Gazans

It’s Complicated


POST 1071

It’s All So Complicated

Three religions each claim sole right to own the same little chunk of dirt.* Worse, there are few things as dangerous as a religious zealot, so conflict and violence are baked in. The 3-headed religious zealotry monster is actually a subset of the human need to feel right and powerful and dominant and a holy defender of the faith. It’s chest thumping self-certainty stuff along with the joy of belonging to the self-congratulatory tribe. We’re so right and they’re so wrong! Cheers for our team!

In addition, there’s a proud and vibrant hatred of Jews that goes back somewhere between 3,500 and 6,000 years. It’s the world’s oldest bigotry and hatred. Jews are just so blame-able, absurdly, for everything. Always. So, really, who cares about the atrocities committed by Hamas on Israelis on October 7? Those victims were just Jews.

Palestinians are suffering and dying and are getting no relief from anywhere, including from their Arab and Muslim brothers, but that’s always been true. They are the world’s longest standing refugees and their Arab brothers make sure they stay that way. Various fiefdoms need them to be victims for various reasons, chief among those being that they need Israel to be seen as the victimizing devil.

Anyone with even a scintilla of empathy sees the agony of Gazans and is beset by anguish for their suffering. It seems to be both random and inevitable and screams for redress.

This is the milieu of Israel and Gaza now and our 18 – 22 year old college students have plenty to say about all that. Unfortunately, they missed the part about this situation being hideously complicated, so they demand immediate and simple solutions to this very complex problem. Worse, they’ve been fed a grossly imbalanced diet of news, so they are semi-ignorant, even in their heartfelt certainty.

That brings us to today’s .  .  .

Must Reads

That’s “must” as in “required” if you want to understand at least some what is happening and what’s driving it.

First, read my friend David Houle’s essay explaining the gross hypocrisy driving college campus demonstrations and general public opinion, Blame Mainstream Media for the Demonstrations on College Campuses. You know what death and destruction in Gaza looks like because it’s shown to you every day, regardless of where you get your news. Your empathy is pulled there as though our mainstream media is supposed to be a propaganda tool for Hamas. How come you’ve never been shown the videos that Hamas terrorists posted online of their savagery, killing, maiming and raping Israelis?

I confess that I had failed to see the grotesque hypocrisy of our media, showing the results of Israeli attacks but refusing to show the Hamas atrocities. And that lopsidedness is driving public opinion and encouraging hatred.

American students have feted their passions in this insanity with their ignorance and uniformed certainties. They have taken to the quads of their elite universities. They brought their tents and they carry signs supporting Palestine and Palestinians. They proudly chant “From the river to the sea,” as though they are Hamas in Gaza calling for the murder of all Jews on Earth and they spew various anti-Semitic slogans. They act just as though the problems were simple and that they actually understood them. Too bad they’re clueless about Hamas infiltrating and igniting their own protests in the U.S. and that these students and agitators are self-identifying with this terrorist group, these murderers.

Art Friedson is a periodic guest writer to this series. Read his take about what’s going on. Be prepared for an even-handed, sensible post that challenges your cherished certainties. And follow his links.

These essays will not give you yet more simple answers to this complex problem. They don’t reply to those demanding an immediate ceasefire. The truth is that there was a formal ceasefire in effect on October 6, 2023, the day before the Hamas pogrom, its invasion and savagery. Since “ceasefire” doesn’t seem to mean the same thing to Hamas as it does to the rest of the world, there’s far less sense to a ceasefire now than there might seem to be.

These posts don’t deal with the certainty that failing to crush Hamas now means that two years from now there will be another Hamas atrocity visited upon Israelis. Then another barbarity will come two years after that. Then another attack two years later. Hamas will hide behind civilians and con the world into demonizing Israel, using the leverage of dead Palestinian bodies. And all the while there will be ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli cities. It takes no clairvoyance to see this future because it will be a repeat of the past and of today.

These posts don’t fully address the annoying fact that there cannot be peace because that would make Hamas obsolete and they can’t have that. Hamas needs war. They don’t touch on the fact that Gazans cannot be made safe, secure and prosperous because so many need Gazans to be victims. Plus, Hamas needs civilians, grannies and children to hide behind.

