I have read Damon Linker's essay about Airman Aaron Bushnell and his self-immolation at the Israeli embassy.
Linker suggests other less extreme means of protest. Some will be effective, some will be just jejeune and annoying. I still remember 1960s anti-war protesters at the Pentagon placing cut flowers in the barrels of the soldiery. Now that was creative!
Unlike Airman Bushnell's protest, the flower-placers at the Pentagon were inviting engagement and discussion. That is much more valuable in the long run.
An act of self-destruction is stunning, but it is a conversation-ender.
Thanks, Jonathan. The next time I hear some gaslighter complain about the dreaded "liberal media," I'll show them this article. The media are not liberal, and they never have been. They are corporate. And they are interested in nothing but profit.
They somehow think that fostering this false narrative about the "horse race" rife with false equivalencies and ridiculous comparisons like "Yeah, Trump's a crook who's been charged with more crimes than a mob boss," but "Did you know that Biden is old?" will benefit their profits.
It evidently never occurs to any of these dolts that without people in government who are interested in governing, their continued ability to make truckloads of money will be significantly compromised.
I'm reminded though of the assassination of PM Abe in Japan. His assassination DID lead to a closer examination of the assailant's claims re the Unification Church (a cult which took all his family's money). And now Japan is mulling banning the church. So. Sometimes these acts DO affect change. I doubt Bushnell's act will. But he might have noted that *sometimes* they do.
I would say that we had a good turnout Tuesday -- I was a pollworker ("Election Inspector"!) for a Michigan location "adjacent to a large well-known institution of higher learning." We'd had early voting and of course mail-ins but still, LOTS of people steady over the day in person. On my way back from dinner break I overheard two young (early-20s) voters complaining that the Democratic Party was running a [f***g] codger. All day we were thanked for our work and it was just amazingly wonderful to be helping Americans do something essentially American. What an honor! READY for August and November!
People of good faith do not conflate compassion for the civilian victims of the Gazan genocide with support for Hamas.
People of good faith do not conflate compassion for the civilian Israelis targeted by Hamas' horrific attack with support for Bibi's barbaric response.
People of good faith do not support the targeting and terrorization of civilian populations, nor do they vilify those who criticize the people who do. Please, let us end this litany of misplaced blame and shun those who would perpetrate it before we are all subsumed into a monstrous cycle of moral obliteration.
For an article on the benefits and value of epistemic uncertainty the author seems very certain that one side - Hamas - is responsible for the war and for Israel's sometimes excessive violence and frequent violation of international law. Nothing about the ongoing military/violent expansion by the settler movment? Nothing about the 400 people killed in the West Bank since this most recent conflict began? And how was Hamas responsible for that? Yes, horrors have been committed on both sides, but the utter failure of Israel to ever take the two-state solution and the more relevant failure of the USA to require our assitance to Israel and support for UNRWA to be dependent on genuine efforts toward mutual existence is our shame....but dear Sir, you seemed very clear that one side is responsible. I didn't see the epistemic humility you seemed to be claiming.
"Or at least: I am not aware of any proposed remedy that would have made coexistence possible without Israel becoming a fully militarized, illiberal state."
Here are a few remedies that could have been used:
1. When you possess a Hamas war plan take it seriously instead of assuming they will not attack.
2. When Qatar asks you to drive their guy into Gaza to distribute $25M a month out of a suitcase, decline because you do not support Hamas.
3. When the PA cooperates with you on crime and security and formally accepts your right to exist while Hamas is committed to your destruction, support the PA and work toward restoring Gaza to PA control.
It is really weird that Israel supported a terrorist group for over a decade, and there is so little reckoning with the obvious: If a neighbor is committed to your destruction and uses terror, don't prop them up.
To this day Netanyahu is dead set against the PA again governing Gaza. Heavens no, anything but that!
Pretty sure Ukrainian experience makes Gaza seem tame. Any children's torture centers? POW's being starved to death? Entire Ukrainian cities have been wiped off the map by russians who blatantly loot tv's and washing machines to be shipped back home.
Possibly the most important case ever heard: "BREAKING NEWS The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Wednesday, February 28, 2024 5:17 PM ET The justices scheduled arguments for the week of April 22 and said proceedings in the trial court would remain frozen while they considered the matter."
My view is that Hamas bottled itself up by making it necessary.. if Israel does try to adminster Gaza militarily, it will be Ulster, but with better weaponry. I would suggest a pan-Arab peacekeeping force under UN auspices.
Love your take on Michigan. Yes!
Jonathan:
I have read Damon Linker's essay about Airman Aaron Bushnell and his self-immolation at the Israeli embassy.
Linker suggests other less extreme means of protest. Some will be effective, some will be just jejeune and annoying. I still remember 1960s anti-war protesters at the Pentagon placing cut flowers in the barrels of the soldiery. Now that was creative!
Unlike Airman Bushnell's protest, the flower-placers at the Pentagon were inviting engagement and discussion. That is much more valuable in the long run.
