Israel Takes the Bait

by Dennis Green

Once again, the Israeli government, and especially its commando raiders, showed particularly poor judgment in the attack on a flotilla of humanitarian aid bound for Gaza. Once again — as in their invasion of southern Lebanon and their brutal attack on Gaza last year — our favored nation Jewish state has blundered sorely enough to bring down worldwide condemnation, and to threaten relations with their only Arab ally, Turkey.

After meeting with Vice President Biden, Egyptian officials announced that they are opening their borders to Gaza for the delivery of humanitarian aid and limited travel, a decision prompted by the attack.

Killing nine and wounding dozens more, many of them critically, the Israeli commandos say they were merely defending themselves, but films show that the contest between “blunt instruments” and automatic weapons was anything but fair. But the worst of it is the arrogance and indifference Israel displayed toward world opinion. Independent observers searched the flotilla for weapons before embarking, and they say there were none on board, and no captured guns of any kind have been displayed by the Israelis.

Someone is lying.

And what is that to U.S.? Well, Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda all say that our unflagging support of Israel, no matter what it does, and our failure to criticize its actions, except continued settlements in Palestinian territory, justifies attacks on the U.S. and its citizens “by any means necessary.” And they may actually be right. Not morally, but correct in their logic by Aramaic standards.

The willful killing of civilians during wartime is terrorism, whether it’s 9/11, drone murders in Afghanistan or civilians in Lebanon and Gaza.

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 Americans have died in two wars to avenge the 3,000 killed on 9/11. You do the math and tell me how “effective” and “exceptional” that is. A five year old can tell you it’s nuts.

So are we an exceptionally violent and stupid people? And why did President Obama, skeptical of both wars during his campaign, change his mind and imitate his predecessor’s “Surge” in Afghanistan, leading to many civilian casualties from the very imperfect drones, and a surge in American deaths as well? The current issue of Rolling Stone says, “Oil.”

That old saying, “Follow the money,” seems to be pertinent again. Corruption at the highest levels of our government, in both parties? Oh, say it isn’t so, Joe

Campaign election law suggestion: prohibit any donations to legislators from any corporations or special interests which will be affected by legislation under consideration by those legislators, either in committee or on the floor of Congress, or by the Executive branch in its proposals and vetoes. Radical. Yes. But so American!

Make the lobbyists AND the legislators punishable by imprisonment and huge fines for violating this law. Banish offenders forever from the halls of Congress, from running even for dog catcher in their home towns. Tattoo their foreheads with the symbol for fraud and deceit: “INC.” For “Incapacitated.”

Require the same sort of transparency and firewall at the Pentagon. No hob-nobbing between generals and defense contractors, between even Pentagon minions and lowlings from companies like Boeing and Winchester Arms. Same penalties, same tattoo on the forehead, but with a pentagon, five-sided geometric symbol added.

Then see if our leaders are so eager to take us off to war, or keep us there. And if they do, always vote against the ones who vote to take us there, or keep us there, as we voted against Hillary Clinton and John McCain, those numbskulls.

I do not expect such changes in our laws, or our national character, during my lifetime. But I’ll tell you, one incentive I have for stretching out the years left to me is the hope that such a change might come about. Instead of shunning the veterans returning from Vietnam, we should have shunned the generals, the politicians and the weapons manufacturers who sent them there!

Israel always takes the bait, much to its chagrin, but so do we, its most powerful and influential ally. An affinity made in Hell.

©2010 Dennis Green