Thank you, Christiane. You point out the obvious, yet here in Australia we have almost 24-hour coverage of this tragedy on our national broadcaster, without any analysis whatsoever of the underlying cause.
Why aren't they using tasers to stop suspected knife attackers? While I deplore the use of tasers, at least they don't usually kill whereas guns in the hands of Israeli forces usually do.
Every corporation, the MSM, and even Corbyn's own party were and remain against him. So many still support war criminal Tony Blair - and look at all the air time and column inches Blair still commands (not to mention the millions he is raking in every year. I hope Jeremy can withstand these forces but I have my doubts.
So Obama had to arrange for briefings from non-US parties so the representatives could get the facts on the deal (as opposed to Israel/Saudi-sponsored disinformation). Smart move by Obama, but very telling!
I recently read that the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons are Palestinians. It's good that Syrian refugees are at last eliciting some measure of international sympathy, but how sad that Palestinians are not getting a mention in any of the articles I read.
I have never visited the US but I follow international politics quite closely. For what it's worth, I find the level of debate and the ignorance displayed by these presidential hopefuls truly frightening. Would forcing them to attend a crash 'History for Dummies' course help, or are they past learning? Perhaps they are just there to line their pockets by doing the bidding of the 1 per cent. Whatever is going on, I can't see any good coming from any of them.
With third generation Palestinians languishing without basic rights in refugee camps, and no friends with influence anywhere in the international community, isn't the case for a Palestinian state as compelling as the case for a Jewish state was post-WWII?
I agree with Jay L above - how can they keep getting away with it! It seems the Palestinians have no friends except people like us who can do nothing but try to respond to disinformation on other sites, and support BDS.
I read recently that the last time Iran invaded another country was 1738. If this is correct, I would say that compared with the US and Israel, Iran stands out as a non-belligerent nation.
Young Russell makes a lot of sense. I trust his straight talking is getting his message across to a demographic not typically targeted by the MSM and 'talking heads'.
It's hard to grasp that there are world leaders who are actually pushing for war. No thought for the human cost, the financial cost, or the destruction of environment and heritage - just their own narrow interests. I know it's all true, but I find it impossible to understand this type of person.
If you took anti-Semitism to mean racism (as best known from Nazi Germany) and didn't include opposition to Israel's policy towards Palestine (which is often labelled anti-Semitism), I venture to suggest that anti-Muslim feeling in Europe and France would far exceed anti-Jewish feeling. There are quite a few articles on the rise of anti-Semitism, but none take the trouble to factor out those whose only objection to anything Jewish is Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Here in Australia, from the press I read (which does NOT include any Murdoch outlets) there are a lot of Australians ashamed of what our loony right-wing government has done in standing with the US on this.
Russell wins every time, which isn't hard when Murdoch is a top-drawer crook and the only arguments he and his editors can offer against Brand are ad hominem.
Very compelling video - Palestinian children taking a dangerous journey over rooftops to get to school and facing armed IDF soldiers when they eventually have to negotiate a section of street. And there is no safety at home if Israelis enter and harass and terrify at will. There are no words adequate to convey my disgust at the way these people are treated.
Aubrey, I used to live with the hope that you express but it seems there is no atrocity which the US will not defend or overlook and thus Israel continues along its racist destructive path with impunity. The Palestinians have no powerful allies on the world stage.
Articles such as this always seem to assume that the history of US-Iran relations begins in 1979. If it were more widely known what happened before then, even if you only went back to 1953, the picture would look quite different.
spyguy - I see the logic of your analysis, but I often think these critters can tell BS from truth as well as you or I. I suspect they know exactly what they are doing and the negative effects upon the sheeple. But they are there for the 1%, they serve their masters' agendas and they reap the rewards.
Netanyahu won't change because he's on a winner - there are never any negative consequences as a result of anything he says or does. What are a few words between friends when the US money keeps flowing and the settlements keep growing.
I suspect that it is BECAUSE of all those resources that the Palestinians have zero chance of owning and developing them. (Then, of course, there's the 'security' justification - another insurmountable problem.)
Pardon my ignorance, but I don't live in the US. Some of the statements this woman makes are simply wrong - don't journalists ever question her on some of these crazy assertions? Is she held to account in any way, or is she free to spread rubbish/propaganda?
If it's true that Israel wants the gas reserves off the Gaza coast and that the reserves are worth as much as some estimates suggest, Israel will reoccupy Gaza on any pretext and at any cost.
