The Pacifist Confusion

Gaza's thin red line one year later
Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, 22 January 2010
"The last Israeli attacks were the hardest, the most dangerous. It wasn't a war, it was a massacre. They shot anyone walking, anyone outside of their home, in their home ... it didn't matter. And it didn't matter if the victims were children or adults; there was no difference."
Ali Khalil, 47, has served as a medic with the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

If I was a resident of Gaza, I would do anything to persuade my neighbors to cease hostilities against Israel. After 61 years of warfare, the situation for Palestinians has worsened.
As a resident of Israel, I resent being a target for Iranian missiles. Following my own advice, I insist in telling everyone within earshot that violence is not a solution. My argument fails to the continued onslaught by hostiles.
Most regrettably, the self-styled pundits outside the region issue a flood of suggestions for policy changes directed towards peace. Almost always the advice is one-sided. The advisers assume victory in war should prompt concessions from the Israelis. Whenever the Israelis fail to make the concessions, they are vilified.
This one-sidedness persuades the Palestinians that the western nations will destroy Israel for them. Consequently, they believe there is no need to participate in a peace effort.

SOTU Poor and the POTUS not Up to Challenge

The SOTU was already poor and the POTUS speech changed nothing. He promised not to fiddle with defense spending. After eight years of battle in Afghanistan, the US military must bribe the warlords to allow its supply convoys to reach the isolated outposts. Although the enormous bribes exceed 10% of the Afghan GNP, the outposts remain at the mercy of the warlords. A change in policy could lead to any number of massacres.
This is but one example from a corrupt and bloated government that is of little benefit to the people. Indeed, it serves as an obstacle to progress. The USA could take an example from China of capitalist government working for the people.
The POTUS never explained why his old policies would now work.

ACORN Litigates Funding while Pimp Arrested

Motion to Expand 'Probably Unconstitutional' Finding to FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act Pending
James O'Keefe arrested; charged with entering federal property under false pretenses...

Guest blogged by Ernest A. Canning, Brad Blog

On Nov. 12, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that separate House and Senate Resolutions to bar all funds to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) were unconstitutional Bills of Attainder.

We initially covered the ACORN lawsuit in "ACORN Sues Congress Over Defunding Legislation." The lawsuit directly pertained to House and Senate Appropriations Resolutions which singled out ACORN for a cut-off of federal funds. These were passed after videos emerged which purported to depict some ACORN employees giving advice to individuals posing as a prostitute and a pimp.

As Brad Friedman noted in "ACORN Cleared YET AGAIN of Wrongdoing," former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger then issued an independent report, which found incidents of mismanagement by ACORN but "no criminal wrongdoing." CCR noted that Harshbarger, who reviewed the "complete transcripts," concluded that "the infamous videotapes had been doctored and fully misrepresented the actions of the workers shown."

On Dec. 11, U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon granted ACORN's motion for a preliminary injunction [PDF], ruling that it was likely ACORN would prevail on the merits of its claim that the House and Senate Appropriations Resolutions were unconstitutional Bills of Attainder.

Although no doubt fully aware of ACORN's pending lawsuit, on Dec. 10 & Dec. 13 the House and Senate enacted the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, an amalgam of six separate bills, which the President signed into law on Dec. 16. The Act contains a virtually identical provision to cut-off ACORN from federal funds. ACORN responded by filing a motion [PDF] to expand the preliminary injunction to the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

As of this posting, we are awaiting word from CCR. on the fate of ACORN's pending motion.

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, James O'Keefe, who posed as the pimp in the ACORN sting video, along with three others, was arrested and "charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony," in relation to an alleged plot to tamper with the telephone system in the office of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

Any Port During the Haitian Earthquake

On 23 January Link.TV posted its Mosaic Report about the Middle Eastern reaction to the Haiti tragedy. The report was for the most part fair and balanced. They noted the prompt arrival of the Israeli field hospital and the tardiness of some of the rich Arab states in presenting aid. Some of the newscasters wasted time speculating on the motives behind the US and Israeli relief efforts. A few made noises similar to those coming from Rush Limbaugh. They spoke about propaganda and made invidious comparisons with Gaza City and Fallujah.
They should have heeded the advice of Ari Sharon. He noted his country would be bull whipped and damned no matter what they did. The best course for any nation is to ignore the critics and do the right thing. I am sure the Haitians welcome and use the aid given by any donor.

Dissent Means Strength

When an Israeli exercises his right to free speech he risks an avalanche of criticism. Much of it questions his right to live and his nation’s right to exist.
Most of the world’s population looks upon dissent as subversion. They brand the members of the opposition as traitors to their own country. They say dissent gives aid and comfort to the enemy.
In their view, a wide range of public opinion shows weaknesses that can be exploited for propaganda purposes. It’s a matter of gaining a temporary advantage in a 61-year war that never ends.
Elongated conflicts can devastate liberty. One can consider the demise of free speech in the USA as an example. She is virtually a communist corporate state. It is amazing Israel has managed to survive as the only Middle East democracy. The lively resistance to the state incursions on the Internet bodes well for Israel in the long term.

Selling Out the Citizens on Health Care

If we have learned anything from the lengthy health care debacle, it is that only the reconciliation of controversial measures has a chance for bringing them into law. The limited debate has no room for Republicans, who can be counted upon to oppose any measure.
The President seems unable to pursue this strategy.
From the STEPHANOPOULOS Interview with OBAMA
"I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on. We know that we need insurance reform, that the health insurance companies are taking advantage of people. We know that we have to have some form of cost containment because if we don’t, then our budgets are going to blow up and we know that small businesses are going to need help so that they can provide health insurance to their families. Those are the core, some of the core elements of, to this bill. Now I think there’s some things in there that people don’t like and legitimately don’t like."
The President remains stuck in the quagmire of health insurance. He allowed the special interests to write the Senate version. When they saw Ms Coakley was going to lose, they pumped $millions into her campaign at the last minute. If the House Democrats can muster 218 votes to pass the Senate bill, they can retrieve something from the fiasco.

A Colossal Loss of Nerve

Twenty-two years ago the Israeli Supreme Court decided to reward kidnappers, child abusers and slave traffickers by not punishing them. The decision implemented violated the human rights of tens of thousands of victims including me. Thousands of State of Israel employees became criminals who were only following orders.
Similarly, the recent US Supreme Court ruling to deregulate corporate campaign funding has underlined the voicelessness of the ordinary citizens. They have no way to combat massive voter fraud, stock market manipulation, toxic asset formation, media information control, environmental catastrophe, declining educational standards and cheapening of life without health reform.
How long will it take foreign entities to buy their way into the American system? Can China purchase California? Will New England join the British Commonwealth of Nations?
We lost our Republic to the Red scare tactics of the 1950's. We have lost our nerve to attack human trafficking and genocide. We fight democratic movements in every part of the world. Overcome with fear we desert the battlefield before the fight has begun.
We have criminalized ourselves.