Michael thank you for everything you do! Old female Catholics are such a threat. How do these IDF forces sleep at night. I can't sleep knowing the blood is on my hands from our collusion with these terrorists. Peace Brother.
If you want to stop the genocide, you are going to have to show the American people concrete proof that both political parties have sold them out. Republican or Democrat, they're always going to do exactly what the "donors" want them do. Nothing is going to change until we collectively demand an end to the system of legalized bribery that is the cause of all the pain and suffering in the world.
Read my post today or go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. It proves that the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties have been conspiring together to subvert the rule of law--conspiring together to commit treason.
As always, policy is mandated by “follow the money”. The Jewish lobby in this country is very very strong. If a politician speaks against funding to Israel their political career is over. I have never understood it.
If we are holding the strings to the purse, then our government should be in a position to hold Israel accountable for its actions or withhold the Billions that we send each year. That is the piece of the puzzle that alludes me. I get that the Jewish lobby and its dollars are influential in who gets elected.(and again..btw….none of those lobbyists or those funding them want to live in Israel)… and let’s be honest a Jewish citizen can live anywhere in the world. They don’t NEED Israel, which was an understandable concept post World War II.
But once elected, all of our politicians should understand; regardless of what party they represent or who helped them get elected, if we withhold funds from Israel; collectively…the war would end. Netanyahu would need to relent and address the power of the United States and its funding of his government. No lobby could hurt a consensus. Our politicians need to begin to LEAD and step up for justice and stop voting from fear of some imagined reprisal.
By your logic, the so-called Palestinians could live anywhere, as well. Look at all of the land in the Arab countries where they could be with their fellow Muslims. No need to push the Israelites into the ocean or massacre them, which is their plan.
The terrorists are the ones who have been holding over 100 innocent civilians hostage for more than a year, after invading their country without warning and slaughtering hundreds of other innocent civilians.
I was with a delegation in El Salvador at Christmastime in 1987 remembering the 4 North American churchwomen raped and killed by Salvadoran military men trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. Today, I, too, thought about the Palestinian Christian population in Gaza who are blessed to have had Pope Francis calling them daily. I then attended a public Hanukkah lighting on my town plaza and saw familiar faces of people who used to talk to me and now block me on social media and stay distant from me because I want a ceasefire and I don't want my tax dollars being used to provide weapons of mass destruction to kill and maim and starve a trapped population of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. You may have heard of the class action lawsuit that was filed in federal court in San Francisco last Thursday by over 500 people in 10 Northern California counties as Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) who are suing our US Congressmen, Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, for their votes in April 2024 that allow $26 billion dollars in weapons aid to Israel. I am beginning a fast for as long as 8 days, hopefully, to see if I can last as long as the oil in the lanterns. The barbarity of the actions of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is appalling and I am working to figure out how to persuade my community to commit to peace, nonviolence and compassion. Thank you for always bravely speaking out, Michael Moore.
YES...I just saw a Utube on this~"Human rights activists from 10 counties in Northern California have filed a class action lawsuit against Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Jared Huffman for funding the genocide in Gaza.
Endorsers of the lawsuit include Taxpayers Against Genocide, Roots Action, Party for Socialism and Liberation, CODEPINK Bay Area, Sonoma Valley Solidarity With Palestine, Marin DSA, SURJ Marin, Centro Del Poder Popular, Raizes Collective, Humboldt for Palestine, Mendo for Palestine...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhtuN2MUtE
Unfortunately, the majority of our citizens in this country are ignorant to the real facts. I recall many years ago, my husband reading the Boston Globe which published a front page story about an Israeli who was killed at the border by two Palestinians who were being berated as they were being told to get into a dump truck to go work in their homeland which was now Israel, essentially as slaves. Of course, that part of the story was not included. Then my husband found the story on page 22 of 2 young Palestinians boys who had been killed for throwing rocks at the Israeli guards. Was the Boston Globe biased in its reporting? Not usually..However, the sentiments in our country were even then more pro Israel than today, and funded by a strong Jewish lobby.
We are Episcopalians, and our church shone a light on the real circumstances as they were happening and has remained committed to justice for all. Inherent in that comment;as it regards the Middle East, that immediately makes us anti semites. Which nothing could be further from the truth.
It’s just that we understand the role that the United States plays in the unrest and creation of Israel. We helped create it, we fund it; with Billions upon billions of dollars annually; while we give a few million here and there to the Palestinians…yet we do not accept the responsibility of guiding the way that money is spent.
Fasting won't do any good. Neither will the lawsuit. Like the politicians, the courts are irretrievably corrupt. Read my post today or go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. It proves that both major political parties are corrupt!
Nothing is going to change until we demand that "our" representatives stop taking bribes! These treasonous bastards obviously won't do that--so we will have to throw them out.
Unless you know what you're doing, please don't fast.
What good could it even do? Society is dogs fighting in a pit. We didn't evolve for the world we have and the general consensus is "do unto others before they do unto you".
Under such an ethos, what else CAN the people of Israel do?
I have a different ethos to offer but I already wrote Michael a lengthy comment here with the relevant videos and articles so I won't spam up the conversation with adding more here.
My basic point is, I can sell the people of the Holy Land on brotherhood. I can't sell them on "put down your own gun first". Only brotherhood.
