Tribal Wars/"Wars" vs. Human's Evolution

21st century Tribal Wars/"Wars"
vs.
Human's Evolution on Self Control

All this chauvinistic xenophobic talk, the constant fighting & arguing about ethnic identity & religion, race & color, blue & red flags, culture & territory, about each other, about Israelis, Arabs, Turks, it's all going back via different definitions

to thousands of years, hundreds of thousands if not millions of years.

I personally don't believe in any religious conviction, I have a hard time coping with any culture and it surely messes up my brain whenever I listen to puzzling patriotic speeches set forward by confused old-timers i.e. about the national anthem not played well by our National guard (SMEF), about the lectures at English School, about the religion symbols and about numerous other "civilized" phobias. [I'm excluding the recent debate regarding the approach for revising the History books while even if ultimately could 'save' the minds & spirits of the next generations from deceptions and nationalistic fabrications, it is obvious that today's "genuine" attempts on behalf of AKEL shall only satisfy political agendas. Let's revert to this note on a later article].

And indeed, it is so frustrating & disappointing to having to listen to educated minds who shout out excessive views and believes, ignoring any other form of opinion.

Wise men, psychologists, philosophers and theologians have speculated about the definition 'Human' over the centuries, and still do, but the truth about the human may be found only through factual knowledge. That factual knowledge lies in a process called evolution. The human is what evolution made him. And that's where all this chauvinistic xenophobic talk emerges: Man has been a tribal animal since he first walked erect, more than four million years ago. Think about it for a second: 4,000,000 years ago!!! And what's today? Correct, you found it, it's 2009! Now, draw a line on a scale and note down the starting point as '4mil' and then the end point as '2009'.

For 4million years (minus 2009) there have been no flags or religions as we know today.

Let's just remind ourselves about some Evolutional facts:
· For two million years, the early hominid (pre-human) was a tribal animal
· During the next two million years the human was a tribal hunter/warrior, and he still is.

Our Nature: All of the human’s social drives developed long before he developed intellectually. They are, therefore, instinctive or let's say Natural. Such instincts as mother-love, compassion, cooperation, curiosity, creativity and competitiveness are ancient and embedded in us humans. They were all necessary for the survival of the human and pre-human.

Our Intellect part: Since human social drives are instinctive (not intellectual), they do not necessarily require education. However, as with all other animals, proper behavior may only be obtained through training/education. The intellect, the magnitude of which separates the human from all other animals, developed slowly over the entire four million years of the human development.

The intellect developed as a control over instincts. The human is designed by nature to modify any instinctive behavior to one that would provide optimum benefit for his survivability.

This process is called self-control, and it is the major difference between the human and the lower order animals which latter apply only instinct to their behavioral decisions. Therefore, self-control should be the measuring stick of the human.

The more disciplined behavior displayed by an individual, the more intellectual he becomes.
The less disciplined behavior displayed by an individual, the more he becomes like the lower order animals that are lacking in intellect and are driven by their instincts.

Therefore, while criticizing all these multiform political & social issues arising on our daily chat-agenda, it is up to us to separate ourselves from the others

Johnny Cash: 'Hurt'

What have I become?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know

Goes away in the end

You could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

...

24-01-2009
11:50

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
199
24-01-2009
11:52

I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stain of time
The feeling disappears
You are someone else
I am still right here

...

25331130

24-01-2009

11:53

...

If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find a way

The Meaning of (Life &) Death: (Cycling &) Recycling

Subjects related to life & death undeniably affix the readers’ attention to the contradiction between Science & Religion. My thoughts towards religion are well set on previous notes. Religious events, church’s fictitious creations for the most part, don't come even close to literally explaining &/or defining Life & Death. For people to be able to face life & death more fearlessly they simply have to liberate their minds from religious fanaticism. Just note that when people were partly liberated from religion, e.g. the Europeans from Christianity, they managed to create a great and powerful civilization where as on the contrary, the Islamic civilization, even if more advanced and more powerful than the Christian civilization at one point in history, failed to free the humans from religion and the Islam just failed in the human advancement. If partial liberation caused so much, then imagine what it would have happened from, say, total liberation?

The reason for publishing such an article is the occasional death of a loved one that we all unfortunately encounter in our multifaceted lives. The actual occasion though that drove me to write this article was after attempting to support a friend who lost unexpectedly a loved one back in Michigan earlier this month. In Plato’s dialogues there is a notion that meditates the philosophy behind Life & Death as an ‘exercise in dying’. Well, I certainly do not want to negatively influence you but truly it’s worth noting that the aforesaid approach manages to make us realize that we live for a while 'for the things which are above, rather than the things which are below', that by philosophizing the aforesaid terms is basically a little bit like escaping from the bodily mundane world into the world of the spirit, the ‘world’ that we must learn to practice for later on, it will shape us and help us to determine our fate in the ‘world’ that is to come, to prepare ourselves psychologically to face the loss of loved ones, or as Plato calls, Μελέτη Θανάτου; ‘exercise in dying’.

