'Arab Flu' - West Next? - Cross Talk

A   very  interesting   debate  about   the   current   events   in  the  Middle   East. As  expected,   the   puppet   Arab   regimes   and   their  neoconservatives   masters  are  playing   the   Islamist   card   to  discredite   the  unfolding  popular   uprising   in   the  Arab   world !

NATO in Libya, two weeks on

After   almost  two  weeks  of  air  strikes  against Colonel Qadaffi  military  forces  and  assets,  there  is   no  sign  of  the   end game. Despite   the  NATO  air   cover   under   the   fake    pretext   of    "protecting civilians",  and  despite   the  CIA/MI6  joint   covert   operations,  the   Rebels  have   been  unable   to   make   any   significant   advance   against Colonel  Qaddafi`s  forces. In   fact,   to   evade  NATO, Qaddafi   forces   have   adopted   an   obvious  tactic  in  the  front lines,  which   is   to   get   rid    of   their   regular   army   uniforms    and    deploy   similar  vehicles   used   by   the  Rebels.Which   makes   it   very   difficult  for  NATO   to  distinguish   who  is  who  from  the  air ! Just   this   morning   there   are    reports   of   a  NATO   air  strike   against  a  Rebel  convoy.
 Now   given   that   there   is   no  sign   of   Qaddafi   leaving   anytime  soon,   questions   are  now  being    asked   about   what  next. To   a  certain  degree,  the  Western  coalition  has  definitely  underestimated  Qaddafi`s   ability   to  stay   in  power.One   of   the   reasons   for   this,  is  in  my  view, the  Western   reliance  on   dissident  Libyans   living  abroad !   Few   weeks   ago,   a  lot    of  dissidents  here  in  the  UK,  claimed   that   Qadaffi`s   regime   would  fall  within  days  because    of   mass  defections.Clearly, this  has  not  happened   so  far,  despite   the  recent   defections  ( or  kidnapping ? )   of   people   like  Moussa  Koussa, there   is   no  sign   that  regime   will  collapse  anytime  soon. Indeed,  having  realized  this, the  Western  coalition   is   now   considering   arming   and   training   the  Rebels, which    at   first  glance  seems   to   go  against   the  current    U.N   resolution. However, it  seems   there  is  a  way  around,   as   the  British  prime   argued,  the  resolution   allows   " all  necessary  measures   to  protect  civilians", even  though  one  may  argue  whether    the  Rebels   are   really  ordinary  civilians  or  whether  the  measures   also   apply    to   pro - Qaddafi   civilians !

Muammar Qaddafi and the Western hypocrisy

There  is  no  doubt  that,   the  Arab  regimes, specially  those   regimes  backed  by   the  west,   are  losing   grip  on  power. From  the  semi - fallen  regimes  of  Tunisia  and  Egypt,    to   the   shaken  Saudi/ Bahraini  regimes.  Now   in   recent   weeks,  Libya   has   been   under   a   huge    attention   by   the   big   western   governments ,  who   apparently   are  worried   about   the  brutality   of  Qaddafi`s   regime   on  protesters ,  even   though    a   lot   of   these  protesters   are   armed   with  powerfull   rockets   and   machine  guns.  But  wait,    how   come    protesters    are  able    to   convert  themselves   from  " peacefull "   and  unarmed   protesters   to  well  armed   anti  -  Qaddafi   rebels   in    space   of   three  days ? !!  The  only    logical   answer   I  can   think   of ,  is    that  ,  the   West   has   orchestrated   the  armed   resistance  against  Qaddafi !   Let   me   be  clear,  I   am  not  saying   the  West   orchestrated   the  anti  -  Qaddafi   protests,    clearly   the  Libyan  people   are  unhappy   with    the   Qaddafi   regime,    and    so   they   took   to   the  streets   demanding  change. However,  if    we   consider    the   way    things   have  unfolded ,  first   in   the  U.N  with   the  resignation   of   the  entire   Libyan   deplomatic  mission  (  some  even  calling  for  Western  military  intervention ),  then  the   immediate   recognition   of   the   Rebel  Council   in  Bengahzi   as   the  " legimate "  representative   of   the  Lybyan   people  by   France,  it   becomes  clear   that   the  West   is   fully   behind   the   armed  rebellion. In  fact,   government   officials   in  the   West    are    now   publicly  calling   for    a   no  fly   zone   and   the   supply   of   weapons   to   the  rebels.  The   following    is   the   key   reason,    why   I   think    the  West     is    picking   on   Qaddafi  :