Media coverage in Australia, dominated by Rupert Murdoch's papers, is distressingly and blatantly biased toward Israel. I am on a mailing list which provides articles on Palestine from the Australian MSM and most of them just repeat the Hasbara words and 'justifications'. Other media are a bit better, but the slick well-spoken Israeli spokesmen get more radio and TV time than the Palestinian heavily-accented spokespeople. No wonder the general public blames Hamas for everything, without going past the MSM they would have no grounds for believing anything else.
Palestinians don't even have an airport - or normal sea or land access to their prison/home. Needless to say, they don't do well in the tourism department either.
Nothing will change. I remember an incident quite some years ago in which a mother and father and their children were blown up as they sat on the Gaza beach. The only survivor was a daughter who was in the sea at the time. There have been many instances of entire families being killed, but the thought of that little girl seeing her family disintegrate before her eyes has stayed with me. But in every egregious case, the outrage lasts a few days, and the occupation and the killing continue.
A picture is worth a thousand words - if only this map were up on billboards across the US and other Israel-right-or-wrong countries, the tide might turn. At least more people would know the truth.
'... inevitably hitting little children and their mothers ...'
This may be slightly off topic,, but when reading reports such as this I always wonder why it seems that killing women is somehow worse than killing men. Is it more painful for parents to lose a daughter than a son, a man to lose a wife than a woman to lose a husband (and in many cases the primary or sole breadwinner), or for children to grow up without a mother than to grow up without father? Surely all loss of life is such circumstances is a tragedy of the first order regardless of the gender of the victim.
I fear we are about to see another Operation Cast Lead. How many Palestinians will die in this round, and how many homes and how much infrastructure will be left? If Obama is the only person who could stop this, and going on past performance he won't, he will have yet more blood on his hands.
Don Usher's post highlights an interesting comparison - Blair and Morales. There is nothing Blair wouldn't do in the service of Mammon and the other god he claims to worship.
The trouble is, I think, most people are not interested in this stuff. If you forced every citizen to read Professor Chomsky's piece and gave them a simple comprehension test to ensure that they understood at least the gist of what he is saying, AND if, as a result, they cared passionately about what is being done by governments and corporations, is there anything they could do about it? The systems controlling the world are so entrenched and powerful, I can't see any way out. Especially given the ignorance and the apathy of the masses.
Utterly tasteless with no redeeming aspects and not even slightly amusing or clever. This is the only thing on this site which I haven't liked in all the years I've been visiting.
Meanwhile, as reported in the Australian edition of the Guardian 5/5/15, Australia takes a backward step:
The Abbott government has ruled out using the term "occupied" when describing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, prompting suggestions about a shift in Australia's foreign policy.
The government on Thursday delivered a statement to clarify its stand on the controversial question of the legality of settlements after the issued flared up at a Senate hearing the night before.
The attorney general, George Brandis, on behalf of the minister for foreign affairs, Julie Bishop, said it was "unhelpful" to refer to historic events when describing these areas, given the ongoing Middle East peace process.
"The description of East Jerusalem as 'occupied' East Jerusalem is a term freighted with pejorative implications which is neither appropriate nor useful," Brandis told a Senate estimates hearing.
"It should not and will not be the practice of the Australian government to describe areas of negotiation in such judgmental language."
Mr huntsman, if your purpose in reading this article was to consider a different point of view and you disagreed with what you found, it would be useful to other readers if you pointed out where you think Professor Cole is wrong. Your accusation of 'rabble rousing' contributes nothing.
I would reiterate the point made in a comment above, but word it differently, to say that from what I have read there is no reference in the New Testament to Mary Magdalene's being a prostitute or 'fallen woman'.
Walt Kovacs - For you to say that Professor Cole 'has no problem at all with the many Islamic states that surround Israel' suggests to me that you haven't been reading him for very long. You won't have to go back very far on this site to see that your statement is incorrect.
I listened to excerpts from the speech and thought, yet again, Obama is a fine talker, it's a pity his actions don't match his inspiring words. And the hypocristy in this case - here he was speaking at the service for a man who, because of his commitment and integrity, spent 27 years in Robben Island prison. Back home, Obama presides over Guantanamo Bay prison.
Evalutions or Portugal's decriminalisation of drugs show a number of benefits and no downside. Any government seriously interested in evidence-based policy and the welfare of its citizens should examine the Portuguese experience very carefully.
