...and Manitoba Provincial Education Minister Nancy Allan jumps to.
No children were hit by shells in Gaza. The IDF were firing teddy bears. Chantal Kreviazuk, who has spent a lot of time working on behalf of children caught in armed conflicts, is, under that caring exterior, obviously an anti-Semite.
Or maybe not.
Here's much, if not all, of her article (pp.145ff), h/t Curtis Brown, who has a good deal more to say over at Endless Spin Cycle. Way to upset even supporters of Israel, B'nai Brith.
The anti-Muslim movement is a curious blend of old-fashioned racism, naive nativism, fear, and the brute, thuggish rage that infects a diseased minority in every generation and finds its scapegoat in every culture. Because it's irrational to its core, it shuns reasoned discussion, which it dismisses as weakness or "appeasement". Instead, it relies on theatre and crude sloganeering (Not All Terrorists Are Muslim, But All Muslims Are Terrorists!!) to make its "points".
One of the most recent flashpoints for these racist rage-junkies is the "plan" to build a "Mega Mosque" on the site of Ground Zero in Manhattan, as a clear act of aggression and provocation against the Forces of Decency.
On a day marking the worst number of casualties NATO has seen in Afghanistan this year, the New York Times adds to recent reports of Afghan security contractors buying off the Taleban the next obvious step - Taleban and Afghan officials cooperating to hold NATO to ransom.
After a pair of bloody confrontations with Afghan civilians, two of the biggest private security companies — Watan Risk Management and Compass Security — were banned from escorting NATO convoys on the highway between Kabul and Kandahar.
The ban took effect on May 14. At 10:30 a.m. that day, a NATO supply convoy rolling through the area came under attack. An Afghan driver and a soldier were killed, and a truck was overturned and burned. Within two weeks, with more than 1,000 trucks sitting stalled on the highway, the Afghan government granted Watan and Compass permission to resume.
Watan’s president, Rashid Popal, strongly denied any suggestion that his men either colluded with insurgents or orchestrated attacks to emphasize the need for their services. But the episode, and others like it, has raised the suspicions of investigators here and in Washington, who are trying to track the tens of millions in taxpayer dollars paid to private security companies to move supplies to American and other NATO bases.
Although the investigation is not complete, the officials suspect that at least some of these security companies — many of which have ties to top Afghan officials — are using American money to bribe the Taliban. The officials suspect that the security companies may also engage in fake fighting to increase the sense of risk on the roads, and that they may sometimes stage attacks against competitors.
“We’re funding both sides of the war,” a NATO official in Kabul said.
The investigation is complicated by, among other things, the fact that some of the private security companies are owned by relatives of President Hamid Karzai and other senior Afghan officials. Mr. Popal, for instance, is a cousin of Mr. Karzai, and Western officials say that Watan Risk Management’s largest shareholder is Mr. Karzai’s brother Qayum.
The principal goal of the American-led campaign here is to prepare an Afghan state and army to fight the Taliban themselves. The possibility of collusion between the Taliban and Afghan officials suggests that, rather than fighting each another, the two Afghan sides may often cooperate under the noses of their wealthy benefactors.
We pay off the security contractors who escort our convoys not to bomb them or attack NATO troops; if we don't pay up, we get a little reminder from Karzai's relatives.
When the 3000 reporters confined to quarters grow tired of re-writing Conservative press releases, perhaps they could be entertained by some hard-core Naiunachiarii?
TorStar provides an "artists depiction" of the $2-million indoor fake lake, aka Lake ShamWow , being built to amuse the 3,000 foreign G8 reporters unable to attend the real deal in Muskoka.
.
If I had two million dollars (If I had two million dollars)
Well I'd buy me a Muskoka lake (But not a real Muskoka lake - that's cruel.)
And if I had two million dollars (If I had two million dollars)
I'd build a replica of the Stock Exchange (Ooh it's all just pocket change)
And if I had two million dollars ....
.
Wait. Go back. They're building a replica of the Toronto Stock Exchange as well?
A nutbar somewhere in Indiana has written some vile and incompetent anti-Semitic verse influenced by the Nazi stormtrooper song "War einst ein junger Sturmsoldat," and set it to equally incompetent music. Apparently it's intended to be a kind of salute to the people on the ill-fated flotilla into Gaza.
(With friends like this, who needs enemies? Are you listening, Helen?)
