11-21-23
4:33 AM Pacific
Good morning from California. . .
With thanks to Michael Hudson at Counterpunch… Mike ploughs though the Prophets, presages the social gospel, and dispels the notion of entitlement piety in Bibi and the American evangelicals who support the genocide in Gaza.
11-22-23
7:41 PM Pacific
Scholars pushback:
Academics who specialize in the Holocaust and anti-semitism penned a letter to the New York Times Book Review. They openly criticize political leaders and high profile public figures who now invoke and misuse memories of the Holocaust to explain the current crisis in Gaza and Israel:
11-23-23
5:19 AM Pacific
Good morning from California
Juan Cole weighs in on the war crimes, the hostage exchange, the pause for humanitarian aid, and why Palestinian “prisoners” are hostages:
11-24-23
10:40 AM Pacific
Good morning from California
Doctors Gabor Maté and Tarek Loubani, (specialist in battlefield medicine), discuss Israel’s Medical Siege of Gaza
To skip the technical prelimiaries, core conversation begins at 3:10.
The article referred to by Dr. Loubani:
November 28, 2023
3:25 PM Pacific
With thanks to veteran journalist Patrick Lawrence who weighs in over at Consortium News.
War without journalistic witnessses? A Repellant Compromise with Power
Pat reveals that it is no longer sufficient to tether correspondents to the perspective of the military from whose side they report. We now appear to be on the way to having wars fought — huge, bloody, consequential wars — without any witnesses from the independent press . . .
With thanks to Bill. I’ve been exhausted and need to play and rest for a few days…
12-5-23
9:26 PM Pacific
Three reports tonight . . .
#1. Mitchell Plitnick over at Mondoweiss weighs in on Biden’s duplicity:
#2. In this war on children, the so called “safe zones” are actually death traps:
With thanks to Juan Cole over at Informed Consent.
#3. Trading on Terror?
American researchers claim that some stock traders may have had prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and used that information to earn millions of dollars by short-selling Israeli companies.
In a draft paper released on Monday, law professors Robert Jackson Jr. of New York University and Joshua Mitts of Columbia University said they identified a “sharp and unusual” spike in trading in “risky short-dated options” on Israeli companies in the days leading up to the deadly Hamas invasion of Israel:
December 6, 2023
9:27 AM Pacific
Good morning from beautiful California.
Two items today: My Morning Muse and a report – with thanks to Jessica Corbett over at Common Dreams – on House Resolution 894 which conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.
#1 My Morning Muse
It’s the basic game.
Many of us have experienced this in our personal lives. Common, run-of-the mill narcissists have rules. Whenever we break them, we become the bad guys. What they don’t tell us is that we always break their rules, no matter what we do. Because to them whatever we’re doing is wrong. They make up the rules precisely so that they can say we broke them. We must screw up. It’s the rule.
It’s still the same basic game. Narcissists on the world stage make sure that they call all of the shots, too. They become the victims suffering under us. They morph into the heroes saving everyone. They eventually become the authority on your life and mine, nay, on life itself. So you don’t really need a perspective, an opinion, a view of things, a frank conversation – comparing notes with local friends and neighbors who differ from you and from them and from one another . . .
All you need is a credit card and minimum payments with double digit interest rates, no means to attack the principal, coupled with their grooming which causes you to lust . . . their cigarettes, the whiskey, the wild times, the best wine . . .craft beers, cosmetics, the fashion, the foodies, the sports book, condos, boats, motor car races. . .populated with entertainers who do their parts. Don’t you see? You are always one elephant short of a circus, until you jump out of your ape suit and into a clown suit, just to amuse yourself until the death of your soul . . . So go softly, and softer yet into that good night . . . and never ever say the words that are most true inside you, because you have been deafened to truth, to facts, to reason, to your own heart… so silence you – self-negate, self-disqualify! After all, open commitment to a viewpoint, with your name on it, could cost you something . . .never mind that hedging to be safe could cost you your soul, but it will be on the installment plan, so no one will notice… euthanasia made easy.
You gamble, you lose, the game is rigged, and everyone else around you is playing, so what’s wrong with you that you don’t like to play? What’s wrong with you that you feel creeped out by liars, fornicators, thieves, murderers, and . . .babylonian moneychangers . . .what’s wrong with you if you happen to show up for you, and show that you own yourself, your beating heart – and that certain willingness to defy – to refuse and to reject having the very meaning of your life defined by marketeers, and the pimps and their whores who betray meaning itself.
#2 Article On House Resolution 894:
December 8, 2023
9:16 PM Pacific
California
Three pieces tonight:
#1. With thanks to Patrick Lawrence over at ScheerPost who talks about how Gaza is again dividing the world.
#2. A report by Asa Winstanley/The Electronic Intifada about an Israeli Colonel who told Haaretz that “the Hannibal Directive was apparently applied” and that 7 October “was a mass Hannibal.” Appreciation to Asa.
