The New Republic

"My favorite was, of course, Hadrian the Zionist. He was more than that. But I already saw him as an ally in the past." This is quite an incredible statement, unless you Marty is being ironic which I don't think so, considering Hadrian's history in Judea: "...during the war 580,000 Jews were killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages razed. The final battle took place in Beitar, a fortified city 10 km. southwest of Jerusalem. The city only fell after a lengthy siege, and Hadrian only allowed the Jews to bury their dead after a period of six days. According to the Babylonian Talmud,[47] after the war Hadrian continued the persecution of Jews. He attempted to root out Judaism, which he saw as the cause of continuous rebellions, prohibited the Torah law, the Hebrew calendar and executed Judaic scholars (see Ten Martyrs). The sacred scroll was ceremonially burned on the Temple Mount. In an attempt to erase the memory of Judaea, he renamed the province Syria Palaestina (after the Philistines), and Jews were forbidden from entering its rededicated capital. When Jewish sources mention Hadrian it is always with the epitaph "may his bones be crushed" (שחיק עצמות or שחיק טמיא, the Aramaic equivalent[48]), an expression never used even with respect to Vespasian or Titus who destroyed the Second Temple." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian#Second_Roman-Jewish_War

- noga1

February 6, 2010 at 8:04am

"Their uniforms are splendid. And they march in step." And the last time they won a war, was when?

- jdyer

February 6, 2010 at 11:15am

Yes, go on mocking Southern European countries and letting financial markets destroy our public finances, while China threatens the US and signs huge coal deals with Australia. That's what I call a great strategic concept! What you aren't predicting is that Europe, even at the fringes, is not as weak as you think. It is more than capable to respond to Anglo-american predator financial markets. The problem for you is that energies are going to be spent there. On other issues, the US will have to depend exclusively on... its huge markets, meant to destroy everything and produce nothing.

- Ideaot

February 6, 2010 at 12:35pm

Since I referred to the subject, I add that I'm amazed with TNR's -- which I take to be a liberal mag interested in politics and economics -- silence at a moment in which financial markets - and particularly the bond market - is wiping out nations, eventually to the point of making them technically bankrupt. Indeed, markets are simply putting governments in a position where they are forced to appeal to foreign help. They are greedy for profitable interest rate hikes - justified by their own perception of risk. They are attacking Euro countries who do not have the option of nationalising banks & seizing control of their own money supply. And they are doing that, knowing that, in order to rescue the Euro, Germany and France will ultimately have to save the day, filling their filthy pockets. Plus: they seem to be backed by an Anglo-Saxon press that, not only recovered the racist expression PIIGS, but constantly misrepresents the situation in different countries. For instance, Portugal's situation is constantly equated with Greece's, when Portugal's public debt is 76,6% (the same as France's) and Greece's is 112,6%, when Portugal's budget deficit is 9,3% (exceptionally high last year because of the financial crisis, growing from 2,9% two years ago) and Greece's is 12,7%, etc., etc. Even Nobel Laureates are going out of their way in order to misrepresent the situation of Southern European countries. For instance Krugman treatment of Spain was shameful as correctly pointed out in the comments to his blog entry: http://community.nytimes.com/comments/krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/the-spanish-tragedy/?sort=oldest&offset=2 Anyway all these people are consciously or unconsciously covering for what appears to be -- if not stopped -- a predatory financial attack without parallel on nations, in name of easy profits. Yes, the monster was fed last year at the bailout and the monster is turning its destructive attention to whoever it can. You can remain quiet and even call us PIIGS -- forgetting perhaps that that is a racist line used by the Protestant Brits against Catholic Nations -- but eventually the monster will turn against you.

- Ideaot

February 6, 2010 at 2:18pm

Just to add that I'm Luis, only writing with a different name.

- Ideaot

February 6, 2010 at 2:26pm

Ah Luis! -- what a spoiler! Now all those pleasurable moments of speculation ("how odd! -- that sounds so like one of luispc's weird rants . . .") will remain just a dream.

- ironyroad

February 6, 2010 at 4:20pm

What do posters change their names? It's the second one in two weeks to announce a change of name. I'm just curious.

