FILTERED NEWS .....

As reported by Haaretz , a leading newspaper in Israel , that the Israeli cabinet ministers are pushing a bill baring Palestinians from petitioning the high-court in some cases. This and other similar procedures and laws, are all in line with a systematic campaign of abuse against the local Palestinians, be it Christians or Musslems, inspired and compared to anti Jewish laws issued in Nazi Germany .

Another related example was the imposition by the Israeli gov. of various restrictions on the bank accounts of Evangelical, Armenian and Roman churchs, on the grounds of non-payments of property taxes. All resulted in the closure of the Church of the holy Sepulcher, a major Christian place of worship in Jerusalem's old city, Christians revere it as the site where Jesus was crucified, and where his tomb is located, and the following resurrection .

The church's closure by all Christian clerical councils in occupied Jerusalem, in protest of Israeli tactics, to tax the church's properties, and widely seen as a sure path to weaken Christian presence in the divided city. The closure lasted three days and it could have gone for longer time, if Israel didn't back-track on its decision to tax the churches properties. The whole episode took the entire world by surprise and awe, the whole world but the US, the US media, nor any US politician, the white house or the administration, none of them uttered one word about the whole episode, even our ambassador to Israel was so very busy preparing for his soon to come move from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, and help finance new illegal settlements, instead of advising the State-Department.

What's interesting, as it seems to be of no or very little interest to the US media, no major newspaper nor any TV network or their affiliates and talk shows, not even Fox news, no White House comment or release, no one literally seemed to consider the news worthy of their time or of any interest to the American public. While any wink of some NRA spokesperson, or any of Netanyahu aids, even our good old Monica Lewinsky, would immediately make first page and headline news.

I always took it for granted that the American Evangelical church was blindly backing Israel's Neo Cons politicians, and vulgar tactics and policies, so why are the media and politicians ignoring and not mentioning such Christian related material, even if not very convenient to Israeli tactics. Anything would go but not the Holly Sepulcher.....  Something is very wrong .

According to a statement by the combined religious authorities of the city, and the Palestinian Authority, these new legislations which could be legalized very soon, are nothing but a facade to further confiscation of Palestinian properties and commercial localities owned by Christian Palestinians in Jerusalem, and other Palestinians in different under occupation areas. Against every decent consideration or international law .

IN life, humans should not be both animals and persons, Kant tells us that human beings are always to be treated as ends, and never as means only; in other words, their freedom, rights and dignities, are to be respected. It seems that the entire Middle-East unqualify perfectly, its religiosity from all sides prevent these basic rules . These societies are becoming experts at applying tactics that resembles the scraping of the row oyster from its shell, and stinging its wounds with lemon juice before swallowing them .

In our last few decades, some political experiments, like the Fascist, communist or Nazi ones, the multitude of devastating wars, the fiction works of Orwell, Huxley and others, should have been enough warnings to all human beings in how to treat each other, and how not to depersonalize individuals or whole populations, in fact just the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews by itself should have given the pseudo Muslim hordes, the Syrian regime and the Israeli apartheidchick Zionists enough to seriously rethink their acts and purposes . 
My as always profound thanks for your time .                            

UNIVERSAL MORALITY .....

A theme I have returned to over and over is that leaders, their regimes and oligarchies are to be restrained and should be limited by realities on the ground, their own and world wide,  apartheid  South Africa back then was one clear example of forced change, while Israel , its arrogant  hegemony and barbaric colonialism defying the world order is the opposite .

Most Western, and specifically American media reporting of Israeli atrocities, still portray daily news from the over 50 years brutal and illegal occupation, of Palestinian and Syrian territories as an innocent collateral damage, or even as a necessary defence mechanism, and ultimately for the happiness and prosperity of the Israeli/Zionist people across the world, who absolutely need for their survival, stealing of more lands, waters and wealth of their under occupation endigen populations .

This Israeli long lasting policy of annihilation, brutality and apartheid is creating a definite bad impact on the entire neighborhood, creating more fanaticism , dictatorships and theocracies, destroying young democracies or aspiring ones. The Israeli ugly example of hegemony, intransigence  and treatment of its peoples, are inspiring leaders, who are tempted to follow the same ugly model of behavior, only to achieve their dubious goals and personal ambitions, the Syrian young dictator is one good example, Mr. Trump in a certain sense is another one .