The shock, the pain, the sadness upon facing the loss is always unbearable. The emotional crisis is usually uncontrollable; we all desperately need some sort of an explanation on what happens next. I’m not here to give you answers!! Obviously I don’t have them!! Thus, you must search for them on your own; you must liberate your own self if to accomplish the reasoning behind all our surrounding. Why Life does not extend up to 600 years? Why not just to 10 years? Why tomorrow and not yesterday? Who’s on the ‘waiting list’? who's first? second? on purpose or by accident? Our parents substituted our grandparents, we are substituting our parents, others will substitute us etc etc etc.
The Life cycle; cycling & recycling!

Even though I cannot stop being myself (i.e. sensitive & sentimental), yet I have managed to liberate myself and realized that death is actually a continuation of life i.e. Every Ending is just the beginning of another story …

Scientifically speaking...

... while borrowed some thoughts from another troubled mind …

--- If I save time, when do I get it back?

--- Since light travels faster than sound , people appear bright until you hear them speak.

--- Living on Earth may be expensive...but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun....!

--- What is the speed of darkness? (absurd)

--- If you were traveling at the speed of sound and you turned on your radio would you be able to hear it? (think scientifically and let me know)

--- If you're traveling at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens?

--- If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?

Πολύπλοκες Συμμαχίες γύρω απο μια νέα Μέση Ανατολή

Με την κατάρρευση του ισοζυγίου μεταξύ ΗΠΑ και ΕΣΣΔ, πολλοί ήταν αυτοί που προέβλεψαν μιά νέα Μέση Ανατολή, μέσα στην οποία παραδοσιακοί εχθροί αναπόφευκτα θα επιζητούσαν καποιου είδους διευθέτηση και συμβιβασμό. Κύματα αντιδράσεων και εχθροπραξιών θα αντικαθίσταντο απο ζήλο για οικονομικο-κοινωνική μετεξέλιξη (αποκατάσταση) και γεωστρατηγικό συμβιβασμό. Εξάλλου για κάποιους, ήταν πλέον αναπόφευκτη μια συμφιλίωση θρησκειών και παραδόσεων. Είναι όμως εμφανές ότι εδώ και μία δεκαπενταετία, τίποτε απ΄όλα αυτά δέν έχει επιτευχθεί.

Υπάρχει όντως μια νέα Μέση Ανατολή, μόνο που δεν είναι αυτή που οραματίστηκαν κάποιοι υπεραισιόδοξοι αναλυτές. Αντίθετα, η νέα Μέση Ανατολή χαρακτηρίζεται απο μια μπλεγμένη, ασταθή και άκρως επικίνδυνη κατάσταση. Είναι η περιοχή του ασυμβίβαστου, διχασμένη σε δύο παρατάξεις: την φιλοδυτική-φιλοαμερικάνικη και την αραβική-εθνικιστική. Αναπόφευκτα, Τουρκία και Ελλάδα παρατάχθηκαν σε αντίθετες παρατάξεις, αρχικά τουλάχιστον. Ήταν και λογικά αναπόφευκτο όμως, σε μεταγενέστερο στάδιο η Ελλάδα να παρεκλίνει της αρχικής εθνικιστικής της προσέγγισης και του Εννιαίου Αμυντικού Δόγματος και να επιζητήσει και αυτή το δικό της (επιτέλους) συμφέρον. Εδώ στην Κυπρο, ακόμα με υψωμένα τα λάβαρα και τα στερεότυπα της Ένωσης, δεν καταφέραμε να κατανοήσουμε τίποτα περι διπλωματίας ή τουλάχιστο να προσαρμοστούμε εις στα νέα δεδομένα, στις νέες εξελίξεις, στα νέα συμφέροντα, στη νέα τάξη πραγμάτων. Στο κάτω κάτω, με αναχρονικές επαναστατικές τάσεις όπως ξεπρόβαλαν και αφυπνίστικαν κατα την διάρκεια του πρόσφατου δημοψηφίσματος, αυτός ο τόπος δεν είχε/έχει την ευχή να κοιτάξει ΜΑΚΡΟΠΡΟΘΕΣΜΑ...