An act of self-destruction is stunning, but it is a conversation-ender.
Thanks, Jonathan. The next time I hear some gaslighter complain about the dreaded "liberal media," I'll show them this article. The media are not liberal, and they never have been. They are corporate. And they are interested in nothing but profit.
They somehow think that fostering this false narrative about the "horse race" rife with false equivalencies and ridiculous comparisons like "Yeah, Trump's a crook who's been charged with more crimes than a mob boss," but "Did you know that Biden is old?" will benefit their profits.
It evidently never occurs to any of these dolts that without people in government who are interested in governing, their continued ability to make truckloads of money will be significantly compromised.
I'm reminded though of the assassination of PM Abe in Japan. His assassination DID lead to a closer examination of the assailant's claims re the Unification Church (a cult which took all his family's money). And now Japan is mulling banning the church. So. Sometimes these acts DO affect change. I doubt Bushnell's act will. But he might have noted that *sometimes* they do.
I would say that we had a good turnout Tuesday -- I was a pollworker ("Election Inspector"!) for a Michigan location "adjacent to a large well-known institution of higher learning." We'd had early voting and of course mail-ins but still, LOTS of people steady over the day in person. On my way back from dinner break I overheard two young (early-20s) voters complaining that the Democratic Party was running a [f***g] codger. All day we were thanked for our work and it was just amazingly wonderful to be helping Americans do something essentially American. What an honor! READY for August and November!
Also note NH robocalls from fake President Biden voice telling voters NOT to vote in the election: https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2024/20240206-voter-robocall-update.html#:~:text=Formella announces that the Attorney,and which encouraged recipients not
Corporate media does not want President Biden re-elected. Period.
“…there is a narrative in media world that Biden is exceptionally weak.
“… If the election were held tomorrow, Biden would almost certainly lose.”
JVL, I love you, man, but that’s the definition of “exceptionally weak.”
People of good faith do not conflate compassion for the civilian victims of the Gazan genocide with support for Hamas.
People of good faith do not conflate compassion for the civilian Israelis targeted by Hamas' horrific attack with support for Bibi's barbaric response.
People of good faith do not support the targeting and terrorization of civilian populations, nor do they vilify those who criticize the people who do. Please, let us end this litany of misplaced blame and shun those who would perpetrate it before we are all subsumed into a monstrous cycle of moral obliteration.
A glimmer of good news: https://www.politicususa.com/2024/02/28/illinois-kicks-insurrectionist-trump-off-the-ballot.html
For an article on the benefits and value of epistemic uncertainty the author seems very certain that one side - Hamas - is responsible for the war and for Israel's sometimes excessive violence and frequent violation of international law. Nothing about the ongoing military/violent expansion by the settler movment? Nothing about the 400 people killed in the West Bank since this most recent conflict began? And how was Hamas responsible for that? Yes, horrors have been committed on both sides, but the utter failure of Israel to ever take the two-state solution and the more relevant failure of the USA to require our assitance to Israel and support for UNRWA to be dependent on genuine efforts toward mutual existence is our shame....but dear Sir, you seemed very clear that one side is responsible. I didn't see the epistemic humility you seemed to be claiming.
This is a strange sentence:
"Or at least: I am not aware of any proposed remedy that would have made coexistence possible without Israel becoming a fully militarized, illiberal state."
Here are a few remedies that could have been used:
1. When you possess a Hamas war plan take it seriously instead of assuming they will not attack.
2. When Qatar asks you to drive their guy into Gaza to distribute $25M a month out of a suitcase, decline because you do not support Hamas.
3. When the PA cooperates with you on crime and security and formally accepts your right to exist while Hamas is committed to your destruction, support the PA and work toward restoring Gaza to PA control.
It is really weird that Israel supported a terrorist group for over a decade, and there is so little reckoning with the obvious: If a neighbor is committed to your destruction and uses terror, don't prop them up.
To this day Netanyahu is dead set against the PA again governing Gaza. Heavens no, anything but that!
Pretty sure Ukrainian experience makes Gaza seem tame. Any children's torture centers? POW's being starved to death? Entire Ukrainian cities have been wiped off the map by russians who blatantly loot tv's and washing machines to be shipped back home.
The real tragedies are in Ukraine and Syria.
Possibly the most important case ever heard: "BREAKING NEWS The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Wednesday, February 28, 2024 5:17 PM ET The justices scheduled arguments for the week of April 22 and said proceedings in the trial court would remain frozen while they considered the matter."
No one will ever convince me that the Scotus didn't take up this absurd argument as a way to push Trump's trial past the election.
My view is that Hamas bottled itself up by making it necessary.. if Israel does try to adminster Gaza militarily, it will be Ulster, but with better weaponry. I would suggest a pan-Arab peacekeeping force under UN auspices.
My concern is the margin for bidens win was smaller than 100000 uncommitted votes in 2020