An intriging column by Jeffrey Goldberg, May 24, 2011.
Excerpt:
My goal: To hopelessly, ineradicably, entangle the two peoples wedged between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Then I would wait as the Israeli population on the West Bank grew, and grew some more. I would wait until 2017, 50 years after the Six Day War, which ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. I would go before the UN and say the following:
"We, the Palestinians, no longer seek a homeland of our own. We recognize the permanence of Israeli occupation, the dominion of the Israeli military and the power of the Israeli economy. So we would like to join them. In the 50 years since the beginning of the ’temporary’ occupation, we have seen hundreds of thousands of Israelis build communities near our own communities. We admire what they have built, and the system of laws that governs their lives. Unlike them, many of us live under Israeli military law but have no say in choosing the Israelis who rule us. So we no longer want statehood. We simply want the vote."
And this, of course, would bring about the end of Israel.
Link to Bloomberg article
Showing posts with label Arab Spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arab Spring. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Obama's Choice (Palestine, Israel, and the Soul of America)
Top Line (bottom line first) - When faced with the choice between body and soul, Obama and the US may lose both. (Longer than my usual fare.)
In the news this week is Obama's speech on Middle East policy, which included some clarification on the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine. And that's a conflict straight from the Old Testament - a David versus Goliath story where, bizarrely, David's descendants have become the terrifying oppressive behemoth and Palestine has stepped in to play the role of David, armed with sling and stones.
Between them stands a United States that really wishes it was anywhere else... because it knows how this story ends, and it has picked the wrong side.
See, back in the 1940s -- flush with winning WWII but carrying guilt for our part in ignoring the plight of the Jews under Hitler -- the US accepted the idea of re-creating a new country for a people we saw as scrappy underdogs fighting for a homeland and committed to ideals we shared. We even convinced ourselves it would all work out in the end.
Silly, silly us.
We either forgot or denied the fact that in order to create a new country, an existing one would need to be destroyed.
We either forgot or denied the fact that people aren't the only things that fight for life - so do ideas, countries, and cultures.
These things were easy for the US to forget or deny -- because we had already "pulled an Israel" when we kicked the American Indians out of their (now our) land. Sure, the natives fought back, but eventually they quieted -- and so, we believed, would the Palestinians.
Silly, silly us.
Unrecognized by the US at the time, the Palestinians were not American Indians redux. They had Islam in common with their neighbors. The world was growing smaller and smaller as communication technologies grew, so the situation in Palestine was harder to hide. And the Muslim neighbors, who had suffered enough of their own colonial experiences, understood and empathized with the Palestinian plight. And what they saw and felt... they did not like.
So how did we get it so wrong at the outset?
Simple ... The US was different then.
Back then:
Given such a distorted mythology and feelings of moral certitude, back then it would have been easy to believe that helping Israel by pushing out the Palestinians would be a way to redeem ourselves for past mistakes -- a karmic do-over. And this time we would be more compassionate in removing the Palestinians from their land than we were with the American Indians.
Silly, silly us.
We either forgot or denied that there's no good way to remove a people from their land.
Which leads me to the crux of the issue:
We are not that America anymore.
So... now what?
That is the question. Because here and now we find ourselves -- a different people than we were in the 1940s -- with our bodies committed to one group, and our moral compass pulled inexorably toward another. In this modern version of the biblical tale, our American souls want the New Davids to win. We need them to win to save ourselves -- and that's why Israeli/Palestinian peace is spiritually important to the US, even if we don't yet realize it.
If Obama chooses to support Israel no matter what Israel does -- thereby continuing the sins of forgetting and denying -- the body lives but the soul is wounded.
If Obama chooses to support Palestine (even by abstention at the UN) -- we can help transform the Goliath we co-created into a human participant in a process toward peace, and help heal our soul.
The rest of the world has started to realize the morals of this story and is beginning to work toward supporting the New Davids.
As for the US and Obama, I have my hopes, but I suspect we are not quite there yet. I guess we will need to stay tuned so see which he will choose.
A few notes:
But They Killed Jesus - Of course, not all Americans empathize with the Palestinians. The strongest advocates for Israel are found among the US Christian Conservatives. The great irony, of course, is that this same group was previously filled with people who hated (and many still do) the Jews for "killing Jesus". I guess if Christians can forgive that, in time they can forgive and embrace Palestinians too -- I just hope it doesn't take a couple thousand years.
Not Politically Correct - Those readers from the US will recognize that the appropriate term for American Indians is "Native Americans." But since I'm also writing for those outside the US, I used the old terminology.
In the news this week is Obama's speech on Middle East policy, which included some clarification on the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine. And that's a conflict straight from the Old Testament - a David versus Goliath story where, bizarrely, David's descendants have become the terrifying oppressive behemoth and Palestine has stepped in to play the role of David, armed with sling and stones.
Between them stands a United States that really wishes it was anywhere else... because it knows how this story ends, and it has picked the wrong side.