Η Τουρκία ως πρωταγωνίστρια δύναμη στη μια εκ των δύο συμμαχιών, επενδύει στις σχέσεις της με το Ισραήλ και την Ιορδανία, τα δύο πιο φιλοαμερικανικά κράτη της περιοχής. Με την Ιορδανία, η Τουρκία διατηρεί μια ιδιαίτερη στρατιωτική συνεργασία ενώ γενικά επικρατούν μεταξύ τους στενές και σταθερές σχέσεις απο το τέλος του Β’Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου. Με το Ισραήλ από την άλλη, η Τουρκία συμμερίζεται κάποια κοινά, μιας και είναι και τα δύο μη αραβικά κράτη. Αντιμετωπίζουν και τα δύο, συνεχείς τρομοκρατικές απειλές και επενδύουν στο μέγιστο στον κυριότερο σύμμαχο τους, τις ΗΠΑ. Ταυτόχρονα, μοιράζονται κοινούς εχθρούς, όπως το Ιράν και τη Συρία, δύο χώρες οι οποίες εχουν σταθερά συμμαχήσει κατά της αμερικανικής επιβολής στην περιοχή και όλων των κινδύνων που συνεπάγονται απο αυτην, όπως την εκμετάλλευση των φυσικών πόρων (πετρέλαια) και την αλλοίωση της κουλτούρας και των παραδόσεων.

Με βάση την παραδοσιακή στρατηγική, μια μερίδα συμμάχων συνασπίζονται γύρω από ένα κοινό παρονομαστή, ένα κοινό εχθρό. Αυτο εξηγεί και τη στάση του Κουβέιτ και των Ηνωμένων Αραβικών Εμιράτων, που μέχρι πρόσφατα απαντούσαν στο Ιράκ, ότι «ο δικός σου εχθρός, δικός μου φίλος». Με τις νέες εξελίξεις φυσικά, ο ρόλος του Ιράκ έχει ολοκληρωτικά αλλοιωθεί και εξασθενίσει με καθαρά αποσχιστικές πλέον τάσεις εκ μέρους των Σιητών. Στην προέκταση της ίδιας λογικής «ο δικός σου εχθρός, δικός μου φίλος», συνηγορούν εν μέρει και κατά παράδοξο τρόπο, οι Χριστιανοί του Λιβάνου, που τάσσονται υπέρ της τουρκοϊσραηλινής συμμαχίας. Αναπόφευκτα τα πρόσφατα γεγονότα στον παραδεισένιο γείτονα Λίβανο προμηνύουν Εμφύλιο (πάλι) μίας και η Χεζπολάχ είναι απ'ότι φαίνεται διατεθιμένη να αυτοκαταστραφεί. Χωρίς τάσεις προφητείας, το ερχόμενο καλοκαίρι '07 θα εισβάλει η παράνοια και ο φανατισμός. Τί φανατισμός! Τι κατάρα τελικά αυτή η Θρησκεία! Η παράμετρος της θρησκείας γίνεται πολύ πιο παράδοξη, μιας και η φανταμενταλιστική Ισλαμική Δημοκρατία του Ιραν για παράδειγμα, υποστηρίζει τους Χριστιανούς της Αρμενίας και της Κύπρου, ενώ εναντιώνεται στους Μουσουλμάνους της Τουρκίας. Υπάρχουν άλλωστε πολλά παρόμοια παραδείγματα.

Το ζήτημα όμως των συμμαχιών γίνεται ακόμα πιο χαώδες με την εμπλοκή της Παλαιστινιακής Αρχής, η οποία υποστηρίζεται άμεσα απο εχθρικές προς την Τουρκία χώρες, όπως η Λιβύη και το Σουδάν, ενώ σημαντική είναι πλέον η θέση και του Κουρδικού Εργατικού Κινήματος το οποίο αναπόφευκτα θα εξαναγκάσει Ιράκ, Συρία και Τουρκία στο να αποδεχθούν τη δημιουργία ενός Κουρδικού κράτους. Επειδή στην αντίθετη παράταξη συμπαρατάσσονται η Ρωσία, η Ελλάδα, η Σερβία και η Αρμενία, άλλες χώρες έχουν αναπόφευκτα ταχθεί με την τουρκοϊσραηλινή συμμαχία. Αυτές είναι η Τσετσενία, το Αζερπαιζάν, η Βοσνία, η Κροατία, τα Σκόπια, το Τουρκμενιστάν και άλλες. Για το θέμα Παλαιστίνης μου είναι αδύνατο να επεξηγήσω την κατάντια αυτού του ακαθυσήχαστου λάου. Και εδώ ακόμα ένας ακατανόητος Εμφύλιος.

