STUPIDITY

The problems of the world today could be simplistically reduced to one word - stupidity. Only stupidity would drive three Israeli Jews (seemingly, a couple and their daughter) to plant a series of small bombs in a Nazareth church, which obviously led to some rioting. Especially given the current political landscape of the region, meaning: the Hamas victory and fragile leadership in Israel due to Ariel Sharon's massive stroke a few months ago.

If in fact the couple has been treated in the past for psychiatric problems and had their children removed from their care by the government (as reported by the New York Times), then why are they out now, free to wander the country planting bombs? Especially if they threatened to bomb other churches in the past. Which they did. So the stupidity abounds, from every possible side.

Stupidity abounds also in the recent meeting between Hamas and the Russians. Well, from the part of the Russians - it is stupid to invite Hamas over for a number of reasons. To say the least, it is a reminder of the Cold War relationship between the Soviet Union and the PLO. Why on earth would Putin try to revive that sort of glory? Not to mention that the visit is taking place amidst the uproar about the Iran nuclear situation, which is also linked to Russia. As of now, Hamas leaders are not scheduled to meet with Putin; but this could change, and that would be very, very stupid of the Russian president.

The visit turns out to be stupid for Hamas as well - Hamas leadership, soooo happy about being formally invited on a state visit by one of the major players in the world arena, was surprised shortly upon arrival with a chilly request to recognize Israel and dismantle its armed factions.

El Presidente, as we all know, continuously provides us with evidence that stupidity is indeed limitless. I mean, how stupid is the fact that he denied having been briefed on the precarious conditions of the New Orleans levees when the whole thing was caught on tape? Duh. El Presidente on candid camera...

How about David Irving? Without question, he holds first place for complete, indestructible stupidity (together with the Iranian president, another first-rate lunatic). From jail in Austria, he had the nerve and the dishonesty to deny the Holocaust all over again - even though during his swift trial he tried to pass as repentant and mumbled something about having been mistaken all those years... Right. That's really stupid, considering that there are those who are advocating a longer prison term than the three years he already got (as a reminder, I am against his sentencing, even though I despise the man).

Here in LA, a $1 million dollar Ferrari (one of only 400 ever made, and illegally brought into the US) hit a telephone pole in Malibu, mystery driver and all. There is plenty of stupidity here. First, who buys a $1 million dollar car?!?!? Second, who smashes an illegally imported $1 million dollar car into a telephone pole? In Malibu (talk about cliché)? Need I say more?

In my home country of Brazil, one of the recently stolen art pieces from a museum in Rio de Janeiro during the carnival festivities was put up for sale on an internet auction site for $13 million - on a Russian website. Er, um, it is a Matisse painting; it is not like it can go unnoticed. I thought this type of internet activity could be traced - oh well, maybe I am the stupid one. And in any case, who would be stupid enough to purchase a stolen Matisse from a Russian website? And isn't it also stupid to disclose this type of information to the press?

As an analogy (with concessions, of course) - during the Israeli Olympic team massacre in Munich in 1972, a very stupid and costly mistake was to let the police activity inside the Olympic village be televised by the news crews at the scene. The terrorists knew everything that was happening outside (including the German snipers on the rooftops) because they could watch it all on the television...

Now that was stupid. Tough competition here. Let's hope the podium is wide and long enough.