Absent that, I redommend ignoring all of man's bloody spectacles to the best that you are able. God knows I would if I could.
"Under such an ethos, what else CAN the people of Israel do?" - this should not be a rhetorical question.... there are people among Israelis who are resisting Netanyahu's Reign of Terror at great danger to themselves. He continues this barbaric response to the Hamas attack in order to maintain his own position of power and avoid prison. There is a (very slow!) evolution of consciousness afoot in the Western World in which the corrupted version of the "Golden Rule" you cite is being overcome by those who are being moved to stop this brutality. May you and all of us stand with them.
I see that you did not follow my links. That's cool of course but I think you would enjoy this one as it discusses Netanyahu specifically, unlike the sentence you quoted which was about Israel as a country full of people.
If you have a solution for war and slavery other than brotherhood or totalitarianism I would be interested in hearing it.
America for example is at war and enslaved. It's quite a one-sided fight, as the *singular* Luigi demonstrated, but it is death and servitude all the same.
Short of brotherhood, of the Isaiah/Jesus/Gandhi vein there is no solution for any party but to kill or be killed.
That's a harsh truth but without looking directly at the facts society will continue the great pyramid scheme until the end of human days. ¹
thank you for your response. I agree with what you say - though I prefer less patriarchal language and references to exclusively male leaders - I have signed up for your substack and will appreciate what you have to say. My own experience and point of view has developed as I have come to understand the truth that there is only oNE of us on this planet - One Life, One Love, One Body - and until more of us experience that essential unity, we are doomed to continue to violate the life of the planet, other humans and animals.
Well, one thing you can do is to share the reports of Drop Site News on corporate media sites like Facebook. The owners so fear such news about the actions of Israel being read by American Citizens that they will claim it violates their "standards" and remove you with no truthful explanation.
Follow the link line. It goes to Jullie's comment about what can we who don't back genocide and feel powerless to stop it do. We can continue to express we are not behind it whenever we can, even when those with power prefer all remain silent.
Strange. I checked before I replied to you and the connect line to my reply lead directly to Julie's comment on my screen. I just rechecked it again, and it still does. If we had ability to add attachments on Substack, I could send you a JPEG showing this is the case at my end.
The saddest part of this is that the majority of our American politicians have almost no problem with any of this and continue to support Israel with their mass murder of innocent people. Granted it is more the republicans and I am a Democrat but it is both parties. The Republicans are not save-able at this point but we need to stand up to our nations politicians and tell them we believe in peace and enough is enough. Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorists just like we do but there is a difference between standing up for yourself and killing innocent families, woman, and children. Our tax dollars SHOULD NOT be going to killing people but rather to feed people!
Those bombs, intended for innocents, have Joe Biden's name on them, and the Democrats tried to keep him in office. This is not a Republican sin, much as I wish it was--it is on Biden and the United States. OUR name was on those murderous weapons too. This is an American morality problem. And we're all guilty.
not to commercialize this, but your statement reminded me of the Iron Man movie where Tony Stark realizes that the enemies are using his weapons, unbeknownst to him, and then works to stop that. The difference is that Biden knows exactly what our weapons are doing, yet he did nothing to stop it, and hugged that Bibi murderer. That was disgraceful, as was our reps giving Bibi standing ovation in our house. He should have been pelted with tomatoes, thrown off the dias, and arrested.
Absolutely a North American morality problem! The USA has been indoctrinated into uncritical support of Israel, AIPAC being a primary reason for this along with a compliant media (the major media not substacks). To criticize Israel is off limits. We cannot say that the infamous settlers led by none other than Smotrich are terrorists. We cannot say that Israel from the start, way before 1948, has been an apartheid society. President Carter said that and was ostracized by Israelis. It is not ALL on Biden's shoulders, it is on all of us. I have memorized the names of the Dem Senators that voted against Bernie's proposal to halt arms sales to Israel (thanks to MM we know who they are), although Bernie was amongst the supporters of Israel immediately after the Hamas attack - before the horror of the Israelis response got to him and he tried.
MLK tried to alert Americans to the terror we were and are inflicting on the world. There are solutions - but of course the truth of MLK's last words on the Vietnam saga were too much for most North Americans, and led to his being ostracized and assassinated. For the readers if you have not read Message by Ta Nahasi Coates do not miss it. The near equivalence of Israeli apartheid with slavery as he writes in this book is very obvious.
Absolutely you are 100% correct, both parties are to blame for this, and you are also correct that this completely falls on Joe Biden’s shoulders. But there are a lot of democrats that are against this whereas the Republican side doesn’t even pretend to care.
It's also sad that 99.9% of people in the U.S. will never even hear about this incident. Will any Catholic Church in the U.S. even bring this up during a sermon? I doubt it.
The politicians in the United States will never speak against Israel and the role we play in this travesty because the Jewish lobby will insure that that politicians will never be elected again. None of the Jewish lobbyists or politicians would ever live in Israel. But they will never stop funding it.
And Eric, in 1969 when the letter came with, "Greetings from the President of the United States", a trip to British Columbia was in order. Ended up coming back, facing the ordeal & artful failing the hearing test...twice! Neither my young husband nor I were ashamed of doing what we felt was right. I had friends killed in that war.
