People don't like to talk about something that they either feel guilt over or that makes them realise they are in the wrong or that they feel no control over. I think you are correct. The governments of the world have sold out to cheap oil and are like lemmings moving to the sea. They drive themselves (and us) to destruction. The only chance we have is to work locally. I'm not confident about that either, unfortunately, for several reasons. But it's the best chance we have.

I didn't mean to submit the above anonymously

Ahh... you've embarked on Crossing the Rubicon.  Truly the best book regarding 9-11 and the connection to Peak Oil.  You're looking in the right places.

I know you were weren't being sarcastic. Just a little playful. As for Kunstler, a good book. But the book I am reading now puts all the Bushies in perspective, along with the oil thing, Iraq, and 9/11. You might want to consider that one as well. It's by Michael Ruppert, Crossing the Rubicon. The Darfk Empire discovered a truth. Its leaders had a choice - work with the world for mankind's future, or go it alone and protect the Dark Empire against all have-nots. They chose the path to go it alone. Things haven't even heated up yet.... ;-)

Victor, Transvolgelite, I was not being sarcastic, I was trying to see what you were talking about.. I did try to tease david about stuff he trows us, but i guess he is on vacation..I guess we'll have to wait for the wrath of david peterson upon his return.. http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

Kunstler wrote a book, The Long Emergency. Read it.

Cyrano - look at it this way - he is only trying to broaden your horizons.... ;-) Of course, if it is the choice of action v reading, I suppose I would have to go with those who espouse action. On the other hand, action demands education as a foundation... ;-) Victor http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3254488777215293198

Good luck on your newfound world view.  I will tell you that you will find few people willing to listen to it.  It's very frustrating.  I have been ranting and raving about it for close to four years and almost no one wants to talk about it.  Peak Oil seems to be the perfect way to end a conversation.  Few people are willing to contemplate the ramifications of Peak Oil, but I wish you the best in your endeavors.  Solutions will only be found at the local level.  Don't waste your efforts on the federal government.  They have been preparing for this since at least the 1970s and I can tell you that our best interest is not in their plans.

Victor show me the link.. you got to be careful with that Peterson guy, he trows you links and world books and libraries in no time..(Boy, i'd hate to go to same school as him..!)

Again, thanks for the links. I have to say that these sites plus other readings like Kunstler's are having a dramatic effect upon my world view. They are putting global events into sharper perspective. articulating a context that I was somehow missing before. It's all very depressing in a way, but also allows me to at last focus in upon the REAL issues and has given me now strength of will to be more aggressive in the pursuance of world-changing solutions. If this message is not absorbed and acted upon by the league of all nations soon, we have little hope of survival as a civilisation. I am now convinced of that. Victor http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3254488777215293198

You didn't ask about my mother because you are impolite... ;-) How to Squarte a Circle: If it were my choice, I would ban all weapons...full stop. But if that can't be done, and we are going to have to live with shit anyway, why shouldn't all have equal rights to them? They all deserve each other in the end. And soon it won't matter anyway.

Now I didn't ask about your mother did I? "Just because I believe that all countries have basically the same rights to weapons that the Dark Empire has doesn't mean I believe ANY nation should have them, esp the Dark One." Please demonstrate how to square the circle. You said we should ban all global arms trade,then cheered Iran for building the nuke, using technology it bought from somewhere (most likely China). Is that not an instance of arms trade?

Bwong Just because I believe that all countries have basically the same rights to weapons that the Dark Empire has doesn't mean I believe ANY nation should have them, esp the Dark One. Why are you putting words into my mouth? Why are you so belligerent? Wasn't your mother good to you?

"I wonder where the world would be today if we all banded together and refused to allow the manufacture of arms on a global basis? How would we fight our wars" It would be nice. But isn't that contradicting your stance on another thread that Iran has the right to acquire nuke allegedly for "self defence". Since they didn't develope the nuke themselves where do you think the Iraians got their technology? Exporting and importing nuke technology is a form of arms trade if we don't get too hung up on terminology and look at the substance.