See what I mean about “complicated”? And this accounting barely scratches the surface of the complications in a place that has vexed smart people searching for peace for a very long time.

Inglorious Bastards

After being Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley distanced herself from him to the point that she ran against him in the 2024 Republican primary. She said the same thing Hillary said in 2016, that he was unfit for office. Haley said Trump was “a disaster,” “too chaotic,” “too unhinged,” “too prone to temper tantrums” and “too old.” Plus, she said she felt “no need to kiss the ring.” Then last Wednesday she caved to her ambition and metaphorically kissed the ring of the grifter. She says she will vote for him.

She is in fine company with Sen. Lindsay Graham, who, following the insurrection, declared, “All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.” Then two weeks later he made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to grovel and kiss the ring. Now he says he’ll vote for Trump.

Following the insurrection, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared, “There is no question – none – that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day [January 6]. No question about it.” Click the link and listen to his full comments damning Trump – then weaseling out. He voted to acquit Trump in the second impeachment. Now he says he’ll vote for Trump this year.

Welcome, Nikki Haley, to this community of cowardice and blatant hypocrisy.

Fun Fact of the Week

Activist priest Frank Pavone said in 2022, “I can tell you that within the pro-life religious circles of pastors that I interact with, across denominational lines the awareness over recent years has greatly increased about how unbiblical contraception is.” His words are resurfacing now, as far right extremists, having now made abortion illegal in so many places, fix their sights on eliminating contraception.

Okay, Father Frank, I concede that the Bible carries no mention of contraception, so your claim that it is “unbiblical” is technically accurate. The Bible also carries no mention of penicillin, airplanes, the Chicago Cubs, the United Nations, the Taj Mahal or radio. Just guessing you think we should do away with all that, too, because all of it is “unbiblical.”

Now .  .  .

.  .  .  go. Read the Must Reads linked above.

___________________________________________________

* Israel is roughly the same size as Massachusetts.

Today is a good day to be the light

  • _____________________________
  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.
    6. Clicking on most pics will take you to the source information.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

‘Tis The Season


Post 1,022

___________________________________

The Season of Giving

The jury’s unanimous verdict against Rudy Giuliani and in support of Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and her mom, Ruby Freeman, was unmistakably clear. In this season of giving, the jury gave Rudy Giuliani the most appropriate gift of all.

Giuliani, the strutting, racist, hair color drizzling lieutenant to the Don of the Trump Organized Crime Family, was given over 148 million personal messages that he’s been a very bad boy. He will appeal and scoff and dance and puff up and lie all the way to his very bad ending, when nobody will ever again care about a thing he says. He is getting the punishment that both supports moral rectitude and is so very soul satisfying to all the rest of us. Shed no tears for his upcoming poverty.

Season of Real Deal Originalism

It’s the season, too, for the well-earned loss given to the Orange Tyrant, as the State of Colorado told him as plainly as Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is written that he cannot be elected from that state because of that little insurrection episode he orchestrated. Funny thing about the 14th Amendment and prohibiting traitors from holding public office. It just works that way, as both the Founders and leaders four score and 9 years later intended. Makes me wonder what can be done to Trump’s functionaries and the 170 in Congress who tried to stop the Electoral College count on January 6.

I just love seeing a bully get punched in the nose, don’t you? Stay tuned through next year, because you are going to see many more bullies get what’s coming to them. It’s originalism at work, regardless of who doesn’t like it now.

May your days be merry and bright.

The Season of Fools

Here’s a headline from the current Foreign Affairs Today online:

What Mr. Elgindy clearly fails to understand is that Israel’s assault, while playing out in Gaza, is not against Gaza or Gazans. It is against Hamas, which is in Gaza.

The differentiation is important and is much like what happened in the allied bombing of the weapons manufacturing facilities in Peenemünde, Germany, during WW II. The assaults were against the plants that supplied the Nazi war machine, including the V-2 rockets that terrorized London. They were not against the residents of Peenemünde. Nevertheless, many citizens of that city died in the bombardments designed to hobble Germany’s ability to make war.