The name, Informed Comment, says it all - it is my daily 'must read' for information on the Middle East. As a former academic, I am amazed that you find the time to contribute so much outside your 'day job'. And as a former student of languages, I am in awe at your expertise in so many languages. Yes, I like the new format. Thank you very much, and best wishes for 2015.
This situation was captured so well by the 2008 film 'Lemon Tree'.
I seem to remember there is an ancient Jewish teaching about doing until others as you would be done by. It's a pity these settlers have never heard, or can overlook, that part of their religious heritage.
In Australia, what a fuss there has been about the tweet by a Greens Member of Parliament that 'Tony Abbott's plan means more bushfires for Australia & more pics like this of Sydney'. His comment has been labelled disgusting and insensitive, and he was vilified by the Murdoch media, other media, and both major political parties for 'politicising' the fires.
I follow the news closely, and here in Australia there has been barely a word to be read or heard in the MSM about the NSA or Australia's role or the Rousseff speech.
I can't understand why none of the mainstream media journalists ask Obama about use of CW by the US and others in the not-too-distant past. He's getting away with outrageous hypocrisy.
And analysis of whether or not to bomb Damascus so often centres on politicians saving their backsides rather than how to stop the killing in Syria which, surely, should be the first priority.
For the most part, politicians are a totally amoral bunch despite their overt displays of Christianity.
Could this new-found red-line against chemical weapons use be backdated to include depleted uranium, white phosphorus, napalm, and agent orange (and others of which I may be ignorant)? If ALL chemical weapons in ALL circumstances by ALL parties were outlawed, wouldn't the world be a safer place? And, while we're at it, perhaps cluster bombs could be included.
So sad - after all these years and all the hard work by Prof Chomsky and others, nothing has changed. The powers running the show remain untouched and untouchable.
'When President Barack Obama said ‘no one is listening to your phone calls,’ he was either misinformed or was being disingenuous.'
Very polite - I'd just call him a liar.
Deming - my question would be, why does the US have any say at all on what happens in Afghanistan? I can't help thinking the world would be a better place if the US minded its own business. And the US wouldn't be broke.
Wonderful and sobering compilation. A few suggestions to round it out a little -some shots showing grieving Iraqis next to coffins of their loved ones. Perhaps some shots of the devastated cities would also be in order. And something on birth deformities, and electricity and water shortages.
As a 'foreigner' I do not find it comforting to read that the surveillance didn't target US citizens. From this distant shore I see a parallel with extra-judicial murder by drone - it only matters in the US when a US citizen is the target.
'And why would anyone believe that a liberal politician is somehow immune from abusing his powers and eroding our civil rights?'
Because Obama specifically said so. A bit like Tony Blair - he promised so much, he looked so genuine and exciting and inspirational and different, and in the end turned out to set a new low.
If the majority of citizens don't care about the conditions in which these prisoners are held, I don't think they will care if or how they die. I venture to say that a common response might be, 'good riddance.' Shame indeed!
Do MSM journalists have a big role here? If people like MB were picked up whenever they said stupid things, either by questions from journalists at open forums or examination of their statements in opinion columns, their careers would be stopped short. One has to ask how it can come to this - whose interests are served?
The chapter is comprehensively and chillingly told in Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1998.
I don't know where you are, but here in Australia David Hicks' book is still in bookshops and in libraries. I highly recommend it, he is a very interesting young man and I found his book a real page-turner. Shame on the Australian government for turning their back on him until public opinion turned in Hicks's favour.
Even better idea - have US citizens read books about the history of Palestine, Iran, CIA involvement in removing democratically elected governments ...
Perhaps more than a handful could and learn Arabic or Farsi.
I live in Australia where there are few veiled women and even fewer niqabs, but the women I see who do veil also wear long sleeves and long skirts or trousers. On hot summer days I wonder how women can bear being swatched in cloth with only their face, hands, and feet uncovered. Also when I visit Asia, when the temperature is in the 30s Celsius and the humidity in the 90s, being almost completely wrapped up must be dreadful. On an Australian beach on a hot day, you can see the occasional family with the women covered from head to foot in black, while the male family members are largely uncovered. Religion and politics aside, these dress requirements for women must be very demanding in hot climates.
Zandru - you made the point I was going to make.
And the invasion of Iraq (to take an egregious example) happened through the agency of Bush, Blair, and here in Australia Prime Minister John Howard, all of whom openly profess their Christianity and attend church every Sunday. So much for following the teachings of their god's earthly representatives and adhering to their religious principles.