The blatant and vulgar Israeli and American interference lately in their judicial systems, the appointing of only sympathetic partizan judges, facilitating certain ways of applying or conducting policies, even curtailing essential and basic human right freedoms, or covering-up for corrupt leaders who are striving to change rude, bloody and brutal criminal acts into maters of National Security, even during peacetimes, all profound shifts in our modern global collective consciousness and morality, it should be fought and resisted by all available means, here, in Israel, Syria or elsewhere . 

Turning these appalling and despicable policies, into not just tactical goals, but as permanent strategic realities is becoming a definite way of both the American and Israeli administrations. Enabling both to amplify and maximize their power and influence regionally and internationally.  Further putting the US under the direct spell of hegemonic Israeli policies and colonial aggressions .

Some people argue that moral judgments are subjective, perhaps even relative to the customs of a given community and its requirements, or simply to the desires and conveniences of its members, but to consider or conclude that all our judgements are subjective would constitute a grave wrong argument. There are and must be , some accepted and agreed upon universal moral concepts, not necessarily religious ones, but maybe congruent to all religions combined .

The world cannot judge, act and rectify according to the logic and role setting of few of its members, especially the more brutal and bullying ones, these follow their own evil demons, and shouldn't be allowed in the same boat of the world wide general perspective of moral behavior .

Are we really comfortable in continuously criticizing and bashing fascist regimes and dictatorships for their human rights abuses and brutalities, while we've totally turned the other cheek for 70 years and continue doing so every day, to a regime that imprisons, torture and kill in cold blood, a Ahed Tamimi, as well as hundreds of other kids annually, defying any and every international norm of decency.

Universal human rights, have reached in our age and times an important level of acceptance and recognition among most of the world's populations, their countries and political leaders, let's not allow just some roag and blood thirsty few destroy it all . 
My, as always, many thanks to all, around this amazing world of ours .                       

REVISITING THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK .......

Just few weeks ago, some distinguished scientists and the board of sponsors, which include 16 Nobel laureates took a decision to move the time on the famous clock a further 30 seconds from 2:30 to 2 minutes to midnight, a symbolic doomsday timing . The last move, a year ago the clock was pushed from 3 minutes to 2:30, both moves were directly related to our new commander in chief and his administration's destabilizing comments, decisions, and threats to the world, its climate, and its science.

His threats against North Korea's nuclear programs and not so funny leader that resulted in no concrete move nor any stoppage or slow down of their missile or nuclear weapons program. The Trump administration's threat against the Iranian 2015 agreement, limiting its nuclear program against lifting economical sanctions,  despite strong assurances by the International Atomic Agency, that Iran has been in compliance with the mentioned agreement. All culminating in an almost declared war with Iran,Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iraq and the Shiia world . With Israeli great help, They are selling it to the American people in the same exact words and actions that the Bush Jr, administration did upon the crazy and false invasion of Iraq .

Climate change issues that need to be urgently dealt with, to avoid imminent catastrophic situations, with our entire ecological system world wide put on hold, and the whole science behind it denied, rendering climate change issues irrelevant.

The latest engagement of our troops and the arming of different factions against others, is again turning the entire Middle-East into a quagmire of international and regional conflicts, further destroying the area and endangering the world's stability.

When the Obama administration was criticized for its slow reactions and indecision toward some of the important steps in various conflicts, today it all looks like a joke compared to the Trump administration's lack of experience, lack of vision, lack of mature dealing with all serious problems of the many hot spots of the world. This pathetic lack of leadership has led to a total distrust of world leaders and countries of the US , and has backed away the US from its long-standing leadership role in the world. 

" Neither allies nor adversaries have been able to reliably predict US actions of discern between sincere US pronouncements and mere rhetoric" wrote two eminent scientists Krauss and Rosner, who sit on the board of the Chicago based bulletin of Atomic scientists, which is the science journal that oversees the doomsday clock .

Failure of Mr. Trump, his oligarchy and his administration, plus some of the other rogue leaders, to deal with the looming threats of regional conflicts, and their insistence on solving matters by wars, denying nuclear capabilities to some while having nuclear destruction power of earthly magnitude to others, as well as facing climate changes, are further endangering our very existence .

