I know that the people of Gaza will honour those international citizens who took part in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla May 2010, and in particular those who have lost their lives. Beneath the sorrow there will be a kind of joy that others in the world care enough to be injured or to lose their lives for them, out of love and concern for them.
You have the unreal heroes of Hollywood, but the real hero is physically helpless against evil and yet steps forward and lays his/her life on the line regardless. Jesus Christ is the epitomy of the true hero. He was oppressed both by the power of empire and by the corruption of the Jewish establishment yet courted their violence by having another vision.
Whatever the ethnicity and religion of those on the Flotilla they have all acted in a Christian way, some laying down their lives for others. The true hero is a true Christian.
There would have been those on the Flotilla who knew very well that Israel was capable of anything and yet they did not allow their sense of foreboding and vulnerability to deter them. This is true heroism. When you know that you are up against implacable power and refuse to back down you are among the best that the world can produce.
The foreign minister of a nation which is a master at provocation described the Flotilla as a provocation. The foreign minister of a nation which is supreme at manipulating public perception described the Flotilla as a publicity stunt. Yet for a mere provocation and publicity stunt this sick nation of Israel determines that at least 9 international unarmed civilians must be killed and at least 50 injured.
If this is a picture of Israeli behaviour toward the citizens of other countries only God knows how the people of Gaza manage to cope. There must be many true heroes among them.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
BAROUD, RAMZY. MY FATHER WAS A FREEDOM FIGHTER: GAZA'S UNTOLD STORY
Like Abdel Bari Atwan, Ramzy Baroud was born and lived in an Israeli concentration camp in Gaza, from where with the selfless effort of his father he also has managed to breath and write about his people and the Middle East. He is editor of PalestineChronicle.com
What is plain enough for me for the first time is that the state of Israel was already well on the way to being established regardless of the holocaust. The Zionists had been intent upon this for decades while the British and others allowed the terrorism to happen. Zionism is to the Jew as Nazism is to the German. They are both race-based, hate-filled ideologies. The Palestinians were set down for catastrophe long before any holocaust in Europe.
Baroud draws a loving picture of his father and gives an understanding of Palestinian and Israeli politics. As with any society, the elite were always essentially corrupt and collaborated with the occupiers. When a real democratic election occurred in 2006, a real choice, for which Baroud's father with a sense of liberation voted for Hamas because they were decent people, the United States and Israel were incapable of any action other than vengeful and immoral blockade.
Rating: Very good.
What is plain enough for me for the first time is that the state of Israel was already well on the way to being established regardless of the holocaust. The Zionists had been intent upon this for decades while the British and others allowed the terrorism to happen. Zionism is to the Jew as Nazism is to the German. They are both race-based, hate-filled ideologies. The Palestinians were set down for catastrophe long before any holocaust in Europe.
Baroud draws a loving picture of his father and gives an understanding of Palestinian and Israeli politics. As with any society, the elite were always essentially corrupt and collaborated with the occupiers. When a real democratic election occurred in 2006, a real choice, for which Baroud's father with a sense of liberation voted for Hamas because they were decent people, the United States and Israel were incapable of any action other than vengeful and immoral blockade.
Rating: Very good.
Monday, May 10, 2010
ESTABLISHMENT MEDIA
It is heartening to find one's own insights given expression by prominent commentators one respects, but it is somewhat disconcerting to find that there are those in the establishment media who are also perfectly aware. So here in New Zealand John Campbell who normally twitters on in a most irritating fashion suddenly shows a genuine knowledge and admiration in an interview with Robert Fisk. Or some right-wing morning radio journalist switches to a real knowledge and appreciation in an interview with Dahr Jamail. They are living a double life, normally happy to espouse an antithetical establishment viewpoint.
The election of Obama was a good example which showed that members of the establishment media know the truth perfectly well. In New Zealand they decided to awake from their cowardice and begin to express hopes for necessary change in the world. Suddenly it was OK to publicly hope that the United States would be more reasonable in the world, that it would take Israel by the nose and force it to behave decently. Statements mildly critical of Israel surfaced; sympathetic items about Gaza and the Palestinians occurred. Iran or Venezuela or you name it escaped irrational villification.
However, the media establishment manoeuvres ponderously. The Gaza war crime had already occurred. It was already too late. The real nature of the new man was revealed in one telling scenario, but the media wanted to miss it. In the midst of the international crime, Obama was shown playing golf, a vision horribly reminiscent of his predecessor. He said not a word then on the subject nor thereafter.
But now the establishment media has rushed back into obedient silence and untruth. It has seen again that the truth cannot be revealed and will not be acted upon by this unsavoury new president.
The election of Obama was a good example which showed that members of the establishment media know the truth perfectly well. In New Zealand they decided to awake from their cowardice and begin to express hopes for necessary change in the world. Suddenly it was OK to publicly hope that the United States would be more reasonable in the world, that it would take Israel by the nose and force it to behave decently. Statements mildly critical of Israel surfaced; sympathetic items about Gaza and the Palestinians occurred. Iran or Venezuela or you name it escaped irrational villification.
However, the media establishment manoeuvres ponderously. The Gaza war crime had already occurred. It was already too late. The real nature of the new man was revealed in one telling scenario, but the media wanted to miss it. In the midst of the international crime, Obama was shown playing golf, a vision horribly reminiscent of his predecessor. He said not a word then on the subject nor thereafter.
But now the establishment media has rushed back into obedient silence and untruth. It has seen again that the truth cannot be revealed and will not be acted upon by this unsavoury new president.
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