If only articles like this appeared in the mainstream media!
Those of us who get our news from other sources know all this about Palestine only too well, but I fear we are a small minority.
How exactly would Hamas 'take over Israel itself'? Their chances, if they had such a plan, would be zero - which everybody knows. On the other hand, Israel has in fact already illegally 'taken over' almost all of the land which was to be a Palestinian state, and effectively imprisoned the Gazans in their tiny strip of land. What on earth are you talking about!
I think Mr van Buren missed the point - it wasn't about supplying the locals with chickens or jobs or anything else, it was about somebody syphoning off 2.2 million of government, ie taxpayers', money. To get the answer when things don't make sense or look counterproductive, 'Follow the Money'.
'That Secretary Kerry is in Cairo urging support of such a foolish policy is beyond belief.'
It's only beyond belief it you expect Kerry to work for the good of the people of Egypt (or the USA or humankind). If you see him for what he really is, a member of The Elite, the 1%, the banksters, the corporations, the establishment (call them what you will), then what he is doing makes perfect sense.
If it's understandable and even reasonable that Israeli not serve as punching bags, why isn't it equally understandable or reasonable that Palestinians not serve as punching bags? Do you know the death and injury toll for both sides? Haven't Palestinians been punched far more often than Israelis?
Point taken! I live in Australia, but even here we're sick of the whole business. I can understand anyone being reduced to tears by it, but I was curious about what might have affected one so young.
Is that recording genuine? What happened next? Why didn't they just say they'd changed their minds and go home before it got out of hand? What sort of shopping can there be to make it worth treatment like that?
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A beautiful way to start my day, thank you.
Too sad for words. I can only wholeheartedly agree with rosemerry and Durangotang above.
I wholeheartedly endorse Bill Blodden's recommendation of Paul Street's article on counterpunch.org
Pity he hadn't had the courage to say it at the start of his term, not the end. Still, it wouldn't have done a scrap of good.
I'd like an article headed, 'Oh no, not another American war to keep filling the coffers of the Military Industrial Complex and its beneficiaries'.
Exactly. And if you ever hear of read a mainstream media journalist putting this to Obama, please let us know.
Thank you, Christiane. You point out the obvious, yet here in Australia we have almost 24-hour coverage of this tragedy on our national broadcaster, without any analysis whatsoever of the underlying cause.
Why aren't they using tasers to stop suspected knife attackers? While I deplore the use of tasers, at least they don't usually kill whereas guns in the hands of Israeli forces usually do.
If this were happening to Jews, there would be uproar in the US and elsewhere. Will nobody stand up for Palestinians?
Every corporation, the MSM, and even Corbyn's own party were and remain against him. So many still support war criminal Tony Blair - and look at all the air time and column inches Blair still commands (not to mention the millions he is raking in every year. I hope Jeremy can withstand these forces but I have my doubts.
So Obama had to arrange for briefings from non-US parties so the representatives could get the facts on the deal (as opposed to Israel/Saudi-sponsored disinformation). Smart move by Obama, but very telling!
I recently read that the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons are Palestinians. It's good that Syrian refugees are at last eliciting some measure of international sympathy, but how sad that Palestinians are not getting a mention in any of the articles I read.
I have never visited the US but I follow international politics quite closely. For what it's worth, I find the level of debate and the ignorance displayed by these presidential hopefuls truly frightening. Would forcing them to attend a crash 'History for Dummies' course help, or are they past learning? Perhaps they are just there to line their pockets by doing the bidding of the 1 per cent. Whatever is going on, I can't see any good coming from any of them.
Lovely story, thank you Tom.
'As I’m afraid is often true with parents, it’s only after their deaths, only after the answers are long gone, that the questions begin to pile up.'
How right you are about that!
The No vote in Greece was so heartening, regardless of the demographics. At last a loud voice raised against the 1%.
With third generation Palestinians languishing without basic rights in refugee camps, and no friends with influence anywhere in the international community, isn't the case for a Palestinian state as compelling as the case for a Jewish state was post-WWII?
It is so depressing to read this stuff. If only the US would put as much energy into peace as it does into war ...
'... What could come out of ... [Obama's] mouth = what the appeasing hypocritical Newspeak so-and-so should have been saying since 2009.
I agree with Jay L above - how can they keep getting away with it! It seems the Palestinians have no friends except people like us who can do nothing but try to respond to disinformation on other sites, and support BDS.