- noga1

February 6, 2010 at 4:36pm

"Oriana Fallaci, a patriotic Florentine, once screamed at me that Italy should be carved up in two, with everything south of Rome being sent out to sea." Which provides a good way to calibrate her opinions on Muslims, as well.

- SMacEachern2

February 6, 2010 at 4:48pm

Different name, same speculator Irony. The good kind of speculator. On the bad kind, what amazes me is that this attack on Europe was predicted one year ago (go here: http://www.eurointelligence.com/article.581+M5197c251664.0.html) and European institutions failed to protect the states against it.

- Ideaot

February 6, 2010 at 5:08pm

I have no idea how to change one's name. How did you Luis. wow, what a hash of a post. Um...the Romans were in Rome first, they built the city and from there conquered other areas, if you are talking about Italy, then say Italy. And Marc Antony was never Emperor, but was part of the Second Triumvirate with Octavius and Lepidus. And, of course, Noga's point as well. And look, I love to poke fun at Italians (ok, Italian American of the jersey shore variety) as much as the next person, but just hold the hyperbole a little. The only major problem Italy faces today is demographics, they aren't making enough little Italians, having a very low birthrate. But the rest with the so corrupt, so...etc. I simply don't get your casual insulting people. I have been to so corrupt, so inefficient, etc. and Italy ain't anywhere close to that.

- blackton

February 6, 2010 at 5:17pm

Ideaot "Just to add that I'm Luis, only writing with a different name." As if couldn't have guessed. Same nonesense, different name.

- jdyer

February 6, 2010 at 5:31pm

SMacEachern2 ""Oriana Fallaci, a patriotic Florentine, once screamed at me that Italy should be carved up in two, with everything south of Rome being sent out to sea." Which provides a good way to calibrate her opinions on Muslims, as well." Oriana's life was exemplary. Fought the Fascists and fought Islamic fascism. She was indeed a patrior and a true democrat. What did Mac do except collaborate with Islamicists? What a sorry sad sack.

- jdyer

February 6, 2010 at 5:36pm

That's right, malaht, it's easy to do. Ypu are also correct about Luis' id change.

- dyer,j

February 6, 2010 at 11:00pm

New account, Blackton. The old one ended. Dyer, with the old or the new name, keeps doing what he is able to do, which is insulting. And shows that, according with his worldview, solidarity with other nations only applies to Israel. And on what concerns bl462/malahata, his faith on market theology is so much that he fails to recognize even predicted phenomena, such as this speculative attack. Again, if anyone has any doubts the thing was even predicted: http://www.eurointelligence.com/article.581+M5197c251664.0.html

- Ideaot

February 7, 2010 at 3:29am

Noga, I'm glad to see someone else here picked up on MP's historical flub. Hadrian was indeed the bloodiest of emperors as far as ancient Judea is concerned. After his suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 136 CE (which required the transfer of a legion or two from Europe to Judea, as it was known then) his generals embarked on an "ethnic cleansing" mission designed to render Judea (as opposed to the Galillee and the southern reaches of Hebron hills) Judenrein. Indeed every once in a while, archeological evidence of the massacre is uncovered (the most recent to my knowledge was the dig at Itri in which skeletons of women and children with evidence of beheading was discovered in one of the mikva'ot> (ritual baths) and / or secret tunnels under the town. As Noga noted Hadrian as one other claim to fame that is somewhat at variance with calling him a Zionist. It was Hadrian who renamed Judea as "Palestine", a term mentioned in Herodotus which the ancient Greeks used to refer the southern coastal plain where the remnants of the Philistines lived until dispersed by the Babylonian conqueror Nebuchadnezzar. Hadrian goal was to wipe out any hint of a Jewish connection to the region. By contrast, after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, Jews were generally forbidden from entering Jerusalem, but Judean villages, towns and cities outside of Jerusalem, even just north of the city, continued to exist, even thrive. The inscription on the southern end of the Western Wall to which MP is referring is dated later than Hadrian (Jews were still very much banned from Jerusalem even before the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132 CE), I believe to the time of Julian the Apostate who as the good pagan he was, planned to allow all the subjugated peoples in the empire to get out from under the yoke of Christianity and rebuild their temples etc. Hence the hope among the Jews around then that they would be able to rebuild the temple destroyed in 70 CE. But his death and the subsequent resurgence of Christianity as the politically dominant belief system put an end to those hopes. Hershel Ginsburg Jerusalem / Efrata