America is looking to the results of several investigations regarding the administration's collusion with foreign countries and shifting election results to a one side, many are starting to seriously believe that the general State of the Union vis a vis our own problems and social malaise here in America, culminating in the unrealistic and insulting proposed budget by the Trump administration . Plus the risks of wrong and immature policies to world problems, including the volcanic M-E, are all becoming more serious considerations for impeachment procedures, let's see if the 2018 congressional elections could help alter this situation .

Let's all of us hope that the minutes on the clock could be pushed back to 3, 4 or 5 minutes to midnight instead of to one minute to, or midnight . My usual sincere thanks to all of our readership across the globe .                            

THE LAST SHIFT IN AMERICAN GEOPOLITICAL POLICY .....

The present Trump oligarchy are in total disarray, as in foreign or domestic policies. The lack of any clear vision or strategy for the future of the country, leaves it at the whim of some very few inexperienced profiteers and their allies interests.  The invalid and dilapidated State Department, short of every essential senior diplomat, the so very busy White House with internal partisan cover-ups and investigations, and its permanent scandals , the total immaturity of presidential special envoys, be it to Israel/Palestine,  Pakistan, Europe, Iran or Korea. The Middle East in general is pathetic, and totally in the hands of Pentagon generals and few Neo-cons looking desperately for revenge to the failures of the last couple decades through renewed conflicts and wars. 

The administration and the Pentagon have recently issued a National Security Strategy, and a National Defense Strategy, which fundamentally reverses US strategy, replacing the two decades old "Global war on terror"  with the preparation and escalation for conflict and world war of great power.  Where the emphasis is on the build-up of Washington's nuclear arsenal. And the destruction or annihilation of all who stand in line opposing our policies, be it Iran, North Korea, Pakistan or whoever , in the same way we did to Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.

America, its ruling administration, and its ruling oligarchy, are all shifting rapidly to a totally new "perpetual war strategy" Dictated by the Pentagon, and the war machine, in America and elsewhere, Israel and to a lesser degree Turkey, would immediately come to mind for the same tactics. It all follows a period where the previous president, followed by Mr. Trump were calling for keeping an absolute minimum of American troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and all other hot spots of the world.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Trump called several times during his campaign and his first few months as president for a total pull-out , he asserted that past policies had depleted the US military, he also declared that instead of investing in wars, he'd rather spend the money on rebuilding the US's crumbling infrastructure, he he he... some of us believed him .

Now we're clearly witnessing the shift to what is the perpetual war, hardly ever masked by the "On terrorism" anymore in Afghanistan or lately in Syria or even in Iraq,Yemen or Niger or Korea. Mr. Tillerson's latest several speeches, spoke openly that US troops are in to stay indefinitely in all these spots .

The little snag in justifying this approach was the rather quick defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, where the US , contrary to its ambitions of maintaining its presence and wars, declared victory too soon over Islamist jihadies, rendering its troops presence in those parts obsolete and questionable. So we kept some of these fighters for now scattered in the deserts as a good enough alibi .

The interesting and convenient discovery, to maintain the game for long times to come, is the Kurdish element. Who are for now our partners in combating terrorists. But surely who will need full protection themselves from prosecution and annihilation from all other parties involved. Iraq, Iran, Turkey, the Syrian regime and the Islamists. They all historically hated and feared an independent Kurdish entity.

American war strategists, are suddenly discovering how convenient this card is. Even with Turkey, where we give them a little leeway, for their self esteem, while we keep whispering in their ears that American troops are essential to insure no future foolish Kurd terrorism could be tolerated against Turkey. So the pact with Turkey and NATO would be saved , and keeping Turkey under pressure, controlled by US direct involvement. The final drawing of these lines and maps are taking shape as we speak.

Keeping a sizable presence vis a vis the Russian interests and bases in Syria and the region, and crippling the ever growing Iranian presence in Iraq, Assad's Syria and Lebanon. Having a major base in other than Musslem Arab or Turkish countries, fighting perpetually the terrorists , and the noble cause of protecting the Kurds, are all worthy of the new shift, having one of our biggest bases through the world in  this specific area, will insure new dominance over the entire area , and total protection to Israel's continued colonial hegemony and theft.