#3. Chris Hedges and Mr. Fish, thank you for weighing in with a history lesson to catch up the youngsters who didn’t live through any of it --and the rest of us who did some, but need a refresher: What Evil Does, Evil Gets.
#1
#2
#3
December 9, 2023
9:10 PM Pacific
Good evening from California – thank you so much for stopping in. I hope this finds you all healthy, keeping up your emotional, mental, and physical self-care, and – isofar as it is possible --at peace with your neighbors. I have two pieces to share with you tonight, fellow Gizas:
#1 Article
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported last Thursday 12/7/23 that 17,177 Palestinians have been killed during the two month period since Israel unleashed its campaign on October 7. About 70% of the dead are women and children.
With thanks to Dave DeCamp, news editor over at Antiwar.com.
#2 Podcast
An interview with author John Robb over at Global Guerillas. Rob is a former special operator, with expertise in open source/online guerilla warfare. In this podcast, Robb talks about how network tribalism works, and how Israel’s online front has collapsed.
With thanks to Scott Horton over Libertarian Institute.
Israel News, Day 65 News wrap-up from Haaretz:
https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?e=e65efe53ec&u=d3bceadb340d6af4daf1de00d&id=15ec035dc9
Podcast: Current and historical friction between Israel and the Red Cross:
December 11, 2023
4:50 PM Pacific
Greetings from California, dear Gizas –
Opposing the Israeli government’s policy of genocide against Palestinians (mostly children) is not to be conflated with antisemitism – an historical, socio-ecological reality with tragic consequences. In the current context, it is important to be clear on the history of antisemitism, as well as the history of genocide. These resources from the United States Holocaust Museum offer sets of definitions and documentation about the two terms from the perspective of their founders. I hasten to add, there is a wealth of scholarship and different perspectives which are part of a well-balanced educational curriculum.
Prayerfully, no one at Giza will be subject to hateful actions, nor act hatefully toward members of any political, ethnic, religious, or racial group. Many at this website have been subjected to pogroms, violent torture, domestic and/or sexual abuse. Others among us have had members of our families subjected to deep socio-political hatreds, imprisonment, suicide, medical homicide, and the overarching topic of this thread: genocide.
To hold conversations about these issues is vital. May wise heads become wiser, and our capacities for heartfelt caring increase, as respect here grows for our different backgrounds, as well as for our similarities as fellow Gizas. Facilitating a culture of honor and building the capacity for community involves exchanging acknowledgment and appreciation for one another’s contributions, along with the avoidance of ad hominum critiques. It takes self-discipline to build capacity for community, along with a discipline for research and study that far exceeds the cheap tactics and evil strategies of narcissitic controllers in our personal lives and upon the world stage. The ultimate tragedy would be to allow the bad and irrational actors to rob us of our capacity for creativity, respect and lovingkindness.
Antisemitism Educational Series #1: The Different Types of Antisemitism and How to Identify Them:
Genocide Educational Series #1: Genocide is an internationally recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group:
12-20-23
6:28 PM Pacific
Greetings from California – thanks for stopping in . . .
The majority of Americans now favor a ceasefire, by more than a 2:1 ratio. Summarizing the poll results – with thanks to Alan MacLeod over at MintPressNews – this article goes on to name names, and report the amounts of lobby money received by each of ten top US political leaders who continue to support the Israeli government’s genocide against Palestine, and who erroneously conflate opposition to genocide with anti-Semitism:
Another reason to outlaw lobbying using money and “perks” to finance political offices.
December 21, 2023
6:57 AM Pacific
Hi from California – thanks for stopping in . . .
Bringing still more names and numbers to light again this morning, the following two articles expose the companies that make money on the Gazan genocide:
US Quaker data base lists over two dozen companies now profiting from the bloodshed in Gaza. The Friends support a full arms embargo against both Israeli and Palestinian militant groups.
With thanks, Jessica Corbett over at Common Dreams addresses the question more fully: Exactly which companies are making the violence possible?
12-25-23
1:10 PM Pacific
Off to friends, out to church, home from church, friends in touch, neighbors for brunch, open house to still others now… thanks for stopping in.There’s a place in front of my fireplace for you today, Gizas. The Christmas jazz is playing and the tree is super- pretty . . .we’re in and out of the fridge and the ovens in stocking feet and drinking, snoozing by the fire . . .and coloring with the kids . . . Mante el ritmo de esperanza . . Keep up the rhythm of hope, wherever you are this Christmas, Alicia
12-26-23
4:03 PM Pacfic
Greetings from California – thanks for stopping in. Bringing yet more numbers into the light, the day after Christmas, Hype the Herald Presscorps sings . . .
Into the Chips – Intel on INTEL:
12-29-23
1-4-24
1-5-24
Hi from California . . .pushback here: