Friday, January 07, 2005
From Gaza City to Oklahoma City
It turns out that Gaza City, Gaza and Oklahoma City, U.S.A may not be so different after all, except that the latter is a part of a red state and the former is a part of a black and blue occupied, not-yet state. There is also the fact that the entire Gaza Strip is about 5 miles wide and 22 miles long (140 square miles) and has about one million people living there, about 770,000 of whom are not native to Gaza, having been displaced from their homes and living as refugees in Gaza camps since 1948, while the metro area of Oklahoma City is about 625 square miles with roughly the same population as the Gaza Strip. That aside, I think Gaza (both the city and the strip) can teach us something about our U.S.A., maybe even why 51% of us would re-elect George W. Bush.
When Arafat returned to Gaza from exile in 1994, optimism that the Oslo agreements would end the Israeli Occupation produced a decline in outward demonstrations of religious piety, especially in Islamic conservativism associated with Hamas. More Gazans started attending Fatah-affiliated than Hamas-affiliated mosques. Amira Hass, a journalist who writes for the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, describes an increase in the sale of hair-care products during this time, which meant more than a few Gazan women were prepared to dispense with religious edicts to cover their heads. Men would leave the mosques to watch soccer matches. And at political rallies, men and women stood side by side. Indeed, at one such rally, Hass asked a Hamas supporter, “Will Hamas try to stop this from happening again?” to which he responded: “We don’t want to impose our will when we clearly can’t succeed.”
This is telling. When hope was high, when Israeli curfews were lifted in Gaza, and when Gazans were living a bit less in constant fear of Israeli Defense Forces, they, in general, behaved more progressively. Men and women crowded the streets and beaches in the evenings (after years of living under evening curfew). And when Hamas condemned such “immoral” behavior, Gazans tended to respond: “As if we need an occupation to keep us moral” (Hass).
And yet it seems that for many in the U.S., we need a war on terrorism to keep us moral—or at least to remind us of what immorality can supposedly “lead to” and hence impose our so-called morality, even violently, on others. It is fear that encourages such thinking, and the Bush campaign orchestrated that perfectly, as is well known. How easy it is for a “war on terror” (terror is not an enemy but a tactic, and so can easily become a fill-in for whatever we fear) to become a war against all “immorality”: gay marriage, abortion, political correctness, foreigners. In this, perhaps Gaza City and Oklahoma City aren’t that different.
For once real hope faded in Gaza, once Palestinians realized how humiliatingly one-sided the Oslo agreements and the “peace process” were, Hamas support increased to its 1987-1993 Intifada numbers. As Hass writes, “support for the Islamic movement is closely tied to a sense of Palestinian impotence.” The Bush administration and campaign has engineered (think wolves stalking in the woods, WMDs, etc.), marketed, and profited from a similar fear and impotence, trying to convince Americans that Oklahoma City is like Gaza. As if.
When Arafat returned to Gaza from exile in 1994, optimism that the Oslo agreements would end the Israeli Occupation produced a decline in outward demonstrations of religious piety, especially in Islamic conservativism associated with Hamas. More Gazans started attending Fatah-affiliated than Hamas-affiliated mosques. Amira Hass, a journalist who writes for the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, describes an increase in the sale of hair-care products during this time, which meant more than a few Gazan women were prepared to dispense with religious edicts to cover their heads. Men would leave the mosques to watch soccer matches. And at political rallies, men and women stood side by side. Indeed, at one such rally, Hass asked a Hamas supporter, “Will Hamas try to stop this from happening again?” to which he responded: “We don’t want to impose our will when we clearly can’t succeed.”
This is telling. When hope was high, when Israeli curfews were lifted in Gaza, and when Gazans were living a bit less in constant fear of Israeli Defense Forces, they, in general, behaved more progressively. Men and women crowded the streets and beaches in the evenings (after years of living under evening curfew). And when Hamas condemned such “immoral” behavior, Gazans tended to respond: “As if we need an occupation to keep us moral” (Hass).
