The never-ending conflict

For making noise during
a movie, young man gets shot
in the arm by irate neighbor.

I am both sick at heart and outraged. The Israelis, having herded a million and a half more or less helpless Palestinians into Gaza, and having failed to starve them to death, or force the Egyptians to take them, have now bombed them again, killing somewhere between 150 and 205 (the reports differ). This bombing was said to be in retaliation for missiles sent into Israel by Hamas. These inaccurate missiles, and suicide bombers, are basically the only weapons left to the Palestinians. Remember that Einstein once said insanity was repeating the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results. The Israelis have been doing the same thing over and over again for years and it has only resulted in making the Palestinians more enraged and more determined to attack them however they can with their limited means. The U.S., which can always be depended upon to support Israeli genocide, predictably blames Hamas and says they should stop firing missiles into Israel. Hamas, the legitimately and democratically elected government of the Palestinians, is considered merely a terrorist organization by the U.S., disappointed at the outcome of an election that we encouraged. Democracy is wonderful as long as it produces the results we desire, if not, we either ignore it or label it an enemy of some kind. In the eyes of much of the world, Hamas and Hezbollah are not terrorist organizations, but, rather, freedom fighters trying to defend themselves from aggressor nations like Israel and the U.S.. Barak, who recently (finally) allowed truckloads of food and medicine into Gaza is being criticized for aiding and abetting the enemy. Can you believe this, food and medicine which they desperately need is being withheld? And the U.S. apparently sanctions this horrible war crime (the Israelis can do no wrong). Obama, so far, has merely said “no comment.” This does not bode well for the Palestinians. Will the Israelis, desperate to rid themselves of this population, eventually create their own “final solution?” And would the U.S. even sanction that? It is no secret what the Israelis are up to, and the entire world is watching while they do it, as if the Israelis are, in fact, a chosen people. I recall when I was much younger I supported the idea of a “Jewish Homeland,” and thought it was a fine idea. I believed that Israel would eventually be able to make peace with the Arabs and become a democracy in the Middle East. Only later did I begin to realize that trying to establish a Jewish state in the heart of Arab lands was really not a very good idea. And as Israeli greed for land and water and power has now made accommodation virtually impossible, I have become totally disillusioned and cynical. As long as the U.S. uncritically supports the outrageous acts of the Israelis towards the Palestinians there will never be peace in the Middle East. At this point in time it may be impossible to create a “two state solution.” It may well be there is no future except the status quo, festering forever in that troubled part of the world.

As there is nothing else to do but hope, I still wait for Obama’s inauguration (but not for Warren’s performance). But the problems we face may be far more than any ordinary, or even extraordinary President, can deal with. The state of the world and our country has never been this bad (with the possible exception of the Great Depression). Not only does Obama face two failing “wars,” a failed economic system,” a limited amount of funds, he is also going to have to deal with the issue of war crimes and prosecutions, the Israeli/Palestinian perhaps insoluble problem, the Iranians, Russians, and Chinese, the probable new depression, a hostile and uncooperative Republican party, and who knows what else. We should probably wish that he really is a visitor from outer space, sent here to protect us from ourselves, and try to straighten out a world gone very wrong. The Republicans, who should be standing behind him to try to solve our problems, are already plotting to bring him down, just as they tried to bring down Clinton. I have naively believed that the point of government was to look after the citizens and their well-being, with the understanding there would be differences of opinion along the way, but compromises would move us along. Now, however, under the Bush/Cheney/Rove administration, it has become a “war” between the haves and the have-nots, where compromise is unacceptable and the complete destruction of the other party is the goal. To me this is nothing short of political treason. It cannot be allowed to continue. Bush/Cheney/Rove et al must be held accountable for what they have done, never mind any “reaching across the aisle” to these criminals.

LKBIQ:
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, right or wrong - is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Theodore Roosevelt
TILT:
Evidence of fishing is known to date back at least 40,000 years