An inspiration for us all

palestinian students in the west bank...

from spiegel...

With the help of world-renowned aerial artist John Quigley, Palestinian students form the shape of the so-called "Peace Dove" popularized by Pablo Picasso outside of the West Bank city of Jericho on Nov. 25.

all the people of the world deserve peace but i can't think of a people that deserves it more than palestinians... well, ok, there's also the afghans and a ton more too now that i stop to think about it...

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Disgusting

over the top arrogance...

Israeli settlers building 544 new homes

Israeli settlers have begun building new homes at an extraordinary pace since the government lifted its moratorium on West Bank housing starts — almost 550 in three weeks, more than four times faster than the last two years.

And many homes are going up in areas that under practically any peace scenario would become part of a Palestinian state, a trend that could doom U.S.-brokered peace talks.

what is WRONG with these people...?

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A moment of unity, joy and good will

michael white in the guardian...

Chilean Miners Rescue: This is a Rare Moment of Global Joy

i was watching a part of the rescue operation yesterday with my landlady... i couldn't help feeling the rush of emotion watching the men emerge from the tiny capsule one by one... my thoughts, however, always restless, began to contemplate what it would be like to experience such a moment of globally shared joy because peace in the incessant palestine-israeli conflict had finally been achieved or because all the factions now killing each other in afghanistan had finally yielded to a warm embrace and the common good of all... now, wouldn't THAT be loverly...?

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I'm sorry but this is just plain disgusting

it's nothing more than flipping the finger to any idea of israeli-palestinian peace...

Jewish settlers released balloons and broke ground on a kindergarten in celebration Sunday as a 10-month construction slowdown expired, while U.S. and Israeli leaders tried to figure out how to keep Palestinians from walking out of peace talks over the end of the restrictions.

i've lost all patience with this bullshit...

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As long as we're talking about Israel and the attack on the Gaza peace flotilla

here's a two-fer from al jazeera...

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal has been released by Israeli authorities following Monday's deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara aid ship that was destined for Gaza.

Our producer, who reported from the ship as Israel launched the raid, was on the top deck when the ship was attacked.

Here, he tells his account of what happened.

next up, glenn greenwald...

Though international criticism has been mounting against Israel's raid on civilian aid ships bound for Gaza, reaction from the United States has been cautious.

Glenn Greenwald, a former constitutional lawyer and civil rights litigator, said this muted response is due to the "huge political price" US politicians must pay for being seen as adversarial to Israel.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Greenwald, a contributing editor for Salon.com, said what is clear is that the Obama administration has given its full support to the Israeli government once again.

none of this, of course, will be aired on u.s. news outlets...

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With so many intelligent opinions available, why does the NYT offer space to an official, paid, Israel apologist?

what the hell do you expect to hear about the attack on the gaza peace flotilla from the israeli ambassador to the united states...? hmmmmm...? and why does this guy deserve space that could otherwise be taken up by someone who could provide an intelligent, contextual perspective on the situation...? why does the nyt seem to feel the need to provide an outlet for someone who is paid to dispense a carefully spun defense of the country he serves as an ambassador...?

the headline on the op-ed and the credentials of the author tell you all you need to know about the content of the piece... no need to read further...

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
An Assault, Cloaked in Peace
By MICHAEL B. OREN
Published: June 2, 2010

[...]

Michael B. Oren is Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

in a day and age where literally everything is spun and propagandized to the hilt, we desperately need dispassionate, rational, contextualized discourse but apparently we're not going to get it any time soon...

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I'm no fan of Hamid Karzai, but I think he may have a point

my biggest beef with karzai is that he doesn't know how to lead... he presides over one of the most poverty-stricken and war-torn countries in the world full of people desperate for even the tiniest bit of good news, people who just want to be able to feed and clothe their families and have a roof over their heads... meanwhile, karzai continues to tolerate corruption on a scale so vast that suitcases full of millions of dollars fly out of the kabul airport to dubai each and every day... however...

several years ago, i grudgingly came to believe that my country, a country which profits enormously from war, has simply too much to lose from a breakout of peace... yes, cynical though it may be, i am in agreement with mr. karzai... the u.s. goal is to keep the conflict going...

In January, Mr. Karzai invited about two dozen prominent Afghan media and business figures to a lunch at the palace. At the lunch, he expressed a deep cynicism about America’s motives, and of the burden he bears in trying to keep the United States at bay.

“He has developed a complete theory of American power,” said an Afghan who attended the lunch and who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “He believes that America is trying to dominate the region, and that he is the only one who can stand up to them.”

Mr. Karzai said that, left alone, he could strike a deal with the Taliban, but that the United States refuses to allow him. The American goal, he said, was to keep the Afghan conflict going, and thereby allow American troops to stay in the country. [emphasis added]

with our super-rich elites making obscene profits from war and given their stranglehold on our elected leaders, what possible incentive could they have for ending the war...?