Not all their problems stem from military conflicts. C'mon.

arabs grows ice and oasis in middle of desert..if you did not have a US lead military support, you would not have a military conflict in the middle-east.. I

And oh by the way, maybe instead of getting all worked up over a ridiculously tiny piece of land and the Jews the Arab world should clean its own house first. The whole Arab wrold is mired in oppression, illiteracy and poverty. What is the point of "recovering" one small speck of land while they fail so miserably to manage the sizable amount of land they already have in a half decent way? Some perspective please. The Islamic world is no model for democracy and human development; the "dark Empire" is not solely to blame. The Americans don't tell them to kill women and gays for "honour", the Americans don't tell them to abuse religious and ethnic minorities, the list of grotesque barbarism goes on and on with no input from the U.S. Last,the Americans don't tell them to stick their collective head in the 7th centry.As one poster on znet noted a while back, U.S multinationals may rob you blind, but they don't beat the crap out of you if you don't have a long enough beard. It would be refreshing if the Arabs for once stop blaming the Jews and making up stupid conspiracy theories (e.g. Earth quake in Pakistan was caused by Israeli earth quake bomb, not kidding) and do some much needed introspections instead. Chomsky made the point that Israel strives on American aid. That may be the case but at least the Israeli make good use of the money. For such a tiny country its attainments in culture, the arts and the science are paramount and world class. What dazzling accomplishments do we witness in wealthy oil states like Saudi Arabi? Nothing, nada, zilch, unless you count an aggressive attempt to Islamize the world by exporting Wahabism as acheivement. Money is not the only factor.

You bring up an interesting point. I would also be interested in what they think about the Dark Empire's desire to satisfy their emergency requests for arms refills due to the shortage caused by the Lebanese war. One thing that is never mentioned by either side in this and other conflicts around the world is the manufacture and distribution of huge caches of weapons to the highest bidder. In all the proposed solutions to world conflict, I never hear mentioned the possibility that we might shut down arms plants and remove their distribution channels. I wonder why that is - perhaps it might have something to do with the fact the largest arms manufacturers and dealers are located in countries like the Dark Empire, UK, Germany, France, Russia, China and Israel and many others? Are most people aware that the dealing in arms is a joint civilian and military business enterprise and that in fact even highly subsidised by their governments? I wonder if most people are aware that governments often intentioanlly create the political strife necessary to open up or continue feeding arms to those markets? I wonder where the world would be today if we all banded together and refused to allow the manufacture of arms on a global basis? How would we fight our wars?

"My opinion is that we should all not only fan the flame but also carry it on behalf of the Palestinians and Tibetans and at the very least tell them that their is legitimacy to their grievances." To what end? I am not saying the Palestinians don't have a legitimate grievance. But they are not unique in being displaced. Other people have moved on. Right or wrong, life is too short. And all for what? A piece of land so pitifully tiny. Is that worth wasting generation after generation for? And it seems the world is losing patience at well, the more they agitate, the less sympathetic people get. It is a losing cause. The tragedy is that they have nowhere to go because the Arabs are using Palestine as a political chip. Tibetans are finished too. They have neither the demographic nor the economical strength to become independent even if China allows it. The Dalai Lama no longer talks about independence, instead he is proposing some kind of partnership with the Beijing rulers under which Tibet would become an autonomous province. Some Tibetan activists accuse him of selling out, I think he just sees the inevitable. Look, I have argued almost every point that you guys come up with for the Palestinians on this very site. But now I see the world is not so black and white, being right is not the be all and end all, life shouldn't be thrown away for stupid pride. And there is much hypocrisy on the Arab side and the vultures on the "left" as I said before. I have lost a lot of my former moral certitude about the ME after reading more. Chomsky et al only represnt a very narrow partisian position. That is all I will say for now.

The Palestinians are doubly victimized, first by the Zionists and then by the Arabs (and to a small extent by people like you who think it is a good idea to fan the flame).