I read recently that the last time Iran invaded another country was 1738. If this is correct, I would say that compared with the US and Israel, Iran stands out as a non-belligerent nation.
Young Russell makes a lot of sense. I trust his straight talking is getting his message across to a demographic not typically targeted by the MSM and 'talking heads'.
It's hard to grasp that there are world leaders who are actually pushing for war. No thought for the human cost, the financial cost, or the destruction of environment and heritage - just their own narrow interests. I know it's all true, but I find it impossible to understand this type of person.
If you took anti-Semitism to mean racism (as best known from Nazi Germany) and didn't include opposition to Israel's policy towards Palestine (which is often labelled anti-Semitism), I venture to suggest that anti-Muslim feeling in Europe and France would far exceed anti-Jewish feeling. There are quite a few articles on the rise of anti-Semitism, but none take the trouble to factor out those whose only objection to anything Jewish is Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Now we need a round table on the responsibility of media outlets with respect to Israel/Palestine
Congratulations to the commenters who got here before I did - beautifully put!
Here in Australia, from the press I read (which does NOT include any Murdoch outlets) there are a lot of Australians ashamed of what our loony right-wing government has done in standing with the US on this.
Here is the latest post from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with a bit of background on the perpetrator.
link to abc.net.au
Russell wins every time, which isn't hard when Murdoch is a top-drawer crook and the only arguments he and his editors can offer against Brand are ad hominem.
Very compelling video - Palestinian children taking a dangerous journey over rooftops to get to school and facing armed IDF soldiers when they eventually have to negotiate a section of street. And there is no safety at home if Israelis enter and harass and terrify at will. There are no words adequate to convey my disgust at the way these people are treated.
Your duplicity is all too obvious, Mr Lieberman.
Cart before the horse
A secure functioning state FIRST, then you might get some takers.
Aubrey, I used to live with the hope that you express but it seems there is no atrocity which the US will not defend or overlook and thus Israel continues along its racist destructive path with impunity. The Palestinians have no powerful allies on the world stage.
Articles such as this always seem to assume that the history of US-Iran relations begins in 1979. If it were more widely known what happened before then, even if you only went back to 1953, the picture would look quite different.
spyguy - I see the logic of your analysis, but I often think these critters can tell BS from truth as well as you or I. I suspect they know exactly what they are doing and the negative effects upon the sheeple. But they are there for the 1%, they serve their masters' agendas and they reap the rewards.
Netanyahu won't change because he's on a winner - there are never any negative consequences as a result of anything he says or does. What are a few words between friends when the US money keeps flowing and the settlements keep growing.
Thank you for an easy-to-read very interesting piece which answers a lot of questions many non-Muslims must have.
I suspect that it is BECAUSE of all those resources that the Palestinians have zero chance of owning and developing them. (Then, of course, there's the 'security' justification - another insurmountable problem.)
Pardon my ignorance, but I don't live in the US. Some of the statements this woman makes are simply wrong - don't journalists ever question her on some of these crazy assertions? Is she held to account in any way, or is she free to spread rubbish/propaganda?
Those workers need to join a union!
Thanks, Economist, you said it for me.
If it's true that Israel wants the gas reserves off the Gaza coast and that the reserves are worth as much as some estimates suggest, Israel will reoccupy Gaza on any pretext and at any cost.
Good link, Lucas Thorpe. It is reminiscent of Moshe Dayan's prescription (paraphrase) - they will live like dogs, those who wish to leave may do so.
Media coverage in Australia, dominated by Rupert Murdoch's papers, is distressingly and blatantly biased toward Israel. I am on a mailing list which provides articles on Palestine from the Australian MSM and most of them just repeat the Hasbara words and 'justifications'. Other media are a bit better, but the slick well-spoken Israeli spokesmen get more radio and TV time than the Palestinian heavily-accented spokespeople. No wonder the general public blames Hamas for everything, without going past the MSM they would have no grounds for believing anything else.
Jon Snow is a hero - standing up for truth and the bleeding obvious. If only more of his colleagues had such integrity.
Palestinians don't even have an airport - or normal sea or land access to their prison/home. Needless to say, they don't do well in the tourism department either.
'If Israel really wanted peace or relief from Hamas rockets, its leaders would pursue peace negotiations in good faith with Hamas ...'
It is becoming a cliche to say it, but Israel does not want peace (yet), it wants the land and it wants the Palestinians to leave.
