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Blogs are a familiar feature on the internet - where users post content in an accumulating manner, with comments, and search options, etc. They facilitate expression and exploration, and via attached comments, also debate and synthesis.


Reading and
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Our blogs are quite powerful. Each writer can post, as is typically the case. Sustainers who have the option can also post, however. All Blogs appear in the blog system, and sometimes also in content boxes the top page of ZNet - and always via the left menu of the top page - and can be found via searches, etc.

Commenting on blogs follows the blogs, attached at the bottom, and blog comments, like all others, are also visible in many places that show comments including in the forum system. In addition, the entire blog system gathers content for everyone - but one can look at the accumulating content in many ways.

  • For example one can look at one writer's efforts - so one is seeing what is effectively a blog system for that one writer, or Sustainer.
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  • One can look at blogs for particular Groups, too.

All this is easily done using the left menu. Searches allow even more variables and refinements.


Creating Blog Posts

If you are a Sustainer with permission, and are logged in, you will see a link in the left menu for you to post a blog - and you can use that to post one, and then tag it various ways (such as with a topic or place, or a group tag), and once you do, it is in the system with you as the author.

You can also use the console button to the left to post a blog - anytime and from anywhere in the site, as long as you are logged in.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blogs - and, by the way, if you are a Free Member or a Sustainer with a ZSpace page, of course you can put one or more content boxes on it, pulling blog links of any sort you may want to filter for, for example, by you or by your friends or by others - and by topic, about places, for groups, etc.

Blogs

Miss_s_clause

Tali Shapiro's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/Tali
Bio: Activist reporting from the privaleged side of the apartheid. (More)

All Shapiro Blogs

We Are the Dead

By Tali Shapiro at Jan 06, 2009


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I've talked about the inhumane actions of the Israeli government, army and mainstream media towards the Gazans. I'd like to take a step back and talk about the complete disregard towards Israel's citizens. (Don't worry, I'll go back to Gaza on my next post- it's the reason I opened this blog, in the first place.)

We were dragged into this war (some of us kicking and screaming, some with violent vehemence and the majority dazed and confused) with promises that it would stop the bombings. This hasn't happened and if it happens by the end of this "operation", you can be sure it's due to a mass massacre.

There is no one in Israel who doesn't know a soldier, most of us were soldiers ourselves. (I was drafted by the state and all I can say in my defense is that I didn't know better at the time- feel free to ask questions about this.) Right now, there is a massive drafting of reserves.

I'm writing this post, because today the army managed to blunder twice. In two different incidences 4 Israeli soldiers were killed (unsure about number of wounded) by Israeli army fire.

What does the mainstream media have to say about this?
I was appalled and yet not surprised to hear the newscaster say things along the lines of "well, this is a part of war..." and while interviewing the commentator of matters of war, she said:

"We don't want things like this to happen, we understand that they do, but what can be done to prevent it?"


What does the army have to say about this?
Zahal spokesperson, Avi Bnayahu, wasn't at all apologetic and didn't flinch when saying

"...these things will happen... you can't get dizzy and have a studio debate about it..."


That's right! In this so-called democratic country you can't have a debate, on the news, about army blunders.


What do the dead soldiers' families have to say about this?

 

"He is a hero of Israel, he is a saint of Israel, he fought the war of Israel."

 

"If you want to belong to this people, it's not easy, it hasn't been easy throughout history and you pay the price."


That's the brother and sister of dead men teenagers. Boys not over the age of 21. This is free speech. And this is what they chose to do with it. We are the dead.

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The First Victim of War

By Petridis, Athanasios at Jan 06, 2009 16:12 PM

The first victim of war is always the truth. As the dead and the wounded are reduced to numbers bereft of their humanity and personal stories or are transformed into symbols such as heros or saints the horrid reality is buried  even deeper than the departed. War always has two losers no matter what governments say. Peace has two winners.  The people of Gaza are now paying  an inordinate price for their wish for independence and for the actions of some violent militants but the people of Israel are also suffering from the insecurity, the untruth and the dehumanization that is the result of  fear of the "other"  and the violence it induces.

 

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Miss_s_clause

Re: The First Victim of War

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 07, 2009 01:07 AM

I agree Athanasios. That sounds like a precise account of what's going on down here.

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Re: The First Victim of War

By Zuisman, Moshe at Jan 07, 2009 06:28 AM

Hi Tali! I am little bit older then you (almost 20 years)... Although - I was not born here in IL and formally live in IL less then you (I am from former USSR)- but it gives me some additional perspective... So - I woild like to say you - that is what you (Israelians) always did (at least last 20 years - that I am here)... It is much older then current "war" (actually - onslaught)... You (Israelians) just do not put an attention - since you are born into this world of "curved mirrors"... But - even whole your language is full of examples of unbelievable newspeak... You have "our Jewish truth" (opposite to ordinary human truth), "our Jewish moral" (that free you from need to follow normal human moral) ... e.t.c e.t.c ... So - those mad families of pure but mad , brainwashed soldiers - do not surprise me at all... They are lead to this for long time - from their born , tens of years after tens of years... By whole their life in exerted wonderland of "only democracy in middle east"... I actually begin to think - were we Jews ever any different???

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Re: The First Victim of War

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 07, 2009 07:40 AM

Hey Pavel, Of course the Israeli government has been doing this since it's inception. But I can't really write about that, since my knowledge in history is quite limited. "They are lead to this for long time - from their born , tens of years after tens of years" This brainwashing and newspeak that Israelis are exposed to, from birth is exactly what I try to focus on, in these posts. The moment one of us wakes up from our Matrix, there's no turning back. When I look at the channel 10 news, I am not only appalled, but furious at the lies that are being fed to me. I can't say I was surprised at the words of the soldiers' families, but I was shocked. As for Judaism- I'm an Atheist and the reasons for that are simple: 1) The idea of God seems to me, childish and stupid. 2) Jewish truths.

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Re: Re: Re: The First Victim of War

By Zuisman, Moshe at Jan 07, 2009 14:21 PM

Hey Tali... Although I am also committed atheist... But idea of god is neither childish and no stupid... It is just one forms of expression of contrast of principal limitedness of human knowledge and endless complexity of universe surrounding us... So - no surprise - that plenty of physicists believe in god... :-) But - in your age I spoke like you... :-) And Matrix - yes it is good analogy... Funny thing - that almost all people = whom I suggested 2 pills - choose blue one 9if I am remember right - blue was to forget everything and go back to matrix???) Only one still think on his choice , and funny thing - he is religious... You see - life is best satiric you can imagine...

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Re: Re: Re: The First Victim of War

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 07, 2009 15:27 PM

I have nothing against religious people, per se, it's just that none of my best friends are religious ;)

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Re: The First Victim of War

By Zuisman, Moshe at Jan 08, 2009 02:00 AM

Actually I did not mean something related to religion - when spoke about "Jewish truth"... Actually - when you hear those words on media, or "just from people" overwhelming majority of people - that use those terms - are secular - exactly like you and me... It is just - that they believe - that Jews (as nation- not religious group) have their own truth, moral , democracy , and do not have to conform to what gentles (ordinary - not Jewish people) mean by those terms... That is really - like in 1984 of Orwell... Lie is truth, war is peace... And they really BELIEVE IT...

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Re: The First Victim of War

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 08, 2009 07:18 AM

Yes, Israelis have a major problem with the understanding of the term Judaism. After they turned it into a nationality, they created its own moral code. I completely agree with you.

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