Writing Life

So, Israel went to war with someone. Was it Hezbollah, Lebanon, both or neither? Or, more fundamentally, was Israel involved in this situation at all? Finally, what type of situation was it, war, liberation, rooting out terrorists, or something else?

Over and over again, in print, web, radio and TV reports, I hear differing descriptions of what happened (and for those few still paying attention, is still happening), in Lebanon. In some cases, it’s just called the Lebanese situation or the war in Lebanon. This choice of words and frames backgrounds Israel’s major player status in this violence. Both sides committed atrocities; both sides saw noncombatants die. Why aren’t both sides mentioned in news reports. Additionally, are there only two sides?

On NPR today, I heard commentators talking about Israel’s war with Hezbollah. Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and rained deadly bombs down on northern Isreal. So, Hezbollah definitely is involved. But didn’t Israel invade Lebanon? Didn’t they bomb Beirut? Didn’t they blockade, via land, sea and air, the entire country of Lebanon? Didn’t they bomb roads that led to Syria, civilian populations, and so forth? Why aren’t we talking as much about that and only about rockets fired by terrorists against innocent Israelis?

In a report released yesterday, Amnesty International accused Israel of war crimes, due to indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure and population. So, maybe my rants of previous posts aren’t as unfounded as they might have appeared at first glance. Maybe some talking heads will problematize this situation and look at it outside of a black-and-white paradigm.

The news cycle continues. How much more?

* Arab League condemnation of international inaction [Reuters]
* Jordan king says West has no Middle East strategy [Reuters]

An AP wire report chronicles the murder of 56 Lebanese, 34 of whom were children, by Israeli missile attacks in southern Lebanon. When will this senseless onslaught by Israeli hawks end? When will the UN Security Council step up to the plate and condemn this vicious obviously disproportionate response by Israel? When will the U.S. stop its blind support (both materially and politically) for its ally in the Middle East? Doesn’t anyone care?

As Lebanon burns, Bush sits in his emperor’s chair and pontificates. The US won’t intervene in the bloodshed in Lebanon as Israel slaughters innocent civilians in its quest to kill the terrorist members of Hizbollah. Yes, those terrorists need to be brought to justice and their shower of missles and bombs on Israel must be condemned day and night. However, Israel’s disproportionate response and its targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent Lebanese must be condemned and must be halted. Bush and his royal court refuses to intervene, either because they love the messianic war being waged or they just don’t care. [For more on US support of Israeli vengeance, see here.]

My title also mentioned that Bush hates the Constitution. He hates it because the Constitution set up checks and balances, where the Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial branch put checks and balances on each other. These institutions, and their interrelationships, are what secure democracy in this country. However, the Emperor has deigned that such protections are quaint and old-fashioned. His signing statements to laws passed by Congress exempts him and his royal court from their requirements. Is this a democracy? Did we anoint Junior as our King? I don’t remember that. Do you? [For more on these signing statements, see here.]

Rise up, demand your freedoms and condemn this vicious assault on real democracy, not the sham that Shrub Jr. wants us to believe in.

As the friend who sent this to me said, words escape me. In this Agence France Presse wire report, that was published on Monday, July 17, 2006, US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said that there is no moral equivalence to innocent civilians killed by Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Israelis who are killed by Hezbollah terrorists. His implication is that an innocent civilian Israeli life is worth more, morally, than an innocent civilian Lebanese life. This is ridiculous! Murder is murder.

Take a chance to read what the wires are saying. 50+ killed, attacks on civilian targets, war on two borders? Who will help stop these attacks in Palestine and Lebanon and who will hold Israel accountable? Arguments can be made for Israel committing crimes against humanity and/or war crimes for its attacks on electricity generators that are the sole power source for almost the entire area of Gaza. The loss of this source of power has affected water pumps, sanitation, health services and other daily basic needs.
* Beruit under siege as Israel attacks from air and sea
* Israel intensifies attacks against Lebanon
* Rumor: Israel tells Condi Rice to “Back Off”
* Bush defends Israeli attacks in Lebanon