By a bizarre and lengthy chain of free association, the Usual Suspects over at Jay "Pancake Day" Currie's place are using this to smear interim co-bloggers Balbulican and Alison, and me, for being appalled by the killing of nine flotilla members at the hands of the Israel Defence Forces. That's really rather desperate at this stage. Their lip-smacking enjoyment of the killings, and their drooling wish for many more, had its inevitable reaction over here and elsewhere, and they're now lashing out defensively.
Is it too much to ask for a little consistency, at least? These erstwhile Speech Warriors™, who have eagerly defended the right of Nazis to free speech in the past--helping to open up avenues, in fact, for the latter to spew their hateful propaganda--now appear to believe that the penalty for chanting displeasing slogans and having an anti-Semite praise you should be death. Only some speech is free, it seems: other speech is deserving of capital punishment.
If someone helps me to my feet after a fall, I don't ask about his politics. The act itself is what we should judge. In this case, volunteers decided to run a blockade, illegalunderinternationallaw, to bring humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza, not weapons for Hamas. No doubt there were both saints and sinners amongst them, but they were set upon with equal ferocity by the IDF, whose subsequent efforts to excuse themselves have been grossly unconvincing--except to themselves, their government, the Israel-can-do-no-wrong crowd, and Muslim-hating gulls on both sides of the ocean.
What we're seeing here, I think, is a kind of embarrassment. The "Long Live Death" brigade, looking up from their pleased chuckling, have noticed that ordinary folks are looking at them with disgust and shying away. But this latest ploy to divert attention from their appalling indecency is not likely to improve their standing in our virtual community.
[Now, back to work. I'm pleased to report that, despite international interruptions, my thesis-writing is somehow progressing on schedule.]
"Chris Hedges is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York City. He spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, for which he was a foreign correspondent for 15 years. Hedges was part of the team of reporters at The New York Times awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for the paper’s coverage of global terrorism. He also received the Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism in 2002. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University and Princeton University."
Some of my favourite online propagandists are ennobling themselves and each other these days with the heroic sobriquet "Citizen Journalists". While it does sound much better than "blogger", "gossip" or "asshole", it's not always accurate. In fact, the term seems to be used most commonly by folks who don't have a clue what "journalism" - or "citizenship", for that matter - actually mean.
CIA World Factbook 2010 - Gaza Population - 1½ million Median age : 17.5 years. With half the population under 17½ years old, Gaza is slightly ahead of Chad, Niger, and Uganda. 44% of the population is under 14 years old. 2% is over 65. Population below the poverty line - 70% Unemployment rate - 40% Literacy rate - 92% Arable land - 29%
UNICEF - Gaza Number of homes obliterated in last year's war - 3,500 Number of homes damaged - 50,000
"Throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) almost 12,000 children under five years old still die from preventable causes each year, as do more than 1,800 children under 12 months old."
So. Despite horrific child mortality rates, half the population of Gaza are children, children living in rubble below the poverty line with a 60/40 likelihood of future employment.
As the CIA Factbook notes cryptically : "The rapid growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead to unrest".
"We are no longer defending Israel. We are now defending the siege, which is itself becoming Israel's Vietnam.
We explain, time and again, that we are not at war with the people of Gaza. We say it time and again because we ourselves need to believe it, and because, deep down, we do not. "
As the readership will recall, last week Arnie Lemaire (aka Blazing Cat Fur, aka the Dimmer Shaidle) was subjected to a horrific assault when some guy crossed the street and spoke sharply to him.
Despite the shock and horror this appalling jaywalking elicited among the SKABBs (the Saturday Kaffeeklatsch and Ay-rab Bashing Brigade), no charges have been laid.
The search is on for Youtube impressario and PMO Director of Disinformation Dimitri Soudas. . A House of Commons bailiff seeking to serve Soudas and another staffer with a summons to appear before the Ethics Committee was twice refused entry to the government offices where Soudas works by the security desk. . Soudas has been summoned to answer the Ethics Committee's questions on "allegations of systematic political interference by ministers' offices to block, delay, or obstruct the release of information to the public regarding the operation of government departments". . The Search for Soudas continues via Google, where the number one search result reads :
(Nunavut, June 2) DawgNews has learned that a deadly raid on a local henhouse will be investigated by Br’er Reynard Fox, whose family is accused of eating nine of the birds and biting several others.