- ginzy

February 7, 2010 at 7:42am

Julian, Hadrian, what's the difference? They both end with -ian anyway. Marty seems somewhat vulnerable when it comes to representing correctly people's names. I noted in the past a few such deviations, like the time he called Mahmoud Abbas Mohamed Abbas and Rashid Khalidi Wallid Khalidi. He also tends to mistake some anti-Zionists with Zionists. He did refer to Khalidi as almost a Zionist. So I wonder about it, and theorize that it comes from a certain need to find friends for Israel in the most unlikely places. Methinks Marty needs a fact checker, especially when it comes to people's names.

- noga1

February 7, 2010 at 9:49am

Actually Noga, I think a tad of humility (not too much) might do the trick for him. hg

- ginzy

February 7, 2010 at 10:14am

If you know any thing about Italians, they do not march in step.

- adrianbr

February 7, 2010 at 1:56pm

Ideaot "Dyer, with the old or the new name, keeps doing what he is able to do, which is insulting." As opposed to idiot/Luis who all he is able to do is to condescend to American poster thinking he knows more about our country than we do. "And shows that, according with his worldview, solidarity with other nations only applies to Israel." Yes, Israel and Tibet and Taiwan and Haiti and any other country that is threatened by other more powerful country, or has suffered some undeserved misfortune.

- jdyer

February 7, 2010 at 2:27pm

So ginzy, which Roman emperor do you think looked most favorably on the jews (and other subject people)? Augustus, Claudius (due to his friendship with Herod Agrippa), Julian, etc. Israel flourished pretty greatly under the "yoke" of Rome during the time of Herod the Great (I would love to have been able to see the port at Caesarea Maritima in its heyday. (or even now, perhaps when I retire)

- blackton

February 7, 2010 at 2:45pm

Well, Dyer, I studied America's political experience and formed an opinion on it. Disputable, sure, but informed. Never meant to be condescending. If you formed a parallel opinion on my country, I would be very interested, provided it didn't pass by calling us PIIGS and by deliberately destroying our public finances.

- Ideaot

February 7, 2010 at 3:58pm

Ideaot "If you formed a parallel opinion on my country, I would be very interested, provided it didn't pass by calling us PIIGS and by deliberately destroying our public finances." And who exactly destroyed your "public" finances?

- jdyer

February 7, 2010 at 5:30pm

And who's calling whom 'PIIGS'? The story in this morning's NY Times made it clear the acronym came from your side of the pond, not ours!

- ironyroad

February 7, 2010 at 7:18pm

"And who exactly destroyed your "public" finances?" Rating agencies + investment banks. And as I said above, it was all predicted (http://www.eurointelligence.com/article.581+M5197c251664.0.html) and seems to be performed with impressive accuracy.

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 1:48am

"The story in this morning's NY Times made it clear the acronym came from your side of the pond, not ours!" The acronym (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain), according to what I've heard, has been used historically by Protestant Brits in order to diminish Southern European Nations, most of them Catholic. And it was now recovered by "The Economist", that great publication. And the American press may not have invented it, but it is using it gladly and shamefully. That while brutally misrepresenting the realities of Southern European countries. Taking the example of my country, Portuguese reality is permanently equated with Greece's when our public debt is the same as France's (76%), and thus is 50 points lower than Greece, when our public deficit is much lower, etc. Plus: everyone insists that we are dipped in a recession when our economy has began to recover two semesters ago and has grown even more than Germany. But all that is forgotten by a Press (including the celebrated NYT) which seems to be exclusively fed by rumours created with a specific purpose: to create speculation around Portuguese public debt and CDS and thus making easy profits. And we are talking about rumours that cohere only in one point: they match with racist steryotipes.