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Israel's call for calm in crisis with the U.S. followed by Netanyahu's "BIG BUT"

oh, yes, by all means, let's not get carried away... just because we stuck a finger in joe biden's eye, gave the dirty digit to obama AND took a crap all over the peace process is no reason to go and get your knickers in a twist... relax... chill...

Netanyahu has been trying to dispel the impression that relations with the U.S. have degenerated into a crisis. His attempt Sunday to ease concerns were his first public comments since the feud erupted.

"We opened the newspapers this morning and read all kinds of commentary and assumptions regarding the crisis with the U.S. I recommend not to get carried away and to calm down," Netanyahu told his Cabinet.

Netanyahu, however, gave no indication that he would cancel the east Jerusalem construction plan, despite warnings from Washington that it could undermine the negotiating climate as indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are about to begin under U.S. mediation.

and, just so's ya know, i have a really BIG BUT - don't think for one goddam minute we're going to even CONSIDER reconsidering our settlements decision... in your dreams, my good friends... in your dreams...

seriously, the most appropriate response to israel's recent actions as well as netanyahu's supremely condescending apology and call for calm is outrage, and it's an outrage that should have been given full expression a long, long time ago...

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Israel claims national heritage status for 2 West Bank sites, announces new settlements, kills off the peace talks, and then...?

and then seals off the west bank for fear of unrest...? WTF...???

Israel has sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, preventing Palestinians from entering Israel because of fears of unrest.

first the announcement of the national heritage sites on 3 march... then the approval of new settlements in east jerusalem... then the phony apology to joe biden for taking a crap on his visit to promote the peace process... then, no big surprise, palestine pulls out of the peace talks... and now that israel has once again shown its true colors, it seals off the west bank because the palestinians might be upset... might be...? MIGHT BE...??? lordy lord...

and almost as bad is watching the vice president of my psychopathic country, after a momentary lapse into sanity, re-join and appallingly celebrate the psychopathology of israel

'US has no better friend than Israel'

US Vice President Joe Biden tried to put the furor over announcement of plans to build 1,600 units in Ramat Shlomo behind him, saying during a speech Thursday at Tel Aviv University that he condemned the move because as a friend he was compelled to "deliver the hardest truth," but adding that he appreciated the clarifications he received on the matter from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

He opened the speech by stressing the importance of US-Israel friendship and Washington's commitment to the security of the Jewish state, saying that "US President Barack Obama and myself know that the US has no better friend in the community of nations than Israel."

i'd sure like to know what israel has on our u.s. leaders that they can so slavishly serve the genocidal interests of another country...

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Israel is committed to eradicating Palestine and Palestinians from the face of the earth [UPDATE: Israel apologizes for bad timing]

[UPDATE]

aw geez... it's just bad timing, eh...? nothing wrong with the decision itself, eh...? how is it that the very people who have suffered the most hatred and persecution over the centuries can turn around and be such monsters...? oh, wait... the victim becomes the victimizer... silly me... i forgot...

Israel apologized Wednesday for disrupting the visit of Vice President Joe Biden with its announcement of 1,600 new homes in disputed east Jerusalem, but made clear it had no intention of reversing the order that has cast a shadow over the latest U.S. push for Mideast peace.

As Biden held talks with top Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai, whose office announced the new construction on lands Palestinians claim for a future state, said the problem was about timing, not substance [emphasis added].

"We had no intention, no desire, to offend or taunt an important man like the vice president during his visit," Yishai told Israel Radio. "I am very sorry for the embarrassment. We need to remember that approvals are done according to law even if the timing was wrong. ... Next time we need to take timing into account."

the world community of nations should stop pussyfooting around, step up and put a halt to israel's slow, incremental, deliberate genocide... it's gone on for much too long...

Israel approved the construction of 1,600 new homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem on Tuesday — a move that immediately clouded a visit by Vice President Joe Biden aimed at repairing strained ties and kickstarting Mideast peace talks.

The Interior Ministry announced the construction plans just as Biden was wrapping up a series of warm meetings with Israeli leaders. There was no immediate reaction from the vice president.

Relations between Israel and the Obama administration have been chilly precisely because of the settlement issue.

The U.S., like the Palestinians and the rest of the international community, believes that Israeli settlements built on lands claimed by the Palestinians, including east Jerusalem, undermine peace prospects. President Obama has been more outspoken on the issue than his predecessors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rebuffed calls from the White House to halt all settlement activity, agreeing only to a limited freeze that does not include east Jerusalem.

israel has set itself above all rule of law, any accountability and has completely forfeited any good will and credibility it might have had by pursuing a sincere course for peace...

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MLK: "The time has come to speak the truth about this war"

martin luther king jr. speaks to us from beyond the grave...



from brasscheck tv...

Nothing could be more relevant today.

Yet you won't see this speech on US television, nor will you hear it even referred to...even on Martin Luther King Day, a national holiday in the United States.

is it any wonder he was assassinated...?

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WW I: the Christmas truce

what the season is truly all about...

