Blog

Posted on

Iran, Israel and the USA: The Outrageous Actions of a President in Waning ‘Power’

The US American flag with rockets instead of stars three of which seem to fall or drop down similar to blood drops.
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

He seems not to know even himself what he is aiming at. Only yesterday in front of the world’s cameras he said it in so many words. Yet, it is abundantly clear that all of this is just another desperate attempt to divert attention from his problems in regard to internal affairs and his criminal record.

A person like the Secretary of Defense of the USA, Hegseth, even has the unspeakable impertinence to state: ~’no politically correct war; no UNO mission, no plans for the time after. Just plain war.’
A ripe pair.
Two of a kind.

The conflicts between Israel and Palestine and the additional forces stationed in the north and the south, the Guerilla troops of Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as the ‘support’ by the USA:
They are decades old!

Anyone with an atom of reason and smartness would have shied away from such a stupid and cruel step.

But someone like the present president in the US lacks that. What he is interested in is his own position, his power and – the future power in the US.

His affinity for Putin and his love of a dictatorship that allows him unbridled  power and say-so without any limitations are legendary.

The New York Times as well as the Washington Post* (when it still was independent) reported on both these facts:

    • NYT: Trump’s ideas in regard to Putin here.
    • The Pulitzer Prize committee’s information on awarding the prize to both newspapers regarding the connection and election influence in 2016 here.
    • Trump initiated the storming of the Capitol in January 2021.
    • He was ruled guilty in front of a US court on 34 counts of bribery, corruption and molestation.
    • The current Israel president Netanyahu has suffered from lack of support of his ‘subjects’ and the parliament as such for his cruel politics towards Palestinian territories, the Gaza strip and West Bank, going on for almost a decade now.
      • At this point his actions that started this escalation are another desperate attempt to keep his position as long as possible.
      • In this respect it is no surprise too, that the talks to Trump were not public and also not disclosed in any way.
    • The weapons’ industry in the US is the largest and most powerful. Previous presidents were pressurized and even murdered because they tried to limit their profits. (J.F. Kennedy being the most prominent.)

This war is outrageous, it is exactly the same type of action that Putin reverted to when attacking Ukraine, according to international law.

These attacks have to stop!
It will just lay the whole region to waste and land it in a war for years to come.

When we take all these facts together, and use that age-old principle of ‘cui bono?‘, ‘who benefits?‘, some things become abundantly clear.

Shame on such a government as the present US presidential administration.

* The Washington Post since not only was acquired by Jeff Bezos, amazon founder and Trump follower, it also recently suffered a big reduction of staff.

Posted on

The Trump Legacy ‘Navigated’… Near East Flare-up – Two Years Only to ‘go’?

Map of the near east under a magnifying glass, with a dove of peace flying across
Images licensed via Adobe CC, my graphics

For decades people were careful about and on the Near East struggle for peace and some sort of peaceful coexistence. And here comes a president raised in a military academy, West Point, and imagines that you just ‘hit them hard’ and as a surprise in order to succeed fast.

Yet again the 2nd World War comes to mind; Napoleon even. All of these “would-be kings without kingdom” who strike out for the sole reason of satisfying a (too small…?) ego and causing endless years of pain, death and  more struggle.

You learn from history and try to do better! Not the other way around.

Half the Near East is going up in flames at the moment – and no wonder, too: Palestinians’ and Israelis’ issues, made even worse by someone like Netanyahu, of course are directly involved in this: The south as well as the northern borders of Israel historically have been ‘bridge heads’ also for decades of soldiers and Guerilla warriors supporting Palestinians.

Israel on the other hand is under strong protection from the USA, also for historical reasons.
If you come to think of it, though constantly fighting, some sort of ‘justice’ seems included… every party in this dreadful, ongoing conflict represented.