See, back in the 1940s -- flush with winning WWII but carrying guilt for our part in ignoring the plight of the Jews under Hitler -- the US accepted the idea of re-creating a new country for a people we saw as scrappy underdogs fighting for a homeland and committed to ideals we shared. We even convinced ourselves it would all work out in the end.
Silly, silly us.
We either forgot or denied the fact that in order to create a new country, an existing one would need to be destroyed.
We either forgot or denied the fact that people aren't the only things that fight for life - so do ideas, countries, and cultures.
These things were easy for the US to forget or deny -- because we had already "pulled an Israel" when we kicked the American Indians out of their (now our) land. Sure, the natives fought back, but eventually they quieted -- and so, we believed, would the Palestinians.
Silly, silly us.
Unrecognized by the US at the time, the Palestinians were not American Indians redux. They had Islam in common with their neighbors. The world was growing smaller and smaller as communication technologies grew, so the situation in Palestine was harder to hide. And the Muslim neighbors, who had suffered enough of their own colonial experiences, understood and empathized with the Palestinian plight. And what they saw and felt... they did not like.
So how did we get it so wrong at the outset?
Simple ... The US was different then.
Back then:
- We taught our children that American Indians were heartless heathens hell-bent on killing the hearty and hard-working White Man.
- We actively suppressed the civil and human rights of our Black citizens - denying them entry into all manner of Whites Only establishments (from basic bathrooms to cushy country clubs), denying them the right to vote, and more.
- We refused to believe that anything done by the American Government could possibly be wrong (we were, after all, one nation under God that had won all its wars at that time).
Given such a distorted mythology and feelings of moral certitude, back then it would have been easy to believe that helping Israel by pushing out the Palestinians would be a way to redeem ourselves for past mistakes -- a karmic do-over. And this time we would be more compassionate in removing the Palestinians from their land than we were with the American Indians.
Silly, silly us.
We either forgot or denied that there's no good way to remove a people from their land.
Which leads me to the crux of the issue:
We are not that America anymore.
- Now we understand our shameful behavior towards the American Indians - both in our repeated breaking of treaties with them and in our harsh and inhumane treatment as we forced them off their land. (Sound familiar?)
- Now we see that the American Government can make mistakes - and big ones! (see Vietnam)
- Now we are stuck with the bargain struck -- stuck between the New David and the Goliath we created and armed.
So... now what?
That is the question. Because here and now we find ourselves -- a different people than we were in the 1940s -- with our bodies committed to one group, and our moral compass pulled inexorably toward another. In this modern version of the biblical tale, our American souls want the New Davids to win. We need them to win to save ourselves -- and that's why Israeli/Palestinian peace is spiritually important to the US, even if we don't yet realize it.
If Obama chooses to support Israel no matter what Israel does -- thereby continuing the sins of forgetting and denying -- the body lives but the soul is wounded.
If Obama chooses to support Palestine (even by abstention at the UN) -- we can help transform the Goliath we co-created into a human participant in a process toward peace, and help heal our soul.
The rest of the world has started to realize the morals of this story and is beginning to work toward supporting the New Davids.
As for the US and Obama, I have my hopes, but I suspect we are not quite there yet. I guess we will need to stay tuned so see which he will choose.
A few notes:
But They Killed Jesus - Of course, not all Americans empathize with the Palestinians. The strongest advocates for Israel are found among the US Christian Conservatives. The great irony, of course, is that this same group was previously filled with people who hated (and many still do) the Jews for "killing Jesus". I guess if Christians can forgive that, in time they can forgive and embrace Palestinians too -- I just hope it doesn't take a couple thousand years.
Not Politically Correct - Those readers from the US will recognize that the appropriate term for American Indians is "Native Americans." But since I'm also writing for those outside the US, I used the old terminology.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The death of Vittorio Arrigoni
I have just learned of this incredible human recently. So that I don't soon forget him, I am posting this article about him written by his friend, and a cartoon tribute I found on Twitter.
May I remember to Stay Human.
Cartoon Tribute to Vittorio Arrigoni (1975 - 2011)
May I remember to Stay Human.
Reflections on the death of Vittorio Arrigoni - Eva Bartlett
From a place he loved, in memory of Vittorio - Mohammed Suliman (Gaza Diaries of Peace and War)
Cartoon Tribute to Vittorio Arrigoni (1975 - 2011)
@CarlosLatuff
Carlos Latuff
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Putting Archetypes to Work for the Good of Society
I found this website on the power of archetypes and how to use them. I'm just beginning to investigate its various areas, but wanted to pass it along right away:
ArchetypeInAction.org
There are articles by many people, and a Google translate feature for any language.
You want to go to there!
ArchetypeInAction.org
There are articles by many people, and a Google translate feature for any language.
You want to go to there!
Monday, April 11, 2011
@AngryArabiya Letter to Obama
A heartbreaking call to action from an incredible young woman and mother in Bahrain. On Twitter she goes by @angryarabiya. She has some things to be angry about. Click here to read her letter or go to http://angryarabiya.blogspot.com/2011/04/letter-to-president-obama.html
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Why can't they be normal like me?
