"Spirit the penniless population across the frontier by denying it employment... Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly." Theodore Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization, speaking of the Arabs of Palestine,Complete Diaries, June 12, 1895 entry.
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Day-to-day FrictionIsrael and Palestine
Violence grabs the headlines but what is day-to-day life like in Palestine? My understanding was dramatically changed by an article describing how it takes hours to go 15 miles through 5 or more checkpoints? Is this the extent of the issue ... or is ongoing humiliation the routine as claimed by the Palestinians? How many articles like these ever appear in your newspaper?
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Bush got us into a mess by overdosing on moral clarity and self-righteousness, and embracing conspiracy theories of like-minded zealots
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Calling Bush a Liar: "By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF | Published: June 30, 2004
So is President Bush a liar?
Plenty of Americans think so. Bookshops are filled with titles about Mr. Bush like 'Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,' 'Big Lies,' 'Thieves in High Places' and 'The Lies of George W. Bush.'
A consensus is emerging on the left that Mr. Bush is fundamentally dishonest, perhaps even evil � a nut, yes, but mostly a liar and a schemer. That view is at the heart of Michael Moore's scathing new documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'"
...
I'm against the "liar" label for two reasons. First, it further polarizes the political cesspool, and this polarization is making America increasingly difficult to govern. Second, insults and rage impede understanding.
...
In fact, of course, Mr. Bush did stretch the truth. The run-up to Iraq was all about exaggerations, but not flat-out lies. Indeed, there's some evidence that Mr. Bush carefully avoids the most blatant lies — witness his meticulous descriptions of the periods in which he did not use illegal drugs.
...
Mr. Bush got us into a mess by overdosing on moral clarity and self-righteousness, and embracing conspiracy theories of like-minded zealots. How sad that many liberals now seem intent on making the same mistakes.
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Calling Bush a Liar: "By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF | Published: June 30, 2004
So is President Bush a liar?
Plenty of Americans think so. Bookshops are filled with titles about Mr. Bush like 'Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,' 'Big Lies,' 'Thieves in High Places' and 'The Lies of George W. Bush.'
A consensus is emerging on the left that Mr. Bush is fundamentally dishonest, perhaps even evil � a nut, yes, but mostly a liar and a schemer. That view is at the heart of Michael Moore's scathing new documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'"
...
I'm against the "liar" label for two reasons. First, it further polarizes the political cesspool, and this polarization is making America increasingly difficult to govern. Second, insults and rage impede understanding.
...
In fact, of course, Mr. Bush did stretch the truth. The run-up to Iraq was all about exaggerations, but not flat-out lies. Indeed, there's some evidence that Mr. Bush carefully avoids the most blatant lies — witness his meticulous descriptions of the periods in which he did not use illegal drugs.
...
Mr. Bush got us into a mess by overdosing on moral clarity and self-righteousness, and embracing conspiracy theories of like-minded zealots. How sad that many liberals now seem intent on making the same mistakes.
Administration's record of incompetence and callousness does not inspire us to lightly kiss away our constitutional protections
It's Called Democracy: "June 29, 2004
What gives the government the right to arrest you and imprison you indefinitely without offering a reason or opportunity to appeal? The answer, in the United States, is: Nothing gives the government that right. It is hard to see what is left of American freedom if the government has the authority to make anyone on its soil — citizen or noncitizen — disappear and then rule that no one can do anything about it.
Or so we once thought. But the Bush administration — whose convoluted memos on defining torture now rank with Bill Clinton's definition of sex — says Congress gave it exactly this power. And when was that? Soon after Sept. 11, 2001, Congress passed a two-line resolution authorizing the use of military force against "nations, organizations or persons" engaged in terrorism. We would like to hear from any member who intended by this vote to repeal the Bill of Rights.
...
President Bush and his administration say: Look, there's a war on. And anyway, the United States is not some Latin American dictatorship of the 1970s; we can trust our government not to abuse the extraordinary power it claims. But this administration's record of incompetence and callousness does not inspire us to lightly kiss away our constitutional protections.