Thats a cheap shot, looks to me you are abandonning palestinians, I dont think the one who fan the flames or the arabs are bulldozing homes..

In insight, what you bwong is saying is that palestinians shouldnt have grievances because tibetans suffered more at the hands of the Chineses, I find both comparison somewhat offset by an inch.. My opinion is that we should all not only fan the flame but also carry it on behalf of the Palestinians and Tibetans and at the very least tell them that their is legitimacy to their grievances...

 

"First, there is a long history of peoples who have been overcome and politically oppressed. The Tibetans, however, are, the last I heard, still living in Tibet." How about being reduced to a minority in your own land through a series of cultural genocide as well as forced sterillization? How about being reduced to the poorest segment of the population in your own "country" despite a booming economy? How about seeing all the jobs and opportunities going to Chinese migrants imported to Tibet by the government? So as I expected, you don't know shit about the world excpet through your tunneled vision. "Yes, and the Hindus (as well as the Muslims who were also uprooted!) got on with living very well, didn't they! There are absolutely no problems between Pakistan and India today. A good example!" The nature of the conflict is different. It is a conflict between states, not between a stateless people in perpetual limbo and a government. Hindus and Muslims who were displaced by and large get on with their lives. There would be a parallel situation if after the founding of Pakistan(which was the new country), Pakistani Hndus got stuck in refugee camps in the Indo-Pakistanian border, India wouldn't take them and insist they have a right to return to their land which is now Pakistan and the refugee population grow and grow in the meantime. "They control their economy, the space they live in, the access to jobs, food, water and money. Tell me, BWONG, sir, how would you feel living under such conditions? How many generations would you likely fight such conditions?" Why are they stuck perpetually in that limbo in the first place? That was my original question. If the Arabs are so concerned with the human toll why don't they offer to resettle the refugees? Again the palestinians don't have to take it. But at least put an offer on the table. It seems everyone is playing chicken with each other using the the palestinians as props. The Palestinians are doubly victimized, first by the Zionists and then by the Arabs (and to a small extent by people like you who think it is a good idea to fan the flame) "And even if offers of relocation were made, how would you feel about that? My home. My land. My ability to make a living. My children's heritage and their inheritance. How would you really feel about that?" Nothing. I am an immigrant by choice. Many people choose to emigrate to different countries, or relocate to different states(Israel plus the West bank is smaller than a fair sized state in the U.S). This attachment to "the land" is often overstated because of the romantic images it evokes. Most Palestinians were not even born in 1948. So your rhetorics are just that, rhetorics. If it is of such paramount importance to live on one's ancestral land, I wonder why did Edward Said choose to live in the U.S instead of the West Bank. And may I suggest again that you take a look at the map and see how ridiculously tiny the land in question is. "Come to think of it, why doesn't Israel pack up and leave? Why doesn't anyone offer THEM a new home? Why do THEY persist in fighting an unwinnable war? Actually, the Palestinians and the Jews were living quite well together until the Zionist, Theodor Herzl got it up his ass that what Palestine needed was Israel, and that Palestinians were not part of that picture. And then it all went downhill from there." May be it shouldn't have been there. But it has matured into a real country since 1948(and may I add it is nonsense to say the Israel is nothing but an U.S oupost)it ain't gona to go anywhere. Israel is fact on the ground like it or not. Questioning Israel's right to exist would not help in easing the suffering of the Palestinians. Political grand standing only gives more amo to the Israeli hardliners. Your just confirm my point. You are not really interested in human suffering. It is all about scoring political points. I think there should be a settlement along UN 262, it is not in the realm of impossibility. But it is pointless to refight 1948. The Arabs lost, peroid. National identity is a consruction. Which country is not found on conquest? Give me one example and spare me your self righteous rants. You talked about "Arab consciouness" in another post. Just where does that come from? Maybe bloody Islamic conquest in the 7th-10th centries had something to do with it? How did Iran even become Muslim? Talking about "dark empire".