It may all succeed in terms of war machination, and Neo-Cons wishes and interests, but surely at some great price and sacrifices to American people and economy, not to mention the effects on the peoples of the area, the Syrians, Iraqis, the whole M-E, extending all the way through Iran , Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is No mistake or coincidence, as throughout 2017, the US military and Administration officials were already heavily engaged in various negotiations with several governments of the area, for some open-ended commitments of American troops on their soil, regardless of the ISIS success or failure.

Neither the American people, nor its intellectuals, strategy thinkers or politicians won this new shift to war policies, the war system and machinery , the Neocons and the Pentagon generals did, and one or two of our beloved allies , while the carnage goes on .

My, as always, many thanks to all .                   

  

A GROWING DIVIDE .......

A simple true and elegant definition of sane and successful leadership is; "The process of facilitating the accomplishments of a group, on organizational and societal objectives." Leadership by facilitating through fair influence the accomplishments of goals held by the group, all of the group, will succeed and be called great leaders .

Not Mr. Trump, nor PM Netanyahu, and their doomed oligarchies, are this type of leaders, non of them managed to install a system of governance and leadership leading to harmony within their societies. A Mr. Putin, even Mr. Erdogan, both undisputed dictators within their countries, are far more qualified to be called leaders, or pseudo leaders at least .

More liberals, intellectuals, religious and secular, Jewish, Christians or others, younger and older,  from all over the world, and the Western world more particularly, are voicing loud concerns, and speaking openly against Israeli Zionist policies and applications in their under occupation territories, their flagrant apartheid system , and the blind American back-up and support. Even their meddling in every country of the region challenging Israeli hegemonic politics .

Many if not most leaders speak of justice as only they understand it, from their positions as kings or commanders in chief and theocratic leaders. Most become selfish, afraid of rebellions from within their own ranks, and invariably turn into poor losers. These leaders become only concerned with finding the convenient answers and then persuading their followers to accept them .

The worst that could happen to a people under such leaderships, is the total loss of any sense of justice and fairness . Democratic institutions cannot always be relied upon nor trusted to regularly achieve justice and fairness in their regimes, but at least what democracy can insure is for the people to open and continue the discussions needed for change, for better governance, for better fairness and justice .

When a society starts fracturing from within, we know for sure that justice has failed somewhere, and injustice reign. With Israel's Zionists and the American right wing literal Evangelists, and vulgar and naive Trumpism, one would wonder; if it's all in the name of God, what are they leaving to the Devil ?? 

The truly unwise leaders of this world have no idea how much they are missing, and how harsh future judgment will be, they are so arrogantly proud of their falsehood and so insensitive to anything else , they totally fail to grasp how much they failed in wisdom, and continue to do .

My as always, many thanks to all my readers worldwide .

           

JUSTICE , FAIRNESS AND COMPASSION ....

When people follow leaders who are evil, it will only lead to more evil in the world, and when people follow leaders who are good , it will lead to more good automatically. As the world today is not short at all of all sort of evil leaders, America, Israel, North Korea and Turkey, plus all theocracies and the various dictators who are all just some of the crazy and evil leaders and leaderships around .

Justice and fairness in any society require a sane leadership. There can be no justice in any community without the good ambiance and atmosphere that sane and healthy leadership can bring with it and establish the principles in the community. Nothing would justify a person to poison or destroy a community for the sake of personal advantages or even a certain ideology or a narrow personal view or dream .

Granted, we all agree that no one practically has the soul that's always so well tempered , and many if not most hardly ever have their desires and ambitions continually checked and balanced, some will do anything for power, or for profit, or even to prove themselves capable of doing, as Mr. Trump, Netanyahu, or Erdogan all living examples will certify and prove .

Are justice, fairness and correctness just an ideal ?? Something just to think about academically, and theoretically , but cannot expect to have on this earth, at least not in our times any more !! Justice, fairness and compassion are very interrelated idioms in modern human life .

