A child sees the deeper truth.

“Mum,” began Fintan, eight, with an infinitely curious gaze, “Why are all the “United” countries, not United?”

The oddness of the question drew her immediate attention.

“The United States,” he continued, in explanation, “and the United Kingdom...they are not united, at all. Look at all the riots...that’s not united!”

She had to admit, he had a point. The countries of the world were just not living up to their names. Just as “Great” Britain, most certainly doesn’t live up to its.

Later on, I explained to him the political history of the United States and the United Kingdom, that gave them their names. He smiled a little to himself, on hearing this. What he was thinking, I do not know. However, I know this: Fintan sees the world more clearly than many a political figure, these days, seems to. It seems such a shame that we name our countries “United” and then fill them with such dissension. In the US, the Republicans and the Democrats are ever at each other’s throats: they can’t make a decision in Congress, without a mini-war about it first. Fintan sees this. He sees that there is no unity of mind, spirit or intention, in the USA. He looks at the UK and sees a nation simmering on the edge of chaos, made manifest in the recent riots. Our world is not a comforting one, for a child to stand witness to. It seems that adults, who should be wiser, are creating a world that seems, even to a child, to be one of fracture, and dissent. If a child sees this, so clearly, why do adults persist in ignoring it? Why is not more done about this? The USA needs a more agreeable way of governing itself – and the UK needs a more civilized way of being...or should I say, it needs to address the uncivilized element within.

I hope the world learns civility and unity, before Fintan becomes an adult and has to deal with it. However, that hope seems hopeless, in a way...for those characteristics have yet to be fully imbibed by any modern society. I wonder, shall they ever?

Posted by Valentine Cawley

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In need of a Babel Fish Translator

Have you ever been to Slovenia? I haven't.

Have you ever met anyone from Slovenia? I haven't.

Yet, today someone from Slovenia searched for me, on the internet, by name and arrived on this blog.

I am struck by the interconnectedness of the modern world. I begun to communicate, using this blog, just over a year ago, on September 19th 2006 - but since then I have had visitors from every country on Earth that is above subsistence level - and some which still are. It really is astonishing.

Over the past few days, news of Ainan's search for a University has penetrated a veritable babel of languages. I have seen articles written in what I think must be "Slovenian" (if Slovenia has its own language), Azerbaijani (same comment), Polish, German, Dutch, and Flemish. Those are just the ones I have noticed. There may be others. Countries that have signalled themselves to me, through unusual blog activity include the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovenia, and Poland. No-one from Azerbaijan has visited. Maybe they don't have internet connections.

Anyway, wherever you are from, and however you heard of this blog: welcome. There is much to read here.

Given the geographic diversity of visitors, you might wish to make use of the Babelfish translator in the upper left of this blog.

Yet, it is refreshing to observe that the idea behind the Tower of Babel, in the Bible - that all peoples of the world would be divided by their different languages, no longer seems to apply. Yes, there are many languages in the world, and visitors to this blog speak scores of different ones - but successful communication has occurred across these language boundaries - otherwise they wouldn't be visiting the blog in the first place.

So we live in a world in which the Tower of Babel still towers - but we understand each other all the same. There is promise in that, of a more understanding world, a more unified one.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged seven years and eleven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and four months, and Tiarnan, twenty-one months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)