Mike, as usual, you've written a great piece and thank you for keeping these issues alive. I pray for the madness to stop.
Mike, what a terrific statement! Thank you for all of this! My anger is raging! This, of course, is not antisemitism that I feel. It's not a condemnation of the great Jewish principles which are the foundation of Judaism--and Christianity and Islam. I'm not condemning what Israel is supposed to stand for, but never did. I'm not condemning the fact that there can never be a Jewish state, or any other state dedicated to one religion or group, because it always leads to horrors against people who are not part of that religion or group. Catholics have been guilty of this, Protestants (I am Protestant), people of other faiths. There should be one state where Israel-Palestine is today, with equal rights for all. Murders were committed centuries ago on that land. It's been fought for over and over again. No, we need one state with equal rights for all, and may the Temple be rebuilt in Jerusalem, dedicated to all religions.
I condemn the false respect for Judaism that makes people revile anyone who stands up for Palestinians. I've been told off for my criticism of Israel. Others have been. But we've been joined by the Jews we are proud to know--those who are campaigning on behalf of justice for Palestinians.
Recently I watched a video of a program given by the Center for Jewish History, featuring Jewish music in anticipation of Hanukkah. It was wonderful--except that it was dedicated to Israel and the Israel Defense Force--the IDF--as if they were threatened and needed heartfelt support. I wrote a comment onscreen, expressing my feelings about the program, and my horror at what Israel was doing. You should have seen the enraged replies I got. Don't people want to know what is REALLY going on?
Seems to me that Jews - at least the ones I know - are ready to dump Netanyahu. He’s as monstrous as Mump, and Putin. Same boat. Nobody I know wants the carnage to continue, but this HAS been building up a looong time; since before I was born and I’m old. Anyone who had a heart would feel for the Palestinians.
Loved your words Carol. Many Jews do not support apartheid and the war. Check out Jewish Voices for Peace. They initiated many of the early protests to this horror. There is a way.
They don’t. Truly, our citizens; even some of the brightest just don’t know the facts. The strong Jewish lobby in this country have insured that we never get the truth. The majority in this country don’t even know the circumstances of how Israel was created; how it appears on a map in 1948 where it didn’t exist for the previous 1000s of years. They have no idea that we were active participants in creating Israel and we are responsible for funding its gross national budget since its inception. They do not have any knowledge that we participated as the entire population of Palestine was driven out of it country and even as the years went by and they forgave and tried to move on, the Israelis continue to invade what is left of their small land mass and build settlements that are luxurious amidst the poverty which persists in Palestine because Netanyahu continues to bomb them with our bombs; marked made in the USA. I am not an anti semite. I was enlightened to the truth by a Hebrew professor who was I. The pogroms. He was sickened by the situation. Most Israeli citizens want to ,I’ve side by side with the Palestinians. This is a war of ego and aggression by a man who takes our money and ignores our advice. It’s time that our leadership in congress stop voting from fear and vote their conscience.
Michael~you know that the leaders of Israel had information from their soldiers that an attack was planned~re the music festival a year before it happened....and Net and his buddies "ignored" the warning....you know that Israelis in the Army/Air Force were the ones to bomb the house where a number of Israelis had taken shelter...they killed their own citizens.....It is apparent to me that there are two factors that are influencing this genocide....one is the Natural Gas field in the Gaza Marine area~( Israel has been stealing natural gas from Gaza~which is an incentive for the US and UK to want in on that situation~) the other is Israel's land grab of Palestinians lands~and total annihilation of Palestinians. Yet another aspect is most of the US Congress take$$$$$/ bribes from AIPAC, Weapons Industries, billionaires, and other PACs that have almost total control of those serving in the US House/Senate.... May there be Love, Family, Community, Kindness, Peace~
I only ask that people keep in mind those Jews and Palestinians in I/P who are working together to end the madness. Google up "Standing Together." And there are many other such organizations. We will win.
War gives the military industrial complex $$$$$$$$ a reason for being~and then the military industrial complex give donations to those elected to the US Congress~......as do billionaires....and PACs...especially AIPAC~ to keep the Wars going~
Oh the military industrial complex just loves wars so they can test out all their experimental weapons in live conditions. I wish that Superman really existed, and that he'd be the kind/compassionate version, and that he'd put an end to this killing.
I guess it is up to us to establish a new reality for peace~~~~how to do that is the question~ there are so many people across the world that want peace~there are so many in the US that want peace~there are groups in the US ....like Veterans for Peace~CodePink~that one can look into....but also there are many more working for Peace...... this list may be helpful~... ....https://nonviolentpeaceforce.org/6-noteworthy-organizations-advocating-for-peace/
Violence is the Force that Gives Americans Meaning.
Fixed it for you, because the pestilence is broader than just "war". It extends to the violence against minorities throughout our history -- and now -- and the utter idiocy of clinging to the death penalty when all other enlightened nations have abolished it. It's an utter refusal to even look at how the #2A, written for an 18th Century population cowering in fear of bears and "Indians" -- can be rewritten to make sense in the totally changed society we have now. It's a refusal to provide basic health care for its citizens. It's a freakout every Christmas when someone says "Happy Holidays" and screaming that "Christ is in Christmas", without acknowledging that he is nowhere else in this sad country. He not only left the building, he was never here to begin with.