Leaders like Mr. Trump lacks all, compared to his predecessor, or all his predecessors. Netanyahu compared to Rabin (A very tough soldier himself) is lacking all of the above traits, Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel, famously said; "It is by its treatment of the Palestinians that this country will be judged."  Yet, when judged by this same criterion, Zionism and its leaders are not just an unqualified failure, but a tragedy of historic proportions .

Mr. Erdogan , compared to Ataturk (Mustafa Kamal) is a midget and far from the later's compassion, visions and fairness, the Mullahs in Iran are no match but worse than most previous leaders in Iranian history. Saudi royalty has no previous comparison, and do not match anyone else in the world. They all stand alone with no justice, fairness or compassion what so ever. These leaders and similar ones in the world, only manage to create divided societies at best, that is when they don't totally destroy their own .

The worst that could happen to a people, is the total loss of a sense of justice and fairness, this amnesia like hits people for longer or shorter periods of time, as history keeps reminding us of our recent ugly periods, of the Nazi regime, and apartheid South Africa, both very destructive and thankfully relatively short, the case of present Israel , its regime and its brainwashed Zionist population puts it in direct partnership with both previous regimes.

Modern politics in the U.S. are steadily leaning and leading America and Americans to some of the previous, with total lack of justice, compassion and fairness, I firmly believe we should be very, very careful with where we're going in life .

My gratitude for your time, perseverance and help .                    

FAKING IT AND FAKE NEWS .......

Intentional fake, mistaken fake, political, economical and social fake, national and religious fake news, are all nowadays back to becoming an essential part and tool of our 21st century lives, politics and governance. The American president Mr. Trump made it more so, as he is an ardent and passionate user of these Techniques and tactics, leading to blatant fake news, fake policies and fake visions .

Countries are now using fake news to influence elections, issues and public opinions about social, economical and political issues, security and occupation issues . It is the 21st century's weapon of choice, and a very efficient tool of manipulation, using modern technologies and media, super powers, second and third countries are all taking benefit internally and externally . They all try to influence their own populations, their neighbors and the whole world of their policies and doings be it dictatorial, religious, hegemonic, colonial, apartheid inclined or purely Neocons and fascistic .

They are all using and stretching the philosophy of fake news, inventing new psychological tricks daily . The word itself is loosing its meaning, at least its effective meaning, by it being over used by all sides and parties, and for all and any purpose . Our own Trump administration, the Russian administration, the Turkish and surely the Israeli present ultra right Zionist factions, are all clear, open and obvious examples of manipulating to dangerous levels the game of fake news.

To analyse the latest effects of American and international medias,the internet, plus the intentional and deliberate fake news, emitted by all sides over the American electorate lately, one would absolutely believe we are all living in some la la lands, or we're all drifting into some banana republic type regime and mentality, possibly that's our future fate after all.

It's all very sad and disappointing after so many years of slow social progress, fiscal progress, sane leadership in the world, we are suddenly and abruptly giving it all away, for free, just to please some basic animalist instincts in ourselves. Whereby the superior one or two percent are regaining power with unmatched vengeance, and the 95 to 98 percent are helplessly watching . Some even are naively approving , as divinity is making its come back with this fake situation .

All politicians with no exception all over the world use some fake news, to influence their electorate , embellish their persona and regimes, but some are by far better masters and even teachers of the game, Mr. Trump and his mentor B. Netanyahu are unique at the game, Mr. Putin and Erdogan come as seconds . The north Korean young leader is the newest apprentice, but quite promising. The Saudi young crown prince MBS, comes in the game triumphantly as well.

Thanks to our own president foreign games and lack of policy, he is with no doubt initiating an assault on anyone and everyone internally, who could be a threat to his reign and presidency, attacking their credibility and integrity for the sake of his and his family's survival, now the game is switching to foreign countries allies or not, simply to cover America's failure in some spots and gain quick and cheep points in others.

Yes Mr. Trump , maybe your button is bigger than the North Korean, maybe yours is bigger or smaller than many or most of the world, but the world will not sustain your show, even the smallest buttons can and will have devastating effects on the planet, and its life. Let's stop cheaply intimidating the world with our size and our money. As you're not the only crazy one around, the world is full of leaders like you, and it could easily lead to an overall explosion .

At some point we'd have to sober-up and stop our fake policies and acts, and possibly get back to sane diplomacy without the show .