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Enough! Already! (... and mythic diversions)
The Israeli invasion of Gaza continues, with the number of civilian deaths rising dramatically. Claims that Israel has been using cluster bombs and white phosphorus. Two UN schools are bombed killing forty, just after UN ambulances were hit killing paramedics. The definition of a 'terrorist' and a 'valid target'seems to get a bit rubbery according to the IDF. In contrast, Australian Jews denounce the invasion. A former Israeli soldier, and now Oxford professor, has come to some hard conclusions as a result of the invasion. Avaaz (a remarkably effective group) has a cease-fire petition, which I urge all to sign and pass on. Also, go vote for Prof. Juan Cole's 'blog Informed Comment as Best Middle East or Africa 'Blog.
I sometimes find myself drawn into this discussion and over the years have found myself increasingly in support of the "one (democratic, secular) state solution". The partition of Palestine was perhaps the worst early decision made by the United Nations and was not supported by any neighbouring state or by the former colonial power. Under such circumstances it is hardly surprising that there have been seemingly endless violence and wars as a consequence. Resolving the issue would involve ending the pseudo-soveriegnity (as Hannah Arendt put it) of a Jewish state in favour of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Apart from applying laws equally over what it is currently Israel and the occupied territories, it would involvd ending existing discriminatory institutions and laws (e.g., Knesset Election Law, the control of the Israel Land Administration by the Jewish National Fund, the Law of Return, Nationality Law etc) would have to be abolished in favour of secular alternatives. Of course, having such considered opinions does attract detractors; dear readers, I present you my own troll from Tel Aviv.
Have engaged in a few mythic diversions of late. Last Sunday's RuneQuest Prax game included defeating the witch-queen of disease and visiting a moment of the non-sequential reality that is the Godtime.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
darknova666's character jumped between misfortune and elation on several occassions in the scenario. On a further Gloranthan theme I've introduced The Crimson Bat in my HeroQuest pbem. Have also extracted and modified the review of Pathfinder from the latest issue of RPG Review (issue #3 already has three articles, awesome!) to submit to RPG.net. On an oddly related topic, on Sunday week I'm presenting on "A Unitarian-Univeralist View of the Economic Crisis" - how's that related? Afterwards we're playing Credo: The Game of Duelling Dogmas, which is attracting some interest from members of the congregation.
I sometimes find myself drawn into this discussion and over the years have found myself increasingly in support of the "one (democratic, secular) state solution". The partition of Palestine was perhaps the worst early decision made by the United Nations and was not supported by any neighbouring state or by the former colonial power. Under such circumstances it is hardly surprising that there have been seemingly endless violence and wars as a consequence. Resolving the issue would involve ending the pseudo-soveriegnity (as Hannah Arendt put it) of a Jewish state in favour of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Apart from applying laws equally over what it is currently Israel and the occupied territories, it would involvd ending existing discriminatory institutions and laws (e.g., Knesset Election Law, the control of the Israel Land Administration by the Jewish National Fund, the Law of Return, Nationality Law etc) would have to be abolished in favour of secular alternatives. Of course, having such considered opinions does attract detractors; dear readers, I present you my own troll from Tel Aviv.
Have engaged in a few mythic diversions of late. Last Sunday's RuneQuest Prax game included defeating the witch-queen of disease and visiting a moment of the non-sequential reality that is the Godtime.
darknova666's character jumped between misfortune and elation on several occassions in the scenario. On a further Gloranthan theme I've introduced The Crimson Bat in my HeroQuest pbem. Have also extracted and modified the review of Pathfinder from the latest issue of RPG Review (issue #3 already has three articles, awesome!) to submit to RPG.net. On an oddly related topic, on Sunday week I'm presenting on "A Unitarian-Univeralist View of the Economic Crisis" - how's that related? Afterwards we're playing Credo: The Game of Duelling Dogmas, which is attracting some interest from members of the congregation.
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The logic appears to be something along the lines of: If a man who belongs to a terrorist group takes shelter in a hospital, we must shell the hospital. It is his fault the wounded die, but the risk of leaving him alive to kill people is worth killing people!
I am also upset that I constantly have to preface discussions with: 'I don't believe Israelis should be being hurt and killed' as if the very fact that I can well comprehend why racial rages and general unfairness and poverty boils into rage implies I think it's just dandy folk are hurling home made rockets at the other side. No, seriously, I do not want Israelis of any sort, soldier or not, to be killed and maimed, but good God if someone said 'we'll permit you to survive in abject free poverty while your oppressors are privileged in jobs, security, and resources until you are forced to relinquish freedom for basic quality of life' than an armed resistance would seem terribly bloody logical to me. Not nice, not good, almost definitely murderous, but very, very logical.
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Yes, that has struck me as well. There is also a tendency to equate all Hamas supporters with terrorism. I am no fan of Hamas' doctrines by any stretch of the imagination but people voted for them for a variety of often quite legitimate reasons (including their successful social welfare programs, because they were not corrupt like many Fatah representatives, because they could pull more extreme groups like Islamic Jihad into line etc)
.. the very fact that I can well comprehend why racial rages and general unfairness and poverty boils into rage implies I think it's just dandy folk are hurling home made rockets at the other side.
Right on. Understanding the situation and the results does not mean morally condoning suicide bombings or the launching of unguided home-made missiles at random targets.
I wonder what such people who don't get this would be like if they had been born and bred in the prison camp that is Gaza. I wonder how many of them would have turned out exactly as like the people they condemn?
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===Powering/shielding hate with the blood of the innocent dead is deeply offensive (and yes, I do consider the invasion of Iraq to be the same sort of thing....)
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*nods* I particularly distastesful experience of this was in October 2007 when I went to see a speech by Dr. Ghada Karmi on the one state solution.
On the tram on the way back home there was a small group of young pro-Israelis discussing the talk, where one rather enthusiastically rejected Dr. Karmi's suggestion to read the works of Jewish scholar Norman Finkelstein on the grounds that he is a "holocaust denier".
Finkelstein's parents were both in the Warsaw ghetto. His mother was shipped to Majdanek concentration camp, his father to Auschwitz.
I really don't think he's a denier.