ONE-LINER 0003 - Palestinian Predicament

I have written about the Palestinian - Israeli conflict on numerous occasions.  I feel deeply for the Palestinian nation, who deserves the place to live on their own, in peace and prosperity - like everybody else.  This is an undeniable right of every human on this planet.

Created in 1948 Israel is such a place for the Jews, who until then had no place which they could call their own, dispersed in the world between other nations, and often suffering the persecution based only on their ethnic and religious identities. 

At this moment I do not want to engage in lengthy explanations of the Palestinian rights to the same land they share with Israelis.  It’s a subject on it’s own, and as such has been and will be addressed, some other time. 

At this moment I will not talk about the illegal, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, nor the ‘Blockade’ of Gaza (considered by many in the World as illegal as well).

At this point I do not want to talk about the heavy handed response the Israeli Army applies to any aggressive action of the Palestinians, no matter how trivial, or serious and dangerous, it might be.

We talked about the ‘Cast Lead’ campaign of 2007/2008, and relating to it the Goldstone Report and the almost general World’s condemnation of that action, nor I will talk at this point about the current, about to happen, ground invasion on Gaza Strip…

At this point I want to look at the Palestinian provocations…

In the last 3 days more than 440 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into the Israel.  More than 440 crude and not very powerful, but able to kill, maim, and cause the property damage rockets.

In the recent time the Hamas, who is responsible for these launches, acquired a bit more sophisticated technology, allowing them to send the rockets deeper in the territory of the Israel.  Of course, the Israelis, being subjected to such a threat for decades, know how to minimize the casualties, and hide in time into the readily available shelters.  They have on occasion about 15 seconds from sounding of the air alarm to the explosion.  So far, no one was killed or injured by the rockets.  But, as I understand, it’s not easy to live their lives, constantly waiting for the air-raid alarm, no matter what one is engaged at the moment, or how mobile one is (there are handicaps,a and sick people who’s mobility is sufficiently impaired to create the increased danger).

The Israelis react with the air strikes.  So called ‘surgical’ air strikes, reducing to a pile of gravel houses of the suspected Hamas supporters, or officials…  Many innocent people gets killed in the process.

This scenario has been known for decades.  Palestinians provoke, creating terror in the Israeli villages and cities, the Army responds with the Iron Fist, killing the people, damaging the infrastructure… It’s nothing new.

When The Palestinians went ahead and created the ‘reconciliation governments’ which included Hamas and Fatah representatives, not counting a small opposition (mostly from the USA and the Israel) the World applauded.  I was among those who had hopes for the future.

Yes, we know - Hamas is considered a terrorist organization…  Yes, we know - they still haven’t accepted the existence of the Israel and vouch it’s destruction…

But we all expected that the Unity Government was a step in a direction of changing it.  PLO, once was a fighting force and recognized as terrorists, and then they evolved and their leader Yasser Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace prize…

So, anything can happen, and this is what we all expected and waiting for.  Especially that the history has proven in a very acute way, that acting aggressively against the Israel leads to nothing, but loss of life, destruction of the infrastructure, and ‘derailing’ of the peace talks.

And yet the Hamas attacks happened again.  Three Israeli teens kidnapped and killed, and 440 rockets barraging over the Israel can produce only one outcome - the Army retaliation. 

In turn the initial disapproval of Hamas by the Palestinian population - after suffering the death of the families and friends caused by the air-strikes - gets replaced by the anger and wish to retaliate agains the Israelis…  The vicious circle closes again. 

This is what I never could comprehend: how anybody can consciously do things which immediately cause harm to him and his surroundings?  How can anybody, being of a sound mind, do such a ‘suicidal’ actions, harming the whole population.  What Hamas is doing at such times is what is in the States called a ‘SUICIDE BY POLICE’.  They put a suicide vest on the whole Palestinian population in Gaza.  And people, who are subjected to the hardship of living in Gaza, just do not see it, blinded by the hatred, and the sorrow.  The vicious circle closes again.