But these also are age-old historical truths:

    • Cruelty, force, will propagate itself: Make war and you will get more war.
    • A leader of state, be that a king or a dictator or a president, will try to divert attention from internal issues; making a war is a very old and well-loved method for that.
    • Additionally, a ‘legacy’ of a reign, a presidency, also can be something to aim at: To be remembered for something; preferably something worth mentioning at least for some years.

All of the above are bitter truths in this case: A president called Trump, with a criminal record and sad past of corruption, bribery and fraud trying to ‘cover up’.

I am glad that I live in a democracy where I can say and write what I think. I am grateful too.

The only thing I wish more for the people in Iran than that kind of freedom and human rights is peace in that region. Peaceful coexistence finally.
Because instead of killing more people into the bargain, some leaders start finally ‘doing their homework’.

Posted on

The Desperate Outrage called ‘President Trump’: Iran, Oil, Money and War – Power Games

A large chess board and two chess pieces, the black and the whit king, facing each other, in ront of a cloudy sky.
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

It is clear to anyone who follows politics closely: Mr Trump, President of the USA, is desperate. Nothing else explains the behaviour towards Iran: The USA are even historically famous for their need of oil. Of fossil fuels.

The economy in the USA is failing and has been for years just as it has everywhere else. The pandemic has taken its toll.

The weapons’ industry in the USA is the most powerful of all. When you don’t make war, you don’t need to produce weapons.

That’s why wars are so ‘profitable’: The president profits from the ‘noise’ and news around apparent enemies that have to be fought. No one will look at his criminal record anymore. (Link to New York Times article.)

The industry producing weapons also profits: The storage spaces will be lightened of their ‘burden’ and new weapons have to be bought.

With the tax payers’ money, to boot. And the soldiers that might die?

Let them not fool us: Iran’s internal politics are cruel and brutal towards their population, against human rights and especially those of women.

But this is not about Iran’s population: This is about its oil and the power and the money. It’s between Iran and the USA.

Later, March 1st 2026: What will happen, if a new government actually would be instated in Iran that of course would be cheek by jowl with the US? For decades the Palestinians had to try and hold their ground. Ground that was originally theirs to keep as per agreements after the founding of Israel.

What will happen to Iran itself? A copy of Western civilisations, with the values and particular ways gone…?

What will happen to its oil and the USA’s needs…?

Hopefully enough people will start thinking about this early. The factions inside and outside of Iran are even now distinctly discernible.

Let’s hope that a fate like that of Iraq will be spared them. Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein had been supported for decades by the USA as well. They even helped him getting ‘up’. When he started to become too independent, his fate was sealed.

Posted on

Nowruz 2026 – Persian New Year’s Celebrations

UTC (+1) Friday, March 20, 2026, 15:45:59 PM (Berlin, Vienna)

animated gif showing norooz congratulations in Persian

Nowruz is one of the oldest festivals that exist: Its origins seem to be in debate, but it seems to have been part of Zoroastrianism. It was first recorded in ancient Pahlavi texts, over 2000 years ago.

It’s a spring festival that celebrates the coming of the new year after winter.
It is celebrated inside and outside of Persia with ancient rites, joyful and full of hope.

Imagine a combination of Christmas and Easter: Houses will be cleaned from top to bottom and decorated with eggs, flowers and twigs indicating the coming of spring and hopes for plentiful harvests.

The so-called ‘sofre-e haft sin‘, a fine cloth decorated in a central place of a house or home, showing more decoration and seven (‘haft‘) special things symbolising wishes for a good year ahead, whose names each start with the letter ‘sin’ of the Persian alphabet.

People buy new clothes and little gifts.
The festival starts actually two days before the turning of the new year, the day called “chaharshanb-e suri”:
The last Wednesday before the new year, when people gather in the streets, light small bonfires and jump over them, saying proverbs: This custom meant to leave sorrow and unhappiness to the fire and let it transfer new energy to the jumping person.

After the turning of the new year for two weeks people visit each other, wearing their new clothes and bearing gifts, the rounds starting with the young visiting the older family members first. Sweets, fruit, and tea are common as repasts – and dancing is a matter of course.

