M. L. K. ......

 

Few days ago America celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day, I'm using some of his words : "There must be a recognition on the part of everybody in this nation that America is still a racist country. Now however unpleasant that sounds, it is the truth. And we will never solve the problem of racism until there is a recognition of the fact that racism still stands at the center of so much of our nation and we must see racism for what it is..... It is the notion that one group has all of the knowledge, all of the insights, all of the purity, all of the work, all of the dignity. And another group is worthless, on a lower level of humanity, inferior. MLK said these words few weeks before he was assassinated some 50 plus years ago.

Racism is based and built on hate and disdain, that denies people their full humanity, essentially questioning whether people of different colors or different ethnic backgrounds, or different religious affiliation or even geographic origins have a right to even exist. This is why in America, a country built on a wide variety of immigrants, it was essential to declare that Black lives matter. And in Israel they keep reminding the world that Palestinian lives matter as well. 

We now face a choice, if we want sincerely to tear down this hate from the fabric of these countries, we must first acknowledge the problem. But instead of acknowledging the hate and racism, the brutality, the colonialism and apartheid that continue to exist in our countries, as well as our under vulgar occupation territories, there has to be some accountability, some serious recognizing of what we are and what we do and the results of our actions. There can be no unity or healing without a notion of truth and accountability. 

An article in the Washington post started saying :" Many have said that what transpired on Wednesday Jan 6th, was not America, they were wrong, this is the America that black people know." It's the same reality in Israel, this is the reign and attitude Palestinians only know too well, and live under its rules their entire lives. It is the same with any newly arrived legal immigrant of different skin color or religiosity or shape in both countries, no wonder we're so close allies, friends and cousins, half of Israeli citizens hold an American passport, while more than half American Jews hold an Israeli passport. 

Again the reverent Dr. Martin Luther King words at the time said : "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that, hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." And certainly dark times in our countries have been the norm and the rule. The recent storming of the Capitol by an ultra right white supremacy mob, all pro Trumpist fascism and their version of tight religiosity and skin color. As well the Zionist Israelis be them settlers, or brain washed soldiers and citizens. with devious brutal expansionist plans and hegemony, all this will not make the world a safer place. 

The mentality of both countries and the absolute power of the war machine and the arms industries are the furthest away from war and peace issues, and definitely not defense, we are indeed slaves to our strategies and tactics of living with eternal wars and brutal interference in everyone we can intimidate. And always creating new enemies, we have learned to strive only by aggressing and destroying others and achieving an arrogant pseudo superiority over all others. 

Again MLK expressed it correctly by saying :"All of this leads me to say that the principal objective of all nations must be the total abolition of war. War must be finally eliminated or the whole of mankind will be plunged into the abyss of annihilation." We know as Dr. King did, that racism, militarism, colonialism, apartheid, expansionism and economic exploitation, still plague our societies and our countries' politics, we call it in most cases "defense".

As a new year and a new administration are emerging in America, many dangers as well as new possibilities arise, let us join in re-dedicating to the struggle for a more peaceful and just societies. Peace is more than just nonviolence, peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the existence of justice for all people. 

                       My, as always, many thanks to all my good readers, stay safe.                    

THE NEW NORMAL .....

18 U.S. code # 2384, seditious conspiracy.  " If two or more persons in any state or territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority there of, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority there of, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.  That's the law of the land, period. 

With 2020 behind us, Donald Trump, hopefully, on his way out of office, and Democrats poised to control Congress, there's lot of talk about going "back to normal" in 2021, healing and reuniting America, but honestly, there are serious problems with all of that way of thinking in our present times and situation, as  "normal" isn't enough . 

Our nowadays normal is a system where peaceful coloured and black, and poor protesters are tear gassed, beaten, condemned and arrested, so Trump can have his photo op, holding an upside down Bible, or police brutality can be camouflaged, while violent mobs of white supremacists attempt a coup on the Capitol, and several other states public houses, and all are welcomed through front doors and allowed to leave without consequences, people responsible for these events, civilians, party members, security and officials should all be held accountable. 

Normal is a health care system that, in the middle of the gravest pandemic, leaves tens of millions without coverage, and fail to provide hospital care and vaccine to most. Leaving many to choose between paying for life saving medicine or buying food for their families or having a roof over their heads. America needs healthcare for all now, as well as a reasonable public housing strategy. 

Normal in our 21st century is a student debt crisis that's ballooned to well more than 1 trillion Dollars, and is held disproportionately by the poorer strata, and minorities of all colours. America needs now a tuition-free college system, and a fair cancel to most if not all student debt. 

We need a congress mentality that understand the depth of the multiple crisis facing the American people, and a serious realisation and assessment of our wealth unequal distribution, and the ever increasing corporate power and vulgar huge wealth. A Congress that will work for the people and not for the lobbies and special interests and war machines. 

Americans of all walks of life should join in this fight for justice. The system is rigged against so many people and citizens of this country, especially blacks, brown, indigenous, poor, and the unfortunate honest workers and small business owners of all colours, it is rotten to the core, but together we could unrig this system and build on it. 

No wonder Mr. Trump, most of his official representatives, oligarchy and advisers, his lawyers and family, they all claimed so asservatively and surely that elections were rigged, it's because they were confident they built the perfect opposite, and were assured themselves of a perfectly rigged counter system of elections. So they were all astounded and fully taken aback when they lost the popular elections by more than 10 million votes, the masses spoke and the leadership still is in total disbelief and a chaotic disarray, trying the impossible, just to keep hanging to lost power. 

