Declaration of sympathy

In the course of the current anti-Israeli excitement, much is being written about the Balfour Declaration. I re-read it (see left) and it is a simple declaration of sympathy, not much more. People are writing that the Declaration must be annulled, as if this postcard created the State of Israel, and it could be erased by retracting it. The then-inexistent Palestinian Authority is trying to extort billions for the supposed damage caused to it by England's sympathy in 1917. These days, the United Nations is declaring the existence of a State of Palestine, as if all were a question of declarations and counter-declarations. 

Where are they living? asked an Israeli politician. Certainly not on this planet.

Where is the power?

 

Preparing for Dementia

 
Everybody dies, and those who stay healthy to 100, near the end, suffer from dementia. Ergo, if I do not die before, dementia is unavoidable. My father died from a heart attack, and my mother from liver cancer. My four grandparents and uncles were assassinated relatively young. So I have no personal and intimate experience with dementia. How to prepare for it?

(1) Hearing. When speaking with a person with dementia and hearing loss, make yourself visible to them. That means facing them and placing your head at the same level as theirs so they can see your lips.

During conversations, eliminate crosstalk, as simultaneous sounds can overwhelm individuals with dementia. Minimize background noise, remove distractions, and establish a quiet environment to promote focus.

Water Stress in China

 
From a RAND study: Arid northern China receives just 340.6 millimeters of rainfall, 70 percent less rainfall than southern China, which receives 1,146 mm each year.

At the same time, northern China supports 41 percent of the total population and has high agricultural and industrial water demands.

This is not new. RAND analysed how China's government is managing (or mismanaging) the issue, and its influence in China's foreign policy vis-à-vis the USA.

La Corrida

 There is a run on the Argentine peso (pic), forcing the Milei government to pour $1.1 billion US dollars into the local market to calm it down. In the coming days, we shall know if it worked or if Argentina is living its next default. Milei is flying to Washington for salvation. 

The panic started when Milei's party lost against the Peronists in the Province of Buenos Aires. The Peronist (Justicialista) movement was created by Evita Peron about eighty years ago.  Since then, neither a Military dictatorship nor a democratically elected government has been able to balance the national budget.  Wish the best for Argentina in this new Jewish Year. 

Worldwide excitement

The internet is frenetically excited with anti-Israeli and antisemitic attacks; the whole world is cursing Israel. According to Netanyahu, European leaders are weak and are submitting to popular/Islamic violence. He spoke of the European embargo that is being organized and the need for autarky, specifically in weapons production. 

I have some experience with embargoes. When I was in charge of planning the Herzliya Wastewater Treatment Plant, a large water infrastructure project, I found that there were no local consulting engineers with experience in the field. I invited dozens of foreign consultant companies, but that was the time of the Saudi/Arab oil embargo, and they managed a black list of companies that had contacts with Israel. No one submitted any proposal. 

The project was awarded to a local firm headed by Dr. Yair Folkman, which successfully completed it. As a result, foreign consultants were unable to secure work in Israel, while the local firm went on to plan dozens of WWTPs in Israel and several more worldwide. 

Apparently, others had similar experiences, because the bourse was not worried and continued upwards. We shall deal with the cowardly Macrons and make our own weaponry. 

 

Naqba II and Naqba III

 Palestinian Arabs follow a tragic fixed pattern and cannot learn or change. They attacked the Jews a hundred years ago, failed, and British policemen - freshly arrived from Ireland - repressed their violence. In 1947, they tried again and failed, abandoning their villages and walking to Jordan and Egypt. That defeat is called Naqba (Catastrophe). On October 7, 2023, they attacked again. We are in 2025, and once again, they are abandoning their homes and walking. They are leaving everything and escaping with their precious five cu.m. black polyethylene water tank. Their cursed pattern is so regular that Naqba III may be predicted to take place circa 2075.