"The Palestinians is a political pawn. They have suffered unjustly but their tragedy is not unique. The Tibetans come to mind." First, there is a long history of peoples who have been overcome and politically oppressed. The Tibetans, however, are, the last I heard, still living in Tibet. The Palestinians have no such hope as they were forcibly removed from their lands and homes. How long would it take you to get over that if it were you and your family? And what would you be teaching your children - to love the Israelis who did that to you? "There have been many forced population transfers after WWII, for example, Hindus in the creation of Pakistan." Yes, and the Hindus (as well as the Muslims who were also uprooted!) got on with living very well, didn't they! There are absolutely no problems between Pakistan and India today. A good example! "Only the Palestinians are perpetually stuck in refugee camps, festertng in grievances and hatered. " Good point - stuck in refugee camps and festering. The Israelis own the Palestinians. They control their economy, the space they live in, the access to jobs, food, water and money. Tell me, BWONG, sir, how would you feel living under such conditions? How many generations would you likely fight such conditions? And even if offers of relocation were made, how would you feel about that? My home. My land. My ability to make a living. My children's heritage and their inheritance. How would you really feel about that? Come to think of it, why doesn't Israel pack up and leave? Why doesn't anyone offer THEM a new home? Why do THEY persist in fighting an unwinnable war? Actually, the Palestinians and the Jews were living quite well together until the Zionist, Theodor Herzl got it up his ass that what Palestine needed was Israel, and that Palestinians were not part of that picture. And then it all went downhill from there. And just why does Israel have an exclusive right to that land? You could have brought up a much better example of displaced and humiliated people getting on with life and who really deserved better - the native American Indian. His land was stolen (from coast to coast!), his people lost their homes and livelihood, were given shit in return and taught that they were lower than scum. Their children were deprived of pride and proper education. They were herded into what amounted to concentration camps and left to languish in poverty. They were cheated at every turn by those living in the area and by the government. I lived around them. I know how they were treated. As a foolish simple-minded young man, I even participated in some of it. Kill an Indian and you might well be praised because the only good Indian is a dead Indian. Yes, the relationahip between Palestinians and Israel is remarkably similar to the relationship between the American Indian and the Dark Empire. Assuming you are a citizen of the Dark Emppire, BWong, are you proud of that? I'm not. So please don't give me that shit about pawns and getting on with it. It just doesn't wash.

The Palestinians is a political pawn. They have suffered unjustly but their tragedy is not unique. The Tibetans come to mind. There have been many forced population transfers after WWII, for example, Hindus in the creation of Pakistan. Most people are able to move on to build new lives and new identities for themselves. Only the Palestinians are perpetually stuck in refugee camps, festertng in grievances and hatered. They are fighting a futile war year after year, generation after generation. At some point one got to ask if it is worth it over such a tiny piece of land with few resources. One has to take look at a map to put things in perspective. The Arabs speak of Muslim soldiarity. But the Islam world covers 1/3 of the world's land mass, yet somehow they have no room to accomodate a few million Palestinian refugees. Isn't that strange? Are the Palestinians so attached to their land that they cannot live under the olive gloves elsewhere? Most Palestinians were not even born in 1948, or 1967 for that matter. One can argue that there is a principle involved. But if the Arabs are genuinely sympathetic to Palestinian suffering as they claim some offers to resettle the refugees should at least be made, the Palestinians are free to accept or reject them. But there has been no such offer. On the contrary, the Palestinians are priahs everywhere they go in the Arab world,even Jodan. Arab hypocrisy is breathtaking. The conflict is kept alive for political reasons and stupid "honour". This is not about "solidarity" or human suffering. The Palestinians are the pawns of the pisssing match between muslims and jews. Meanwhile the vultures on the "left" see it as a rallying point against "U.S imperialism". Am I the only one to wonder why the people who advocate the most radical hence completely unworkable "solutions" to the Palestinian conflict(e.g one bi-national state with full right of return) are always expats or non Palestinians from the radical left? Principle is cheap if someone else picks up the tab. Palestine is a cause celebre' for the left indeed, to use David's rather obscene description of Darfur. I am sorry that I can't toe the "party line" anymore. This has been on my mind for quite some times. At some point one's got to be honest.

