Just another manic Monday

This Grey Lady Op Ed suggests that not merely college grads, or even Americans, but 80% of humanity is “irrationally exuberant,” or “optimistic” about their own personal prospects, despite significant evidence to the contrary. The highly simplistic article assumes that uniquely American acts of stupidity (such as profligate spending, short-term thinking and refusal to take basic lifestyle precautions) are the result of “optimism” rather than… stupidity… and hence, misses the mark (just saying)… it also overlooks the fact that the happiest people on Earth according to surveys– the Danes– do not seem so optimistic, and are so happy precisely because their expectations are modest. But hey? Facts? We don’t need no stinkin’ facts…
Meanwhile, it seems over a dozen Palestinians were killed as their protestors appear to have tried to breach, or in some cases actually breached, Israeli borders in the North (Lebanon and Syria) and in Gaza and the West Bank. Coordinated assaults sponsored by Iran and Syria (which are having their own internal protests), or an expansion of “the Arab spring” to Israel’s doorstep? Depends on who you ask, I suppose. Given that these “protests” took place on the anniversary of Israel’s founding, I’m less inclined than usual to dismiss the seemingly hysterical suggestions of the Netanyahu government that these “protests” are likely sponsored by Iran (and its surrogates, such as Syria or Hamas) and more about destroying Israel than they are about demands for “peace” or “justice,” though of course, peace and justice in that part of the world are what is being demanded, at great personal risk, throughout the Arab world (plus Iran). And of course, governments in Jordan and Egypt took steps to minimize marches toward their borders with Israel. Still and all, breach of international borders (particularly from a place like Syria, with whom Israel remains officially in a state of war) is the sort of thing not likely to be taken lightly.
And in some incredible irony, the International Monetary Fund managing director (and leading candidate for President of France), Dominque Strauss-Kahn, was arrested in New York on charges of sexual assault, thus delaying him from heading to Europe to meet with German leader Angela Merkel to arrange for the IMF’s rape of Greece (coordinated with the EU, of course). While a hotel maid picked Strauss-Kahn out of a line-up, “forensic tests” are being conducted. Strauss-Kahn has had prior allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him… innocent until proven guilty and all… like the story from Israel… “developing.”
And speaking of “developing”… we give you this homage to the Drudge Report… Sure, Drudge is a hard-core right-winger, but he is a traffic behemoth, and, of course, he keeps it simple. To his credit, in a world of never-ending bells and whistles, videos and other noise, Drudge… keeps it simple. It seems that millions of people actually like that.
This has been “Just another manic Monday.”