Dissent and Unity in Gaza

Photo: www.monde-magouilles.com
 
There are ripples of Palestinian allegiance beginning to arrive throughout the OpEd and mainstream journalistic world, like the passive, receiving shoreline absorbing a Doppler effect. A quick scan of the carnage stats yesterday yielded 940 Palestinian dead (mostly civilians) and 13 Israeli casualties. Last week, Red Cross workers were denied access to scores of dead and wounded Gazans, and a civilian crowd near a United Nations school was hit, with at least 40 people killed.

To Israel’s critics abroad, the picture cannot be more lucid: Israel’s war in Gaza is an obtusely disproportionate response to the rockets of Hamas, causing horrendous human suffering. The bombing of an already isolated and impoverished population into the Age of Hunting and Gathering must be stopped. This surprisingly united anti-Israeli front among increasing numbers of writers and journalists has in turn rallied together Israelis who have circled the wagons and closed shop.

Voices of dissent in Israel have been rare. And while tens of thousands have spilled into the streets of world capitals demonstrating against the Israeli military operation, antiwar rallies in Israel have struggled to draw participants. The Peace Now organization has received many messages from supporters telling it to stay out of the streets on this one.

In an article yesterday, The New York Times writes that Israel, which is sometimes a fractured, bickering society, has turned in the past two weeks into a paradigm of unity and mutual support. Flags are flying high. Celebrities are visiting schoolchildren in at-risk areas. Soldiers are praising the equipment and camaraderie of their army units, and neighbors are worried about families whose members are on reserve duty. Ask people anywhere how they feel about the army’s barring journalists from entering Gaza and the response is: let the army do its job.

As the editorial page of The Jerusalem Post put it on Monday, the world must be wondering, do Israelis really believe that everybody is wrong and they alone are right? The answer is yes.

Sounds like the familiar, pompous mantra of a certain western superpower during the years 2000-2008, doesn't it. It's quite amazing the bravado one displays if one has the weapons to bump his enemies into the Stone Age.

But the situation is complicated. It always has been. Hamas leaders encourage its fighters to hide among civilians. Their rockets are launched from within the decimated Palestinian community, giving Israel no choice but to counter-attack particular dwellings. And for all the support the Arab world seems to extend to its embattled brothers, it falls short on action. Egyptian president Mubarak has refused to open up his borders and take in Palestinian refugees.

Talking to an Arab friend, I was taken aback by the candor and language with which he explained: "Just as the Irish consider themselves the n*$%ers of the British Isles, so are the Palestinians thought of by their Muslim brothers throughout the world."

Eye-opening, to say the least.

Hold Your Horses

 
I never set myself up in November to be gravely affected by the little ripples of disappointment I knew would slowly be trickling in from the incoming Obama administration, although I will admit to being swept up by the Change Movement, and believed in it wholeheartedly. I still do, but hold much less of an emotional ethos and much more of an utilitarian if not pseudo-cynical position on it.

Obama is ultimately a politician and he will do all that is necessary to survive and thrive inside the Beltway (not at the least neglecting his legacy), coupled with incremental alterations to national policy that will historically satisfy the mantra of his campaign: Change.

One significant example of backpedaling from the Obama administration is the signalled reluctance to look into Bush policies. In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Obama said he was unlikely to authorize a broad inquiry into Bush administration programs like domestic eavesdropping or the treatment of terrorism suspects. However, he was quick to add that prosecutions would move forward if the Justice Department found evidence that laws had been broken.

For those of us with longer short-term memories, Candidate Obama broadly condemned some counter-terrorism tactics of the Bush administration and its claim that the measures were justified under executive powers.

The Bush administration has authorized interrogation tactics like waterboarding that critics say tap danced outside federal laws and international treaties, and domestic wiretapping without warrants. But the details of those programs have never been made public, and White House officials have steadfastly held that their actions were legal under a president’s wartime powers.

There was no immediate reaction on Obama's decision from Capitol Hill. In resisting pressure for a wider inquiry, he risks the anger of influential Democratic lawmakers on Congressional judiciary and intelligence committees, and core constituencies who hoped his election would cast a spotlight on President Bush’s antiterror efforts.

On other terrorism issues, Obama suggested that his approach will continue to be more measured. He said the closing of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which once seemed to be an early top objective, was not likely to happen during the first 100 days of his administration.

These are the little ripples of disappointment washing ashore. However, I refuse to be altogether turned into the political curmudgeon that I had become on the heels of the stolen election in 2000. I believe in change, and I believe in government's ability to help us--despite the significant atrocities of the last eight years.