Victor, I wonder if some americans "choose to believe" the WMD lie, rather than the truth mainly because some americans suffer from some sort of misplaced patriotism.. Kelvin, most middle eastern people here ( Toronto) disagree with US and israel policies. Businessmen try to keep "politics" away but i'm always able to bring the subject up.. I am in toronto, so there is some palestinians here,if theres a something that upset my moods,(I am a non-arab and non-muslim) its to hear whats happening to palestinian people..so you could imagine how upsetting this is for arabs and muslims.. In insight considering the level of "destruction" in Lebanon and Palestine, and Iraq and Afghanistan, the arabs insurgents have been rather moderates..

Posted by Kelvin Yearwood

I'm fortunate in that there's a Palestinian Solidarity Organisation here in Bristol UK meeting on Thursday night. I'm going to go to it to see what the people are like. I met one of the members while they were demonstrating outside a healthfood shop that was selling Israeli avacados. He's been to the West Bank and seen one Palestinian community there that is being blockaded out of viability by the imperialist, racists state of Israel and its ethnic cleansing policy.

The thing about the US and Israel is that not only should you be thinking of Israeli produce boycott, but also raising people's awareness as to the commitment of the US state to Israel: economically, militarily and diplomatically. It's quite astonishing how the media are allowed to get away with not reporting this fact at all as the great smoke and mirrors Condoleezza-muppet show fires up into its bogus diplomatic mode.

Re. the Palestinian Solidarity Org'n here in Bristol, I'll be interested to find out how much they know about Israel arms supplies and suppliers in the UK. It'll also be interesting to talk to them about the connected issue of Lebanon. I certainly think the time is over-ripe to challenge Israel and US elite corporate interests.

BTW I see the great Israel apologist, Rudy, is back on Justin's blog.

Thanks for the links. I will bookmark them and do some exploring. I share your fear of what a threatened Bush/Cheney team might do before the elections as well. This might be their last chance to get it on with Iran and Syria. Hold tight. This might be a wild ride.

Hey, Viktor:

 Yes I have read Kunstler's book and many more like it. Usually that is what I am preoccupied with. However, I am very disturbed by the possibility that this war with Lebanon may become the perfect pretext for the Bush administration to go all out and start a new world war. The GOP is going to get pounded in November....if elections are held. A Democratic Congress would probably try to impeach Bush and Cheney. Their only hope is to pull the time-honored tradition of starting a war so the population will cower beneath them for protection by their strong leaders. This is a historical axiom. But if you're interested in Peak Oil, this is not a great site for that. Go to www.fromthewilderness.com, or www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net, or www.postcarbon.org.

Has anyone read "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler? The current Iraqi-Israeli-Lebanese-Iranian-Syrian crisis is at its heart about oil. What happens when we really do run out?

Have you formed any such organisations in the UK?

Posted by Kelvin Yearwood

Yes Cyrano, truly shocking actions by the Israeli state. The Guardian published pictures on its web site that showed Israeli children signing shells destined for the Lebanon. It's all too bad even for the UK Guardian! The BBC seems ok with it though! The BBC seems to be alright with the idea of a NATO buffer force in southern Labanon!!

The point I made then at the Guardian web-site was that we are only shocked by these things because it is hard for any of us to shrug off the media's misrepresentation of Israel's true state-terrorist, militarist nature, which is founded on European imperialist anti-Arab/Persian culture refracted through the ideology of Zionism.

The poll of American citizens, a majority of which still believe there were WMD in Iraq when the allies invaded, proves the power of propaganda. The point is not to despair, which only helps the elites and their state terrorist ventures. You can start by forming Palestinian and Lebanese Solidarity Organisations, and disseminating info about Israel and its products consumed in your local area.

 

It's completely insane. If the "world" can't see that, we're doomed.