-   To   take   the  attention   away   from    the   shaken   pro  -  Western    regimes ,   such    as   the   Bahraini  and   the   Saudi   regimes.  Having    lost   Mubarak ,  and   having    failed    to   use   Iran  (  and  possibly   Syria )   as    a   distraction,   Libya    was    always    the    next    logical   choise   by    the  West,  given  that  Qaddafi   is   not    pro -  West  (  despite   multi - billion   oil  deals   with   some   Western  powers  such   as  Britain ).


 Now,   with   Russia   and  China  rightly    opposed    to   another   Western   imperial   intervention   in   arab  world,  the  Western  powers   are    ironically   seeking   support    from    their   shaken    puppet    arab  regimes    to    back   a  possible  UN   resolution. In  meantime,     while   Qaddafi   forces   are  gaining   momentum,   the   so -  called   rebels   are  losing  momentum,  possibly  because    their    Western   weapons   supply   is   running   low.

Are we witnessing a domino effect Arab revolution ?

First Tunisia, now Egypt ?!! After the fall of the Tunisian president Ben Ali, there is definitely a growing concern amongst the unelected Arab rulers about who will be the next one.This is certainly the case of the unelected 82 years old dictator, Hosni Mubarak, who the U.S and other western goverment label as a good allie in maintening the Midle East stable. In recent days, thousands of people have gone to the streets demanding the end of Mubarak`s regime. In  responce, Mubarak`s  regime  started  a violent  crackdown on  protesters, which  resulted in hundreds  of  arrests  and  at  least  10  protesters killed.
 The  key  questions  for  me  are  :
a) Will  the  protesters ( youth  in particular)  let  themselves be intimidated  by  the regimes  violent  crackdown ?

b) Will  the  army  support  the  regime ? Or  will  the  army  support  the  people  of  Egypt?

c) Will  the opposition political  movements  such  as  the  Muslim Brotherhood  take  this  life  time opportunity  to bring  down  the  Mubarak regime.

I  personally  hope  the  protesters  will  prevail, and Muslim Brotherhood  will  help  end  Mubarak`s  30  years  rule.

Short note - Why complex Hilbert Spaces in quantum mechanics ?

Since the late thirties, after von Neumman formulated what is now considered the standard mathematical framework for quantum mechanics, many people have asked the question (Why complex Hilbert Spaces?).An obvious answer is:

- Both Schrodinger and Heisenberg used prototypes of separable complex Hilbert Spaces to formulate their respective approaches.More precisely,Schrodinger`s wave mechanics employed the space $L^2( R^2 )$  of square integrable complex functions,whereas Heisenberg`s matrix mechanics employed the space $ l^2$  of square - summable sequences of complex numbers.At the age of just 23,von Neumman realized that the spaces $L^2( R^2 )$ and $l^2 $  had something deep in common!That deep thing was the mathematical structure of a separable complex Hilbert space,and so the unification of Schrodinger and Heisenberg`s formalisms into a single mathematical framework was born by employing an abstract separable complex Hilbert space.Since then quantum mechanics enjoyed a special status in modern theoretical physics,as thousands of its predictions have been experimentally confirmed.