I read the comments and have only have few things to say. I thought that American complicity in the genocide in Gaza would threaten Harris's chances to become President. In the end, it did not make a difference, as the voices of truth, compassion, and freedom were drowned out by Americans who somehow believe that their world would be better under a Trump administration. Trump simply wanted to win because it would keep him out of jail. He has no appetite for governing and will let his MAGA buddies and President Musk try to control this country. I think they will only succeed in screwing things up enough to give Democrats big wins in 2026 and 2028. I believe our country is too big and diverse to enable one man or one party to take complete control and turn it into an authoritarian state. We most likely will muddle through, but lose all the progress the Biden administration has made in the last four years. And of course, the middle class will suffer.
But the biggest question for me, given Trump and MAGA's obvious disrespect for women and their intent to set women's rights back to the dark ages, over 50% of white women voted for him. Until that changes in a big way, we will have to fight the battle we fought and lost in this election repeatedly and unless Trump, MAGA, and President Musk really screw things up badly, we may not ever win back the Oval Office or either the Senate or House.
I thought young people would save us, as I did angry white women [black women voted 95% for Harris so there is not much more help we can expect from them as a voting block], but young people did not come out in large enough numbers and many young men voted for Trump. In my mind, now, when women complain about losing their control over their own bodies, I just shrug my shoulders. Those men among us who voted for Harris and support them are scratching our heads trying to figure out why white women refuse to come together to protect their own rights and those of their mothers, daughters, and friends. And by the way, men of color, by some ridiculous and unexplainable reason, decided that it was in their best interest to vote for a man and a party that totally disrespects them and makes jokes about them behind their backs. I know about this because I experience it every day. White women and men of color are the butt of jokes because they just do not get it.
So, many of us who supported Harris no longer listen to the liberal news media [50% decline in MSNBC viewership is a pretty dramatic statement by the liberal audience]. I do read Hubbell, Heather Cox Richardson, and the Hopium Chronicles just to keep informed, but I really have lost faith in our political system and in our country. Biden gave us everything and yet we, as a country, rejected his administration. So, as much as I understand Michael's anger and frustration, there does not seem to be much we can do about it. Democrats, progressives, liberals, independents all united in a heroic effort to elect Harris and take back the House and keep the Senate, and we lost. So where do we go from here? I have no idea.
I am focusing my time working for the Department of Homeland Security, helping disaster victims all over the country to deal with natural disasters. It is rewarding work, sometimes challenging as victims decimated by natural disasters can sometimes get very emotional. But it is all I can do in a country that no longer stands for what I believe in. Billionaires have used whatever means they can to convince an uninformed electorate that their way is best. Well, we have seen time after time how that has turned out. So, we turn back the clock and hope that white women, new voters, and men of color will wake up before we find ourselves back in the 1950s...
The Democrats take bribes from the same corporate criminals as the Republicans. The only difference between the two political parties is the rhetoric. Both parties take bribes from the fossil fuel industries who have been engaged in a decades long disinformation campaign to deny global warming. If you want to stop the corruption, you will refuse to vote for anyone who is not fighting tooth and nail to get the money out of politics.
By the way, I personally gave the Democrats irrefutable evidence of judicial misconduct by Amy Coney Barrett at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing. They refused to use it and then campaigned on protecting a woman's right to choose. If you would like to read about the Democrats disgraceful conduct, go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. (Skip ahead to the Postscript on page 221)
I don’t want my taxes funding the murder of innocent people. I feel frozen. And angry that nobody is listening to the protests nor is anyone taking action.
"Human rights activists from 10 counties in Northern California have filed a class action lawsuit against Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Jared Huffman for funding the genocide in Gaza."
"Endorsers of the lawsuit include Taxpayers Against Genocide, Roots Action, Party for Socialism and Liberation, CODEPINK Bay Area, Sonoma Valley Solidarity With Palestine, Marin DSA, SURJ Marin, Centro Del Poder Popular, Raizes Collective, Humboldt for Palestine, Mendo for Palestine,..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhtuN2MUtE
Thank you, Michael. The horizon is dark, yet we speak the words of truth in hopes that the song of our combined voices can lift us all in response to this vortex we are blindly navigating. 🕊 ☯️
I know of no other instances where criticism of a murderous, authoritarian regime in another country is not allowed in the U.S. What a mistake it would be if criticism of Trump (another authoritarian, seemingly capable of anything) were universally interpreted as anti-American or anti-Christian? I know there are Jews who are horrified at the behavior of Israel, but where are they? Their voices are awfully soft.
Michael, thank you for opening your heart to the terrible pain and suffering going on in so many places. I watched Bernie Sanders earlier in the day talking about how there is always obscene money available for arms while people living in the richest country in the world are cold and hungry and lacking access to decent medical care. He quoted President Eisenhower warning us about the danger of the military-industrial complex. Sanders should have been met with passionate applause, but it looked like few were even there to hear his speech.
As bitter as you must feel (and as I feel), I urge you to drop the sarcasm. It sounds too real - and it is hard to discern sarcasm in print.
