Israel's busiest industrial zone

 

Driving home from Ariel, I enter sometimes to the industrial zone of Kfar Kassem  - not the upper Jewish Qesem but the lower Arab illegal area. I like the generous salami sandwiches and the air of informal Arab shuk atmosphere.  The place is a lowland, flooded in winter, dirt roads, chaotic and noisy, extending over 2800 dunams (over 500 acres) of land zoned for agricultural use adjacent to Kfar Kasem, at the junction of Route 5 and Route 6 (the Trans-Israel Highway). In the "Heart of Israel". 

It is known that the Kfar Kasem Municipality had issued hundreds of permits for “agricultural and livestock pens” – but in the entire compound, there’s not one single, solitary little sheep to be found. With these fictitious permits, hundreds of massive industrial structures have been built, which are being used illegally as warehouses and logistical centers, and as commercial, industrial and leisure facilities. The city of Kfar Kassem collects about 10 million dollar municipal taxes per year. 

Every Israeli institution wants to regularize the situation, to build drainage and internal and connection roads, etc. Kfar Kassem has about 50,000 Arab inhabitants, and political power. Not even the police wants to perturb the peace. The Municipality does nothing regularize and legitimate the situation, why should they since they love the chaos, the freedom and the multiple possibilities for corruption. 

Jewish Hell

Old Kohn dies and the Celestial Court interrogates him: 

- Did you pay your taxes? 

- You see... 

- Were you faithful to your wife? 

- In principle yes but... 

Kohn, we see you are not a bad character, but we cannot admit you to Heaven. Take the lift to level minus 30 to the Jewish Hell. 

Kohn arrives and the Reception Commission greets him. 

They take him to gourmet restaurants where uniformed devils pour vine in his glass, a limousine tour with a devil guide, a night club with a female devils show, to the beach full of beautiful girls. 

- Is this Hell? 

- It was when we arrived, seventy years ago.

From the Ankh-Morpork Times

 "Well, I reckon this is another case of mysterious spontaneous combustion, just like reported yesterday."

"I am not not sure that one was very mysterious" he said. "Old Mr Hardy decided to light a cigar and forgot he was bathing his feet in turpentine."  Someone had told him this was a cure for athlete's foot and, in a way, they had been right. 

"That's what they say," said the man, tapping his nose. "But there's a lot we don't get told."

"That's true," said William. "I heard only the other day that giant rocks crash into the country every week, but the Government hushes it up."

"There you are. then," said the man. "It is amazing the way they treat us as if we're stupid."

"Yes, it is a puzzle to me, too," said William. 

Kfar Saba rejects Development

My town has declared itself against development and industry, and the gas burning electricity plant project was defeated. The buildings are already in place, so this is confusing. What is certain is that the Spirit of San Francisco has spread to the Sharon region and the population wishes a "green", pastoral village. NIMBY is Kfar Saba.  According some economists, zoning regulations favor local property owners, increasing the prices of real estate, creating something they call "rent". 

The Disgrace of Being Born White

Ancient Greeks met Africans (Ethiopians) and became aware of ethnic differences. In "Ethiopica", a story, Chariclea, the daughter of King Hydaspes and Queen Persinna of Ethiopia, was born white (by effect of the sight of a white marble statue during her pregnancy). Fearing accusations of adultery, Persinna gives her White baby daughter in adoption to an Egyptian, who passes her on to Charicles, a Pythian priest. Chariclea grows up in Delphi to be the Pythia, the oracular priestess.

We learn that being born White is a big disgrace Ethiopia. Her exotic background (and her capacity to enter into trances) made her the oracle of the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. As the Pythia, she had to keep her virginity, but was seduced and escapes. More inter-racial sex and the story has a happy end. 

Black Cube (Not the Ka'aba)

 

Black Cube. We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

Asian intelligence

 

"A country with an IQ of 115 can expect to have a GDP per capita (PPP) of about $100,000. This is higher than every other country with the exception of Qatar, Macau, Luxembourg, and Singapore. The first country is oil rich, the second one runs on gambling, and the last two are tax havens, none of their economies can be emulated by larger countries." Murray says that Korea should have a 100,000 dollar per capita economy. Because Koreans are talented. 

It seems farfetched. Japanese, who are more or less identical to Koreans, have never reached European economic levels. North Korea cannot feed itself although they have developed advanced weapons. They are intelligent but something does not allow them to reach their potential.  

PS: The World Bank estimates Japan's GDP around 40,000 US$ somewhat less than Austria and Belgium. South Korea is in the same league. If China develops to Korean levels, as it appears to do, it will become invincible. America may sink into civil strife and chaos due to its mutually hostile populations.