In the 1980s Reagan was successful in brainwashing us into thinking we can be left to our own devices and fend for ourselves. "Government is not the solution to our problem," he said. "Government IS the problem." It was the Sink or Swim attitude of Republicans toward the populace that falsely empowered Americans with the empty label of Rugged Individualism. I do not believe in that. I believe that government has the ability...in fact the DUTY to help us solve problems. I believe Change is coming, it's just arriving in little spurts instead of the fantastical Revolution we've been promised. Which is fine; America is still a God-fearing, conservative if not Puritan nation. For all the talk about being flexible and self-sufficient in any and every situation, we must be gently exposed and introduced to change---much like acclimating to a hot bath. Kid gloves are always necessary. Those and a leak-proof body suit.

Americans Are Too Depressed To Have Sex

 


So says the porn industry whose tongue-in...(averted gaze)-cheek request for a $5 billion bailout from the federal government is making waves all over the Internets and "old media" this morning.

Puh-leeaze, I've been saying this since last autumn. What with all the Ponzi schemes, CEO suicides, and the general collapse of capitalism, the lustre is gone! My daily visits to various fetish and Ukrainian midget domination sites have decreased from about 40-45, to no more than 5 or 6. All on work PCs, of course; I wouldn't want to infect my home machine with any kind of adware or spyware, I mean really. What am I, some schmuck on wheels?

According to porn magnate Larry Flynt and "Girls Gone Wild" king Joe Francis, the porn industry is not recession proof. TMZ website reports that the Dynamic Duo of porn will be heading to Washington to ask for a $5 billion porn bailout.

"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind," Flynt says. "It's time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America."

Francis sees his industry like the big three automakers, only BIGGER: "Congress seems willing to help shore up our nation's most important businesses; we feel we deserve the same consideration."

And why not? According to an article in the Atlantic, video sales have been falling by 15 percent a year since 2005, and online content doesn't deliver the returns it used to, now that Web sites such as RedTube and PornHub basically give it away. Struggling companies need investors to help buttress their operations, and those that are thriving in a brutal market need funding for growth.

But don't despair, Nation's Pornographers: enter AdultVest, a hedge fund run by Francis Koenig that invests in porn-related assets. He sees the porn downturn as temporary and believes that technological improvements will trigger a turnaround.

One example: iPorn, a start-up in AdultVest's portfolio that is developing an application to deliver porn to the Apple iPod. Personally, I'm holding my breath until it's feasible to actually have intercourse with our iPods. I mean, why not? They do pretty much everything else.

"The industry's not going anywhere," Koenig says. "You've got 6 billion people on the planet," he laughs, "and they're all horny."

True that. Now let me get back to...work. I feel a slight tingle in my loins already. Things are looking up, my friends. Pun intended.

Mr. Burris Goes To (And Is Booted Out Of) Washington

Photo: NY Times

Roland Burris, appointed senator by embattled Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, was just given "the high hat" by the Beltway Boys.

Burris, President-elect Obama's successor (for now) was turned away when he appeared at the U.S. Capitol to take his seat. Upon entering the revered bastion of Democracy, Burris was bum-rushed by a mob of reporters. Capitol police officers tried to clear a path for Mr. Burris. According to the NY Times, one officer shouted: “You can’t keep a regular citizen from walking into the Capitol.”

Citizen Burris managed to somehow make his way to the office of Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, to whom he presented his credentials. She promptly and swiftly rejected them.

After getting the big yoke by the metaphorical bouncer of the joint, Burris hurriedly walked out into the D.C. rain and announced the rejection to a large throng of reporters and cameras. (I said THRONG. Stop snickering)

Woe is he. Welcome to Washington, Señor...now beat it!

This story is breaking, so stay tuned for juicy updates and perhaps more colorful hi jinks and backslapping from other mischievous lawmakers on the Hill.

BREAKING NEWS: Senator Diane Feinstein supports the seating of Roland Burris.

Well now, this makes it even more of a hot potato for the Donkeys. Will he or won't he? I think the Dems need to act on this soon---as in tomorrow---before it gets out of hand (hot potato pun intended). If Burris is seated and Blagojevich is indicted, the lieutenant governor has the right to name his own choice, thus bringing to 3 the number of senators from Illinois. That'd be just like having two popes, remember? One in Avignon, the other in Rome. Of course not, before your time. And that means then that the Supreme Court will have to get involved and decide. And we saw what a clusterfuck they bestowed upon us the last time they were called in.

Bush Bypasses Cheney To Make Grab at Green Legacy

The Mariana Trench is to be made a National Marine Monument

Briefly front page news on NYTimes.com.

The Guardian corroborates their story.

Even Science backs them up.

On his way out the door, Bush has actually done something that the media seems to be accepting at face value. He has designated an area "195,280 square miles, an area larger than the states of Washington and Oregon combined" protected as National marine monuments by way of the federal Antiquities Act. Environmentalists are ecstatic. Commercial fishing is blocked. Scientific research is encouraged and from all reports, limited US military activity will be allowed but will not pose much danger to the area.

Of course this is great news. I'll be honest, though. I don't trust the goodness. Not from Bush. I'm all for the benefits to the wildlife and the underwater mountain ranges. But, there's got to be a limitation in there that will show itself in the form of some profiteer's disregard for life. 