Michael thank you for everything you do! Old female Catholics are such a threat. How do these IDF forces sleep at night. I can't sleep knowing the blood is on my hands from our collusion with these terrorists. Peace Brother.
If you want to stop the genocide, you are going to have to show the American people concrete proof that both political parties have sold them out. Republican or Democrat, they're always going to do exactly what the "donors" want them do. Nothing is going to change until we collectively demand an end to the system of legalized bribery that is the cause of all the pain and suffering in the world.
Read my post today or go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. It proves that the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties have been conspiring together to subvert the rule of law--conspiring together to commit treason.
As always, policy is mandated by “follow the money”. The Jewish lobby in this country is very very strong. If a politician speaks against funding to Israel their political career is over. I have never understood it.
If we are holding the strings to the purse, then our government should be in a position to hold Israel accountable for its actions or withhold the Billions that we send each year. That is the piece of the puzzle that alludes me. I get that the Jewish lobby and its dollars are influential in who gets elected.(and again..btw….none of those lobbyists or those funding them want to live in Israel)… and let’s be honest a Jewish citizen can live anywhere in the world. They don’t NEED Israel, which was an understandable concept post World War II.
But once elected, all of our politicians should understand; regardless of what party they represent or who helped them get elected, if we withhold funds from Israel; collectively…the war would end. Netanyahu would need to relent and address the power of the United States and its funding of his government. No lobby could hurt a consensus. Our politicians need to begin to LEAD and step up for justice and stop voting from fear of some imagined reprisal.
By your logic, the so-called Palestinians could live anywhere, as well. Look at all of the land in the Arab countries where they could be with their fellow Muslims. No need to push the Israelites into the ocean or massacre them, which is their plan.
To whom it may concern, Richard b Clark was the first one to like my reply.
The story is utter nonsense.
The terrorists are the ones who have been holding over 100 innocent civilians hostage for more than a year, after invading their country without warning and slaughtering hundreds of other innocent civilians.
I was with a delegation in El Salvador at Christmastime in 1987 remembering the 4 North American churchwomen raped and killed by Salvadoran military men trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. Today, I, too, thought about the Palestinian Christian population in Gaza who are blessed to have had Pope Francis calling them daily. I then attended a public Hanukkah lighting on my town plaza and saw familiar faces of people who used to talk to me and now block me on social media and stay distant from me because I want a ceasefire and I don't want my tax dollars being used to provide weapons of mass destruction to kill and maim and starve a trapped population of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. You may have heard of the class action lawsuit that was filed in federal court in San Francisco last Thursday by over 500 people in 10 Northern California counties as Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) who are suing our US Congressmen, Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, for their votes in April 2024 that allow $26 billion dollars in weapons aid to Israel. I am beginning a fast for as long as 8 days, hopefully, to see if I can last as long as the oil in the lanterns. The barbarity of the actions of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is appalling and I am working to figure out how to persuade my community to commit to peace, nonviolence and compassion. Thank you for always bravely speaking out, Michael Moore.
YES...I just saw a Utube on this~"Human rights activists from 10 counties in Northern California have filed a class action lawsuit against Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Jared Huffman for funding the genocide in Gaza.
Endorsers of the lawsuit include Taxpayers Against Genocide, Roots Action, Party for Socialism and Liberation, CODEPINK Bay Area, Sonoma Valley Solidarity With Palestine, Marin DSA, SURJ Marin, Centro Del Poder Popular, Raizes Collective, Humboldt for Palestine, Mendo for Palestine...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhtuN2MUtE
Well, if it's on YouTube, then it must be true . . . NOT!
Unfortunately, the majority of our citizens in this country are ignorant to the real facts. I recall many years ago, my husband reading the Boston Globe which published a front page story about an Israeli who was killed at the border by two Palestinians who were being berated as they were being told to get into a dump truck to go work in their homeland which was now Israel, essentially as slaves. Of course, that part of the story was not included. Then my husband found the story on page 22 of 2 young Palestinians boys who had been killed for throwing rocks at the Israeli guards. Was the Boston Globe biased in its reporting? Not usually..However, the sentiments in our country were even then more pro Israel than today, and funded by a strong Jewish lobby.
We are Episcopalians, and our church shone a light on the real circumstances as they were happening and has remained committed to justice for all. Inherent in that comment;as it regards the Middle East, that immediately makes us anti semites. Which nothing could be further from the truth.
It’s just that we understand the role that the United States plays in the unrest and creation of Israel. We helped create it, we fund it; with Billions upon billions of dollars annually; while we give a few million here and there to the Palestinians…yet we do not accept the responsibility of guiding the way that money is spent.
Fasting won't do any good. Neither will the lawsuit. Like the politicians, the courts are irretrievably corrupt. Read my post today or go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. It proves that both major political parties are corrupt!
Nothing is going to change until we demand that "our" representatives stop taking bribes! These treasonous bastards obviously won't do that--so we will have to throw them out.
Unless you know what you're doing, please don't fast.
What good could it even do? Society is dogs fighting in a pit. We didn't evolve for the world we have and the general consensus is "do unto others before they do unto you".
Under such an ethos, what else CAN the people of Israel do?
I have a different ethos to offer but I already wrote Michael a lengthy comment here with the relevant videos and articles so I won't spam up the conversation with adding more here.