Enjoy!

Posted on

The Cruelty of Crime – or: Hope is Where We Are – Many Little People in Many Little Places…

Image of an eye, a schematic image of a person checking all kinds of social media channels at its laptop and a large sign reading OFFLINE.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay and Adobe CC, my graphics

These days the papers published by and by in the US about molestation and abuse of minors are disturbing. Alas, it’s not the first time such cruelties occur, they are no specialty of the US and as such the reasons are manifold. The scientific research is well-advanced. I’d like to propose some ideas and measures on how to deal with all of it.

    • Remember the cruel fact too, that sensations have to be sold by media, ‘social’ or otherwise.
      Historically, too the more ghoulish, the better.
      In former centuries it was ballad singers on street corners with large wall posters.
    • A sad truth too: People involved will get some PR… it’s been proven too, that sensations often sell better than any sympathy campaign…
    • Make sure not to consume all of it just because it’s there. Take time off of news and channels.
    • These things have reasons partly in the world we live in: Men are supposed to be rich, famous and powerful. Additionally what is also called ‘bodily ‘love” they are supposed to have lots of.
    • At the same time their ego may suffer from self-doubts, often severely. An apparent solution to warped minds is this kind of behaviour, especially when doing it in networks: Apparently boosts self-confidence and also makes them money.
    • Remember too, that such occurrences are not the norm! Not even the majority. The good people are more!
    • Also know – or check – that the numbers in penal offence statistics as well as crime in general for many years have been decreasing! It’s those news and ‘social’ media that can make it appear otherwise.

What we can do is around us, every day: Treat people around us with respect, friendliness and love.

Because anything we do, we can do right here and now, where we are. That’s where we can do the most good!

This is that famous proverb, supposed to be African:

If many little people in many little places do many little things – they can change the face of the earth!

Posted on

Iran: The Tragic Blend of Politics and Cruelty, Oil, Money and Power

Image of a 2D globe of the earth, with Iran's position on the map coloured in red in the center of the picture.
Image free, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Iran’s history for over two centuries now has been determined by its resources, above all: Oil. The ‘black gold’ that since industrialization has been the most coveted resource of all. Iran has lots of it. And it is the largest oil recovering industry of the world.

The present government is cruel internally. The rules and regulations are restrictive and deny basic human rights to all, especially to women.

It is the dreadful choice of ‘hell or high water’: All foreign powers since the 18th century, especially then-Russia, the Soviet Union and now Russia again, France, Great Britain and a little later the USA tried constantly to grab hold over Iran’s politics and thus its oil. Its resources are rich, such as gas, but oil exists in abundance.
And can be extracted with ease, the modern facilities in place.

During the reign of the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a few very rich profited and lived in luxury, a thin layer of the society’s strata that over here are called the middle and upper middle classes also lived a fairly wealthy and quiet life.

But there was no freedom of arts, press or opinion. The Savak, the shah’s secret service was present everywhere. Would someone try and criticize the shah’s politics openly, they would rather quickly find themselves in prison, the Evin prison close to Tehran to this day is world in-famous for the cruel conditions and torture of political prisoners. It was founded during the shah’s reign.

To boot, oil at the time was basically in the hands of the US, sold to them at dumping prices, the shah lived and reigned from their grace. And they removed support when the uprisings began to become huge in 1978 and 1979.

The larger part of the Iranian population at the time, though, not only lived in the country. They were poor to starvation point, and uneducated, many were not even able to read or write.

For decades they tried to make it known and finally protested so often and in such large groups that the shah finally had to leave. That was in 1979. It enabled Ayatollah Khomeini to come back, who had had to flee the country some years previously.

He seemed to promise freedom, finally: Freedom of thoughts and ideas, of press and a more just distribution of the country’s wealth. Many a fine journalist and educated intellectual was taken in at the time.