Hi Cyrano. I too am shocked and appalled at the scale of the destruction wrought upon Gaza and the Lebanese. Aside from the human damage incurred thus far, it is almost overlooked what all this bombing of the Lebanese infrastructure will mean to the Lebanese trying to survive in the longterm. We have here a situation where life will be very very difficult for many after this insaneness has passed. Imagine if your roads, your airports, your bridges, your food stores, your medical supplies and your sources of electrical power and fuel were destroyed suddenly. What would you do? How would you replace them? A UN representative has spoken today in terms of many billions of dollars to fix the damage thus far. Where will these people get that kind of money in a destroyed economy? And how long will it take to repair? And what must they endure in the meantime? It is easy to talk of a few hundred people being killed (God Forbid!), but it is almost ignored that the country is literally being ripped apart and hundreds of thousands displaced and homeless. How can that be justified? It is a criminal act any way you look at it. This is not the defense of Israel. This is a cold calculated effort to cripple an entire people, to collectively punish them en masse for activities they had no control over. And what are really the benefits to be expected by the Israeli government? Long term peace? Never happen. Goodwill of a strengthened Lebanese government and a grateful Lebanese population? That's a laugh. That the government of Lebanon will come out of this strengthened compared with Hezbollah is unrealistic in the extreme - the opposite is more likely to happen. The disarmament of Hamas and Hezbollah? It doesn't take long to re-arm. The destruction of Hamas' and Hezbollah's military capability? Can't happen. They are not the traditional army. The permanent removal of Hamas' and Hezbollah's support infrastructure? Won't happen. The humiliation and disgrace of these two organisations? They will not only be praised by the Palestinians higher than ever before, but their courage in the face of an overwhelming and direct Israeli campaign of collective punishment will be admired throughout the world. So I ask....anyone. What will be gained, except greater hatred, more violence, and deeper intransigence on both sides of the issue? Where is the good? Someone tell me please.

Hi Kelvin, David ..Victor.. Victor, I am not sure the people who are responsible for so many deaths have the ability to repent, it seems they have lost their souls, their sense of humanity.. ( I am still shocked for the people of gaza and lebaneses, it rather unbelievable to see this complete disregard for human life)

It seems difficult for many to see that there are two root causes for the troubles that are growing in the MidEast today. One is obviously oil. Oil is the lifeline to modern existence today. Any perceived threat to that supply is going to generate enormous repercussions from the consuming countries. Where the USA and Israel are concerned oil is the basis for their agressive behaviour (you no longer see such aggression in Somalia, do you? - a country with little or no relevance to US interests today, but a radical Muslim country now anyway). But often overlooked is the history of colonialism in the region. The states we now see comprised of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. are states upon which were forced artificial political boundaries by the British and French in the first half of the 20th century. These political boundaries accounted for few of the historic ethnic differences within (and especially across!) their borders. After a time of relative independence, and upon the heavily unsettling effects of the Iraq invasion carried out by the Dark Empire, these historic ethnic differences are now beginning to take centre stage. The Middle East is searching for its roots once again. And a process has started which will not be completed until those ethnic groups are once again united along boundaries they will accept. Israel is at the centre of one of these disputes. The fact is that although Israel occupied that territory for thousands of years, that occupation was two thousand years ago. They were thrown off the land by the Romans. So for two thousand years the Artabs occupied that territory. Until 1948. The UK moved out, and allowed the oppressed European Jews recovering from the Holocost to enter the land they (the British) controlled and fight for a place to live. In the process of that fight, the Palestinians were removed from the land they had owned for two thousand years, herded into what amounts to ghettos, and made to be almost totally dependent economically upon Israel. A Palestinian family had no rights where Israelis are concerned. The Israeli army, for example, could conscript a Palestinian's home and throw them out if they felt it was in their interests to do so. The Palestinians were left to somehow manage in areas where there were no natural means of subsistence, where there was no housing, little medical care available, totally dependent upon Israel for the means to purchase the necessities of life. Most people don't know it but the Gaza Strip is one of the most densley populated areas of land in the world. That's saying a lot if you really think about it. And then came Hamas and Hezbollah, who offered genuine help to those who were desperately in need, who took care of them, who provided food, jobs, medicine and education, and most important - pride. The position of these groups was and remains the same - Israel took their land, the land that was their home for two thousand years. How would any of us feel if someone came in and took our land and houses and businesses and means of livelihood? Really? How would WE feel about that? And what would we tell our children about why we were now suffering the way we are? And what are the chances that our children would grow up hating these people? This is the kind of thing that can effect generations upon generations of people. The hatred and resentment will live on. There is little room for forgiveness under such conditions. I am almost certain that I would never be able to forgive anyone who did that to me. And now Israel, rather than recognising that its current aggressive actions can only harden the Palestinians' resolve, continue to pursue and broaden a war that they cannot win. When you force someone from their home and take away their livelihood and their pride, you can never expect - ever - that you will live in peace again as long as they have strength to fight for its return. Israel, the USA and the UK have much to repent for. But you and I will never live to see to see it. Because from the USA/UK/Isaraeli perspective, it's not really about peace, is it... Perhaps I can't agree with the methods used by Hamas and Hezbollah, but I can certainlky understand why they do what they do.