Nothing will change. I remember an incident quite some years ago in which a mother and father and their children were blown up as they sat on the Gaza beach. The only survivor was a daughter who was in the sea at the time. There have been many instances of entire families being killed, but the thought of that little girl seeing her family disintegrate before her eyes has stayed with me. But in every egregious case, the outrage lasts a few days, and the occupation and the killing continue.
This is truly the tail wagging the dog.
A picture is worth a thousand words - if only this map were up on billboards across the US and other Israel-right-or-wrong countries, the tide might turn. At least more people would know the truth.
'... inevitably hitting little children and their mothers ...'
This may be slightly off topic,, but when reading reports such as this I always wonder why it seems that killing women is somehow worse than killing men. Is it more painful for parents to lose a daughter than a son, a man to lose a wife than a woman to lose a husband (and in many cases the primary or sole breadwinner), or for children to grow up without a mother than to grow up without father? Surely all loss of life is such circumstances is a tragedy of the first order regardless of the gender of the victim.
I fear we are about to see another Operation Cast Lead. How many Palestinians will die in this round, and how many homes and how much infrastructure will be left? If Obama is the only person who could stop this, and going on past performance he won't, he will have yet more blood on his hands.
Don Usher's post highlights an interesting comparison - Blair and Morales. There is nothing Blair wouldn't do in the service of Mammon and the other god he claims to worship.
The trouble is, I think, most people are not interested in this stuff. If you forced every citizen to read Professor Chomsky's piece and gave them a simple comprehension test to ensure that they understood at least the gist of what he is saying, AND if, as a result, they cared passionately about what is being done by governments and corporations, is there anything they could do about it? The systems controlling the world are so entrenched and powerful, I can't see any way out. Especially given the ignorance and the apathy of the masses.
Can we have the rest of the story please?
Utterly tasteless with no redeeming aspects and not even slightly amusing or clever. This is the only thing on this site which I haven't liked in all the years I've been visiting.
Correction - above I gave the date of the Guardian Australia article as 5/5/14 - it was in fact yesterday 5 June 2014. Apologies.
Meanwhile, as reported in the Australian edition of the Guardian 5/5/15, Australia takes a backward step:
The Abbott government has ruled out using the term "occupied" when describing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, prompting suggestions about a shift in Australia's foreign policy.
The government on Thursday delivered a statement to clarify its stand on the controversial question of the legality of settlements after the issued flared up at a Senate hearing the night before.
The attorney general, George Brandis, on behalf of the minister for foreign affairs, Julie Bishop, said it was "unhelpful" to refer to historic events when describing these areas, given the ongoing Middle East peace process.
"The description of East Jerusalem as 'occupied' East Jerusalem is a term freighted with pejorative implications which is neither appropriate nor useful," Brandis told a Senate estimates hearing.
"It should not and will not be the practice of the Australian government to describe areas of negotiation in such judgmental language."
and so on ...
Mr huntsman, if your purpose in reading this article was to consider a different point of view and you disagreed with what you found, it would be useful to other readers if you pointed out where you think Professor Cole is wrong. Your accusation of 'rabble rousing' contributes nothing.
While I agree that what Sterling said is reprehensible, is the US so different? Can anyone name a country where racism doesn't exist?
I would reiterate the point made in a comment above, but word it differently, to say that from what I have read there is no reference in the New Testament to Mary Magdalene's being a prostitute or 'fallen woman'.
'tradecraft' = Newspeak.
Once again, Norway shows the way. So much to love about Norway.
Walt Kovacs - For you to say that Professor Cole 'has no problem at all with the many Islamic states that surround Israel' suggests to me that you haven't been reading him for very long. You won't have to go back very far on this site to see that your statement is incorrect.
or, in this case, only Jews and non-Jews.
And Palestine?
I listened to excerpts from the speech and thought, yet again, Obama is a fine talker, it's a pity his actions don't match his inspiring words. And the hypocristy in this case - here he was speaking at the service for a man who, because of his commitment and integrity, spent 27 years in Robben Island prison. Back home, Obama presides over Guantanamo Bay prison.
Evalutions or Portugal's decriminalisation of drugs show a number of benefits and no downside. Any government seriously interested in evidence-based policy and the welfare of its citizens should examine the Portuguese experience very carefully.
The name, Informed Comment, says it all - it is my daily 'must read' for information on the Middle East. As a former academic, I am amazed that you find the time to contribute so much outside your 'day job'. And as a former student of languages, I am in awe at your expertise in so many languages. Yes, I like the new format. Thank you very much, and best wishes for 2015.