It's Called Democracy: "June 29, 2004
What gives the government the right to arrest you and imprison you indefinitely without offering a reason or opportunity to appeal? The answer, in the United States, is: Nothing gives the government that right. It is hard to see what is left of American freedom if the government has the authority to make anyone on its soil — citizen or noncitizen — disappear and then rule that no one can do anything about it.
Or so we once thought. But the Bush administration — whose convoluted memos on defining torture now rank with Bill Clinton's definition of sex — says Congress gave it exactly this power. And when was that? Soon after Sept. 11, 2001, Congress passed a two-line resolution authorizing the use of military force against "nations, organizations or persons" engaged in terrorism. We would like to hear from any member who intended by this vote to repeal the Bill of Rights.
...
President Bush and his administration say: Look, there's a war on. And anyway, the United States is not some Latin American dictatorship of the 1970s; we can trust our government not to abuse the extraordinary power it claims. But this administration's record of incompetence and callousness does not inspire us to lightly kiss away our constitutional protections.
Republican senator rips Bush on Iraq strategy / Hagel says war hurt U.S. in terror battle
Republican senator rips Bush on Iraq strategy / Hagel says war hurt U.S. in terror battle: "James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Los Angeles -- Sen. Chuck Hagel, an influential moderate Republican from Nebraska, sharply criticized the Bush administration in an interview here Tuesday, saying that the war in Iraq appears to have hurt America in its battle against terrorism.
...
In a sharp critique of the leader of his own party, Hagel said he believes the occupation of Iraq by the American military was poorly planned and has spread terrorist cells more widely around the world.
"This put in motion a new geographic dispersion" of the terrorists, said Hagel, 58, in an interview before delivering a speech to the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles. "It's harder to deal with them because they're not as contained. Iraq has become a training ground."
...
But after finding his moderate views largely ignored by the president, Hagel said he feels that Bush, who has taken a strong unilateral approach to foreign policy, is now being forced to embrace positions much closer to those Hagel and other moderates have advocated.
Hagel has pushed for the United States to work much more closely with the United Nations, NATO and America's principal allies in Europe. The president has been in Europe this week offering a more conciliatory face to the allies, and Hagel said the harsh reality of the war in Iraq has forced his hand.
"It's a whole different administration approach,'' Hagel said. "There is a newfound humility, a newfound realism" in the Bush administration. ...
Republican senator rips Bush on Iraq strategy / Hagel says war hurt U.S. in terror battle: "James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Los Angeles -- Sen. Chuck Hagel, an influential moderate Republican from Nebraska, sharply criticized the Bush administration in an interview here Tuesday, saying that the war in Iraq appears to have hurt America in its battle against terrorism.
...
In a sharp critique of the leader of his own party, Hagel said he believes the occupation of Iraq by the American military was poorly planned and has spread terrorist cells more widely around the world.
"This put in motion a new geographic dispersion" of the terrorists, said Hagel, 58, in an interview before delivering a speech to the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles. "It's harder to deal with them because they're not as contained. Iraq has become a training ground."
...
But after finding his moderate views largely ignored by the president, Hagel said he feels that Bush, who has taken a strong unilateral approach to foreign policy, is now being forced to embrace positions much closer to those Hagel and other moderates have advocated.
Hagel has pushed for the United States to work much more closely with the United Nations, NATO and America's principal allies in Europe. The president has been in Europe this week offering a more conciliatory face to the allies, and Hagel said the harsh reality of the war in Iraq has forced his hand.
"It's a whole different administration approach,'' Hagel said. "There is a newfound humility, a newfound realism" in the Bush administration. ...
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Iraq poll: 55% safer is US left immediately, 92% consider US occupier, 11% confidence in coalition
Excite News: "Poll of Iraqis Reveals Anger Toward U.S. | Jun 15, 7:18 PM (ET) | By JOHN SOLOMON
WASHINGTON (AP) - A poll of Iraqis commissioned by the U.S.-governing authority has provided the Bush administration a stark picture of anti-American sentiment - more than half of Iraqis believe they would be safer if U.S. troops simply left.
