Has anyone seen the January 25, 2009 episode of 60 Minutes? Correspondent Bob Simon visited a Palestinian home in Gaza. The most unfortunate situation exists whereby Israeli Army soldiers have taken up residence in this home as if by eminent domain. The soldiers have actually taken up residence in the Palestinian home uninvited. In fact, the soldiers would not speak with Bob Simon, not let him in and forced the Palestinian family to turn him away lest they lock out the Palestinian family's children who were returning from a day at school.
Ack. How disgusting I thought. After thinking a bit more I imagined what this is like for those children. They're just children you know. They haven't created this world, they haven't been here long enough to make a meaningful impact on this world and yet they suffer. They suffer from seeing their parent's dominated, their homes violated and so they learn a lesson of hatred. Who are their teachers? Of course it is the Israeli soldiers. For these children, the Israeli soldiers are ambassadors of bad will. Most unfortunately, it is the young who will not soon forget.
You can see the 13 minute report here at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4752349n
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Praying in War
I saw a picture of an Israeli soldier praying alone with a book and a cloth over his head. This obviously is the way he was taught to pray. I asked myself what might he pray about or what might he pray for. Might he be asking for an end to bloodshed in his region? Might he ask for forgiveness for having caused bloodshed in his region? Ask that his enemy be struck down so that he and his comrades might go home quickly? Ask that he not be injured? Ask that his comrades not be injured? Ask that his god punish his enemies? Ask that his god punish all enemies present and future? Ask for a good lunch for himself, his comrades, his family and friends? Ask that the enemy might starve, the enemy's families might starve?
News prints and blogs never suggests that Israelis pray for conciliation between themselves and their neighbors. And that raises another question regarding the problem with a religious state like Israel; of course not unique to Israel. When a religion is applied as the supreme underpinning of a state we see two very different functions lose their individuality. Both religion and government are very necessary for human existence. A religion is for our souls. It is for our highest thoughts.
How then can a government be a religion? A government is to deal with necessities. It must protect its population and may justify a means of doing so on practical grounds. The military government easily fulfills this definition. The military acts out of necessity in protecting the people under its domain. The military can be brutal and can act without remorse for the terrible things it does. After all, it is a functional institution.
A great problem arises when a government is sanctioned by a religion. When government becomes the pragmatic arm of the religion we sing psalms of our glory to the heavens, for it becomes righteous to fight and kill our enemies. In fact, it becomes our duty and our greatest honor to serve our religion in this way. It becomes our point of entry into fanaticism, an unwavering belief that we are correct, righteous and just in all that we might do in the name of our religion. We are expected to act beyond mere words. In a modern day we speak these truths in bombs and bigger bombs; bombs so powerful they could make even god blush with shame.
So today we are once again faced with children dying in the Middle East. Does it matter why or by whose hands? We kill humans and we should be ashamed. Maybe it is the shame that Israeli soldier was praying about.
News prints and blogs never suggests that Israelis pray for conciliation between themselves and their neighbors. And that raises another question regarding the problem with a religious state like Israel; of course not unique to Israel. When a religion is applied as the supreme underpinning of a state we see two very different functions lose their individuality. Both religion and government are very necessary for human existence. A religion is for our souls. It is for our highest thoughts.
How then can a government be a religion? A government is to deal with necessities. It must protect its population and may justify a means of doing so on practical grounds. The military government easily fulfills this definition. The military acts out of necessity in protecting the people under its domain. The military can be brutal and can act without remorse for the terrible things it does. After all, it is a functional institution.
A great problem arises when a government is sanctioned by a religion. When government becomes the pragmatic arm of the religion we sing psalms of our glory to the heavens, for it becomes righteous to fight and kill our enemies. In fact, it becomes our duty and our greatest honor to serve our religion in this way. It becomes our point of entry into fanaticism, an unwavering belief that we are correct, righteous and just in all that we might do in the name of our religion. We are expected to act beyond mere words. In a modern day we speak these truths in bombs and bigger bombs; bombs so powerful they could make even god blush with shame.