And yet it seems that for many in the U.S., we need a war on terrorism to keep us moral—or at least to remind us of what immorality can supposedly “lead to” and hence impose our so-called morality, even violently, on others. It is fear that encourages such thinking, and the Bush campaign orchestrated that perfectly, as is well known. How easy it is for a “war on terror” (terror is not an enemy but a tactic, and so can easily become a fill-in for whatever we fear) to become a war against all “immorality”: gay marriage, abortion, political correctness, foreigners. In this, perhaps Gaza City and Oklahoma City aren’t that different.
For once real hope faded in Gaza, once Palestinians realized how humiliatingly one-sided the Oslo agreements and the “peace process” were, Hamas support increased to its 1987-1993 Intifada numbers. As Hass writes, “support for the Islamic movement is closely tied to a sense of Palestinian impotence.” The Bush administration and campaign has engineered (think wolves stalking in the woods, WMDs, etc.), marketed, and profited from a similar fear and impotence, trying to convince Americans that Oklahoma City is like Gaza. As if.
YDB Guest Blogger: Spence, Yellow-Dog Pal
Richard Gere: Handsome Dog
In a recent English language ad aired in the Occupied Territories, Richard Gere addresses the Palestinian people:
"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world. We're with you during this election time. It's really important. Get out and vote,"
He repeats the last phrase in Arabic. Good for him.
Palestinians do not seem impressed, though. "I don't even know who the candidates are other than Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), let alone this Gere," Gaza soap factory worker Manar an-Najar told Reuters Wednesday. "We don't need the Americans' intervention. We know who to elect. Not like them—they elected a moron." Good for him.
But whether it is said in Arabic or English, what does it mean to "Get out and vote"?
In a move toward a democratic government, the Palestinian Legislative Council created in 1996 was supposed to be a separately elected legislative branch and to serve as a check and balance to the executive branch within the Palestinian Authority, but the U.S.-picked successor to Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, who by all accounts is a kind and smart man, has never really been interested in democracy or giving voice to oppositional voices in the PLC. In this, the Palestinian Authority has played right into the hands of the Israeli government. Many of the best people running for PLC election weren't even permitted to travel between the West Bank and Gaza because of Israeli "closures," and those who were elected required Israeli travel permits to move between the territories. These permits were valid for one week at a time, from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., so that Council members living in Gaza would miss evening sessions, while also frequently forced to wait for hours (for no reason except to demonstrate Israeli superiority and power) at Israeli checkpoints. And when these very closures suffocated Gazans to the point where families that relied on income from work in Israel were at the point of starvation, when sewage ran in the streets and with no electricity, while on the hills above settlement houses were lit up and had clean running water, and when Israel's "civil administration" was taxing Palestinian day-workers illegally for work that Israeli construction companies would not report, that's when Hamas membership started to intensify. It goes something like this: Israel would systematically create the impossible conditions that would encourage Palestinians (the vast majority of whom do not support or seek an Islamic state) to join Hamas; then Israel would crack down on the Palestinian Authority to capture Hamas leaders; then the PA would use illegal means to imprison Hamas members, which would in turn make Hamas stronger; then Israel would declare that the PA and Arafat were unacceptable "peace partners" because they supported terror, and are incapable of democracy.
YDB Guest Blogger: Spence, Yellow-Dog Pal
Working class dogs
Here's the latest employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Jobs added: 157,000 in December (under the 175,000 projected)
But here's the statistic that caught my attention:
"Over the year, the number of persons who held more than one job increased by 574,000 to 7.8 million. These multiple jobholders represented 5.6 percent of total employment in December."
These working class dogs are no longer getting by, thanks to a crappy Bush economy.
