My special Saturday blog on the bombing of Lebanon led to the bombing of my blog in the form of so many thoughtful letters. I was inundated, thank you, but here is no way I can get to all of them today:

Richard Lee Dechert writes from the Twin Cities’

”Be careful! You may incite extreme soul-searching among the Christian crazies who fervently believe that Armageddon is just around a Lebanese corner. That assumes, of course, that any of them is remotely in touch with reality.

‘Nevertheless, kudos for your wide-ranging dissection.

Chris writes but what is he saying. Who be Judah?:

The internet is so cool. We can now sit at our computer and get news from around the world based more on fact than regional politically controlled media outlets. As an American who totally disapproves of my governments actions and had nothing to do with their stealing elections and coming to power to force an agenda planned for decades now, the worldwide anti-american sentiment amazes me. It is so interesting hearing the views of regular people in other countries. There seems to be a true common sense among the masses as we allow our leaders to bling us into oblivion…”

ON ZBIG’S LATEST

Zbig Brzezinski: Israel’s Actions in Lebanon Essentially Amount to “the Killing of Hostages.” George Pumphrey wriets:

”Without explicitly stating it, Zbigniew Brzezinski compared Israeli actions in Lebanon and Palestine to the common practice of terror used
by the Nazis against civilian populations: killing hostages.This breaks an effective taboo imposed by the usurpation of the juxtaposiition of the terms Jews - an ethnic group - with the term Zionist/m - an ideology
- with the term Israel - a state…”

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/Brzezinksi%20speech%207-20web.htm

“Cyberdad” writes:

”like your arguments and support your thinking. Let’s just hope and pray, that we are not too optimistic in our views of what’s to come. I shudder to think that there are far too many heads of state - such as those of Canada and Germany for instance - who are showing total support for the USRAEL powers. Thanks for well researched and writtenmaterial.

CYNICAL

Mark Arnold writes although ssn’t it interesting that when much of the analysis I cited came from Israelis, I stand accused of “cynical, pro-Palestinian diatribal coverage.” Diatribal—that’s a new one to me. The reference to human shields and the like seems to be the message point of the week,

“The best comment I can offer on your cynical, pro-Palestinian diatribal coverage of the current conflagration in the Middle East is from Charles Krauthammer, as follows: “When the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor, it did not respond with a parallel “proportionate” attack on a Japanese naval base. It launched a four-year campaign that killed millions of Japanese, reduced Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki to a cinder, and turned the Japanese home islands to rubble and ruin….When one is wantonly attacked by an aggressor, one has every right — legal and moral — to carry the fight until the aggressor is disarmed and so disabled that it cannot threaten one’s security again. That’s what it took with Japan.

Britain was never invaded by Germany in World War II. Did it respond to the blitz and V-1 and V-2 rockets with “proportionate” aerial bombardment of Germany? Of course not. Churchill orchestrated the greatest land invasion in history that flattened and utterly destroyed Germany, killing untold innocent German women and children in the process.

The perversity of today’s international outcry lies in the fact that there is indeed a disproportion in this war, a radical moral asymmetry between Hezbollah and Israel: Hezbollah is deliberately trying to create civilian casualties on both sides while Israel is deliberately trying to minimize civilian casualties, also on both sides.

In perhaps the most blatant terror campaign from the air since the London blitz, Hezbollah is raining rockets on Israeli cities and villages. These rockets are packed with ball bearings that can penetrate automobiles and shred human flesh. They are meant to kill and maim. And they do.

But it is a dual campaign. Israeli innocents must die in order for Israel to be terrorized. But Lebanese innocents must also die in order for Israel to be demonized, which is why Hezbollah hides its fighters, its rockets, its launchers, its entire infrastructure among civilians. Creating human shields is a war crime. It is also a Hezbollah specialty.”

Nikolas writes from Cyprus:

”Please someone answer to me this question: Since the Americans can have everything they need/want legally why they insist in having/taking it illegally?”

“Rabbit” writes:

” Thanks for the analysis. Having read most of the articles you refer, Rabbit too had come to most of the same conclusions. I am inclined to believe the Israelis were on the Lebanese side of the border, mainly due to the number of reports saying this and still doing so.

I too read the Nasrallah interview and got the same impression that he seemed to be implying that Hezbollah did cross. I suspect this may have been something in translation.

Adam McConnel from Istanbul:

”Well it seems that the vast majority of news sources outside of the U.S. reported that the Israeli soldiers were captured inside of Lebanon. But isn’t this really just an academic debate? Israel routinely invades and destroys the West Bank and Gaza, as well as abducts whomever it pleases; Israel spent how many years in Lebanon?; Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear plant way back when; Israel buzzed Bashar Asad’s *house* in Syria. These are just a few of the myriad of international violations of sovereignty that Israel has committed over the years.

“So if Hezbollah crossed the Israeli border with ill intentions, even if “unprovoked” (which is arguable at any rate given what Israel had been doing to the Palestinians in the previous weeks), there is unfortunately plenty of precedent, set by the Israeli government itself, for doing so. . .

Patrick Garry comments:

“Reasonable voices are kept far away from seats of power on all sides, so there is no impetus toward sincere and meaningful discourse. Elites play chess with the earth and her citizens, and until a majority of us take notice and stop buying into the illusion that things are otherwise this mass global dysfunction will persist.

