Despair [Content Warning - violence, oppression, language]

All my life I have read/viewed reports abut the tensions in West Asia between and over Palestine and Israel - and that tension goes back millennia.

More recently, after a brief  moment of hope, the failure to establish a Palestinian democracy, continued Israeli expansionism, an assassination, and an incapacitation, Israel went onto a hardline far right extremist (authoritarian) track described as apartheid by a former head of Israel’s intelligence service ...

Israel - and West Asia and, indeed, the world, are now paying the price for a path that, in my opinion, the quest for maintenance of political power - a quest opposed by thousands of Israelis, including hundreds of members of the military who indicated a refusal to serve a few months ago in response to one change - and the savage abuses of that quest have caused. 

Yes, the response is violent, brutal, and appalling - just as was the behaviour that triggered it, and the savage counter-reaction. 

Yes, Iran has probably provided the weaponry for its own geopolitical purposes, but the meddling of other nations over the last century and a bit (see here, here, here, here, and especially here, on the US overthrow of democracy in Iran in 1953) has been particularly egregious. 

Be that as it may, we’re here now, and a disaster for all (apart from Israelis who have been killed, injured, or otherwise harmed, these events were started by a Palestinian organisation, but the consequences have and will go far beyond them for Palestinians) is being created - and the geopolitical situation in this region will likely be changed forever. 

I hope, FFS, the rest of the world will learn not to vote for or support far right / authoritarian power brokers - whether in politics, or other areas of influence - and instead actively support equality, justice/equity, human rights and freedom-democracy.

I also hope a way can be found to end and then get out of at least this current disaster as it continues to be actively created (it is NOT passively unfolding). 

PS - I was going to publish this article is a news post, but it makes more sense to add it here: 

“Anglican Church of Southern Africa declares Israel an apartheid state”   https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/anglican-church-south-africa-classify-israel-apartheid-state  

PPS - the following is a social media post I made today (on 12^th October): 

Some of my early memories - when I was in primary school - are of watching film of what was happening to Biafra under siege in the 60s. I couldn't understand why people would do that to other humans - in fact, I used to get so upset watching some historical documentaries (e.g., about the Indian Rebellion of 1857) that my (adoptive) family tried to stop me watching them, but I thought it was important to know.

Then I saw film of what was done in Sabra and Shatila in the 80s, digested the news that slowly came out about the 1970s killing fields in Cambodia, everything by John Pilger, and there was the unbelievable frustration of no-one doing anything to stop the Rwandan genocide (multiple genocides, actually) - and even helping the genocidaires.

The genocide convention (the text of which is an act in Australia) is, in my opinion, quite clear, and the bullshit (including inventing the terms [euphemisms?] "ethnic cleansing" and "acts of genocide") that Clinton and others used to avoid doing anything in Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia was unconscionable.

Since then we've had the atrocities committed in Darfur (now being repeated), the invasion of Iraq on the basis of a bunch of lies, and the genocide in Myanmar - where Australia is still doing business.

To try to counter those atrocities we've had the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), morphed into the Will to Intervene (WTI) to address the refusal to act on R2P, and Samantha Powers book "A Problem from Hell", which, if I remember correctly, attributed a significant aspect of the reason for inaction to lack of imagination - not understanding what is really happening.

The Internet, smartphones, and social media mean that excuse has disappeared.

And despite all that, we're watching it all happen again in Israel and Palestine, with the siege of Gaza  reminding me of Biafra, what happened a few days ago in southern Israel reminding me of other incidents over the years, and then there is what is euphemistically referred to as a "disproportionate response" ...

I'm not going to write specifically about how I feel (although that's probably fairly obvious), because what is being felt by those in Israel and Gaza (and the West Bank) is far worse.

And I have no idea how to end this toot/post. Activism has to continue (especially when those in power don't want to listen), and in a whole bunch of ways.

I just fear it is going to be too little too late - and it is coming on top of other issues such as the climate crisis, the nuclear threat that I've lived under all my life, the racism and lies sprouting in relation to the Voice, and decades of growing neoliberalism then fascism and hate against whole sections of society (including several that I'm in).

 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Vote Yes for the Voice in Australia.  

Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.