Cosmin Andron

In the autumn 1924, after three years of occupation by the soviets and a month after a Georgian uprising against the soviet ruling, the League of Nations hugely failed that small country when asked for help. I am afraid that today’s equivalent of that league will err again in the same way.

I am afraid that again the western powers will do what they do best: use those they call ‘partners’ in the political games just to abandon them when support without obvious gain is sought. Mr. Saakashvili’s mentioning today of a choice between a pragmatic or moral attitude having to be made is a truly appropriate observation. Somehow I am inclined to believe, probably Mr. Saakashvili as well, that the choice is already made and it’s not the moral one.

I doubt somebody is still (if ever was) truly convinced that the Russian invasion of a sovereign state has anything to do with humanitarian reasons. This invasion seeks regime change and control over an independent country. Will the world allow it?

2000 Georgian troops fought in Iraq a war that was not theirs and at this time when their country is under attack no friends seem to be in sight…

E foarte trist ce se intimpla in Georgia si mi-e teama sa nu devina si mai trist cind, asa cum e destul de previzibil, entitatea fantomatica numita comunitatea internationala va esua in a produce altceva decit vociferari cu continut vag. Daca independenta recunoscuta regiunii Kosovo e un precedent de care rusii nu se sfiesc sa se foloseasca sint curios daca USA (NATO) va avea consecventa de a utiliza precendentul atacarii Serbiei. Ma indoiesc insa…

De ce nu ma indoiesc insa e ca acest precedent se va muta aproape de casa. In masura in care in Transnistria se organizeaza deja trupe de voluntari ale caror instinct patriotic e supra-stimulat cu incentive financiare si cetatenesti si in plus de semnarea unui acord trilateral intre Transnistria, Abhazia si Osetia, nu cred ca va mai fi mult pina cind trupele sovietice, scuze, rusesti, de “mentinere a pacii” se vor reorienta spre zone din afara Caucazului si mai aproape de granitele Romaniei.

Problema este in momentul de fata a intregii diplomatii NATO si cu precadere o problema a fostelor state sovietice si intr-un ordin secundar si a Romaniei. In situatia data nu cred ca exista o alternativa diplomatica unei condamnari lipsite de echivoc a invazie exercitate de statul rus!

The opening ceremony of the 29th edition of the Olympic Games - Beijing 2008

The Chinese deserve all the praise and congratulations for the show of all shows! All their hard work and dedication deserved for it to go without a hitch and, as they hoped, i believe they did amazed the viewers.

Amazing work!

For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group to be dispatched to the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County in Sichuan.

They have also published an emergency relief hotline, along with bank account information to receive donations to assist their cause:

Account name: Red Cross Society of China

For those who want to donate in RMB: you can send money to the RMB account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch below:

0200001009014413252

For those who want to donate in foreign currency, you can send money to the foreign currency account at the CITIC Bank branch below:

7112111482600000209

Hotline: (8610) 65139999
Online donations: Red Cross Society of China website: www.redcross.org.cn

I am sorry to disappoint my self-righteous friends but i have to say that, concerning the recent events surrounding the trip of the Olympic flame , I find myself on the side of the Chinese people…

I am afraid us, the westerners, are too quick to transfer our values, political and ethical expectations onto other civilizations; we see everything through our home-made lenses and if sometimes the reality is skewed we blame the reality and not the lenses or our projections…

It is easy to be self-righteous when does not affect you; it is easy to condemn other people’s nationalism when yours goes unquestioned.

If Beijng deserves boycott for these Olympic games i see plenty of reasons, within the same framework, for Atlanta, Sydney or London to have received similar protests; somehow, though, our right is more right than others’ and it seems fashionable today for people to have pet-causes that keen keep them busy in between other social activities…

Would be easier if the world were to be all in black and white, but it isn’t, while bigotry and stupidity is definitely colour-blind…

Three films that say a lot and say it well…

21 Grams

Things We Lost in the Fire

Gone Baby, Gone

I forgot the pleasure of snow. Living in the south of China I meet snow only when I go to climb mountains and then I tend to inflict pain on my body. Snow means now cold, frostbite, avalanche and at best struggle and discomfort. I almost forgot the times snow meant thick overcoats, snowmen and snow-fights followed by a mug of hot wine with cinnamon drank together with friends or family in front of a fireplace. When it meant holidays with people knocking at the door to sing carols, soft cashmere jumpers and the fresh smell of pine trees. When snow was there to cool off overheated cheeks from staying too close to the fire; when snuggling was a sign of affection and not a defence against the elements… Soon I’ll be home. In snow again….

Well, blogging (I think this is a word on its own right by now) seems to be the fashion in the virtual world at the moment and a rather contagious fashion. I guess I could not resist the temptation of harbouring a place where I can randomly dump gems of wisdom and entertain both the illusion of conversation and the works of the mysterious little daemon of sharing thoughts and experiences.