Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Lazy Linkfest
Lenin's Tomb gives us an excellent summary of the atrocity that was the Israeli assault on Gaza, one year ago, lacking only a reminder of the U.S./U.K./Egyptian/"Western" complicity in that ongoing genocide. Amira Haas shows us what happens to Palestinians who take the non-violent approach to resistance, specifically, they get arrested and jailed (and, although she doesn't mention it, go completely unmentioned in the Western corporate media, e.g., try searching for "Mohammad Othman", in contrast to protesters arrested in, e.g., Iran). Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter is busy apologizing "for any contribution he may have had to Israel's negative image." As if anything he's had to say could hold a candle to what Israel has actually done. And finally, Khalil Bendib weighs in:
Update: Neve Gordon also reviews the history of Palestinian non-violent resistance, and Israel's history of violent response to it.
On a different subject, are you one of those who thinks Mumia Abu-Jamal is a "cop-killer," or, for that matter, that the U.S. "justice" system shouldn't require quotation marks? If so, read the history of Veronica Jones, a key witness against Abu-Jamal who was coerced by police to do so, and later recanted (in a later court hearing) even under threat of perjury (and was arrested as a result).
Elsewhere, Ted Rall takes on Obama's "good enough" "revolution." I disagree with Rall about MP3's (convenience is a factor that has value, say I as I sit here listening to Nat King Cole sing Christmas carols on my computer while my "higher-fidelity" stereo system is nowhere nearby), and I would hardly use the word "revolution" in conjunction with Obama even in jest, but still a good column. And finally, Rall's graphic commentary on the situation:
And last but not least, following up on my "Not one of them is Cuban" post below, take a look at what a country whose public health care is not an "option" but simply universal can do for pregnant women in the face of the H1N1 flu. Proactive health care, the mark of a country which puts people's needs first.