So today we are once again faced with children dying in the Middle East. Does it matter why or by whose hands? We kill humans and we should be ashamed. Maybe it is the shame that Israeli soldier was praying about.
Friday, January 9, 2009
For The Love Of Israel
I will admit that the complex history of U.S. and Israeli policies have been a mystery to me. Since Israel's inception there has been a tangled web of controversy and boat loads of money provided to ensure the survival of that state.
I'm concerned now more than ever that the U.S. is over-spending on Israel. The question need not be whether Israel has a right to exist, instead whether it has a duty to do so under its own volition. Whether the existence of a state is more or less about rights of the state to exist or rather more about its duties in how it manages its interrelations and affairs.
Israel's behavior has often been the target of great controversy. The fact that Israel is a strong U.S. ally in the middle-east region is a compelling reason to support them. For the pleasure of this relationship the U.S. sends Israel great sums of money every year. With U.S. help Israel has developed one of the world's most advanced military and are quite capable of protecting their territory. With additional assurances by way of standing backup support from the U.S. in case of an invasion, Israel faces no overwhelming threat. If Israel were to take a more aggressive posture in the region, say settling in areas outside their territory, taking new territory or simply controlling the territory of others, we might ask ourselves what it is that we are helping to protect.
At a minimum, the U.S. should not support a military regime bent on controlling the region. If the U.S. provides support and assurances to support such a regime under all circumstances, then we may well be the cause of their overzealous ambitions. In fact, those ambitions might be far less aggressive in nature had they to think more and act more on their own volition.
I'm concerned now more than ever that the U.S. is over-spending on Israel. The question need not be whether Israel has a right to exist, instead whether it has a duty to do so under its own volition. Whether the existence of a state is more or less about rights of the state to exist or rather more about its duties in how it manages its interrelations and affairs.
Israel's behavior has often been the target of great controversy. The fact that Israel is a strong U.S. ally in the middle-east region is a compelling reason to support them. For the pleasure of this relationship the U.S. sends Israel great sums of money every year. With U.S. help Israel has developed one of the world's most advanced military and are quite capable of protecting their territory. With additional assurances by way of standing backup support from the U.S. in case of an invasion, Israel faces no overwhelming threat. If Israel were to take a more aggressive posture in the region, say settling in areas outside their territory, taking new territory or simply controlling the territory of others, we might ask ourselves what it is that we are helping to protect.
At a minimum, the U.S. should not support a military regime bent on controlling the region. If the U.S. provides support and assurances to support such a regime under all circumstances, then we may well be the cause of their overzealous ambitions. In fact, those ambitions might be far less aggressive in nature had they to think more and act more on their own volition.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Why I Blog
Harold Pinter is dead now (1930 - 2008). I didn't know the man and yet, after seeing this video I somehow feel a great kinship.He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 and recorded this acceptance speech in lieu of actually attending the ceremony in Stockholm. He was dying.
Possibly only a man facing death would speak with such honesty, but Pinter was known to speak his conscience. His speech is about the horrors and the audacity by which the U.S. government has executed its policies throughout the world, especially with respect to South America and the Middle East of late.
I began this blog with Pinter in mind. He calls on us as citizens, to find what he calls the real truth of our lives and society.
You must see this video. Please follow this link to NobelPrize.org
The Plague Is Next
What else? It'll just have to be something big. Lately news has been bad, bad and badder. A slurry of bad news. Automakers on Capitol Hill, layoffs on Wall Street and Main, unemployment approaching 8%, consumers unhappy, retailers less happy and just in time for the New Year, voila Israel and Hamas are at it again.
I'm not certain about how we get through these days, but we do and the news, well it keeps us amused. So thanks for tuning in and I hope you enjoy the banter.
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