A couple of things I'll be keeping my eye on:

"only the waters between the ocean floor and the rim of the Mariana Trench will be protected - not those rising from the rim to the surface of the water" 

and "mining and energy exploration within the protected areas" will go on.

Sen. Kennedy (NY), We Presumed All Along

 
Despite hemming and hawing and still cautioning from New York Governor David Paterson, the Associated Press reports that he's chosen Caroline Kennedy to fill incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's senate seat.

Speaking to reporters at the Executive Mansion Thursday, Paterson said he's intended all along to select a candidate with long-term interest in the job, not some... "caretaker" (Jack Torrance from the Overlook anyone?) who would simply keep the seat warm until a special election in 2010.

Kennedy has taken mucho flak from naysayers who have questioned her lack of experience, although I think otherwise. She's a KENNEDY. Imagine all those family functions and dinners. What the hell's the topic of conversation, used cars?

Next up for the DNC is finding a job for Amy Carter. Ouch, babe!

2008: In No Particular Order

 
01/03/08: Obama wins Iowa
Obama's winning in a largely white rural state forced the MSM to think of a world without a President Clinton. That her campaign wasn't hitting on all cylinders didn't help her cause (though look at her now). Everything that followed was in some way a reaction to this moment. What better way to start the year than with a wake up call? - thebeigeone

03/24/08: Clinton "Mispeaks"
So, you've won a few primaries, you're showing you're a competitor, and the people are picking up on your foreign experience. You start talking about a previous diplomatic trip, and let's just say you stretch the facts a little, not thinking that anyone would check up on it, and they do. Oops. Obama remains stoic. - thebeigeone

8/08/08: Summer Olympics in Beijing Opens
Ah now, how clever. Get it? Eight/8/oh-eight. Amid all the "mind-blowing" hoopla and pomp-and-circumstance de rigueur with Olympic openings, freedom of speech was severely restricted, if not oppressively squashed by the totalitarian, Communist government. Two septuagenarians were sent to labour camps to be "re-educated," and promises that demonstrations would be allowed to go ahead without hindrance were reneged upon. Business as usual for the comrades in the Central Committee. A short while ago, the IOC formally commended China for a successful Games---a veritable slap in the face to human rights supporters. Make no mistake, there is a world of difference between Progressive Socialism and Communism. Ask an Englishman. And then go ask a Cuban who's being re-educated for just whistling in Fidel's (or Raul's) direction -- (S)wine


8/29/08: McCain chooses Sarah Palin as his running mate
This one literally writes itself. Senator John McCain throws a few names in a jar, pulls one out, and we're off to the races. Some disgruntled Hillary supporters sell their souls, a lot of Joe Sixpacks and the Plumbers find their spiritual leader, and Vladimir Putin shakes in his boots. - anna


11/26/08 Mumbai Under Terrorist Siege
At least 173 people were killed and 308 injured in the nighttime, terrorist attacks on India's financial capital and its largest city. While we all gave thanks to god-knows-what and overdosed on tryptophan with fatty gravy, Pakistani terrorists using automatic weapons and grenades wreaked havoc on the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and eight other sites before being subdued by Indian commandos. Ajmal Amir, the only terrorist (of ten) who was captured alive, disclosed that the attackers were members of Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Pakistan-based militant organization, considered a terrorist organization by India, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others. This is yet another tragic example debunking the Bush administration's excuse (Fear) for its awful governance and abuse of power. No American, or other citizen for that matter, is safe from terrorism anywhere. Those who believes otherwise and vote based on the security platform are being sold a suspension bridge in Brooklyn. -- (S)wine

12/22-ish/08 Bush & Cheney Give Exit Interviews
After eight years of disastrous commanding-in-chiefing, Bush and Cheney leave the White House sounding strikingly different notes. Bush sounds reflective, even chastened. He expresses regrets about not achieving an overhaul of immigration laws, and not changing the partisan tone in Washington. Cheney goes down unbowed, defiant to the end: “I feel very good about what we did,” the vice president told The Washington Times, adding, “If I was faced with those circumstances again, I’d do exactly the same thing.”
Thank Shiva for term limits and good riddance! -- (S)wine

12/26/08 Jews vs. Palestinians: Gaza (ch. 674)
What I fear the most is that the incoming administration will get so bogged down in brokering some sort of ceasefire for the historic clusterfuck that has been Gaza, that national issues such as sustainability, changing to a "green" economy, and extricating ourselves from the dependence on oil will take a back seat. Perhaps so much so, that we'll never see a move toward true change. Arab states who have been vociferous and supportive of the Palestinian cause have done absolutely NOTHING to help their brothers. In fact, there's as much criticism from within the Palestinian community for Egypt's refusal to open up their borders to refugees, as there is toward Israel's repeated incursions into Gaza. -- (S)wine