Khalid Ajlouny

A snow avalanche usually leaves a great deal of apparent destruction. But ecologically speaking, sometimes it brings about more life than death. The corpses of large animals such as bears, provide food for a number of otherwise hungry smaller animals. When snow melts, it pumps plant life out of barren areas, and provides a home and drinking water for many organisms. A bell shaped flower named "Avalanche Lily", blooms one to two weeks after snowmelt. Moreover, its corms were a frequent source of food for the indigenous Northwest tribes.

So in an overall sense, the result was more benefit than harm.

Bush Avalanche
President Bush talks about "Constructive Chaos". Accordingly, what's happening in various parts of the globe, is merely the "birth pangs" of civilized democratic countries. At the expense of the current inhabitants, future generations will harvest the sweet fruits. Any parent would be willing to make such a sacrifice.

Maybe in the same sense, having refused to join the Kyoto Protocol, the Bush administration thinks our planet is cold. So its temperature should be raised, and its poles melted down. In the process, numerous life forms will disappear. The result, though, would be a warmer planet with more room for sailing and swimming.

Father Bush
It might be tempting to make the analogy, but for it to hold true, there's an underlying assumption: The Bush administration is as wise and insightful as our dear mother nature.

Awaiting what kind of lilies will bloom after such neo avalanches.


(see Arabic translation)