But as soon as the government was instated, any and all ‘enemies’ of the Islamic Revolution and the ‘Islamic Republic’ were hunted down and killed or imprisoned. The freedom of opinion or press or basic human rights were denied again. Ancient Islamic laws were reinstated and especially the restrictions for women in terms of clothing, education and choice of profession were made much worse again.

A few hopes had been attached to leaders in the late 1990s and early 2000s but in vain. Some few lessened limitations were soon to be tightened again.

It is over 40 years now. The third generation of young people are living under harsh restrictions.

Yet, the international community, above all the USA to this day constantly put Iran under pressure:

Especially the Trump administration has in both its times in office committed about every political misdemeanour possible:

The contracts in regard to the control of uranium enrichment that had been reached after over 10 years of negotiation have been cancelled by Trump during his first stay in office. At the same time severe limitations and restrictions to trade and international business have been imposed upon Iran. They are not only still in place but tightened every now and again.

Making the living conditions inside the country so much worse.

What is the motivation for the USs meddling, the constant pointing of fingers, threatening and blaming Iran alternatively?

Easy to figure out really: No one would lift a finger very probably, if Iran wasn’t so rich in resources.

Iran and Persia to this day for a lot of fine reasons ring in people’s ears with wonders and a thousands of years’ old culture, reaching far back beyond Islam’s advent.

If anything, a free government and political culture of its own, unmolested by outside powers will be Iran’s salvation.

Posted on

Always Cool, Calm and Collected? – or: When Sensitivity Meets ‘Iron Man’

Two images showing a man running from water, biking and doing a run on the street, in a triathlon and a large canvas in oil, with a male hand holding a brush to it as if painting.
Images licensed via Adobe CC, my arrangement

‘Iron Man’ is the name for a triathlon considered to be the hardest to stay the course or win, of all, annually taking place on Hawaii. Thus the name. Yet, as so often is the case, there is more to it than meets the eye: To be an ‘iron man’, a hard, muscular ‘hero-type’ of man seems still to be an ideal especially for men to attain.

What can easily be forgotten is the other side to human existence: The finer senses. The fact that human beings do not just consist of a number of muscles to be trained and displayed and used in a competition.

Humans have brains and hearts. The heart showing by beating faster, breath going stronger, what we feel and what often if not always starts in the brain: Emotions, passion, fear, joy, or excitement.

Those who say they are never afraid, are either dumb – or they lie. (NB)

Fear is one of those emotions that is never to be expected of the ‘iron man’, the hero, the ‘guy’. Always be cool and calm and collected, that’s the way to go – in patriarchy.

A comedian some years ago put it like this, too:
“Anything men ever did in the course of human history was done to attract females.”
I believe he may be right…

That mistaken idea even some women still retain today – heroism showing itself like this: that men never should be sensitive, afraid, or vulnerable, is a great pity and a loss to our world.

Because many a hero was born for fear of being considered ‘too weak’. And the mistaken run for that ultimate goal, the ultimate ‘iron man’-medal can result in figures such as Trump or Putin: More power, more ‘say-so’, even inducing more fear in others.
To ‘cut a figure’, as the old phrase so nicely puts it.

I think that two things deserve our attention much more:

    • The men that actually take it on themselves to have a family and care for them. Teach their children that a man is more than just a ‘six pack’…
    • In general, face our prejudices and presumptions with some courage – and start to realize that neither men nor women ‘need’ to match all those  criteria so often part of the cheaper type of movie or advertisement:

Always ‘cool, calm and collected’, always ‘happy, healthy and wealthy’… is just too much to expect.

Let’s start to be more human again. Although these thoughts and ideas have been raised before, being different, being an ‘artistic type’, or just being sensitive, still too often is considered unusual.
And still to this day the ‘hounds’ are called and let loose on those who represent in effect about one quarter of any human community: People very aware of the finer senses.

In other words as well: Let’s teach tolerance* to our children and grandchildren, respect for all those trying to make the world more colourful, interesting or just a little more joyful.

