UN’s Guterres calls for Gaza ceasefire as Security Council’s humanitarian pause bid fails.
A United Nations Security Council resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid to people in Gaza was blocked by a United States veto because it refused to mention Israel’s right to self-defense. It also ignored Hamas’ use of Gaza’s civilian population as human shields while perpetrating terrorist acts. The rejection on Wednesday of humanitarian pauses is … [Read more...] about UN’s Guterres calls for Gaza ceasefire as Security Council’s humanitarian pause bid fails.
There Are No “Two Sides” in Gaza
by David Anderson It was tempting to think that anti-Semitism was if not a thing of the past at least in abeyance. That said, most conspiracy theories are at base anti-Semitism: there's always the "international bankers" "pulling the levers" "controlling the media" nonsense about. All of these harken back to older anti-Semitic ideas via the long route. Hamas takes the … [Read more...] about There Are No “Two Sides” in Gaza
Demonizing the Other
How can humans be so cruel in the way they treat other humans. I am speaking specifically about the way Hamas militants massacred Israeli civilians and children in addition to soldiers in their surprise attack on southern Israel last week. Shooting babies and toddlers, women and the elderly in addition to soldiers was not enough. They had to decapitate some of the children and … [Read more...] about Demonizing the Other
Murc’s Law describes news framing that makes Democrats responsible for Republican antics, chaos and dysfunction
I am alternately flummoxed, frustrated and furious at news headlines, lead paragraphs and interviewer questions that position Democrats as responsible for Republican chaos. I began publicly railing about (or documenting, a more appealing verb) biased news framing fairly recently. For example: https://twitter.com/kegill/status/1713847073513341338 Today I learned that … [Read more...] about Murc’s Law describes news framing that makes Democrats responsible for Republican antics, chaos and dysfunction
Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust spurs a crisis of confidence in the idea of Israel – and its possible renewal
Family and friends of those taken hostage by Hamas during an attack on Israel react during a press conference on Oct. 13, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Leon Neal/Getty Images Avner Cohen, Middlebury Institute of International Studies Living for 75 years within a hostile neighborhood has required the state of Israel to provide security against external … [Read more...] about Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust spurs a crisis of confidence in the idea of Israel – and its possible renewal
HOUSE SPEAKER (CARTOON)
ROBERT DE NIRO YOU’RE NAÏVE
by Don Hermann Columnist That’s what ran through my mind as I read your post in The Moderate Voice. In effect, you’re saying disregard past problems. Extend the Welcome Mat. Make peace. Commendable? Could Mr. De Niro be experiencing senility issues? As no surprise, Donald Trump’s name came up. You described a sick, disturbed, frightened individual. My words, Trump … [Read more...] about ROBERT DE NIRO YOU’RE NAÏVE
Gangsters are the villains in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government
An Osage delegation with President Calvin Coolidge at the White House on Jan. 20, 1924. Bettman via Getty Images Torivio Fodder, University of Arizona Director Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” tells the true story of a string of murders on the Osage Nation’s land in Oklahoma in the 1920s. Based on David Grann’s meticulously … [Read more...] about Gangsters are the villains in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government
HAMAS VERMIN (CARTOON)
GOP CAPITOL BOZO (CARTOON)
THE WORLD IS ON FIRE, BUT AMERICA IS STUCK WITH ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL CULT OF SABOTEURS AND LIARS
Last week the MAGA brats in the U.S. House ousted their Speaker and basically crashed the chamber because that’s what nihilists do, they seek and destroy. But now come the consequences. A major Middle East crisis has rocked the world, and, for the gang that can’t govern, play time is suddenly over. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs … [Read more...] about THE WORLD IS ON FIRE, BUT AMERICA IS STUCK WITH ITS DYSFUNCTIONAL CULT OF SABOTEURS AND LIARS
Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital
Mitali Mukherjee, University of Oxford As news of Palestinian militant group Hamas launching a deadly attack on Israel and Israel’s threat of retaliation began to filter across news networks and social media platforms, a wave of misinformation and fake videos rose alongside. In a “tech-first” society, it is increasingly difficult to differentiate between authentic … [Read more...] about Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital
Understanding Israel’s actions doesn’t equal approval of them.
Understanding Israel's actions doesn't equal approval of them. The difference between the two gets lost sometimes. Fans of the original Star Trek series should know the difference. In the episode "A Taste of Armageddon", Spock clarifies the difference. In that particular episode, Kirk and Spock are listening to a political leader of a planet that is at war with another … [Read more...] about Understanding Israel’s actions doesn’t equal approval of them.
An Ill-Fated ‘Narrow Strip of Land’ Called Gaza
Visual Capitalist Infographic Wikipedia describes the Gaza Strip, or Gaza, as “a narrow piece of land located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Israel to the east and north, and Egypt to the southwest.” More than 2.3 million men, women, and children (about half of the people are children) live –- some say “survive” -- in this “narrow strip of … [Read more...] about An Ill-Fated ‘Narrow Strip of Land’ Called Gaza
Do people really understand what war is?
Do people really understand what war is? It's easy to criticize a party in a war when nobody's trying to eliminate one's own existence. When Hamas declared war on Israel on 07 October 2023, Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas . . . and a war it is, not a police action, not a political disagreement. Hamas isn't trying to gain more freedom for Palestinians. The goal … [Read more...] about Do people really understand what war is?
Israel Must Not Respond to Hamas’ War Crimes with a War Crime of Its Own
The atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli civilians, including infants, are nothing short of monstrous. Most of the world is rightly standing by Israel in its time of grief and rage, similar to the reaction on behalf of the United States after 9/11. Few begrudge Israel its right to respond with the vast array of military power at its disposal. But Israel's … [Read more...] about Israel Must Not Respond to Hamas’ War Crimes with a War Crime of Its Own
Robert De Niro’s blistering warning statement on Donald Trump
Actor Robert De Niro has issued this statement on Donald Trump: “I’ve spent a lot of time studying bad men. I’ve examined their characteristics, their mannerisms, the utter banality of their cruelty. Yet there’s something different about Donald Trump. When I look at him, I don’t see a bad man. Truly. I see an evil one. Over the years, I’ve met gangsters here … [Read more...] about Robert De Niro’s blistering warning statement on Donald Trump
Hamas Merged Nazi and Islamist Ideologies
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel Every nation has committed misdeeds that they are not proud of. In American history, the enslavement of Africans is a badge of shame, whose legacy continues to challenge us in even modern times, as we attempt to eradicate the social evils of racism in our society. Societies, like individuals, will always be tested from time to … [Read more...] about Hamas Merged Nazi and Islamist Ideologies
How did Israeli intelligence miss Hamas’ preparations to attack? A US counterterrorism expert explains how Israeli intelligence works
Israeli soldiers move past a military medical vehicle on Oct. 10, 2023, at Kfar Aza, a kibbutz where Hamas militants killed Israelis days before. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Javed Ali, University of Michigan Israel is widely recognized as having highly sophisticated intelligence capabilities, both in terms of its ability to collect information … [Read more...] about How did Israeli intelligence miss Hamas’ preparations to attack? A US counterterrorism expert explains how Israeli intelligence works