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 2:04am

Found this blogpost from 2006 which presents an alluring perspective on the up side of being poor and underdeveloped in Europe: http://www.usefulwork.com/shark/archives/006311.html

- noga1

February 8, 2010 at 8:54am

Ideaot ""And who exactly destroyed your "public" finances?" Rating agencies + investment banks." Give me a break, Luis. The US economy is being just as affected by the poor ecomonic performance in Europe. And the rating agencies aren't just American neither are the investemnt Banks. You sound like a whiny little Bolshevik blaming America for all your ills.

- jdyer

February 8, 2010 at 10:19am

Where did that blogger get his facts from? The man on the street? First of all, GDP per capita is not $ 14000 but around $ 20000. Second, who said that there were no craftspersons because people owe too much to the banks? There are no craftspersons in those villages because they die and younger generations don't want to take up their jobs (which don't pay). This happened with industrialization and post-industrialization all over the world and is aggravated by our declining population. We do not owe too much to the banks. The compliance rate of our families is very good, thank you, one of the highest. We are not experiencing anything like a foreclosure crisis. Plus, we did not experience anything like America's, Spanish or English construction boom precisely because there was a rigorous fiscal policy during the last decade, which is now dementially being ignored by speculators (and by their Press) aiming at destroying our economy. And what's wrong about investing in good public transportation? If you ask me that's one of the best ways to spend money, all things considered. And, btw, we do have good wine and we may not have international I&D stars. But you should know that last year we exported more pharmaceutics than wine -- even if the wine business is very well, thank you, and the only thing right about that post is that our wine is the best around -- and that we are on top nations in what concerns health and education services provided to the population. To the entire population and not just the rich. Even the part about Warren Buffet is wrong, since Netjets Europe operates from Portugal. Anyway, you are all welcome to see for yourselves. We surely will appreciate the visit. And you can profit from the declining Euro after this speculative attack.

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 10:26am

Blackie, An interesting question... BTW, Herod the Great was utterly despised here despite his impressive building & civil engineering campaign. True he built or rebuilt magnificent monumental public buildings like building over the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron or the Second Temple, but he typically did those as "penance" for his mad, Stalin-like campaign of killing off anyone he perceived to be a rival or disloyal, including members of his own family. Also since he was not of royal stock (i.e., of the Davidic dynasty) and indeed was the son of a freed slave, he was widely seen as an illegitimate usurper to the throne and he knew he was perceived that way. The Talmud (and I don't remember where) and / or Josephus relates that Herod left instructions that upon his death 100 sages were to be killed off to make sure the people mourned that day instead of celebrating (I don't recall that the instructions were carried out but I could be wrong). Herod's hidden tomb, long a quest for archeologists was discovered only in the last couple of years, in the massive royal complex of Herodion. Herodion became a fortified refuge of the Zealots who escaped the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in the year 70 CE. From the extensive intentional damage found in the tomb (including pieces of a smashed sarcophagus, probably Herod's) it appears that the Zealots gave vent to their strong hatred of Herod, and this some 75 years after he died. So who was the best, or least bad, of the Roman emperors from a Jewish perspective? Hard to say, but probably Marcus Aurelius who eased up on some of the Hadrianic decrees and allowed the Jews of the Galilee to resume a somewhat normal existence. According to the Talmud (tractate Avoda Zara) Marcus Aurelius (or to be precise, who is identified as Marcus Aurelius -- who is known to have visited "Palestine" in 175 CE) had a deep intellectual relationship with Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi (Rabbi Judah the "Prince") who was the president of the Sanhedrin at the time and the editor / redactor of the Mishna (the initial basis of the Talmud). As a result of this relationship Aurelius is thought to have a high opinion of Judaism I guess it could be summed up that Jews thought the most of any Roman emperor who would leave them alone, respect their autonomy and religious practices. There were few of those. Presumably, as I noted above, Julian the Apostate falls into that category, particularly in comparison to the Christian emperors. hg

- ginzy

February 8, 2010 at 10:43am

I don't understand your logic malahat. There is a robbery of an old lady going on. And instead of persecuting the responsible for the robbery, you charge the old lady for going out with her purse? Of course, she was warned that a robbery might take place... And of course the police (in this case, European Central institutions) was warned that an attack was iminent and didn't do nothing... But still...isn't there an inversion of values here?

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 11:01am

Still don't get it...but "that's all folks". That is the reply of economic literates these days...