My basic point is, I can sell the people of the Holy Land on brotherhood. I can't sell them on "put down your own gun first". Only brotherhood.
Absent that, I redommend ignoring all of man's bloody spectacles to the best that you are able. God knows I would if I could.
"Under such an ethos, what else CAN the people of Israel do?" - this should not be a rhetorical question.... there are people among Israelis who are resisting Netanyahu's Reign of Terror at great danger to themselves. He continues this barbaric response to the Hamas attack in order to maintain his own position of power and avoid prison. There is a (very slow!) evolution of consciousness afoot in the Western World in which the corrupted version of the "Golden Rule" you cite is being overcome by those who are being moved to stop this brutality. May you and all of us stand with them.
I see that you did not follow my links. That's cool of course but I think you would enjoy this one as it discusses Netanyahu specifically, unlike the sentence you quoted which was about Israel as a country full of people.
https://ydydy.substack.com/p/with-the-bereaved-gazan-doctor-mohammed
If you have a solution for war and slavery other than brotherhood or totalitarianism I would be interested in hearing it.
America for example is at war and enslaved. It's quite a one-sided fight, as the *singular* Luigi demonstrated, but it is death and servitude all the same.
Short of brotherhood, of the Isaiah/Jesus/Gandhi vein there is no solution for any party but to kill or be killed.
That's a harsh truth but without looking directly at the facts society will continue the great pyramid scheme until the end of human days. ¹
_____________________________
¹ https://ydydy.substack.com/p/you-may-not-be-interested-in-the
thank you for your response. I agree with what you say - though I prefer less patriarchal language and references to exclusively male leaders - I have signed up for your substack and will appreciate what you have to say. My own experience and point of view has developed as I have come to understand the truth that there is only oNE of us on this planet - One Life, One Love, One Body - and until more of us experience that essential unity, we are doomed to continue to violate the life of the planet, other humans and animals.
Well, one thing you can do is to share the reports of Drop Site News on corporate media sites like Facebook. The owners so fear such news about the actions of Israel being read by American Citizens that they will claim it violates their "standards" and remove you with no truthful explanation.
The media fails to cover stories about the constant bombs/missiles aimed at Israel on a daily basis. What media are you talking about?
I don't follow, were you intending to respond to me?
Follow the link line. It goes to Jullie's comment about what can we who don't back genocide and feel powerless to stop it do. We can continue to express we are not behind it whenever we can, even when those with power prefer all remain silent.
Yeah, that was why I asked. Substack sent it to me as a response to my comment and I assumed an error.
Wait — the error, I fear, us actually yours!
I followed the link line before I wrote earlier and did so now again. Substack was right, you had actually hit reply to my ur-comment on fasting.
Strange. I checked before I replied to you and the connect line to my reply lead directly to Julie's comment on my screen. I just rechecked it again, and it still does. If we had ability to add attachments on Substack, I could send you a JPEG showing this is the case at my end.
Thank you.
Thanks for this wonderful tribute to these two women.
The saddest part of this is that the majority of our American politicians have almost no problem with any of this and continue to support Israel with their mass murder of innocent people. Granted it is more the republicans and I am a Democrat but it is both parties. The Republicans are not save-able at this point but we need to stand up to our nations politicians and tell them we believe in peace and enough is enough. Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorists just like we do but there is a difference between standing up for yourself and killing innocent families, woman, and children. Our tax dollars SHOULD NOT be going to killing people but rather to feed people!
Those bombs, intended for innocents, have Joe Biden's name on them, and the Democrats tried to keep him in office. This is not a Republican sin, much as I wish it was--it is on Biden and the United States. OUR name was on those murderous weapons too. This is an American morality problem. And we're all guilty.
not to commercialize this, but your statement reminded me of the Iron Man movie where Tony Stark realizes that the enemies are using his weapons, unbeknownst to him, and then works to stop that. The difference is that Biden knows exactly what our weapons are doing, yet he did nothing to stop it, and hugged that Bibi murderer. That was disgraceful, as was our reps giving Bibi standing ovation in our house. He should have been pelted with tomatoes, thrown off the dias, and arrested.
Absolutely a North American morality problem! The USA has been indoctrinated into uncritical support of Israel, AIPAC being a primary reason for this along with a compliant media (the major media not substacks). To criticize Israel is off limits. We cannot say that the infamous settlers led by none other than Smotrich are terrorists. We cannot say that Israel from the start, way before 1948, has been an apartheid society. President Carter said that and was ostracized by Israelis. It is not ALL on Biden's shoulders, it is on all of us. I have memorized the names of the Dem Senators that voted against Bernie's proposal to halt arms sales to Israel (thanks to MM we know who they are), although Bernie was amongst the supporters of Israel immediately after the Hamas attack - before the horror of the Israelis response got to him and he tried.
MLK tried to alert Americans to the terror we were and are inflicting on the world. There are solutions - but of course the truth of MLK's last words on the Vietnam saga were too much for most North Americans, and led to his being ostracized and assassinated. For the readers if you have not read Message by Ta Nahasi Coates do not miss it. The near equivalence of Israeli apartheid with slavery as he writes in this book is very obvious.