Employment Situation Summary
Jobs added: 157,000 in December (under the 175,000 projected)
But here's the statistic that caught my attention:
"Over the year, the number of persons who held more than one job increased by 574,000 to 7.8 million. These multiple jobholders represented 5.6 percent of total employment in December."
These working class dogs are no longer getting by, thanks to a crappy Bush economy.
Employment Situation Summary
Iokiyar
In his NYT editorial today, Paul Krugman mentions a coinage that is popular among liberals these days: IOKIYAR: it's O.K. if you're a Republican.
It is mindboggling what this administration is getting away with compared the multiple (albeit deadend) investigations of the Clinton administration. For instance, can you imagine if a President Gore or President Kerry
1) vacationed for months before 9-11 and ignored a daily briefing that said bin Laden was determined to strike within the U.S. issued just a month before the attack?
2) sat in an elementary school and read a children's book for 7 long minutes after learning of the attack on 9-11?
3) led us into a pre-emptive war based on the existence of WMDs that turned out not to exist?
4) failed to secure a true coalition and U.N. support, resulting in Americans footing all of the bill in Iraq?
5) presided over an administration where a senior official (still to be named) committed the treasonous act of "outing" a CIA operative--just as political payback for someone exposing the lies about potential nuclear weapons in Iraq?
6) nominated a director of Homeland security (Bernard Kerik) who was implicated in financial scandals, had known mob connections, and was charged with stalking an ex-girlfriend?
7) rehired a secretary of defense who has done nothing but bungle the war in Iraq (with no post-war plan) and has insulted soldiers by ignoring their requests for body armor and needed troops and supplies?
8) ran up the largest debt in U.S. history and is now looking for ways to dismantle social security?
9) nominated an attorney general who has endorsed ignoring international law and engaging in torture, thus putting our own soldiers at grave risk?
10) paid a journalist (Armstrong Williams) $240,000 to plug the No Child Left Behind, thus violating ethics rules?
What's scary is, this list could go on and on. And we're not hearing a thing from the corporate-owned media (because, frankly, corporations are doing extremely well under Bush, who is turning back pesky environmental laws and giving them generous tax breaks). Sadly, the only thing to rely on is the critical thinking of the American people and, well, we saw how that turned out in the election.
Like Krugman said, IOKIYAR means "that the basic rules of ethics don't apply to people aligned with the ruling party. And reality will continue to be worse than any fiction."
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Worse Than Fiction
It is mindboggling what this administration is getting away with compared the multiple (albeit deadend) investigations of the Clinton administration. For instance, can you imagine if a President Gore or President Kerry
1) vacationed for months before 9-11 and ignored a daily briefing that said bin Laden was determined to strike within the U.S. issued just a month before the attack?
2) sat in an elementary school and read a children's book for 7 long minutes after learning of the attack on 9-11?
3) led us into a pre-emptive war based on the existence of WMDs that turned out not to exist?
4) failed to secure a true coalition and U.N. support, resulting in Americans footing all of the bill in Iraq?
5) presided over an administration where a senior official (still to be named) committed the treasonous act of "outing" a CIA operative--just as political payback for someone exposing the lies about potential nuclear weapons in Iraq?
6) nominated a director of Homeland security (Bernard Kerik) who was implicated in financial scandals, had known mob connections, and was charged with stalking an ex-girlfriend?
7) rehired a secretary of defense who has done nothing but bungle the war in Iraq (with no post-war plan) and has insulted soldiers by ignoring their requests for body armor and needed troops and supplies?
8) ran up the largest debt in U.S. history and is now looking for ways to dismantle social security?
9) nominated an attorney general who has endorsed ignoring international law and engaging in torture, thus putting our own soldiers at grave risk?
10) paid a journalist (Armstrong Williams) $240,000 to plug the No Child Left Behind, thus violating ethics rules?
What's scary is, this list could go on and on. And we're not hearing a thing from the corporate-owned media (because, frankly, corporations are doing extremely well under Bush, who is turning back pesky environmental laws and giving them generous tax breaks). Sadly, the only thing to rely on is the critical thinking of the American people and, well, we saw how that turned out in the election.
