ISRAEL'S ASTRONAUT: CASUALTY IN THE WAR OF CIVILIZATIONS
Israel is the only state whose founding father was a scientist. Its first President, its George Washington, Chaim Weizmann, was a scientist. As important as Zionism was to him, equally important was the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, one of the world's premier scientific institutions. Weizmann believed that Israel's strength would arise from the free pursuit of scientific knowledge. The scientific method of free enquiry was more than just a personal credo. He believed science should animate the Jewish state, and the Institute named after him has become one of the world's great scientific institutions, making important contributions to computer science, applied mathematics, biochemistry, astrophysics, bioscience and the full range of Western science. Israel's science has been at the forefront of Western science since the beginnings of the Jewish state. What exactly is the contribution to scientific knowledge of the 21 Arab states surrounding the tiny Jewish state? Zero. Their primary contribution to the human condition is the perfection of suicide bombing.
How momentous for an Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, to soar into space performing scientific experiments along with his American colleagues. Today's tragedy drew an immediate reaction from Iraq--rejoicing! No doubt many Palestinians celebrated this awful tragedy, as they celebrated Sept. 11th. The spirit of free scientific enquiry is anathema to the utopian totalitarian mind. Islam has contributed dogma and ignorance, the very antithesis of exploration and discovery. The wish to return to the 11th century requires all out war on modernity. The astronauts who died today were pioneers in the free world's never ending attempts to extend the boundaries of human knowledge. Western science and its restless quest for knowledge constitutes an intolerable threat to the barbarians struggling to turn the clock back. We are in a war of civilizations and all the scientific pioneers who perished today were soldiers in that war. They stood for free enquiry, the idea that scientific enquiry can dispel superstition and ignorance. No wonder the barbarians celebrated. No wonder Iraq rejoices at the setback to free men and women. It is time now to crush them, the new barbarians who seek to use our science, something they could never create themselves, against us, so we can get on with the business of free people: expanding our knowledge of the universe. We owe that to these heros who represented all free people in their brave and daring efforts to extend the reach of human understanding.
Why am I the only one who thinks this "dancing" is counter-productive? Why am I the only one who thinks Saddam is paying through the nose for the UN/EU support? Why am I the only one he thinks Saddam's got his checkbook open, and he is being robbed blind by the "decorators from hell" who are moving all his furniture, and charging him phenomenal fees for all his "new motifs?"
Hmm, let's see? Where will we hang the materials for the nukies? Where do you want Blix's thank you notes hung? "Oh, and by the way, please put another check into our Swiss Bank accounts?"
Why do I think Saddam lost control of his money long ago?
Why do I think Bush is as clever as Abraham Lincoln? Look how long this country was rent into pieces? It started before 1860. But IN 1860, a Lincoln of COMPROMISE became president. Very slowly he pushed against "popular opinion." HE NEVER TIRED! And, we've got such a race-horse again. Bush doesn't let the polls register. Bush, like Lincoln, takes solace from the Bible. And, Bush, like him can push through a sea-change ON THE WORLD! Does it get better than this?
Posted by: carol herman on February 2, 2003 03:43 PMSteve's wrong! Eleventh century, hell no, they want to go back to the seventh and eight centuries when Islam began its conquest by the sword.
Posted by: Jack on February 5, 2003 04:36 PMAfter conquest everything they got -- and it was plenty -- was stolen from somebody else.