Absolutely you are 100% correct, both parties are to blame for this, and you are also correct that this completely falls on Joe Biden’s shoulders. But there are a lot of democrats that are against this whereas the Republican side doesn’t even pretend to care.
It's also sad that 99.9% of people in the U.S. will never even hear about this incident. Will any Catholic Church in the U.S. even bring this up during a sermon? I doubt it.
The politicians in the United States will never speak against Israel and the role we play in this travesty because the Jewish lobby will insure that that politicians will never be elected again. None of the Jewish lobbyists or politicians would ever live in Israel. But they will never stop funding it.
in 1968 my gov't wanted me to drop burning gasoline on women and and children in Vietnam. I declined. (so not that much has changed!!)
And Eric, in 1969 when the letter came with, "Greetings from the President of the United States", a trip to British Columbia was in order. Ended up coming back, facing the ordeal & artful failing the hearing test...twice! Neither my young husband nor I were ashamed of doing what we felt was right. I had friends killed in that war.
Mike, as usual, you've written a great piece and thank you for keeping these issues alive. I pray for the madness to stop.
Thank you for saying "no."
Mike, what a terrific statement! Thank you for all of this! My anger is raging! This, of course, is not antisemitism that I feel. It's not a condemnation of the great Jewish principles which are the foundation of Judaism--and Christianity and Islam. I'm not condemning what Israel is supposed to stand for, but never did. I'm not condemning the fact that there can never be a Jewish state, or any other state dedicated to one religion or group, because it always leads to horrors against people who are not part of that religion or group. Catholics have been guilty of this, Protestants (I am Protestant), people of other faiths. There should be one state where Israel-Palestine is today, with equal rights for all. Murders were committed centuries ago on that land. It's been fought for over and over again. No, we need one state with equal rights for all, and may the Temple be rebuilt in Jerusalem, dedicated to all religions.
I condemn the false respect for Judaism that makes people revile anyone who stands up for Palestinians. I've been told off for my criticism of Israel. Others have been. But we've been joined by the Jews we are proud to know--those who are campaigning on behalf of justice for Palestinians.
Recently I watched a video of a program given by the Center for Jewish History, featuring Jewish music in anticipation of Hanukkah. It was wonderful--except that it was dedicated to Israel and the Israel Defense Force--the IDF--as if they were threatened and needed heartfelt support. I wrote a comment onscreen, expressing my feelings about the program, and my horror at what Israel was doing. You should have seen the enraged replies I got. Don't people want to know what is REALLY going on?
Seems to me that Jews - at least the ones I know - are ready to dump Netanyahu. He’s as monstrous as Mump, and Putin. Same boat. Nobody I know wants the carnage to continue, but this HAS been building up a looong time; since before I was born and I’m old. Anyone who had a heart would feel for the Palestinians.
Loved your words Carol. Many Jews do not support apartheid and the war. Check out Jewish Voices for Peace. They initiated many of the early protests to this horror. There is a way.
They don’t. Truly, our citizens; even some of the brightest just don’t know the facts. The strong Jewish lobby in this country have insured that we never get the truth. The majority in this country don’t even know the circumstances of how Israel was created; how it appears on a map in 1948 where it didn’t exist for the previous 1000s of years. They have no idea that we were active participants in creating Israel and we are responsible for funding its gross national budget since its inception. They do not have any knowledge that we participated as the entire population of Palestine was driven out of it country and even as the years went by and they forgave and tried to move on, the Israelis continue to invade what is left of their small land mass and build settlements that are luxurious amidst the poverty which persists in Palestine because Netanyahu continues to bomb them with our bombs; marked made in the USA. I am not an anti semite. I was enlightened to the truth by a Hebrew professor who was I. The pogroms. He was sickened by the situation. Most Israeli citizens want to ,I’ve side by side with the Palestinians. This is a war of ego and aggression by a man who takes our money and ignores our advice. It’s time that our leadership in congress stop voting from fear and vote their conscience.
Michael~you know that the leaders of Israel had information from their soldiers that an attack was planned~re the music festival a year before it happened....and Net and his buddies "ignored" the warning....you know that Israelis in the Army/Air Force were the ones to bomb the house where a number of Israelis had taken shelter...they killed their own citizens.....It is apparent to me that there are two factors that are influencing this genocide....one is the Natural Gas field in the Gaza Marine area~( Israel has been stealing natural gas from Gaza~which is an incentive for the US and UK to want in on that situation~) the other is Israel's land grab of Palestinians lands~and total annihilation of Palestinians. Yet another aspect is most of the US Congress take$$$$$/ bribes from AIPAC, Weapons Industries, billionaires, and other PACs that have almost total control of those serving in the US House/Senate.... May there be Love, Family, Community, Kindness, Peace~
Marjorie - The total obscenely evil truth.
The chain reaction of evil.
Words fail us. The center cannot hold.
The Second Coming
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
W.B Yeats 1919
Thank you for not letting us forget.
I only ask that people keep in mind those Jews and Palestinians in I/P who are working together to end the madness. Google up "Standing Together." And there are many other such organizations. We will win.
Whether we win or not, it is important to do the right thing.
Yes
That's how we win before we win.
Thank you for sharing this information. I will Google Standing Together.
It’s true. They break your heart with their love and solidarity. It’s a shame that their stories are not on the front page for all to see.