Christmas in the trenches [rm file]

this is a christmas song i can get behind... how about you...?

it sure beats cancelling christmas in bethlehem...

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Israel's response to Annapolis

f.u. AND the horse you rode in on...

Israel said Tuesday it is seeking bids to build more than 300 new homes in a disputed east Jerusalem neighborhood, drawing Palestinian condemnations that the move is undermining the newly revived peace talks held last week in Annapolis, Md.

A Housing Ministry spokesman said 307 units would be built in Har Homa, a Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem.

Israel captured the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed the area. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

as gary kamiya says in today's edition of salon...

Annapolis will fail to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians because it was not intended to succeed. It was a charade. And in the Middle East, charades don't just leave things the way they are -- they make them much worse. The tragedy is that Olmert seems to realize the urgency of cutting a two-state deal. But there is a giant gap between seeing the goal and achieving it, and only the United States can fill it. Olmert can take the politically explosive yet necessary steps only if the United States clearly states in advance what needs to be done and then forces both sides to do it. Bush completely failed to do that. He called for the conference almost in passing. He never set an agenda. He refused to outline what the U.S. vision of peace is. Going forward, the only thing he offered the two beleaguered leaders, Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, was a promise to monitor the process -- which in these circumstances is like promising a dying man that if he calls you on your cellphone, you'll be sure to check the message.

yep... charade... that says it all...

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Holy crap! Bush has NEVER visited Israel?

lordy, lordy... this little piece of presidential worthlessness totally slipped by me...

When the Middle East peace conference kicks off Tuesday in Annapolis, President Bush will deliver the opening speech and also conduct three rounds of personal diplomacy with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Such an active role is notable for a president who has never visited Israel while in office, who has made only one trip to Egypt and Jordan to promote peace efforts, and who has left the task of relaunching the peace process largely in the hands of his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

besides being a fundamentally bad man, he is also a seriously bad joke...

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IMAGINE PEACE: pictures from the children of Iran

more like this...

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Are we that different?

extraordinary... watch it...



(sign the petition here...)

(thanks to agit-pop at the huffpo...)

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Christians for peace - what a concept!

'bout time we saw some major affirmation of what jesus REALLY taught...

Christian Peace Witness for Iraq has organized a worship for Friday night at Washington's National Cathedral to be attended by 4,000 people who will then hold a candlelight procession to the White House, the anti-war group said.

A vigil will take place in front of US President George W. Bush's official residence and 700 people have indicated their readiness to be arrested in an act of civil disobedience, the group said.

The group has billed the event as the biggest Christian peace demonstration since the March 20, 2003, US-led invasion of Iraq, but rain and possible snow forecast for Washington could dampen attendance.

the far right, extreme christian fringe, over the past years, has given christianity a black eye... i'm one that believes that christ, buddha, mohammed, and all the major spiritual figures throughout history were all about love, refraining from judgment, and affirming the dignity and worth of every living thing... with the intolerance and hate that's been the hallmark of false christians like dobson, tony perkins, pat robertson, jerry falwell, and the like, it's been as easy to lump all christians into the same pile as it has been to do the same with muslims - and doing EITHER is simply wrong... it's nice to see REAL christian principles being put into practice...

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Endless war is a terminal disease

matt taibbi in rolling stone via alternet...

After four years of Iraq, we still can't talk about peace in public! This evil bullshit has been buried in the commercial media's descriptive campaign language seemingly forever by now, but it may be time -- in the wake of this Iraq disaster -- to start thinking about where it comes from and what effect it may have on the national psyche.

[...]

A country that feeds itself through the manufacture of war technology is bound to view peace, nonviolence and mercy as seditious concepts. It will create policies first and then people to fit its machines, finding wars to fight and creating killers to fight them. If that's true of us, and I think it is, our troubles won't be over even if someone brings the Iraq war to an end. We'll be treating the symptom and not the disease. And the reason our elections are a sham is that the disease is never on the table.

no argument here... i keep reading the blogs of my esteemed colleagues - markos moulitsas and john aravosis to name two - who repeatedly make this kind of statement: "i'm not against war, i'm against THIS war..." markos, in a lengthy front-page post, excoriated dennis kucinich for his pacifist views and for spouting new age jargon...

"Higher evolution of human awareness"? "Transform consciousness"? "Paradign [sic] shift"? What the hell is this crap? I expect this kind of crap out of Deepak Chopra (or Tom Cruise), not a serious presidential candidate.

[...]

Clearly, Kucinich resides in a higher plane of existence than I do. But my plane is on the planet earth. I want my president to reside here as well.

And by the way, the "Department of Peace" already exists. It's called the "U.S. Department of State".

i hold no brief for kucinich, but i, like matt, believe that the stranglehold the defense industry has on the u.s. and the resulting glorification of all things military, is most definitely a debilitating disease... pursuing an endless war, the undeniable objective of the bush administration, may well be a terminal one...

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