If the barrage of the rocket stops, the Israelis wouldn’t have any right, nor moral justification, of the air-rides on Gaza, or any other destructive action.  They would have to start negotiating, and something might get done in the process.  But, the provocations have to stop first.  At this point I become convinced that the Hamas doesn’t have in their minds, nor on their agenda, the welfare of the Palestinian nation, but quite the opposite.  Just the martyrdom of their own people - but for what?  It doesn’t lead anywhere. 

Stop shooting rockets into the Israel, and start real negotiation.  Provoking the trigger happy military might of Israel is not a solution and it never will.  And for now the UN may discuss the situation and the un-proportional use of force as long they want.  Stop the rockets and the kidnappings - things will change.

ONE-LINER 0002 - President's approval rate

The media keep shouting how low is the acceptance level of the President Obama.  New polls bring constantly decreasing numbers.  CNN, until recently were trying to convey the message that the approval rating is the worst since the WWII (although in fact the Bush Junior had this ‘privilege’).

I talked to many Democrats, who complain, how disappointing is what President Obama does, and how disappointing is that President Obama hasn’t delivered so many things, promised during the election campaign…  The list of broken promises is long, starting from Guantanamo…

Republicans triumph quoting the polls numbers – manipulating the nation.

At this point I would like to look into this disappointing acceptance levels.  During the last decades the access to the information in our society has increased a lot.  The media thriving on sensations, feeds us the manipulated and one-faceted pulp, having little to do wit the ‘objective truth’ (if is exists at all).

I am a Liberal, and as many on my side of the isle have been critical of many aspects of the President Obama’s politics.  However, I am aware, and I never forget the achievements of his presidency, without which many millions of the US Citizens would have much gloomier outlook on theirs lives.

We - people on the Democratic side of the isle, have to remind ourselves and others, of these achievements, in order not to loose the general picture of the current Presidency.

Let’s start form the fact that the millions of people have their ‘preexisting conditions’ covered by the Health Insurance - the fact which used to put many under the poverty level if they suffered form some lasting medical conditions.
Let’s not forget about the push toward the ‘equal pay for equal work’ reducing the gender pay gap.
Let’s not forget about the push toward equal treatment of all people regardless of the sexual orientation, and letting all the people marry the people they love regardless of the gender (same sex marriages).  
Let’s not forget about not letting shutting down the research on stem cells - but encouraging it.
Let’s not forget about the daily struggle for the budget, for the welfare of the underprivileged, for the new jobs and the unemployment benefits…

The Democrats have to remember all good things the current President pushed and forced to implement despite the strong opposition in the Republican Congress…

When you take under consideration all the facts, and the principle we all stand in general we all approve the work done by the President Obama.  We can criticize his decisions, but in the general polls we should never ‘disapprove’ his actions, fueling the Republicans’ agenda.  
The way the questions of the polls are constructed never give any options to explain why one partially disapprove  with the Government policy.  It’s either YES, or NO.  
And in my opinion - maybe he doesn’t pass our scrutiny with the flying colors - we strongly AGREE with the direction we are going, especially considering the alternative proposed by the Tea Party backers.

I approve what The President Obama does (in general) - and 'disapprove' what he fails to do...

And lastly… it’s really baffling to me how anybody who earns less than 250 $K/year can actually consider backing the demands of the Tea Party (or Republican Party in general).  I never thought that such a huge percentage of the US population might have the ‘Helsinki Syndrome’…

So, Democrats - look at the big picture, not at the particular shortcomings, and - if you agree with the general direction (think about the alternatives), and if you agree with what has been achieved - say YES in the current President’s approval polls.  
Otherwise you may have much more to complain about in a shot future, when the Republicans take over the Senate, as a result of the Nation being mislead by a the manipulated polls.  Do not dismiss the polls influence on the minds of the people, on the minds of the voters.
Do not send a wrong message.