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 11:17am

"And the American press may not have invented it, but it is using it gladly and shamefully." Any evidence for this? Or is evidence just another aspect of the famed 'Protestant Brit' oppression that you reject so fiercely?

- ironyroad

February 8, 2010 at 1:09pm

The New York Times today: "If the crisis worsens, it would fall to European governments to arrange a rescue of Greece or any other ailing country, like Portugal. " Since when our situation is identical to Greece's. Considering that to equate both situations means to drive speculators on our public debt actives, this means at least carelessness. On that expression, is anyone lacking so much in self-esteem to enjoy seeing his/her people named as PIG? And am I wrong about the historical origin of the expression? Anyway, thanks for the support everyone.

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 1:32pm

"Your article cites the reasons speculators are on the hunt." No. The article takes those fake reasons (I insist, f-a-k-e reasons) for a fact, thus building after the rumours speculators are spreading in order to persist on their attack. And this is the New York Times! On the adverbs "shamefully" and "gladly", the very use of the acronym "PIIGS" says everything about the publications that use them, in first instance, about The Economist, Bloomberg, Financial Times, etc., etc. Curiously, from what I read yesterday the only Anglo-American paper which is conserving some objectivity and not just spreading damaging rumours is USA Today. And on the explanations you were suppose to give on this not being a shameless speculative attack in which defenseless countries are being trapped, I'm still waiting.

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 2:46pm

Luis is one of the very few posters who could get people here to stand up for the New York Times. Methinks he is manufacturing resentment to give him a reason to post.

- jdyer

February 8, 2010 at 3:24pm

I don't need a reason to post Dyer. I only need to pay an anual fee. That's the TNR regime. On the subject at hand, any meaningful insight?

- Ideaot

February 8, 2010 at 3:50pm

Dr. Peretz returns from Rome is high spirits. Rome is eternal and much more than a stage set. Italy leads the way in embracing the State of Israel; Berlusconi's recent visit to Jerusalem was a smashing success. He addressed the Knesset with a strong invitation to Israel to join the EU. He strongly endorsed the Israeli actions against terror in Gaza. He denounced the Livingston Report to the world media. Italian soldiers look great, march smartly and spill their blood in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Peretz had such a good time in Rome. He returned so refreshed and full of life and vigor. Did Dr. Peretz have time to participate in the Hologaust Rememberances, sponsored by the Italian Goverment? Sounds like it was all "La Dolce Vita, Roman-Style."

- LawrenceGulotta

February 8, 2010 at 4:49pm

Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain — known now as the PIIGS, if Ireland is included — are the weak sisters of Europe, with high structural deficits matched with low prospects for the kind of economic growth and productivity improvements that can bring them back to health. The north-south split is partly geographic, partly cultural, partly religious and partly historical, but the southerners tend to be poorer and to have less competitive economies. The foregoing is the minimal context for the use of the acronym in the NYT (aka "the American press"). Leaving aside the accuracy of the broader analysis, it's pretty obvious that "PIIGS" is a parenthetical reference to a usage current in Europe, not in the U.S.

- ironyroad

February 8, 2010 at 5:26pm

Nola1: "So I wonder about it, and theorize that it comes from a certain need to find friends for Israel in the most unlikely places." You are caught in the minutia and are missing what is under your nose.

- LawrenceGulotta

February 8, 2010 at 10:19pm

"He denounced the Livingston Report to the world media. " What's "the Livingston Report "? I know about the "Livingstone formulation" but no report by that title. I doubt how such an error can be made unless Ken Livingstone is placed in the same memory as Goldstone.

- noga1

February 8, 2010 at 11:38pm

" is a parenthetical reference to a usage current in Europe, not in the U.S." I insist that it is not current in Europe. It was used by The Economist when it wasn't previously. Any google search will demonstrate it for you. And its use, in order to designate countries that are tied by rigid EU rules and thus vulnerable to a speculative attack is not innocent. At least in the case of The Economist -- which had the audacity of declaring Spain an "unsustainable country" -- it surelly was not innocent. On the American Press I insist that it has since then taken up acronyms and rumours which have nothing to do with reality and that serve the very powerful speculators purposes.