The poll, commissioned by the Coalition Provisional Authority last month but not released to the American public, also found radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is surging in popularity, 92 percent of Iraqis consider the United States an occupying force and more than half believe all Americans behave like those portrayed in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos.
...
The coalition's confidence rating in May stood at 11 percent, down from 47 percent in November, while coalition forces had just 10 percent support. Nearly half of Iraqis said they felt unsafe in their neighborhoods.
And 55 percent of Iraqis reported to the pollsters they would feel safer if U.S. troops immediately left, nearly double the 28 percent who felt that way in January. Forty-one percent said Americans should leave immediately, and 45 percent said they preferred for U.S. forces to leave as soon as a permanent Iraqi govermnment is installed.
...
The poll reported that 81 percent of Iraqis said they had an improved opinion of al-Sadr in May from three months earlier, and 64 percent said the acts of his insurgents had made Iraq more unified. ...
Excite News: "Poll of Iraqis Reveals Anger Toward U.S. | Jun 15, 7:18 PM (ET) | By JOHN SOLOMON
WASHINGTON (AP) - A poll of Iraqis commissioned by the U.S.-governing authority has provided the Bush administration a stark picture of anti-American sentiment - more than half of Iraqis believe they would be safer if U.S. troops simply left.
The poll, commissioned by the Coalition Provisional Authority last month but not released to the American public, also found radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is surging in popularity, 92 percent of Iraqis consider the United States an occupying force and more than half believe all Americans behave like those portrayed in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos.
...
The coalition's confidence rating in May stood at 11 percent, down from 47 percent in November, while coalition forces had just 10 percent support. Nearly half of Iraqis said they felt unsafe in their neighborhoods.
And 55 percent of Iraqis reported to the pollsters they would feel safer if U.S. troops immediately left, nearly double the 28 percent who felt that way in January. Forty-one percent said Americans should leave immediately, and 45 percent said they preferred for U.S. forces to leave as soon as a permanent Iraqi govermnment is installed.
...
The poll reported that 81 percent of Iraqis said they had an improved opinion of al-Sadr in May from three months earlier, and 64 percent said the acts of his insurgents had made Iraq more unified. ...
Monday, June 14, 2004
Snapshots: Settler decal: "Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out.", Graffiti: "Arabs to the gas chamber."
Yahoo! News - Israeli veterans show occupation's ugly side: "Mon Jun 14, 9:40 AM ET | Chicago Tribune to My Yahoo! | By Bill Glauber Tribune staff reporter
They are snapshots from the front lines of an occupation, photos taken by Israeli soldiers seeking to make sense of life in the flash-point city of Hebron.
There's a Jewish settler carrying an assault rifle with a decal attached to the magazine clip: "Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out."
There are Palestinian prisoners cuffed and bound and the harsh landscape of a Palestinian neighborhood from which shots are routinely fired at Israeli troops.
And there is graffiti scrawled on one wall, evocative of another time and place: "Arabs to the gas chamber."
"It's all facts. This is what soldiers go through," said Micha Kurz, 20, a former soldier, as he led visitors on a tour of a photo and video exhibit called "Breaking the Silence."
Yahoo! News - Israeli veterans show occupation's ugly side: "Mon Jun 14, 9:40 AM ET | Chicago Tribune to My Yahoo! | By Bill Glauber Tribune staff reporter
They are snapshots from the front lines of an occupation, photos taken by Israeli soldiers seeking to make sense of life in the flash-point city of Hebron.
There's a Jewish settler carrying an assault rifle with a decal attached to the magazine clip: "Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out."
There are Palestinian prisoners cuffed and bound and the harsh landscape of a Palestinian neighborhood from which shots are routinely fired at Israeli troops.
And there is graffiti scrawled on one wall, evocative of another time and place: "Arabs to the gas chamber."
"It's all facts. This is what soldiers go through," said Micha Kurz, 20, a former soldier, as he led visitors on a tour of a photo and video exhibit called "Breaking the Silence."