"We see no reason why Br’er Fox should not take the lead in this investigation," said Stephen Hopper, of the Arctic hare community. "He can be trusted to be objective, and besides, he has considerable expertise in the area of henhouse raids." Hopper has expressed "regret" over the deaths of the hens, while refusing to condemn the foxes who took part in the action.
Strong criticism of the attack has been all but universal, but a spokesperson for the golden eagles urged restraint. "We shouldn't rush to judgement here," said Killery Henton. "The fox community has been pecked by rogue hens for some time and has a right to defend itself." She expressed the hope that stalled peace talks between the two warring factions will soon be back on track.
The suggestion that an inquiry be carried out by a well-respected owl, Rawk Lodestone, has been rejected. "The last time Lodestone looked into something like this, he proved to be anti-foxic," said fox leader B’hen Netanother. "And the Animal Council can't be trusted to be impartial."
The investigation, to be joined by representatives of the tundra vole, marmot and lemming communities, is expected to begin shortly before suppertime.
A war tells a people terrible truths about itself. That is why it is so difficult to listen.
We were determined to avoid an honest look at the first Gaza war. Now, in international waters and having opened fire on an international group of humanitarian aid workers and activists, we are fighting and losing the second. For Israel, in the end, this Second Gaza War could be far more costly and painful than the first.
In going to war in Gaza in late 2008, Israeli military and political leaders hoped to teach Hamas a lesson. They succeeded. Hamas learned that the best way to fight Israel is to let Israel do what it has begun to do naturally: bluster, blunder, stonewall, and fume.
Hamas, and no less, Iran and Hezbollah, learned early on that Israel's own embargo against Hamas-ruled Gaza was the most sophisticated and powerful weapon they could have deployed against the Jewish state.
Here in Israel, we have still yet to learn the lesson: We are no longer defending Israel. We are now defending the siege. The siege itself is becoming Israel's Vietnam.
The Saturday Kaffeeklatsch and Ay-Rab Baiters' Brigade (that's the SKABBs) want you all to know they had a delightful weekend.
If you're unfamiliar with the SKABBs, let me introduce you. They're the group of aging Muslim-haters in Toronto who like to head downtown on weekends to taunt brown folks. Their little outings all follow pretty much the same agenda.
a) Load up the video cameras, banners, and paper-maché cruise missiles b) Go find a bunch of Muslims- at a parade, or a demonstration, or even a quiet social celebration in a park. c) Taunt them. Yell at them. Brandish your camera in their faces. Take their pictures. d) Repeat (c) until someone reacts. A shouted insult. A Nazi salute. Make sure you capture the reaction on camera. e) Race home, breathing hard and panties moist, and post excitedly about your Brush With Death, and how HORRIBLE those Muzzies are, and how AWFUL the anti-Zionist police are for not arresting them all, and what event are we going to crash next weekend?
This weekend's taunting was especially exciting because Blazing Cat Fur, Mr. Kathy Shaidle himself, got ASSAULTED! That's right! ALL the SKABBs agree! Why, there are most Blogging Tory posts on the ASSAULT against Arnie than about the killing of Flotilla Activists!
The SKABBs decided this weekend to annoy folks at an anti-Netanyahu protest sponsored by the "Leftist Islamofascist Alliance" (says Mr. Shaidle. I haven't heard of that particular group, myself).
The video begins with a SKABB sign that reads "Beachhead for Global Jihad". The shot then cuts to a jerky pan of folks with signs, listening to Middle Eastern music.
Then a guy with a beard comes walking across the street, and asks "Who gave you permission to take a picture?"
"I did", says Arnie (I assume it's Arnie. Sounds like he should be chewin' on a plug o' tabaccy.)
"You did? And you claim that you are a big tough guy?"
"Yeah!" says Arnie.
"Yeah, you are?"
"Yeah! How YOU doin', buddy?" says Arnie.
"I didn't give the permission. Go."
"Don't grab the camera", says Arnie.
The camera tilts to a shot of the ground and Arnie takes a couple of steps back. It tilts back up and captures a shot of the guy walking away.
"You can't touch me", says Arnie, sounding smug.
"Go, pussycat", the guy says over his shoulder.
"Bye, Ali Mallah", says Arnie.
"You think you're a tough guy?"