Well said, Pope. Excellent comments on exclusion. Now, how about speaking out about the exclusion of women.
So the Israelis 'steal only what they need' - that's OK then. Always assuming, of course, that the Palestinian owners don't 'need' it.
You might have a different view if it was your home or land or livelihood that was being stolen for someone else's 'need'.
Extract your head - what's going on is ethnic cleansing, pure and simple.
Spot on, Professor.
If only editorials in mainstream media were so informed and so honest.
I live for the day when a journalist asks Obama when he plans to invade Saudi Arabia [Bahrain, etc.] to bring freedom and democracy to its citizens.
This situation was captured so well by the 2008 film 'Lemon Tree'.
I seem to remember there is an ancient Jewish teaching about doing until others as you would be done by. It's a pity these settlers have never heard, or can overlook, that part of their religious heritage.
In Australia, what a fuss there has been about the tweet by a Greens Member of Parliament that 'Tony Abbott's plan means more bushfires for Australia & more pics like this of Sydney'. His comment has been labelled disgusting and insensitive, and he was vilified by the Murdoch media, other media, and both major political parties for 'politicising' the fires.
We're supposed to believe that all of a sudden they care enough about Palestine to take some action. What a joke.
I follow the news closely, and here in Australia there has been barely a word to be read or heard in the MSM about the NSA or Australia's role or the Rousseff speech.
I can't understand why none of the mainstream media journalists ask Obama about use of CW by the US and others in the not-too-distant past. He's getting away with outrageous hypocrisy.
And analysis of whether or not to bomb Damascus so often centres on politicians saving their backsides rather than how to stop the killing in Syria which, surely, should be the first priority.
For the most part, politicians are a totally amoral bunch despite their overt displays of Christianity.
I think it's called Victor's justice.
Could this new-found red-line against chemical weapons use be backdated to include depleted uranium, white phosphorus, napalm, and agent orange (and others of which I may be ignorant)? If ALL chemical weapons in ALL circumstances by ALL parties were outlawed, wouldn't the world be a safer place? And, while we're at it, perhaps cluster bombs could be included.
'...preserving the norm on CW...'
What norm? Agent Orange? Depleted Uranium? White Phosphorus?
Aiding and abetting Saddam's use of CW against Iran?
Double standard anyone?
Now, how do we get this message widely disseminated!
So sad - after all these years and all the hard work by Prof Chomsky and others, nothing has changed. The powers running the show remain untouched and untouchable.
As I read, the member further diminished in stature with each of the ten points.
One of your best, Professor Cole.
They wouldn't even have to 'forget in 30 years' - they wouldn't know about it because the mainstream media wouldn't report it.
Would the comments be so benign if a 92 year old woman married a 22 year old man? Either way, I think it's appalling.
'When President Barack Obama said ‘no one is listening to your phone calls,’ he was either misinformed or was being disingenuous.'
Very polite - I'd just call him a liar.
I couldn't even finish watching it - I'm glad my sons have more down-to-earth interests.
Wonderful ceremony, but poor photography only showing the top half of the performers for much of the time.
Deming - my question would be, why does the US have any say at all on what happens in Afghanistan? I can't help thinking the world would be a better place if the US minded its own business. And the US wouldn't be broke.
Wonderful and sobering compilation. A few suggestions to round it out a little -some shots showing grieving Iraqis next to coffins of their loved ones. Perhaps some shots of the devastated cities would also be in order. And something on birth deformities, and electricity and water shortages.
As a 'foreigner' I do not find it comforting to read that the surveillance didn't target US citizens. From this distant shore I see a parallel with extra-judicial murder by drone - it only matters in the US when a US citizen is the target.
'And why would anyone believe that a liberal politician is somehow immune from abusing his powers and eroding our civil rights?'
Because Obama specifically said so. A bit like Tony Blair - he promised so much, he looked so genuine and exciting and inspirational and different, and in the end turned out to set a new low.
I hope Bradley knows that he is considered a hero by so many people. He is one of the most courageous people of our times.
If the majority of citizens don't care about the conditions in which these prisoners are held, I don't think they will care if or how they die. I venture to say that a common response might be, 'good riddance.' Shame indeed!
Do MSM journalists have a big role here? If people like MB were picked up whenever they said stupid things, either by questions from journalists at open forums or examination of their statements in opinion columns, their careers would be stopped short. One has to ask how it can come to this - whose interests are served?