Kelvin:

My sense is that the general consensus among leftist, independent- and critically-minded folk right now appears to be that the English-language news media's reporting and commentary about the current escalation of violence by the Israeli state is perhaps as bad---as factually untrue, as biased, as upside-down, as systematically distorted, as Orwellian, even as Kafkaesque---as anything these news media have ever produced. 

As the editorial voice of the Chicago Tribune concluded this morning (“…with Iran on the attack,” July 23): "Pumped with oil wealth, Iran is testing its limits. It is challenging the world, directly and by proxy. The answer must be swift and sure, not just on the battlefield, but in the Security Council. Iran is counting on distracting the world long enough to go nuclear. A hard slap of sanctions by the council would show Tehran that the greatest powers on earth aren't so easily bamboozled."

Similarly, one academic nutcase writing in the San Francisco Chronicle had it that "Hezbollah's unprovoked attack on Israel is the product of Iran's messianic drive to create a Shiite empire stretching from Tehran through Iraq to the Mediterranean.  So the stakes of this war between Israel and Hezbollah are much higher than in either the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or even Israel's 1982-2000 invasion of southern Lebanon, and the context for evaluating the Israeli army's tactics is also very different."  ("Why Israeli bombing might not be enough to wipe out Hezbollah," David Biale, July 23.)

So: The Israeli state launches an aggressive and supremely violent military campaign on at least two fronts (i.e., minimally, the Occupied Territories of the Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Lebanon).  And the captive peoples of the English-language media prison find themselves instructed that it is rather Tehran (sometimes Damascus and Tehran) that has launched a clash-of-civilizations-type war against us, against The West, in the Middle East!

As one friend wrote to me just a couple of days ago: Although there is no real evidence for this particular global scenario, no matter.  Among fanatical religious sects, evidence is but a minor objection after all.

The Church of American Power indeed.   

 

 

 

Posted by Kelvin Yearwood.

 A good succinct piece , David. The Guardian seems to be getting in some its dissident product in to give the impression that it is a broad, liberal church.

The connection between the predicament of the UN and colonialism is central. An Israeli apologist on the Guardian blogs could not see the connection between Israel and oil. He could not see that Israel is a US supported and protected state terrorist presence in the Middle East (relying on the US UN Security Council veto) expressing the US political/corporate elite's will to undermine Arab development and self-sufficiency. As we all know, oil is for US corporate spigot control and corporate profit, it is not there to enrich Arab lives, develope their economy and infrastructure and independence before it runs out.

The coororate media can be relied on to connect Iran and Syria with Hezbollah at every opportunity, and to frame Israel as the victim of Arab aggression while ignoring Israel's illegal status as a progressively and aggressively occupying force over its 58 years. It's role as proxy underminer and divider of Arab power in an oil-rich region will be sustained at all costs, even to innocent Israeli citizens