation when one would look at the 2 (or more) candidates for President, compare their agenda, and had difficulties choosing because in all agendas would be something good for the country and good for it's people.

I believe, that even when President Reagan (so readily called as an idol or demigod of the Republican agenda) was reelected there was still something in both parties agendas which was worth considering.

But it was the last such moment in history so far.  

We all know the METROPOLIS - a famous psychological sci-fi picture directed in 1927 by Fritz Lang - showing the soulless industrial Moloch 'devouring' it's living underground, working class…

It seems like today's Republicans (at least those who are loudly heard) lead the country to a metaphorically similar predicament.

I only wish, that American people recover their eyesight in time, and in about 50 days will be wise enough to cast their votes for the only candidate who has the Nation's benefit in mind - incumbent President - Barack Obama.