Hi, all:
The really important issue was the obvious declaration of a wider war in yesterday's speech. We are really spinning into hell; it is up to all Americans to get off their asses to stop this while there's still time. Don't kid yourselves: this administration is going for broke and will not stop unless compelled to.
Most crucially, American Jews must stand up and give the room for the much-needed critique of Israel. That government, and increasingly its society, is completely out of control. Since American Jews, such as myself, live here -- and since if any nation has leverage on Israel, it's the US -- we must say loud and clear that expanded war is unacceptable and immoral.
To put no fine point on it: we are being inundated daily with Israeli and AIPAC, ADL, et al, propaganda on Iran. Call me "self-hating" -- I know a scam when I see one. Neocon fantasies of US/Israeli dominance; Christian-wacko-right holy wars and Rapture; the usual military-industrial-congressional complex pressures; and many things besides. All are collapsing into a vector moving toward destruction for potentially millions of people.
The US and Israel have now both floated (i.e., "leaked") the idea of using nuclear weapons on a country that doesn't have nuclear weapons, and won't for years, if ever, in order to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
Think about it. This has zero to do with Israel's destruction (unless the prophecy is self-fulfilling) or with the Nazi holocaust, which took out a nice chunk of my family. This is about a small group of ruthless elites, backed by sadly misinformed constituencies, who have had ties back into the '90s at least. It's clear that the US is doing the wagging; it's the more powerful nation. But it's equally clear that you couldn't slide a piece of paper between the positions of the current Israeli and US administrations: most of the is-it-the-Lobby? vs. no-it's-the-US-using-a-proxy misses the point. It's both and neither: each group has the same interests. For now.
Furthermore, all of you Democrats who thought the election was going to change everything, well...not unless you put extreme pressure on your reps and Senators. Because of two extremely strong lobbies: the military-industrial and the "pro-"Israeli -- the latter of which is stronger with the Democrats, arguably -- many Democrats have little to no incentive to block an expansion into Iran. Some Republicans and Democrats in both houses are nonetheless pushing back, at least verbally. That's not nearly enough.
Finally, any citizen or resident of this country -- any human being -- is under equal compunction to act. This is no longer GOP-vs.-Dem. It's the war party vs. the sane party, and there's a mixture of both Republicans and Democrats ("Independents") in both camps. I'll take the antiwar stance of anyone from Pat Buchanan to Bernie Sanders; purity is not for emergencies.
Be in DC on Jan. 27; other events happening all over. Try here, too.
Some commentary and facts from across the spectrum and around the world:
So, get out there and call your reps, senators, write letters to the editor, sign petitions, visit DC, demonstrate, petition your government, give money.
Must hit hard now, or we'll all be regretting it later, especially those of you who knew what to do, but did nothing.
Thanks for reading.
The really important issue was the obvious declaration of a wider war in yesterday's speech. We are really spinning into hell; it is up to all Americans to get off their asses to stop this while there's still time. Don't kid yourselves: this administration is going for broke and will not stop unless compelled to.
Most crucially, American Jews must stand up and give the room for the much-needed critique of Israel. That government, and increasingly its society, is completely out of control. Since American Jews, such as myself, live here -- and since if any nation has leverage on Israel, it's the US -- we must say loud and clear that expanded war is unacceptable and immoral.
To put no fine point on it: we are being inundated daily with Israeli and AIPAC, ADL, et al, propaganda on Iran. Call me "self-hating" -- I know a scam when I see one. Neocon fantasies of US/Israeli dominance; Christian-wacko-right holy wars and Rapture; the usual military-industrial-congressional complex pressures; and many things besides. All are collapsing into a vector moving toward destruction for potentially millions of people.
The US and Israel have now both floated (i.e., "leaked") the idea of using nuclear weapons on a country that doesn't have nuclear weapons, and won't for years, if ever, in order to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
Think about it. This has zero to do with Israel's destruction (unless the prophecy is self-fulfilling) or with the Nazi holocaust, which took out a nice chunk of my family. This is about a small group of ruthless elites, backed by sadly misinformed constituencies, who have had ties back into the '90s at least. It's clear that the US is doing the wagging; it's the more powerful nation. But it's equally clear that you couldn't slide a piece of paper between the positions of the current Israeli and US administrations: most of the is-it-the-Lobby? vs. no-it's-the-US-using-a-proxy misses the point. It's both and neither: each group has the same interests. For now.
Furthermore, all of you Democrats who thought the election was going to change everything, well...not unless you put extreme pressure on your reps and Senators. Because of two extremely strong lobbies: the military-industrial and the "pro-"Israeli -- the latter of which is stronger with the Democrats, arguably -- many Democrats have little to no incentive to block an expansion into Iran. Some Republicans and Democrats in both houses are nonetheless pushing back, at least verbally. That's not nearly enough.
Finally, any citizen or resident of this country -- any human being -- is under equal compunction to act. This is no longer GOP-vs.-Dem. It's the war party vs. the sane party, and there's a mixture of both Republicans and Democrats ("Independents") in both camps. I'll take the antiwar stance of anyone from Pat Buchanan to Bernie Sanders; purity is not for emergencies.
Be in DC on Jan. 27; other events happening all over. Try here, too.
Some commentary and facts from across the spectrum and around the world:
- The U.S.-Iran-Iraq-Israeli-Syrian War, Robert Parry
- Senators warn Bush against wider war, Financial Times
- IDF predicts possible conflict with Lebanon, Syria in 2007, Haaretz
- Distracting Congress from the Real War Plan, Paul Craig Roberts
So, get out there and call your reps, senators, write letters to the editor, sign petitions, visit DC, demonstrate, petition your government, give money.
Must hit hard now, or we'll all be regretting it later, especially those of you who knew what to do, but did nothing.
Thanks for reading.