Note : A famous alternative to the Hilbert space approach is the algebraic approach, in this approach one starts with an abstract unital C* - algebra $A*$.Roughly speaking if  $A*$  is commutative then we`ll have classical mechanics , whereas if $A*$  is noncommutative we`ll have quantum mechanics! There are other interesting approaches as well ( e.g,convex set approach).

Now given the experimental success of the Hilbert space approach in the last 85 years,one may ask, why should we change such a powerfull formalism that has given us so many correct answers ? Even more worrying, one can easily take the "shut up and calculate "attitude that many physicists take in regard to the foundations of quantum mechanics! However,if one is driven by foundations of physics ( for example Hilbert`s sixth problem on axiomatization of physics),then one may consider doing the following :

-Construct a brand new abstract axiomatic framework from which one can derive the Hilbert space formalism (and others including classical formalism) as special cases of this abstract framework.
I am currently writing a preliminary draft called " Quantum Formalism From Three Abstract Axioms ", hopefully I will post it here in near future! Do you think there is the need to change the standard Hilbert space formalism ? Feel free to comment!

The legacy of internet , Wikileaks

 Before  the  internet  era , the  standard   media ( news  channels , newspapers )  was   the only   tool  available  to   whistleblowers  to  expose  the  wrong  doings  of  goverments  and  multi - national   corporations  around  the  world. In  the  west  in  particular , the  freedom  of  information  allowed   the  media   to  publish  high  value  contents   about   some   western  governments  wrong  doings  around  the  world  ( e.g.  U.S  war  crimes  in  Vietnam  and  Laos ). However   in  nowdays ,  the  standard  western  media  (  U.S  media  in particular )  has  become   almost   a  partner   with  the  U.S  goverment   in  hiding   the  true   about   the  U.S  wrong  doings  around  the  world , from  the  past  war  crimes  committed   in  Iraq   to   the  ongoing  war  crimes  in  Afghanistan  and  Pakistan.
Thankfully  in  nowdays  ,  the  internet  has  given  us  the  chance  to  post   and  access  classified  information  about  the   wrong  doings  of  some  western  governments , a  good  example  is  the  recent  wikileaks  releace   of   classified  U.S  military   documents  containing   plenty  of   information  about    war  crimes  committed  by  U.S  and  British   forces  in  Iraq  and  Afghanistan. These  classified  documents  would  never   go  public  through  the  standard  media  if  wikileaks  was  100%   dependent  on  standard  media !  Thanks  to  the  internet ,  the  world  has  become   a  closer  community  in  terms  of  information ,  information   posted   from  any  corner   of  the  world  can  reach  millions   of   people  around   the  world  within  minutes. So  the  internet  has  become   a  very  powerfull  tool  of  holding   goverments  and  multi - national  corporations  accountable   for  their  wrong   doings.

Iran `s nuclear program and CIA lack of intel

The  case  of  kidnapped  Iranian  nuclear researcher by the CIA ( with Saudi help ) is  a  clear  sign  of  U.S  desperation  and  lack  of   intel  in  regard  to  Iran`s  nuclear  program !
After  years  of  hypocrisy , double standards  and sanctions  against  Iran , the  Zionist  puppets  in  Washington are running out  of  ideas  on  how  to  undermine Iran`s  peaceful nuclear  program. Iran  has  signalled  that  it  wont  give  up  its  right  to  develop an  independent  nuclear  program  under  NPT rules , but  nevertheless  the  Washington  puppets  are  still  with  the  idea  of  undermining  the  program  by  random  kidnappings ( or even assassinations ) of  scientists  working  at  the  Tehran  University ! This  tendency  suggests  that  the  CIA  has  no  clue  of who is  or  not  working on Iran`s  nuclear program , Mr. Amiri`s  case  is  a  good  example  of  CIA  lack  of  intel  in  regard  to  Iran`s  nuclear  program. The  only  thing  that  CIA  might  know is  what  all  of   us  know , namely  there  are  Russian  and  Chinese experts  helping  the  Iranians  develope  their program.
Mr. Amiri  was  kidnapped  while  travelling  to  Mecca , then  he  was  taken  to  U.S , where  for  months  he was  questioned  ( and  claimed  to  be  tortured )  by  the  CIA. He  was  also  offered  millions  of  dollars  to give  an  interview  to  a  U.S  news  channel  (  CNN ? ) , but  he  rightly  refused  to  do  such  an  immoral  thing. At  the  end  the  CIA  has  no  other  choice  but  to  release  him  and  face  an international   humiliation  for  the  kidnapping !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b5yR90C7D8