"I AM, Ali, and you're not," says Arnie, with the sophisticated wit his readership has come to expect. Then he giggles. "Gotcha, Ali!" And he giggles some more.
That was the ASSAULT. Two preening, strutting macho jackasses pissing out their turf.
The SKABB sites, of course, are echoing with Arnie's heroism, and with sober counsel from the usual ersatz legalists that Arnie should "sue" for assault. Difficult to tell what he's being advised to "sue" about, since he's tittering throughout the "ASSAULT", and for years has been cheerfully documenting his own slightly creepy fondness for race-baiting.
Had there been an "ASSAULT", Arnie would be photoblogging his boboes and laying charges faster than a five-year old reporting a slight to mommy. After all, there were cops all over the place, and a cloud of sympathetic witnesses. But nothing happened - so as always, the SKABBs up the narrative ante with a little hysteria, sigh contentedly, and plan the next outing.
Dear SKABBS: two suggestions.
a) We all know these little charades are played out primarily for your own entertainment. But next time try editing out all the little giggles and squeals of delight when your provocation works - you're really making it all a bit too obvious. This is especially important if you're going to lard up your subsequent "coverage" with hilarious faux-drama lines like "My Husband Was Unhurt". (No shit, Shaidle - he was giggling.) b) Why don't you do something useful with your Saturday mornings? Maybe volunteer to teach ESL at Palestine House?
Hours after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was presented with this Toronto Maple Leafs jersey in Toronto, Israeli commandos dropped from helicopters onto the lead vessel of a six ship international aid flotilla bound for Gaza and opened fire.
Israeli Radio is reporting 16 to 19 killed with 30 injured and confirms the flotilla was in international waters.
According to AFP, "the Israeli military censor ordered a block on all information regarding those injured or killed during the storming of the ship."
The six ships bearing 10,000 tons of supplies and over 600 activists from 40 countries, including 86 year old Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, are now being towed to Ashod.
I was watching a Turkish TV live feed from the lead vessel until it went off the air. I couldn't understand what anyone was saying except for a voice shouting in English that they were in international waters and a woman calling for help for the wounded. The live footage is now being rebroadcast at the same link with commentary in English.
But back to the jersey photo op. Netanyahu says Israel has never had a better friend than Canada and thanked Steve today for being "an unwavering friend of Israel."
Too true. Canada was the first country in the world to boycott Gaza for electing Hamas. When Israel bombed Lebanon in 2008 killing 1400, Steve called Israel's actions "measured". A Canadian killed when Israel shelled UN offices went unremarked by our government. We support the Wall at the UN. Peter Kent, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has more than once stated on his website that "an attack on Israel would be considered an attack on Canada." We have cut off funding to humanitarian groups like Kairos and UNRWA who have been sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians, and replaced members on the board of the once independent group Rights and Democracy with pro-Israel hawks. Canada had the largest delegation at last year's Conference on Anti-Semitism in Israel and provides nearly twice the Canadian forces to man the borders of Gaza as does the United States. We have our own McCarthyite Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism and banned George Galloway from Canada. Con MPs have sent out flyers to their constituents suggesting that Liberals are soft on anti-Semitism, the definition of which has now been expanded to include any criticism of Israel, following the lead of our prime minister who has accused MPs of anti-Semitism in the House of Commons. Last month the Ethics Commissioner reported that Israel is the top destination of choice for MPs seeking junkets abroad paid for by outside organizations, and Ontario Premier McGuinty is there now drumming up trade. Two years ago Israel and Canada signed what it pleases Israel's Ministry of Public Security to describe on their website as a pact on "cooperation in home land security and counter terrorism issues."
BFF
Against this complicity by our own government in the three-year-old Israeli blockade of Gaza, we must raise our voices in support of international law. We must no longer allow our government to speak in our name here.
Right. So they're just doing their very darnedest to deal with this completely unexpected environmental tragedy with their miles of boom and their top hats and their junk shots and their top kills - exactly the same useless shit that didn't work 30 years ago either.
Still, they have to tiddle about with something while the media cameras are rolling and Obama frowns on a beach.
Meanwhile according to this guy the real plume is five to seven miles away and spewing oil into the Gulf at the rate of 120,000 barrels a day. What we've all been watching is just the ancillary leak, says oil industry insider Matt Simmons, just the sideshow. It's like the drunk looking for his carkeys under the streetlight; it's not where he dropped them but the light is better there.