What an irritating presentation. I'm fryed.
The chapter is comprehensively and chillingly told in Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1998.
I don't know where you are, but here in Australia David Hicks' book is still in bookshops and in libraries. I highly recommend it, he is a very interesting young man and I found his book a real page-turner. Shame on the Australian government for turning their back on him until public opinion turned in Hicks's favour.
Even better idea - have US citizens read books about the history of Palestine, Iran, CIA involvement in removing democratically elected governments ...
Perhaps more than a handful could and learn Arabic or Farsi.
Quite right, Henry James. Israel should leave the Golan. Surely Syria can do what it likes on its own territory.
I bet this won't be shown on Faux News.
Bravo, Professor Hawking. If only more influential people would speak out!
Very interesting - thank you.
I live in Australia where there are few veiled women and even fewer niqabs, but the women I see who do veil also wear long sleeves and long skirts or trousers. On hot summer days I wonder how women can bear being swatched in cloth with only their face, hands, and feet uncovered. Also when I visit Asia, when the temperature is in the 30s Celsius and the humidity in the 90s, being almost completely wrapped up must be dreadful. On an Australian beach on a hot day, you can see the occasional family with the women covered from head to foot in black, while the male family members are largely uncovered. Religion and politics aside, these dress requirements for women must be very demanding in hot climates.
Wonderful - a rare chance to laugh rather than cry about the mainstream media.
Who votes for a moron like that?
Because Israel and Kosovo are not contiguous.
Exactly!
Zandru - you made the point I was going to make.
And the invasion of Iraq (to take an egregious example) happened through the agency of Bush, Blair, and here in Australia Prime Minister John Howard, all of whom openly profess their Christianity and attend church every Sunday. So much for following the teachings of their god's earthly representatives and adhering to their religious principles.
Can you point to any jokes in the Bible?
If only articles like this appeared in the mainstream media!
Those of us who get our news from other sources know all this about Palestine only too well, but I fear we are a small minority.
Well done, vets! A truly heroic response to a cowardly attack.
Exactly!
How exactly would Hamas 'take over Israel itself'? Their chances, if they had such a plan, would be zero - which everybody knows. On the other hand, Israel has in fact already illegally 'taken over' almost all of the land which was to be a Palestinian state, and effectively imprisoned the Gazans in their tiny strip of land. What on earth are you talking about!
Why doesn't he just tell Netanyahu that there will be no more money until the settlements stop? The power/money is with Obama.
What was that about 'never again'?
Why the emphasis on killing US citizens without due process of law? Surely killing anyone, anywhere, without due process is a crime?
I think Mr van Buren missed the point - it wasn't about supplying the locals with chickens or jobs or anything else, it was about somebody syphoning off 2.2 million of government, ie taxpayers', money. To get the answer when things don't make sense or look counterproductive, 'Follow the Money'.
'That Secretary Kerry is in Cairo urging support of such a foolish policy is beyond belief.'
It's only beyond belief it you expect Kerry to work for the good of the people of Egypt (or the USA or humankind). If you see him for what he really is, a member of The Elite, the 1%, the banksters, the corporations, the establishment (call them what you will), then what he is doing makes perfect sense.
Israel embarrassed? That'll be the day!
Did I miss something? Were there any deaths when the platform went down? Horrible video, very sad.
I'm surprised Professor Cole uses the term 'targeted killings'. Isn't this just newspeak for extra-judicial murder?
Fantastic award and a very worthy recipient. It's nice to have some good news to start 2013.
Yes, and a lot of people will die in the interim.
Viva Palestina!
Shades of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion - it doesn't have to be accurate, just throw the mud.
... but you're not the only one.
If it's understandable and even reasonable that Israeli not serve as punching bags, why isn't it equally understandable or reasonable that Palestinians not serve as punching bags? Do you know the death and injury toll for both sides? Haven't Palestinians been punched far more often than Israelis?
Yes, what about the long-suffering Palestinians?
If her mother keeps this up, by 2014 she might have her own TV series.
Point taken! I live in Australia, but even here we're sick of the whole business. I can understand anyone being reduced to tears by it, but I was curious about what might have affected one so young.
Cute, but what specifically is she sick of? I would have liked to hear more.
Is that recording genuine? What happened next? Why didn't they just say they'd changed their minds and go home before it got out of hand? What sort of shopping can there be to make it worth treatment like that?
Exactly!
Fine words, if only he would practise what he preaches. The hypocrisy and double standards are sickening.