 

* “tolerance noun (ACCEPTANCE)

willingness to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them”
(Cambridge Dictionary, Online version)

Posted on

How to See With Your Heart – People and the Common Denominator – 1 Among 100

Image of a heart shape and a head and brain shape, in red and blue respectively, in front of a black background.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Connecting… To others, feel connected and welcome. The basics of human existence, the basic needs and sorrows and joys.
Knowing about them inside yourself makes your ‘heart’ ‘clairvoyant’: You start to see the other’s pain, their joys, their sorrows, you understand – and you can relate to them in new ways – and find new solutions to old problems.

People are like icebergs, rarely is everything visible at once. It’s a fact that we all know to be true, at least more or less: Especially in business, it’s a common idea that one should be always competent, never make mistakes…, always be fit and never lack enthusiasm. Perhaps even smile, if you can, to show that you are happy.

That means many people, even if half-consciously, behave that way; because we learn early in life from our surroundings, namely parents, family, friends and later kindergarten and school, and so on.

But sometimes people start realizing at some point that there is “more to it than meets the eye”.

Human beings have fine sensors especially as children about what is accepted behaviour and what is not. Therefore starting with early childhood they adapt to what is expected. Thus culture and personal background are decisive aspects of what makes for the personality you meet one day around your workplace. And the personality you are.

The hidden emotions and less accepted tendencies, a yearning, to fulfill an inner need for something else – love perhaps, passion, adventure – can be strong. The self-control usually is too.

Looking Beyond the Image

If we take into account that any culture in this world imposes limitations on people’s behaviour which are basics for that self-control preventing them from speaking up – we will start to be able to look beyond the image. Relate to the true human being behind the business personality.

Daniel Goleman in his bestselling book called it “EQ”: Emotional Intelligence, the ability to realize the emotional side to any human thought and reaction. He states it clearly that science did eventually prove what has been part of literature, music and stories for as long as mankind exists:

Emotions are the basics and central. Without them we become incapable to decide – anything.

That’s how heart and brain are connected – in a nutshell.

Statistics show too that 1 among a 100 people will speak up or contact someone when they have a problem or an issue. Therefore, looking at the small numbers in this respect can be crucial.

That’s why I use this blog to post about perhaps unusual subjects – to some of my readers. In the hopes that one or the other of them finds realization and perhaps even consolation in the fact that they are not alone with those thoughts, ideas or puzzles of human existence.

Understanding our emotions and relate to others better that way, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry put this way in “The Little Prince”:

“Here is my secret. It is very simple: you only truly see with your heart.
What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

(Reused my own material from previous posts.)

Posted on

Trump’s Desperation: Oil, Power Games, and War – or: Against a Strong International Community

Four pictures, showing the US-flag on a background of dried, cracking earth, a picture of oil rigs, dollar bills in front, and a picture of a Greenland and Iran map, respectively.
Images licensed via Adobe CC, my arrangement

It’s obvious: Greenland didn’t ‘work’… now it’s back to Iran, again? How in the world do you sleep at night and look into the mirror in the morning, Mr Trump?

Again the scare tactics to get people to succumb to your type of deal conditions? ‘What the he…l?’ This is not your earth, not your and your followers’ planet.

Simply and truly. It’s obvious too that in view of the internal affairs you deign to handle in your usual cruel manner; Minnesota comes to mind; promises you probably have made to the large industries in the US, especially those producing weapons. You need any distraction from those affairs, come hell or high water.

In German for people like you there is a fine term: This urge is called “Großmannssucht”: The dire need to feel tall and important. “Craving for status”. It would be ridiculous if it wasn’t so shameful.

For years you have tortured half the world (at least) with your threats, bullying and tantrums. We all know that you literally stop at nothing.

A criminal ruled guilty on 34 counts.