Top Line (bottom line first): We assume that other people think/process information/make decisions like we do. We couldn't be more wrong.
Years ago, in a attempt to understand someone's crazy behavior, I went on a quest to learn about why people do the things they do. On it I discovered the 4 temperaments, as described by Keirsey in his book "Please Understand Me II". Information about these is available on the internet. The important point is this:
We assume we know why other people act like they do. We don't.
We assume other people think like us. They don't.
We assume we can change them. We can't.
For example:
And those are just two variables.
One of the most important things I have learned is that when I'm talking to people, it helps if I know what temperament they are. It's like having a map. With that information, I know better where they are coming from and how to translate what they are saying into what they mean.
During this time of Arab Spring - when people moving toward freedom are butting up against people resisting that movement - it would help if those seeking freedom knew about temperaments so they could better understand the whys and wherefores of the resistance that probably baffles them.
I mean, seriously, why would normal people not want freedom... right?
Years ago, in a attempt to understand someone's crazy behavior, I went on a quest to learn about why people do the things they do. On it I discovered the 4 temperaments, as described by Keirsey in his book "Please Understand Me II". Information about these is available on the internet. The important point is this:
We assume we know why other people act like they do. We don't.
We assume other people think like us. They don't.
We assume we can change them. We can't.
For example:
- Some people make their decisions based on data, and some make their decisions based on personal values (facts be damned, this is important to me).
- Some people think linearly (a...b...c...d...) and some think 3-dimensionally (a...b...jump to m... back to k... over to z).
And those are just two variables.
One of the most important things I have learned is that when I'm talking to people, it helps if I know what temperament they are. It's like having a map. With that information, I know better where they are coming from and how to translate what they are saying into what they mean.
During this time of Arab Spring - when people moving toward freedom are butting up against people resisting that movement - it would help if those seeking freedom knew about temperaments so they could better understand the whys and wherefores of the resistance that probably baffles them.
I mean, seriously, why would normal people not want freedom... right?
Brains: Liberal v Conservative
Top Line (bottom line first): You can't assume others think like you - know the differences to be more effective.
Liberal Brains Bigger in Areas of Complexity; Conservative Brains Bigger in Areas of Fear
Excerpt:
This is going to sound sort of obvious, but here we go: A study from University College London published this week in Current Biology has discovered that there are actually differences in the brains of liberals and conservatives. Specifically, liberals' brains tend to be bigger in the area that deals with processing complex ideas and situations, while conservatives' brains are bigger in the area that processes fear.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2seVal/www.good.is/post/liberal-brains-bigger-in-areas-of-complexity-conservative-brains-bigger-in-areas-of-fear/
Liberal Brains Bigger in Areas of Complexity; Conservative Brains Bigger in Areas of Fear
Excerpt:
This is going to sound sort of obvious, but here we go: A study from University College London published this week in Current Biology has discovered that there are actually differences in the brains of liberals and conservatives. Specifically, liberals' brains tend to be bigger in the area that deals with processing complex ideas and situations, while conservatives' brains are bigger in the area that processes fear.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2seVal/www.good.is/post/liberal-brains-bigger-in-areas-of-complexity-conservative-brains-bigger-in-areas-of-fear/
Egypt Army - Allegations of Abuse
Two months on from the revolution, Channel 4 News hears powerful allegations of torture, arbitrary detention and sham trials by the Egyptian armed forces once hailed as heroes.
link to article
http://www.channel4.com/news/egypt-after-the-revolution-allegations-of-military-abuse
link to article
http://www.channel4.com/news/egypt-after-the-revolution-allegations-of-military-abuse
Sunlight - the best disinfectant
For Freedom to become a reality - and for Freedom to stay alive once born - the People need to know what is going on around them and in the places of Power.
Because the news media is not FREE to speak the truth in so many parts of the world - and because it mostly doesn't CHOOSE to speak the truth in the US - God/Allah bless the tweeters and social media citizen journalists who are working so hard to shed some sunlight wherever they can.
Because of them and other forms of social media, I feel the sun in this Arab Spring.
Because the news media is not FREE to speak the truth in so many parts of the world - and because it mostly doesn't CHOOSE to speak the truth in the US - God/Allah bless the tweeters and social media citizen journalists who are working so hard to shed some sunlight wherever they can.
Because of them and other forms of social media, I feel the sun in this Arab Spring.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
TEDx - Wael Ghonim
Here is another great TEDx speaker - you know him, you love him... Wael Ghonim.
Inside the Egyptian revolution: Wael Ghonim on TED.com | TED Blog
- Shown onstage at TED2011: Wael Ghonim is the Google executive who helped jumpstart Egypt's democratic revolution -- with a Facebook page memorializing a victim of the regime's violence. Speaking at...
- http://blog.ted.com/2011/03/04/inside-the-egyptian-revolution-wael-ghonim-on-ted-com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)