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 2:46am

malahat: "I don't recall that I was supposed to give you any explanations" So if you don't want to give an honest argument, what are you doing here?

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 6:58am

On the use of the acronym by "bearish international investors", go here: http://www.danpink.com/archives/2009/12/acronym-of-the-day-piigs

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 7:00am

And even the WSJ acknowledges that we are before a speculative attack, by which investment banks' hedge funds, backed by rating agencies, attack Euro countries. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704825504574586410597112166.html That this is considered acceptable by some says a lot. And that we are left alone facing this -- since the US via Geithner has been transformed into a harboring country of mafia organizations -- is an eye-opener in what concerns our future international relations.

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 7:05am

"the US via Geithner has been transformed into a harboring country of mafia organizations " I thought this statement deserves to be highlighted, by way of climbing into the mind that produced it and checking out what sort of furniture can be found there.

- noga1

February 9, 2010 at 8:26am

The "furniture" is made by the attitude of US based rating agencies and investment banks that have deliberately launched an attack against EU southern countries. This is recognized even by Nobel prize winners. On Stiglitz words, go here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7191113/Greek-crisis-intensifies-as-Joe-Stiglitz-calls-for-Europe-to-teach-the-speculators-a-lesson.html And if you check Banco Santander reports that are being launched you will see that the rating agencies errors are so grave that they cannot possibly be innocent, since they advanced so intensely the speculators agenda. Again you cannot deny the facts. I don't have anything against the American people, on the contrary. But US financial companies unchecked by the US government - plus, promoted by the US government - are seriously damaging other countries economies.

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 9:43am

nola1: It is the "Goldstone Report," Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict," Justice Richard Goldstone presented the report. Actually Silvio Berlusconi, in his address to the Knesset, referred to it as the "Livingstone Report" and his error prompted my misstatement. Of course, the GOLDSTONE REPORT. You have proved your worth as a proof reader and fact checker many times over. I sincerely hope Dr. Peretz hires you. Now: We know how Dr. Peretz treats the enemies of Israel, that is not the issue. It is curious how he treats the Friends of Israel such as Italy. Somewhere in his "Back from Rome" he tells us he is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. Maybe he feels entitled to use petty ethnic slurs because as an adolescent he used them to defend himself from the bullies at his elite Bronx high school. I suggest he reads his disappointing "Back from Rome" in a cafe on Arthur Avenue, in the Belmont section of the Bronx, to guage the reaction of the locals. As Berlusconi noted, it would be a very good idea for the EU to invite Israel to join up.

- LawrenceGulotta

February 9, 2010 at 9:54am

"You have proved your worth as a proof reader and fact checker many times over. I sincerely hope Dr. Peretz hires you." From the dismissive tone of this statement I take it you don't think much of presenting correct facts and names. It is actually born out by your own insistence on misspelling my name here.

- noga1

February 9, 2010 at 12:23pm

Ideaot: You made this statement: ""the US via Geithner has been transformed into a harboring country of mafia organizations" and then, having been prompted to reconsider the kind of terminolgy you employed. you said this: "But US financial companies unchecked by the US government - plus, promoted by the US government - are seriously damaging other countries economies." I'm sure you realize the difference between the two formulations. I took the first to be inciting enough to inflame a mob.

- noga1

February 9, 2010 at 12:28pm

noga1 is a name? I thought it was camouflage. The dismissiveness to be found is your inability to identify Israeli's allies.

- LawrenceGulotta

February 9, 2010 at 12:43pm

OK Noga, fair point. Sorry about the 1st formulation. As an excuse, consider that it is not easy to see one's country under attack, even if only economic attack. Anyway, perhaps because Europe's political power finally woke up today, things are improving. But I keep that those rating agencies and investment banks need to be placed under other kinds of checking and regulation. For them to go on operating like this is unacceptable.

- Ideaot

February 9, 2010 at 1:35pm

"noga1 is a name? I thought it was camouflage" Noga is the Hebrew name for the planet Venus, and like in English it's also a woman's name. hg

- ginzy

February 9, 2010 at 3:12pm

The Economist, luis, is a British journal headquartered in London. Europe. Unless the continental drift has become more serious in recent days.

- ironyroad

February 11, 2010 at 5:57pm