Like Krugman said, IOKIYAR means "that the basic rules of ethics don't apply to people aligned with the ruling party. And reality will continue to be worse than any fiction."
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Worse Than Fiction
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Senseless
Dictionary Definition of Senseless:
1. Lacking sense or meaning; meaningless.
2. Deficient in sense; foolish or stupid
An earthquake and tsunami that kills hundreds of thousands of people is senseless in the first sense of the word--lacking meaning; we can't make sense of such a destructive act of nature.
But today's news that nine more U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq and a separate newsstory reporting that 700 bodies have been recovered so far in Fallujah, including 550 bodies of women, children, and elderly men--clearly not insurgents--is senseless in the second sense--"deficient in sense; foolish or stupid."
Senseless is starting a pre-emptive war with a country that, while ruled by a ruthless dictator, posed no threat to the U.S. Stupid. Senseless is taking the focus off the perpetrator of 9-11, Osama bin Laden, and getting us embroiled in a war we cannot win and that is costing American taxpayers billions of dollars. Foolish. Senseless is going into Iraq with no post-war planning, with not enough troops, and without adequate armor and supplies for the troops. Stupid and foolish.
Senseless is that, based on this unnecessary war without end that is daily claiming the lives of innocent victims, 51% of voters decided to give Bush another term to wreak more havoc. Stupid and foolish.
Yahoo! News - Nine American Troops Killed in Iraq
1. Lacking sense or meaning; meaningless.
2. Deficient in sense; foolish or stupid
An earthquake and tsunami that kills hundreds of thousands of people is senseless in the first sense of the word--lacking meaning; we can't make sense of such a destructive act of nature.
But today's news that nine more U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq and a separate newsstory reporting that 700 bodies have been recovered so far in Fallujah, including 550 bodies of women, children, and elderly men--clearly not insurgents--is senseless in the second sense--"deficient in sense; foolish or stupid."
Senseless is starting a pre-emptive war with a country that, while ruled by a ruthless dictator, posed no threat to the U.S. Stupid. Senseless is taking the focus off the perpetrator of 9-11, Osama bin Laden, and getting us embroiled in a war we cannot win and that is costing American taxpayers billions of dollars. Foolish. Senseless is going into Iraq with no post-war planning, with not enough troops, and without adequate armor and supplies for the troops. Stupid and foolish.
Senseless is that, based on this unnecessary war without end that is daily claiming the lives of innocent victims, 51% of voters decided to give Bush another term to wreak more havoc. Stupid and foolish.
Yahoo! News - Nine American Troops Killed in Iraq
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
A Tale of Three Headlines
New Year. Same disastrous Bush policies.
Three headlines from today's news:
Baghdad Governor Slain, 5 U.S. Troops Die
More Than 10,000 U.S. Troops Hurt in Iraq
Iraqi Insurgents Outnumber U.S. Forces
Bush calls this "progress." 51% of voters actually buy this crap.
Three headlines from today's news:
Baghdad Governor Slain, 5 U.S. Troops Die
More Than 10,000 U.S. Troops Hurt in Iraq
Iraqi Insurgents Outnumber U.S. Forces
Bush calls this "progress." 51% of voters actually buy this crap.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Four more years of toxic leadership
This list of environmental rollbacks and industry-friendly rules during Bush's first term is unbelievable. Bush's leadership stinks, and we'll be lucky to be able to breath clean air and drink clean water after four more years of his dangerous environmental policies.