Israel`s barbaric attacks and its geopolitical consequences

More than 48 hours since Israel`s barbaric attack on Flotilla aid ship , the illegal blockade of Gaza has gained a new momentum in the international arena. At a recent emergency meeting , the U.N member states ( except U.S of course ) have all called for the end  of  the  illegal blockade by Israel. But from all the countries present at the meeting , Turkey was clearly the most critical of Israel due to the  killings of  Turkish activists on the ship , but also due to Turkey`s  geopolitical  position as  a  key player standing between the West and the Middle East - Asian regions. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu called for a strong international response against Israel`s " massacre " and for the immediate release of the ship and the activists on board. However , I think  Turkey is just playing a hard voice game for its domestic audience and international audience ( specially muslim majority countries ) , in reality Turkey knows  it cannot implement much of its hard talk without at least  the backing of  key EU member states , because we all  know  the U.S is unlikely to be on board of anything that goes against Israel ! Nevertheless , as  a  key Nato  member  and  having  good  relations with  countries  such  as  Iran , Turkey can strategically  make  life  vey  difficult  for the Zionist  regime in Tel Aviv.

In another  amazing  U turn , Egypt  decided  to  re open  the Rafah  border  crossing  for  an  indefinite time ! The  Mubarak  regime  is  obviously  under  domestic  and  international  pressure  to  do  so , with  this  move  the  regime  also  wants  to  distance  itself  from  its  Zionist  counterpart , but  ironically  anyone  who  follows  the  Gaza  humanitarian  crisis  knows  that  Egypt  is  part  of  the  illegal  blockade  and  so  the Mubarak  regime  is  as  guilty  as  the  Zionist  regime. Now  since  Israel  says  the  blockade  will  continue , the key  questions  are  :
-  For  how long  Rafah  will  remain  open ?  Will  Egypt  dare  opening  Rafah  for  a  period  over  6 months ?
- What  will  Israel  do  about  it ?

How serious is Obama on Middle East peace process ?

 In  recent  months  Obama  has  shown ( at  least  in  rhetoric )  signs  of  willingness  to  start  " real "  peace  process, however  the  signs  have  been  always  overshadowed  by  the  unwillingness  of  the  Zionist  regime  to  stop  the  illegal  settlements, in  fact  the  regime  humiliated U.S  vice president  Joe  Biden  by  announcing  the  construction  of  1600  illegal  houses  in  East  Jerusalem  during  Biden`s  recent  visit. President  Obama  is  said  to  be  " furious "  about  the  announcement  of  the  constructions  to  which  prime  minister  Netanyahu  said  he  didn`t  know  about  and  offered  his  apologies  to  Washington ! Now  few  weeks  later  in  his  AIPAC  speech , Netanyahu  said  " Jerusalem  is  not  a  settlement. It  is  our  capital ". In  other  words , Israel  considers  the  illegal  settlements  as  " legal ".
Interestingly  at  the  same  AIPAC stage , sec. of  state  Hillary  Clinton  said  that  the status quo between Israelis and Palestinians was “unsustainable” and that building over  East Jerusalem hurt efforts to advance the peace process.

Personal  answer  to  the  posting. Obama  is  serious  enough  for  hard talk , but  not  serious  enough  for  concrete  actions  to  force  the  Zionist  regime  stop  its  violations  of  international  law ! In  fact  Obama  seems  now  to  be  more  focused  on  Iran`s  nuclear  program  than  on  Palestinian  issue !