Once more Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” comes to mind:  a young and sweet-faced man who starts a promising career and then just commits about every crime in the book, because he believes that such a life could make him happy. Which it doesn’t.

After a sort of magical transformation, so for many years his appearance does not change from that young, innocent face, the story ends with him one day looking into that special mirror once more; after many years he sees his face in the actual state nature intended for such people:
The horror strikes him so suddenly that he dies on the spot.

The staff and neighbours running in to help are horror stricken too and do not recognize him for quite some time.

Mr Trump, be aware the international community is strong and they are more. Get your act together and stop these charades.

Author’s Note: Politics around oil for over two centuries now are at the top of all policies that countries and their leaders observe since the need for fuels made from fossils arose ever more strongly.
One prominent centre of attention since that time was – and still is – Iran: The world’s largest industry for mining and marketing oil, it’s been part of the US’s foreign strategic policies for more than a century as well.
The last shah of Iran was put there by their support. He was made to leave when he became unable to control the starving people.
The government after that, cruel and dreadful as far as internal affairs go, has been able so far to resist the attempts at bullying them into subservience.
Iran has a culture that reaches thousands of years into the past, far beyond any more recent religious ideas.
That culture and its strongholds deserve saving. And the people of Iran to be in their own right and possession of the natural resources. Instead of under the order of a government headed by someone like the current US-president.

Posted on

AI Saves Time? – or: Ideas, Inspiration, Human Intelligence and the Machine

Image of a man, some bubbles with question marks in them and a figure that looks like an android, its hand raised in direction of the bubbles, its back to the viewer, the man looking rather strictly at the figure.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

AI, so it appears, saves time: Let it summarize a longer text for you which you do not have the time to read in full. Let it make (‘generate’ = Gen AI) a little image you could use in an online blog post. Even let it create whole (short) videos to use for posting and sharing online…

Well, so far the theory.

Yet, as so often is the case, theory and practice are not the same thing at all.

You can use AI for all of the above these days. But the fact remains that AI is not really intelligent. The term ‘Artificial Intelligence’ suggests it, of course. But that’s a marketing term. Using ‘create’ as a term makes it appear as if… there was actually something creative.

Because, what AI does is reuse already known material and re-assemble in a likely manner.

How Do I Know?

As a technical writer by profession I documented AI successfully. The US-agency Gartner mentioned that documentation specially in their Magic Quadrant on Metadata Applications in 2019.

Since then I also have tested all the popular AI tools you can use for such tasks online and offline, such as ChatGPT, Le Chat, Claude, ‘Copilot(s)’ or a plugin called AMP.
In technical writing you could use these as a sort of optimization tool. Once your text is ready, let the AI go through it and optimize according to standards.

But in technical documentation as such, content creation or creation of visual material, AI is not really helpful.

Why?

    • You need a good idea of where you want to go with this, of what you actually need.
    • You then need to write a prompt for your AI tool to have it generate what you want.
    • When the output is available, you need to check, for facts, for correctness of representation, for quality.
    • Very often the first few attempts fail because AI will just re-use already known data for the patterns to find and re-assemble.

That’s why you often see AI-generated images or videos that look strangely puppet-like, smoothed in all the wrong places or simply skewed.

Texts on the other hand will be somehow always ‘like that other one’.

The technology behind AI makes this practically an unavoidable scenario:

    1. AI is based on algorithms: they are like chains of formulas. These formulas basically depend on probability, statistics and their patterns.
    2. Once the AI’s framework is in place, it will be trained on certain data that fit its use case. The algorithms and their sequences may then be refined.
    3. Finally the new data such as online databases is used to find more patterns, of the same or similar.

Therefore, you cannot replace humans with AI.

Because, in complex uses cases, these things take time. Because, anything you will let an AI generate will always remind you of something. It will sometimes appear a little lifeless, even strangely familiar. But it will never be unique. Never have that feel about it. And miss out on that ‘spark of inspiration’ that makes human intelligence so special.

Privacy Proudly powered by WordPress