Here's the list of actions by the Toxic Texan:
Industry rewrites government article on perchlorate dangers (12/19/04)
Outgoing EPA head approves increased use of cancer-causing pesticide (12/16/04)
EPA ponders delaying Superfund listings and cleanups (12/02/04)
EPA will accept pesticide studies of human subjects (11/30/04)
Bush administration officials win exemption from international pesticide ban (11/26/04)
EPA to make more frequent updates of toxins report (11/23/04)
USDA rule could triple use of ozone-depleting pesticide (09/16/04)
EPA proposes easing standard on toxic metal (08/31/04)
Health agency colludes with industry to downplay risks of toxic metal (08/15/04)
EPA scrutinized for issuing industry-friendly laundry rule (08/13/04)
EPA tells General Electric: more dredging, not less (07/22/04)
Bush administration pushes for pesticide waiver (07/13/04)
GAO criticizes Pentagon for perchlorate pollution (06/30/04)
Scientific panel labels EPA-approved chemical a carcinogen (06/16/04)
Court questions industry-friendly EPA fertilizer rule (04/23/04)
Bush budget cuts lead poisoning prevention funding (04/11/04)
EPA lets rat poison industry weaken safety rules (04/06/04)
U.S. strong-arms E.U. to back down on chemical safety requirements (04/01/04)
Montreal Protocol shirked for U.S. pesticide interests (03/26/04)
FDA misleads public on tuna health risks (03/19/04)
Bush administration pushing hard for pesticide exemptions (03/03/04)
EPA considers exempting small business from toxic release reporting (11/12/03)
Superfund cleanups lag for third straight year (11/04/03)
EPA tricks public, treats industry on dangerous pesticide (10/31/03)
EPA will not regulate dioxins from sewage sludge (10/17/03)
EPA shields pesticide makers from lawsuits (10/06/03)
More Superfund sites, but less money (10/01/03)
EPA balks at court ruling to protect waterways from pesticide pollution (09/03/03)
EPA lifts ban on selling polluted sites for development (09/02/03)
DOD reneges on plan to test for perchlorate pollution at U.S. bases (06/20/03)
Pentagon accused of covering up perchlorate pollution (05/16/03)
White House bans EPA from discussing perchlorate pollution (04/28/03)
White House unveils its pro-industry chemical security bill (04/24/03)
EPA cooks fish data to allow more pollution (03/21/03)
GAO slams Bush administration for stalling on chemical security (03/18/03)
EPA halts the use of toxic wood preservative (03/17/03)
New EPA guidelines assess cancer risks for children (03/03/03)
Bush administration using guise of security to expand corporate secrecy (02/25/03)
Bush administration pushing for pesticide exemptions from international environmental treaty (02/07/03)
Ignoring health risks, EPA chooses not to ban dangerous weed killer (01/21/03)
EPA sticking with unsafe perchlorate standard (01/16/03)
EPA halts funding at several Superfund sites (10/31/02)
EPA lagging in Superfund cleanups (10/16/02)
Justice Department lax on chemical security (10/10/02)
Bush stacks panel on lead poisoning with industry experts (10/08/02)
Bush replacing health scientists who don't favor industry views (09/17/02)
EPA fails to meet pesticides review deadline (08/03/02)
EPA's scientific review on pesticides questioned (07/19/02)
EPA may allow the use of Carbofuran, a formerly banned toxic pesticide (07/08/02)
EPA signs off on safety of all but two of 30 pesticides (06/10/02)
White House backtracks on plan to ease lead testing regulations (05/14/02)
Administration may weaken lead testing for kids (04/16/02)
White House moves one step forward, two steps back, on chemical treaty (04/11/02)
EPA enlists National Academy of Sciences on issue of human pesticide studies (12/15/01)
EPA may lift ban on human testing of pesticides (11/28/01)
Bush supports U.N. treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (04/09/01)
Bush administration settles pesticides lawsuit brought by NRDC against EPA (03/19/01)
NRDC: The Bush Record - Pesticides & Other Toxic Chemicals