Υπάρχουν τέλος και οι χώρες όπως η Σαουδική Αραβία και η Αίγυπτος, οι οποίες επιζητούν την ουδετερότητα τους στην περιοχή και την αμέτοχη στάση τους στις εν λόγω συμμαχίες. Εξάλλου, οι χώρες αυτές ευνοούνται απο την συνεχή βοήθεια των ΗΠΑ, αλλά συχνά έρχονται σε ρήξη με την τουρκοϊσραηλινή συμμαχία, στο θέμα της Παλαιστίνης, στο θέμα του στρατιωτικού εξοπλισμού και φυσικά στο θέμα της θρησκείας. Οι ουδέτερες αυτές χώρες τάσσονται σε παρατάξεις αναλόγως των περιστάσεων. Πόσο θα έβλπατε να ακολουθούσαμε και εμείς παρόμοια τακτική, τακτική διπλώ-ματίας!! Πολιτική χωρίς διπλοπροσωπία δέν γίνεται, γίνεται?

Η Μέση Ανατολή έχει πλέον αποκτήσει αξιοσημείωτη θέση στην παγκόσμια κοινωνία. Είναι μια περιοχή, η οποία διαχωρίζει τις γειτονικές και όχι μόνο χώρες, σε δύο παρατάξεις, οι οποίες όπως αποδείχτηκε, επηρεάζουν και επιβαρύνουν στο μέγιστο τη σταθερότητα της περιοχής, καθώς επίσης και τη νέα τάξη πραγμάτων ανά το παγκόσμιο. Το ερώτημα είναι κατα πόσο θα εξακολουθήσει να βρίσκεται στα <δήθεν επείγοντα προς λύση ζητήματα> ή <θέματα προς συνέχιση>.

University of Arizona Daily Newspaper

Albanians also guilty of atrocitieshttp://wc.arizona.edu/papers/92/128/05_1_m.html

Abortion is not politicalhttp://wc.arizona.edu/papers/91/35/05_1_m.html

Shakespeare is sacrosancthttp://wc.arizona.edu/papers/91/97/04_3_m.html

My Religion - Part II

I’m now 32 years old and I realize that maybe my teenage questions weren't so dumb after all. Some people spend their lives trying to bring out the similarities between religion and science, while others spend their lives trying to tear the two apart. I simply won’t bother. My kids, if I ever have any, will be christened and they will have to go to church, at least on the holidays, at least up to maturing, just like I did. If not else, it’s my culture, my Home traditions.
One reason religion is unwilling to familiarize itself with science is because science offers simple, valid, indisputable and above all, logical explanations for some of the "miracles" described in holy books. The Nile, for example, is known to turn red when it is overgrown with bacteria. I guess Moses had other ideas, or, carbon dating of fossils tells us that there was life on this planet long before the estimated time of the creation of Adam and Eve. There are those, of course, who would argue that Adam and Eve are representative of all men and women etc. But should we apply the metaphorical translation to something which is so obviously meant literally? I’d say not.
Lastly, another difference which I have found between science and religion is the definition of "truth". To the scientist, who is more skeptical, truth is ever-changing - the more one sees of the world, the more observations one makes, the closer one comes to the truth. The theologian, on the other hand, defines truth as that which is printed in the Holy Texts, that which should not be analyzed any further.

Bottom line is, if you find that your faith in religion strengthens your hopes for genuineness, then believe in it. Otherwise keep on searching for the scientific truth.

My Religion - Part 1

Are you righteous? kind? do you call for religiousness? Does your confidence lie in this? Do you imagine your suffering would be less because you loved goodness? truth? God? Do you love others? Do you care about strangers? Are you loved by all? Weird huh… I’m sure that those (above) got you thinking!
How about, science? Do you value time? past? future? Do you grasp the value of atto (10 to the -18th)? Exa (10 to the 18th)? Are you analytical at all? would you like to travel in time? I would… certainly a good 2000 years back. Einstein theoretically proved it; maybe another Einstein could develop it.
Life on Earth has been traced through man and the primates, mammals, and vertebrates, and backward through ever lower life forms to the point, billions of years ago, at which life is presumed to have begun. But having reached these beginnings and having begun to contemplate the probabilities of life elsewhere in our solar system and beyond, don’t you feel uneasy about life on Earth. If all began through a series of chemical reactions, why does life on Earth has but a single source, and not a large number of other sources? And why does all living matter on Earth contain too little of the chemical elements that abound on Earth, and too much of those that are rare on our planet? Was life, then, imported to Earth from elsewhere?

You see, I grew up having a strong intuition that science and religion were simply incompatible. Maybe because I never received a direct reasonable answer from any of my religion class teachers throughout my school years. I must admit, I was always trying to be sarcastic when I asked things like, "If God is infallible, or whether the apostles were classmates? I do of course believe they existed, I cannot doubt the records. But why? why then? Life on this planet goes back billions of years. All those homo sapiens, the Neanderthals, while they were not taught of kindness I would presume that most probably none of them made it to Heaven? Yes, I did ask my teacher once about that and she answered "criteria was different then!" and told me to stop asking dumb questions and said we'd get into it later (which of course we never did).