[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Defying Gravity

Mon Feb 19 12:58:54 EST 2007

Posted by Mary Madigan:
Defying Gravity
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1169862207.shtml

   In an interview with [1]Howard Owens, Garrett Soden, author of
   [2]Falling, described the political results that emerged from our
   fascination with [3]gravity.

     During the 18th century, there was an explosion of gravity
     activity. It started with street acrobats beginning to gather at
     fairs, which began to occupy permanent venues. Competition caused
     the acrobats (mostly spring-board leapers and rope-dancers) to
     attempt to outdo each other. Eventually, they developed
     international reputations. During the same century, the circus was
     invented; so was the roller coaster; so was the parachute.
     Mountaineering was also invented around the middle of the 18th
     century. Before then, no one climbed mountains for recreation.
     After the 18th century, there was no let-up: professional
     high-divers appeared in the early 19th century; wirewalkers began
     to risk higher falls to thrill crowds; the flying trapeze was
     invented in mid-19th century."

     "As I explain at some length in the book, I think a fascination
     with challenging gravity reflects the sense of individualism that
     grew with the birth of Modernism at about this time. Gravity is one
     of the most fundamental natural forces we know -- defying it is
     consistent with the modern individual's freedom to defy other
     seemingly "natural" forces, such as the social forces that keep
     peasants down."

   It's not surprising that the Israel, a tiny nation that consistently
   defies expectations and the anti-modern forces that surround it, would
   choose to show the world their point of view via helicopter.

   [4]small israel 
   Israel in red, surrounded by her neighbors in green

   [5]The Israel Project, an international non-profit organization
   devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel, which
   generously offers journalists these 'bird's eye tours' describes their
   [6]intellicopter"

     Through its Jerusalem office, TIP operates "Intellicopter"
     toursâtwo-and a-half-hour guided helicopter tours with expert
     guides that give reporters a bird's-eye view of the situation on
     the ground. The TIP "Intellicopter" educates journalists about
     security threats and opportunities for peace. Hundreds of
     journalists from more than 140 media outlets have taken the
     "Intellicopter" tour, including top journalists from the United
     States, England, France,Germany, Russia, Italy, Latin, America,
     Australia and Asia. Millions of people around the world have seen
     footage shot from these strategic aerial viewsâviews which show
     Israel's tiny size and enormous security challenges.

   After the Herzilya conference, Richard Landes arranged for few of us
   (Richard Fernandez, Charles Malik, Michael Totten) to take an
   Intellicopter tour. Our helpful guide was [7]Leah Soibel, a Senior
   Researcher who had spoken about media issues at the Herzliyya
   conference.

   [8]richard landes 
   Richard Landes

   The tour of Israel, a nation that is slightly smaller than the state
   of New Jersey, with a population of 6 million (less than the
   population of New York City) takes about 1 1/2 hours.

   Israel borders Egypt (population 78,887,007), Jordan (population
   5,906,760), Syria (pop. 18,881,361), West Bank and Lebanon (pop.
   3,874,050).

   Despite its small population and its size, the democracy of Israel is
   blamed by many for most Arab/Islamist violence around the world. A
   [9]French ambassador once claimed that an international security
   crisis had been triggered by âthat shitty little country Israelâ - not
   by the actual perpetrators of the terrorism that cause the security
   crisis, or by large, petrodollar funded, terror-supporting nations
   like Iran and Saudi Arabia, who have been at war with Israel for
   decades...

   Not coincidentally, if they're not blaming Israel for all of the
   world's problems, they're blaming the other little democracy in the
   Middle East, Lebanon. In this [10]Asia Times article, author Kaveh L
   Afrasiabi puts the onus for the resolution of the Saudi/Iranian
   conflict on Lebanon's shoulders, claiming that if the Lebanese give in
   to Hezbollah, there could be peace in the Middle East.

   ...proving that schoolyard politics dominate the International
   community. Whenever you're in trouble, blame the little guy.

   The tour included a stop at the [11]Gaza border, where we viewed the
   effects of the Iranian funded war against a small immigrant town in
   Israel.

   Despite the efforts of nations like France, Iran and Saudi Arabia,
   Israel continues to defy expectations. Here's an Israeli-eye view of
   their world.

   [12]rising over herzliya 
   Rising over Herzliya

   [13]route 101 
   the road from Tel Aviv to Herzliyya, a Silicon-Valley esque landscape
   that reminded me of 101 in California.

   [14]tel aviv 
   Tel Aviv

   [15]marina 
   Marina

   [16]cows in a field 
   Cows in a field

   [17]trees_rocky ground 

   [18]desert farm 

   [19]helicopter2 
   Israel's lush forests are the result of their desert afforestation
   project, sponsored by groups like the [20]B'nai B'rith. Leah mentioned
   that Israel was sharing these afforestation techniques with Jordan.

   [21]temple mount 
   the Temple Mount

   [22]over jerusalem 
   Over Jerusalem

   [23]helicopter 
   During the first half of the tour, Totten called shotgun, but
   generously let me take front seat for the second half. I got a chance
   to talk with the pilot, whose son is also a flight instructor. After
   many years of flying for a living, he still loves the job, and can't
   imagine doing anything else.

   [24]border 
   A view of the infamous [25]'apartheid wall', which is mostly a small
   security fence. A few taller cement structures were built in areas
   where Palestinians would take potshots at drivers on Israeli highways

   [26]former settlers 
   Village built for former Gaza settlers

   [27]highway 

   [28]solar roofs 
   Many Israeli apartment houses and homes have solar panels on the roof,
   mostly to power water heaters

   [29]back at airport 
   back at the Herzliyya airport

References

   1. http://www.howardowens.com/index.cfm?action=full_text&ARTICLE_ID=667
   2. http://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Garrett-Soden/dp/0393054136
   3. http://www.whataretheysaying.org/archives/000398.html
   4. file://localhost/files/whataretheysaying-israellittlemap.gif
   5. http://www.theisraelproject.org/
   6. http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672811/k.DFA5/About_TIP.htm
   7. http://www.theaugeanstables.com/herzilya-conference/program/
   8. file://localhost/files/whataretheysaying-helicopter3.jpg
   9. http://www.themodernreligion.com/jihad/french-ambassador.html
  10. http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1169138474.shtml
  11. http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1167365971.shtml
  12. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392216857/
  13. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392232266/
  14. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392232261/
  15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392246107/
  16. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/395464322/
  17. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392216871/
  18. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392246131/
  19. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/374528281/
  20. http://www.bnaibrith.org/giving/giving_trees.cfm
  21. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/342758454/
  22. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/342758411/
  23. file://localhost/files/whataretheysaying-helicopter43.jpg
  24. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/341317488/
  25. http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/apartheidwall.shtml
  26. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/341325944/
  27. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392246137/
  28. http://flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392246116/
  29. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29136804@N00/392232270/