Here's the list of actions by the Toxic Texan:
Industry rewrites government article on perchlorate dangers (12/19/04)
Outgoing EPA head approves increased use of cancer-causing pesticide (12/16/04)
EPA ponders delaying Superfund listings and cleanups (12/02/04)
EPA will accept pesticide studies of human subjects (11/30/04)
Bush administration officials win exemption from international pesticide ban (11/26/04)
EPA to make more frequent updates of toxins report (11/23/04)
USDA rule could triple use of ozone-depleting pesticide (09/16/04)
EPA proposes easing standard on toxic metal (08/31/04)
Health agency colludes with industry to downplay risks of toxic metal (08/15/04)
EPA scrutinized for issuing industry-friendly laundry rule (08/13/04)
EPA tells General Electric: more dredging, not less (07/22/04)
Bush administration pushes for pesticide waiver (07/13/04)
GAO criticizes Pentagon for perchlorate pollution (06/30/04)
Scientific panel labels EPA-approved chemical a carcinogen (06/16/04)
Court questions industry-friendly EPA fertilizer rule (04/23/04)
Bush budget cuts lead poisoning prevention funding (04/11/04)
EPA lets rat poison industry weaken safety rules (04/06/04)
U.S. strong-arms E.U. to back down on chemical safety requirements (04/01/04)
Montreal Protocol shirked for U.S. pesticide interests (03/26/04)
FDA misleads public on tuna health risks (03/19/04)
Bush administration pushing hard for pesticide exemptions (03/03/04)
EPA considers exempting small business from toxic release reporting (11/12/03)
Superfund cleanups lag for third straight year (11/04/03)
EPA tricks public, treats industry on dangerous pesticide (10/31/03)
EPA will not regulate dioxins from sewage sludge (10/17/03)
EPA shields pesticide makers from lawsuits (10/06/03)
More Superfund sites, but less money (10/01/03)
EPA balks at court ruling to protect waterways from pesticide pollution (09/03/03)
EPA lifts ban on selling polluted sites for development (09/02/03)
DOD reneges on plan to test for perchlorate pollution at U.S. bases (06/20/03)
Pentagon accused of covering up perchlorate pollution (05/16/03)
White House bans EPA from discussing perchlorate pollution (04/28/03)
White House unveils its pro-industry chemical security bill (04/24/03)
EPA cooks fish data to allow more pollution (03/21/03)
GAO slams Bush administration for stalling on chemical security (03/18/03)
EPA halts the use of toxic wood preservative (03/17/03)
New EPA guidelines assess cancer risks for children (03/03/03)
Bush administration using guise of security to expand corporate secrecy (02/25/03)
Bush administration pushing for pesticide exemptions from international environmental treaty (02/07/03)
Ignoring health risks, EPA chooses not to ban dangerous weed killer (01/21/03)
EPA sticking with unsafe perchlorate standard (01/16/03)
EPA halts funding at several Superfund sites (10/31/02)
EPA lagging in Superfund cleanups (10/16/02)
Justice Department lax on chemical security (10/10/02)
Bush stacks panel on lead poisoning with industry experts (10/08/02)
Bush replacing health scientists who don't favor industry views (09/17/02)
EPA fails to meet pesticides review deadline (08/03/02)
EPA's scientific review on pesticides questioned (07/19/02)
EPA may allow the use of Carbofuran, a formerly banned toxic pesticide (07/08/02)
EPA signs off on safety of all but two of 30 pesticides (06/10/02)
White House backtracks on plan to ease lead testing regulations (05/14/02)
Administration may weaken lead testing for kids (04/16/02)
White House moves one step forward, two steps back, on chemical treaty (04/11/02)
EPA enlists National Academy of Sciences on issue of human pesticide studies (12/15/01)
EPA may lift ban on human testing of pesticides (11/28/01)
Bush supports U.N. treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (04/09/01)
Bush administration settles pesticides lawsuit brought by NRDC against EPA (03/19/01)
NRDC: The Bush Record - Pesticides & Other Toxic Chemicals