Michael Tremblay writes:

“This war is far from over. It started in 1917 with the Balfour Declaration and realy escalated when Israel was formed. The lands belongs to the arabs and the UK had no right to give it away as it had no right in splitting it up in small countries to achieve control over the natives.

Jim P: “Equating the “left” as anti-semitic seems to be more a right-wing republican campaign device than reality. Name one national democratic leader who has not knelt in fealty to Israel? Feinstein, Mrs Clinton, or Lieberman or anti-Israel?”

Bill writes: “So long as one subscribes to the idea that “might is right”, you will never arrive at a balanced view, particularly when media becomes the tool for the progandist on both sides of the conflict.”

SUMMING UP

Mike James: “Silver spoon spoiled brat 60 yr old elitist fratboy recovering drug and alcohol addict aoler big free wheeling spender stem cell research rejecter murderinging killer puppet Bush is the main problem for the world. Its not the jews or arabs. They as blood brothers of sibling rivalry from 4k yrs ago will always fight but this Bush idiot retard has made it all worse and this is why 911 occured.

Robert McAllister writes:

”Is the whole wide Beautiful world going nuts, who is to blame, The Jews, The Muslims, Protestant America and The United Kingdom, why is The Vatican silent, sort it out before we world war 3 starts or is this the new phoney war, how long before Pakistan, Iran, Syria become the new Germany, Italy and Japan, theres something going on.

CH writes: “Thanks Danny for this great well written article.”

Veronica Raymond writes:

“Dear Danny, Please keep reporting coverage on this situation. We get mostly stupid stuff on the TV. I am so sorry one person tried to link you with Hitler. Impeach Bush before he starts World War 111!! I think that it may be too late.”

Jumana writes:

”I have been reading your pieces religiously, and not simply because you are preaching to the choir. i share your writing widely, hoping that americans, who rely on well-orchestrated and easily digestible soundbites from CNN, will find reason to pause, think, and eventually develop a taste for more substantive literature on the what’s really going on in the world (and at home). i also share your thinking with family and friends abroad, to give them hope, to confirm for them what they already know: that if americans knew what is really going on, many of them would be outraged.

David Friedlander writes:

”Thanks for your truly excellent coverage of the Lebanon war.

I’m not sure that most American Jews (hello, Jeanette Friedman!) really understand the stakes for them in this disaster.

As you know, some believe that the very well-organized Israeli lobby is controlling US policy in the Middle East. While it may appear this way, a simple look at the disparity in size and power between the two countries makes it clear who is really using whom. The tail does not wag the dog. Ever.

This does not mean,however, that there is no element of “freelancing” in the situation. Israeli militarists have learned over the years that they can have a fairly free hand in their lunatic schemes for regional domination,
and the US is very slow to reign them in.

But while their aggressiveness may make them “useful idiots” for the US, nobody should imagine for a moment that the US would continue to keep the Israelis as allies if they turned into a real liability. Israeli extremism and adventurism can put America’s policy-makers into a difficult fix, as seems to be happening now. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where ruling circles in our country decide that it’s time to stop supporting — or at least moderate their support — for Israeli aggessiveness. After all, the US has other friends and interests in the region.”

TIMOTHY MICHEL ON OLIVER STONE

“Danny, I was wondering if you had a chance to preview “World Trade Center” by Oliver Stone? I have a sneaking suspicion that it is a whitewash of the efforts to disclose the events that brought the world trade center down; which has been under investigation by private orginizations since 9/11/01. If it is, isn’t the timing curious in that the U.S. needs a boost in it’s support for the on-going war on terror and it’s tacit support for Israel in the destruction of Lebanon. It is also curious that the movie targets the 25 and under audience. I know that you are focusing on media bias, but I thought that this movie really represents another form of media commentary.

“Not having a chance yet to see a screening of the movie, I find it necessary to guess at the content in order to prepare for how to deal with yet another mega-dollar disinformaton campaign. I don’t in any way inply absolutely that this movie misleads the viewing public, I only suspect based on the reviews I have read that it may be a misleading representation of the events of 9/11. I may change my opinion when I actually see the movie, but I just want to be thinking about what to do in the event that this movie meets my worst expectations.

IN MEMORIAM: MURRAY BOOKCHIN, 1921-2006

A brilliant anarchist scholar/guru and activist has died. Janet writes:

”My sorrowful duty is to tell you that Murray drew his last breath at about1:20 this morning (Sunday). His passage through his last stage was
fortunately brief, and he was peaceful in his last hours. He died surrounded by loving friends and family members. His body will be cremated early this week, perhaps Tuesday. It is my hope that the tribute planned for August 13 in Burlington will become his memorial service.”

If you don’t know his work, check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADIBA (NELSON MANDELA)

As someone with more than passing familiarity with Nelson Mandela’s contribution, let me associate myself with this commentary by South African born journalist Tony Karon:

http://tonykaron.com/2006/07/19/happy-birthday-comrade-president/

Thanks to all the readers who trekked through the 90 degree global warming weather to attend the more than respectable screening of In Debt We Trust yesterday in Rosendale NY. Audience interest suggest that there is a “market” and opportunity for the film. Now to take advantage of it….

Lets hope this week and next month turns out better than the ones before it. Keep your letters coming. I will run more tomorrow. Check out the new “back pages” feature on buried news on Mediachannel.org

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