              

 As always my gratitude to all my good readers, please stay safe.        

A SAD AND DARK DAY IN AMERICA .....

 

Donald Trump has been attacking American democracy and values for much of his time as president, as a result of his propaganda and brain washing, we're seeing more and more citizens expressing openness to violence. The final result, and surely not necessarily the end of this situation was yesterday, when a handful of Congress members objected to election's results in several states and tried to derail the whole system, and an estimated 40 thousands thugs or more, stormed the Capitol trying as well to intimidate democracy and force change the course of elections. 

They are deliberately undermining the American system of government, and following direct incitement from Mr. Trump, his lawyers and sons. I'm copying here a short article sent to me as an email, as it depicts accurately the situation.

"Right now, there is an unprecedented crisis unfolding at the U.S. capitol. Demonstrators are overwhelming Capitol police after president Trump encouraged them to go to the Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. And they have succeeded. Violent protestors have breached the Senate chambers. People are escorting members of congress and the press out to safety. Meanwhile thousands are congregated just outside the building well within the security perimeter. 

This attempt to overturn a free and fair election is unconscionable. As Republican ex Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said from the Senate floor today;"If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral.We'd never see the whole nation accept the election again." This is a full-frontal attack on our democracy, built on falsehoods and disinformation. It's being called sedition, treason, domestic terrorism, but we must call this what it is, a coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol, a building and institution that is yours and mine, called for and encouraged by the U.S. president. 

The blame begins at the feet of president Trump, and his willingness to shred the constitution and rule of law in order to keep power, but it does not end there. This madness is what happens when a political system ceases to function because we have ignored its flaws for too long. 

It's what happens when deeply flawed elections and campaign finance laws fuel polarization, extremism and corruption. 

It's what happens when we rely on "norms" instead of clear laws to check presidential power. 

It's what happens when digital misinformation is not sufficiently addressed.

It's what happens when democracy reaches a state of deep crisis.  While you watch this stunning and terrifying chain of events unfold, please resist the urge to simply hope that this thing will improve when this president is out of the White-House. 

These problems will only be fixed, and democracy will only be restored, by fixing the system itself. By changing how our politicians are elected, how they finance their campaigns, how they are held to account once in office, and how we ensure Americans have access to facts, not lies and political propaganda that fueled today's events. Our work as citizens has never been more important.  Signed by Josh Silver & Joshua G. Lynn. 

Finally, the reality of the matter shows clearly that there was no peaceful transfer of power, Mr.Trump goaded mobs into an attack on U.S. Capitol and did incite a violent attempted coup. Nothing less, nothing short of that. And there should be a price for that. 

                   My, as always many thanks, please stay safe.                              

2021 A YEAR WITH MANY POSSIBILITIES !!

 

This past year, 2020, has been incredibly difficult, misleading and treacherous for so many, Americans and around the world. Rich and poor, developed or developing, even failed states have paid an extra heavy price compensating for their failed politicians and corruptness. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones, to those who have lost their livelihood, to all those who are still very worried about what comes next.

We are also overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people who continue to work throughout this crisis so that the rest of us have the healthcare, the food, medicine, vaccine and the basic supplies we all need and depend on to maintain, more or less, a normal life. I'm especially thinking of doctors and nurses, workers in healthcare and public safety facilities, of front line workers in grocery stores, super markets, of folks keeping child care centers and K12 schools running so parents can go to work and produce to keep the world spinning. I'm thinking of the frontline workers in pharmacies and factories, food processing sites and everywhere else we turn to get what we need on daily basis. 

I'm thinking of the farmers, and ranchers, of truck drivers and others in food processing facilities and different dairies, of delivery people working hard daily in unprotected areas to make sure we have food to put on our tables. I'm thinking as well of the public servants in states, cities and federal governments who have been dedicating all their times for the past year to respond to this crisis and its effects. 

It's only in times of great challenge like these, that we show our strength and resilience, and prove we are all in this together, who was it who rightly said;" We all do better when we all do better." It has never been more simple and more true. We should all be absolutely motivated to continue working in every way we know, in responding to this crisis and these harsh days, putting working families and small businesses first, and I don't want to sound pessimistic nor unrealistic when I say that the pandemic is going to be with us for a good time, it's going to get worse before getting better, before we can call it quits and back to normal. 

Every country has its own set of problems, political, economical, social, its own elections and dictatorships, secular versus theocratic, power grab, but now is the time to put our stupidities and political greed aside and start the new year with fresh advocacy on behalf of everyone, in all countries. I know we greatly need it here in America, but so does Lebanon, Palestinians and Israeli, Iranians and their neighbors, Venezuelans and so many parts of the world. We are not done fighting our present situation to afford going back to old politics and games as usual, let's attend to our priorities first, let's save ourselves, our children, our countries and economies and our planet, we have time later to go back to our childish and immature games and political partisanship. 

We have so much to do in 2021, we'd have to almost undo everything we did in 2020, and the previous years, that is of course if we honestly believe in saving the rest of the decade and beyond. If we fail intentionally or otherwise we will suffer a very ugly decade or more of our 21st century and our lives. We're going to need to be bold and not cave to fascistic, egoistic right-wing, apartheids voices, and that apply to America and many parts of the world. 

If anything, the entire world today is witnessing new battle grounds in the ever-expansive culture war between left and right, liberals and conservatives, progressives and traditional regressives, it seems to have enveloped modern politics, economics, and social life in many parts of the world, and revived old political ways and tactics unfit for our times.  

                            As always my thanks and wishes for a better and safer year to all, stay safe.