It's All.....Too Beautiful

Over bridge of sighs
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreamin' spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been

What did you do there?
I got high
What did you feel there?
Well I cried
But why the tears then?
I'll tell you why
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful

I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun

I'll Tell you what I'll do (what will you do?)
I'd like to go there now with you
You can miss out school (won't that be cool)
Why got to learn the words of fools
What will we do there?
We'll get high
What will we touch there?
We'll Touch the sky
But why the tears there?
I'll tell you why

It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful

I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun

It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
Ha! It's all too beautiful

How to Create MORE Islamic Extremists....

If ever there was any doubt, that the West's unconditional support of Israel fomented more violence in the Middle East, the latest developments in Israel and Gaza are the perfect case in point.

For the slow learners in the Republican party, any straggling Neo-Con sympathizers out there I offer below, an excerpt from today's NY Times article on the anger in Egypt. It's growing. It's predictable and it's understandable.

I have railed against Israel's blatant military blitz on the Palestinian people in other posts, so I will assume my position on that is clear and a given on the prison camp that is Gaza. What I want to say is that in my opinion, the Palestinian plight is THE issue of this century. Unless and until the Palestinian people have their OWN SOVEREIGN nation in their own land, going back to the 1967 borders, there will be no Peace possible in the Middle East. Period. THAT is the crux of the matter. Forget oil, forget "strategies" of the West and it's military fantasies about bases, control of resources etc. It's about Palestine.

US support and funding of Israel makes us a TARGET. Period. WE are part of the problem and the Muslim world KNOWS it. Iran knows it. Syria knows it. For sure, the people in the streets of Egypt KNOW it. Now they also know that their government, being allied with Israel is part of the problem too. From the NY Times:

Nowhere in the Arab world is the gap between the street and the government so wide as here in Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel and has refused to allow free passage of goods and people through its border with Gaza, a decision that has been attacked by Islamic and Arab leaders and proved deeply troubling to many Egyptians. And so the government of President Hosni Mubarak appeared to lean back on its standard formula for preserving authority at Friday Prayer, relying on its security forces to keep calm on the street and government religious institutions like Al Azhar to try to appease public sentiment, in this case by lashing out at the Jews in response to Gaza.

“The pressure is mounting on Egypt,” said Abdel Raouf el-Reedy, a former Egyptian ambassador to the United States. “How come you keep the Israeli ambassador here? How come you keep the Egyptian ambassador in Israel? How come you still export gas to Israel in spite of a court order to stop? The system is on the defensive. Public opinion is more clearly on the side of Hamas.”

The mood on the streets of Cairo feels somber, dark, dejected. There is a heavy security presence. Armed riot police officers are massed outside of professional organizations, like the Doctor’s Syndicate, that are often run by members aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, the officially outlawed but tolerated Islamic movement. Massive troop carriers clog small side streets.

Over three days of interviews here, people seemed deflated about the public criticism their country had received, let down by the failure of their own government to help the Palestinians and sickened by the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, not only combatants but many women and children as well. Over and over, Egyptians said they felt the only ones they could trust were the Islamists — not their government.

There you have it. The Islamic religionists are going to rise to more prominence. They are the only ones speaking out, forcefully against the actions of Israel. They are earning more and more legitimacy and respect everyday. Is that what we want? It's not what I want; being a woman, I have to say the idea of Medieval religionists seeking to create a Caliphate gaining more power is not in MY best interest or the interest of women everywhere. However, I can understand how this is happening. Our greedy, stupid, callous, paranoid Western stance on Israel/Palestine is the fuel for the propulsion of Islamic fundamentalism. It IS that simple.

Bruce Cockburn - Rocket Launcher

My dear friend Millie and I had a conversation last night, about the necessity of keeping our attention centered in the positive. She said that for every evil we witness or hear about, we need to balance it out with five positive, grateful, thankful, blessed thoughts...she said the ratio is 5/1. She is probably right. Last night, I agreed. Today I heard that Israel had bombed a UN medical aid convoy, yesterday as well as a Red Cross mission. I've been knowing about them bombing ambulances, but tried not to think about it.

Today, I ask myself, do we just continue to look away and play "let's pretend"? Huh? Is that what we do? All us "speer chill" people? At some point do we stand up and fight back? At least, have the emotions of wanting to fight back? The old saying "if these were your kids dying...." They ARE our kids dying!! They are OUR kids! The whole world is YOU. The whole world.......is....you.

Gaza Today.....a blog I am now Following...

In order to gain some balanced perspective, I have begun following a blog of a fellow who I heard interviewed on Democracy Now, on Free Radio Santa Cruz. His name is Sameh Akram Habeeb.

It's an eye-opener to hear the raw story coming out of Gaza. It certainly tells a different tale than the official news from the alphabet channels, ABC etc. Now the front page story on the NY Times is that the U.N. and the Red Cross are de-crying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. My question is, WHEN is the U.N. going to get some teeth? They have produced over 100 "resolutions" scolding Israel and that is what it amounts to; a verbal slap on the wrist. It's a non-event.

My second question is: Where is the outrage from the Democrats in Congress? Third question: WHY is everyone in Washington so freaking scared of AIPAC????!!!!

You can access Gaza Today by clicking on the link in "Favorites"

Oxford Professor and Former Israeli Military Man Speaks Out about Gaza

Oxford Professor of international relations Avi Shlaim has written an excellent background piece which analyzes the on-going situation in Gaza from its inception. A good history lesson for those who are interested in how the US is complicit in this, BEYOND just "diplomacy" and the $4 billion in annual aid given to the state of Israel.


I wish the incoming Obama administration would meet with this guy. Condi Rice and the Busheviks should get out of this picture NOW. For further reading, here is link to article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-israel-palestine

The Heartbreak of Gaza.....

I do realize that the conflict between Israel and Gaza, between Israelis and Palestinians is like a Hydra....that it is complex, multi-layered, chock full of "reasons" and its mutual karma is stuck on an Infinity loop. Someone needs to "jump the track" soon or this could get ratcheted up beyond our wildest nightmares.

However I do have some feeling about this. I have a pressing sadness, it feels like chest pressure.....like the inability to draw a full breath when I contemplate what is taking place in Gaza. One of the contributing factors is this:

I heard Israel's Defense Minister interviewed; his comments were aired on NPR yesterday. He stated that the reason Israel is going on an all out offensive after "so much restraint" (!!) is that the rocket shells being lobbed into southern Israel had made normal life impossible for Israelis living there. He said that they never knew when rockets would be fired onto their streets, their child's school, their car, etc. He said that Israel finally had to go in to crush Hamas to give Israelis "the peace and tranquility and standard of living they deserve." The life they "deserve".

I was aghast at the psychic and emotional disconnect of this man and his sentiments. What about the standard of living of the Palestinians? They have been living in a third world ghetto, cut off from aid for 18 months. Their territory is one big prison, utterly impoverished relative to the territory of Israel. I don't understand how Israel refuses to look at this, unless they view the Palestinian people as "less deserving" humans. Or is it simply "less human"?

Happy New Year to the Earth, Happy New Year to the People and all Creatures Great and Small