Brutal Contempt

"It's simply not the same thing to say that it's the same act to deliberately target innocent civilians, to desire their deaths, to fire rockets and use explosive devices or kidnapping versus the sad and highly unfortunate consequences of self-defense."

Thus spake our Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton. So there you have it, in case you've missed the point being brutally made of late: Arab lives, Lebanese, Palestinian, whatever, really don't matter, not to decent, upstanding Americans like Bolton. But then, Bolton is hardly alone in this -- contempt for Lebanese and Palestinians as they endure murderous assaults from the Israeli state is widespread in the US, with the corporate media doing what it can to soft-pedal the human despair and anguish of those on the business end of Israeli missiles. I haven't watched every single minute of cable news, but what I have seen has been contemptible. Indeed, if you want to remain ignorant of what's actually going on, watch plenty of CNN and MSNBC. And Fox? Dear God . . .

Talk radio remains rancid. Our good progressive friend Ed Schultz was at it again yesterday, comparing Lebanon to Nazi Germany and the Israeli air force to American and British bombers valiantly striking its fascist infrastructure. Of course. Anyone who knows the history of the region will immediately embrace Schultz's analogy, especially when you consider how Lebanon's powerful military has marched through the Middle East, reducing nations like Israel to rubble. And like Bolton, Schultz could give two shits for those being blown apart, burned to death or otherwise maimed -- so long as they're Arab, that is. As Big Eddie reminded his listeners, many of whom expressed even nastier views on the ongoing violence, we killed plenty of German civilians, too. Part of war. No getting around it.

That's about all I can bring myself to tap out today. I'm working on some longer posts about the backdrop to what's happening, plus doing a lot of reading and extended research. I've received a flurry of mails from people who appreciate my takes and want me to keep going, to help provide a counterbalance to the incessant propaganda that swirls around us. I'm happy to do so (well, not exactly happy. . .), but please know that this takes up a lot of my time, time that is not spent on other pursuits that are more commercial in nature. So, if you are new to the site and like what you see, any financial contribution you can make keeps me in the thick of this madness, and helps give me the time I need to further study the texts and journals that are necessary to fully understand the larger picture. Because no matter how much you know in this area, there's always more you can learn, and that's what I'm currently doing. Just hit the PayPal button above my bloggyroll and give whatever. It's deeply appreciated.

Information may not makes us free, but it keeps us from being slaves to the jargon and lies of those who rule us.