Elgindy’s error is like that of so many others, many of which incite the passions of the  fools, the useful idiots protesting in city streets and on college campuses for Palestinians and against Israel and against Jews. Whether his propaganda is intentional or lazy and accidental, it is inexcusable. He’s fueling hatred, when all he had to do to avoid that was to change “on Gaza” to “in Gaza.” Plus, it would have helped his accuracy if he had mentioned that Hamas is Israel’s true target and that it ought to be the target of Palestinians, too.

Since we’re talking about that neck of the woods, there’s,

The Never Ending Season

There have been refugees from just about every war. Some WW II refugees stayed refugees for 6 years. Some refugees from the war in Afghanistan have been refugees for 20 years. The Vietnam war created millions of refugees and some remained that way for 25 years. But the winner and continuing champions are the Palestinians. They’ve been refugees – indeed, they’ve insisted on keeping Gaza a refugee camp – for 75 years. Bill Maher had an insightful commentary about this and I urge you to watch it

Over the past 75 years Palestinians could have created a beautiful and successful eastern Mediterranean garden or a thriving tech industry. They could have done anything Israel has done, but instead they have made themselves hapless victims without hope. They are the world’s unceasing refugees. There are generations of them.

Other refugees have made the best of their circumstances, creating renewed lives for themselves and their children. In short, things changed, so they changed to make things better for themselves. But not the Palestinians.

None of their Arab neighbors and none of their Muslim brothers want anything to do with them. No Arab nation has or will ever take them in or support them unless temporarily coerced to do so. So, they wallow in their victimhood, hating Israelis and demanding what they cannot ever get. Periodically they’re devastated by wars that are of their own making. It is a perpetual refugee season that doesn’t have to be that way – unless, of course, what they want is to use their victimhood to garner world sympathy. But that doesn’t make their lives better.

Crazy Uncle Bob and The Season of Gratitude

Uncle Bob, I remember so well your mom, Grandma Gertie (bless her heart!). She was so nice and always a guiding light. If she were alive today, I’m certain that she’d say to you,

“Bobby, you’ve had that great new job for a year and a half and you’re making so much more money now. It’s been such a blessing for you and Betty and the kids.

“Well, Bobby, it’s time to recognize that your great new job didn’t just fall out of the sky. It was there for you because of what that nice Mr. Biden did for our country.

“You know that I’ve always told you that when someone does something nice for you, you have to say “Thank you.” Well, Bobby, you need to write a “Thank you” note to Mr. Biden. And you could write one to Ms. Harris, because she’s gone to bat for you, too. I’ve always told you, Bobby, that you really have to focus on gratitude. You remember that, right?

“And something else, Bobby. Things have become so much better, not just for you, but for so many of us, so quit your noisy complaining. It’s crazy making.

“Now, you run along and do the right thing, Bobby. I’ll be watching.”

A Republican Christmas Season

‘Twas the day before Christmas and all through the House

Not a congressman showed up, not even to grouse.

The Speaker ensured nothing useful got done,

“‘Cus crashing our nation will be so much fun.”

They’ve all gone away, leaving critical stuff

Piled high in the corners, so progress is tough.

It’s plain they don’t care ’bout the people they’ve screwed,

Or the allies abandoned and left without food.

The budget? “Who cares!” said they with a smirk.

“We want to make sure that our gov’ment can’t work.”

Their stockings are full of their donors’ big cash,

Which makes legislation for them fun to pass.

To be on their payroll makes winning elections

As easy as rigging their states’ voting sections.

And makes sure that nothing will ever go sour

in scheming and grubbing for ever-more power.

So, thrill to the sound of the reindeer and sleigh,

And ignore the huge price that we’ll all have to pay.

On Dancer and Prancer and Comet and Vixen,

Minority Rule is the way to do fixin’

To undermine all that the Founders created.

They’ve all run off heedless of how we’re now fated.

They should be at work doing jobs they’re assigned.

Instead off they’ve flown, showing just their behinds.

Republican butts leaving Congress a mess

Is all that we get from their final address.

Republican flick-off of citizens, all

Comes plainly from them with their very last call:

“From the well of the House to the top of the dome,

“Merry Christmas,” they sneer, “but we’re staying home.”

Today is a good day to be the light

_____________________________

  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

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