Thursday, December 29, 2005

Israel's Survival Sense

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

Me-ander notes that survival instincts have become dulled--both in the US and in Israel:
Over confident government officials in the U.S. totally miss-read the situation on the ground, and thousands of people are still homeless due to Katrina and bad planning by the government.

And here in Israel, our disengaged people still are ignoring that Disengagement has endangered the entire country. Kibbutz Saad, a religious kibbutz in the south, is now complaining publicly that they are suffering frequent rocket attacks. They didn't care when Gush Katif was attacked daily, and they didn't care when the good Jewish farmers of Gush Katif were ripped from their homes and their businesses destroyed. Now they are on the front-line. What did they expect?
Meanwhile, Ariel Sharon and his Kadima party just keeps gaining steam:
The Shinui Party will lose its presence and several others will lose ground in the Knesset in the next elections according to a poll by the Geocartographic Institute headed by Professor Avi Degani.

Army Radio reports that Labor will also suffer, winning only 17 mandates. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new party, Kadima, is predicted to win major support with some 42 mandates thus far.
This is the Ariel Sharon, he of the Disengagement after running a campaign criticizing it, who stifled debate and criticsm, who promises more 'painful concessions'.

Apparently there is a fine line between insanity and Israeli politics.


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2 comments:

Soccer Dad said...

As an alternative to Einstein there's Santaya's: "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim.”
It also seems applicable. Though those who oppose the redoubling of those efforts are the ones usually tarred with being the fanatics.

Daled Amos said...

I heard a tape where Rabbi Yisroel Reisman notes that people dislike extremism...except if it's a case of being extremely wealthy.