Quantum mechanics and axiomatic methods in physics

Quantum mechanics is without doubts the most challenging subject in modern physics. In one hand , its predictions have been successfully verified with great accuracy over the last 85 years. On the other hand , the foundations of the subject still for many physicists obscure and puzzling ! Now we may ask ourselves how come ? There are quite many reasons to be intrigued with quantum mechanics , but I will consider the following one :

• Prior to quantum mechanics , from Newton to Einstein , a fundamental physical theory has always evolved from simple and intuitive physical principles. Take for example Newton`s principle “ An object remains at rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force “ or Einstein`s principle “ The speed of light is the same in all inertial frames “. With these simple principles , both physicists were able to successfully derive the mathematical frameworks of their respective theories. On the other hand , standard quantum mechanics as formulated in the late twenties does not provide any physical principle that justifies the use of its abstract mathematical framework. In fact , many attempts have been made to find the physical principles ( if there is any ! ) underlying the abstract mathematical framework of the subject , but so far none of the attempts have gained a universal acceptance.

The abstract Hilbert space approach to quantum mechanics is due to von Neumann , it was definitely the starting point for applications of axiomatic methods to quantum mechanics. Few years earlier , there were two versions of quantum mechanics , namely Heisenberg`s matrix mechanics and Schrodinger wave mechanics. However von Neumann realized that the two versions had something deep in common , that deep was of course the mathematical structure of “ separable “ complex Hilbert space. Indeed the “ separable “ condition was initially included in the definition of Hilbert space , but later it was dropped in order to include non - separable Hilbert spaces !

Now before von Neumann’s Hilbert space approach to quantum mechanics , David Hilbert proposed his sixth problem , where he calls for the axiomatization of physics ( see David Hilbert and the Axiomatization of Physics by Leo Corry ).In his words :

To treat in the same manner, by means of axioms , the physical sciences in which mathematics plays an important part ; in the first rank are the theory of probabilities and mechanics.

Also in his own words :

If geometry is to serve as a model for the treatment of physical axioms, we shall try first by a small number of axioms to include as large a class as possible of physical phenomena, and then by adjoining new axioms to arrive gradually at the more special theories.…. The mathematician will have also to take into account not only of those theories coming near reality , but also , as in geometry , of all logically possible theories. He must be always alert to obtain a complete survey off all conclusions derivable from the system of axioms assumed.

Now since physicists are still debating about the foundations of quantum mechanics for decades now , without any general consensus , can a better axiomatization of quantum mechanics kill the debate ?

My view is yes , a better axiomatization of quantum mechanics will not only kill the debate , but will also give a new insights on Hilbert sixth problem by bringing quantum mechanics close to pure mathematics ! But , what I mean with “ better “ axiomatization ?

By a better axiomatization , I mean an axiomatization that starts with a small number of fundamental axioms that enable us to derive the Hilbert space approach , the algebraic approach and classical mechanics as special cases !

But why do we need to add more abstraction ? Isn`t abstraction the main problem of quantum mechanics ?

First in my view , quantum mechanics is just a very special case of a general axiomatic scheme that hasn`t been yet clarified or fully understood by physicists ! This axiomatic scheme is abstract by nature , it often lacks the so - called “ physical principles “ , but nonetheless it has an astonishing power of prediction. Second , I think abstraction is not a problem , but the only viable option to clarify and give this scheme a firm foundations. In this regard , let us take the example of classical probability theory. Before Kolmogorov , the foundations of the subject was very obscure , indeed some thought it would remain obscure forever ! However , after Kolmogorov came along with his abstract axiomatic treatment of the subject using measure theoretic methods , the nature of the subject become more clear. Similarly I think we need a kolmogorov like approach to quantum mechanics , of course this doesn`t necessarily implies employing measure theoretic methods to such axiomatization of quantum mechanics.