Comments on: Massacre in Gaza: Who’s To Blame?

By: Al Harli

Al Harli — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:15:32 +0000

Do we need another Iran or another Syria or another Hamas to make the world a better place to live?
Shooting at your neighbour is a declaration of war,getting happy for the killing of 3000 people on 9/11 get devastation. This violence is against people who love war and preparing vastly for it but when getting it they
cry oppressors….

By: Alex Doherty

Alex Doherty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:56:49 +0000

Well one area of work is mentioned in the article – that of consciousness raising – spreading information, organising events, even visiting the terrritories themselves and recounting that reality to people back home, lobbying politicians, pressing the media to give a more accurate picture of the conflicts, working to stop arms exports to Israel, developing a boycott and divestment campaign. There are endless things people can do – and these activities have real world effects – I can’t speak for the United States but in the UK crititicsm of Israel’s actions in the media has become much more substantial – in part this reflects the brutality of the Israeli operation but it also has occurred because of the slow painstaking work of thousands of people who have helped to get the truth out. Also the EU was about to upgrade their ties with Israel – they have backed off from this because of public protest – that’s an important real world effect . Of course there is an alternative to getting involved in real political struggle in the real world – one can instead sit back and day dream about co-opting the CIA and the FBI and starting “violence against the oppressors”..

Meanwhile people are dying of course.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:27:23 +0000

There are many many useful things people can do that do not entail physical risk.

I noticed these weren’t mentioned in the column. Would you elaborate?

By: bozh

bozh — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:18:36 +0000

bears repeating,
once we make their army, cia, fbi, police, educators, et al, ours to a degree can we contemplate violence against the oppressors.
we need mns of people not thousands. thn

By: Alex Doherty

Alex Doherty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:03:31 +0000

Brian you write:

“This waiting is not in many cases a form of cowardice, but a tactical decision based on a desire to avoid suicide.”

1. I’m not advocating rioting or any other form of violence – tactics which are usually morally untenable and tactically stupid.

2. There are many many useful things people can do that do not entail physical risk. The options are not a) riot b) do nothing.

Alex

By: Brian Koontz

Brian Koontz — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:13:41 +0000

I question your use of “cowardice” here.

Noone can be a one-man army. Other countries have strong populist groups not because their citizens are braver than those in the US, but because more people there are willing to fight, because they are lower on the global economic totem pole.

A riot of 10 people is crushed. A riot of 100 people is crushed. But 10,000 and success can happen. We in the US need warm bodies to fight. We need an army. Anything less and we’re just putting our heads on the chopping block.

More people than the left ever acknowledges are waiting for critical mass to be reached to take action. This waiting is not in many cases a form of cowardice, but a tactical decision based on a desire to avoid suicide.

It’s all too easy to scream out, Braveheart style, and romantically throw one’s life away. We must beware becoming a martyr in our own mind – that is quickly followed up by becoming dead in the world.

By: eileen fleming

eileen fleming — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:12:47 +0000

Those that KNOW are Responsible.
Silence is Complicity and No option when innocents are terrorized and traumatized by USA Made weapons and $7-10 MILLION USA Tax Dollars a day go to support the brutal occupation.

My first of 6 trips to Israel and Occupied Palestine in June 2005 irrevocably changed my life.

I gave ‘birth’ to WAWA 3 weeks later. I made a promise to a little boy of Bethlehem-George whose face adorns the banner of my website.

I vowed i would devote the rest of my life to Doing Something to HELP end the occupation which dehumanizes both sides.

I suppose it a matter of compassion-feeling the pain of the other so deeply that one is impelled, compelled, propelled to DO Something to try to help.

I know each time BEFORE i go,
i will absorb intense pain
to inflame me
to rise up/intifada
against the apathy
will fill ignorance
hearts of stone
and blind allegiance to the status quo.

Eileen Fleming, Author, Founder WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Producer “30 Minutes With Vanunu” and “13 Minutes with Vanunu”

By: bozh

bozh — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:32:44 +0000

but the latest final solution, this one in gaza, had failed. so, off go israeli to draw a plan for yet another final solution.
we can recall that UK and socalled zionists have planned and executed the first final solution, the one of the balfour shame and terror of ’4o-46.
it turned out it wasn’t their real intent. they wanted more solutions. have carried out many.
but, but, from where is stand, israel can’t win. thnx