War is the Force that gives American’s Meaning.
War gives the military industrial complex $$$$$$$$ a reason for being~and then the military industrial complex give donations to those elected to the US Congress~......as do billionaires....and PACs...especially AIPAC~ to keep the Wars going~
Oh the military industrial complex just loves wars so they can test out all their experimental weapons in live conditions. I wish that Superman really existed, and that he'd be the kind/compassionate version, and that he'd put an end to this killing.
I guess it is up to us to establish a new reality for peace~~~~how to do that is the question~ there are so many people across the world that want peace~there are so many in the US that want peace~there are groups in the US ....like Veterans for Peace~CodePink~that one can look into....but also there are many more working for Peace...... this list may be helpful~... ....https://nonviolentpeaceforce.org/6-noteworthy-organizations-advocating-for-peace/
Some Zionist actually cited that as a reason to support Izrahell. Shameless.
Violence is the Force that Gives Americans Meaning.
Fixed it for you, because the pestilence is broader than just "war". It extends to the violence against minorities throughout our history -- and now -- and the utter idiocy of clinging to the death penalty when all other enlightened nations have abolished it. It's an utter refusal to even look at how the #2A, written for an 18th Century population cowering in fear of bears and "Indians" -- can be rewritten to make sense in the totally changed society we have now. It's a refusal to provide basic health care for its citizens. It's a freakout every Christmas when someone says "Happy Holidays" and screaming that "Christ is in Christmas", without acknowledging that he is nowhere else in this sad country. He not only left the building, he was never here to begin with.
I read the comments and have only have few things to say. I thought that American complicity in the genocide in Gaza would threaten Harris's chances to become President. In the end, it did not make a difference, as the voices of truth, compassion, and freedom were drowned out by Americans who somehow believe that their world would be better under a Trump administration. Trump simply wanted to win because it would keep him out of jail. He has no appetite for governing and will let his MAGA buddies and President Musk try to control this country. I think they will only succeed in screwing things up enough to give Democrats big wins in 2026 and 2028. I believe our country is too big and diverse to enable one man or one party to take complete control and turn it into an authoritarian state. We most likely will muddle through, but lose all the progress the Biden administration has made in the last four years. And of course, the middle class will suffer.
But the biggest question for me, given Trump and MAGA's obvious disrespect for women and their intent to set women's rights back to the dark ages, over 50% of white women voted for him. Until that changes in a big way, we will have to fight the battle we fought and lost in this election repeatedly and unless Trump, MAGA, and President Musk really screw things up badly, we may not ever win back the Oval Office or either the Senate or House.
I thought young people would save us, as I did angry white women [black women voted 95% for Harris so there is not much more help we can expect from them as a voting block], but young people did not come out in large enough numbers and many young men voted for Trump. In my mind, now, when women complain about losing their control over their own bodies, I just shrug my shoulders. Those men among us who voted for Harris and support them are scratching our heads trying to figure out why white women refuse to come together to protect their own rights and those of their mothers, daughters, and friends. And by the way, men of color, by some ridiculous and unexplainable reason, decided that it was in their best interest to vote for a man and a party that totally disrespects them and makes jokes about them behind their backs. I know about this because I experience it every day. White women and men of color are the butt of jokes because they just do not get it.
So, many of us who supported Harris no longer listen to the liberal news media [50% decline in MSNBC viewership is a pretty dramatic statement by the liberal audience]. I do read Hubbell, Heather Cox Richardson, and the Hopium Chronicles just to keep informed, but I really have lost faith in our political system and in our country. Biden gave us everything and yet we, as a country, rejected his administration. So, as much as I understand Michael's anger and frustration, there does not seem to be much we can do about it. Democrats, progressives, liberals, independents all united in a heroic effort to elect Harris and take back the House and keep the Senate, and we lost. So where do we go from here? I have no idea.
I am focusing my time working for the Department of Homeland Security, helping disaster victims all over the country to deal with natural disasters. It is rewarding work, sometimes challenging as victims decimated by natural disasters can sometimes get very emotional. But it is all I can do in a country that no longer stands for what I believe in. Billionaires have used whatever means they can to convince an uninformed electorate that their way is best. Well, we have seen time after time how that has turned out. So, we turn back the clock and hope that white women, new voters, and men of color will wake up before we find ourselves back in the 1950s...
The Democrats take bribes from the same corporate criminals as the Republicans. The only difference between the two political parties is the rhetoric. Both parties take bribes from the fossil fuel industries who have been engaged in a decades long disinformation campaign to deny global warming. If you want to stop the corruption, you will refuse to vote for anyone who is not fighting tooth and nail to get the money out of politics.
By the way, I personally gave the Democrats irrefutable evidence of judicial misconduct by Amy Coney Barrett at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing. They refused to use it and then campaigned on protecting a woman's right to choose. If you would like to read about the Democrats disgraceful conduct, go to my Substack for a free digital copy of my book: The Illusion of Justice. (Skip ahead to the Postscript on page 221)
I don’t want my taxes funding the murder of innocent people. I feel frozen. And angry that nobody is listening to the protests nor is anyone taking action.
"Human rights activists from 10 counties in Northern California have filed a class action lawsuit against Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Jared Huffman for funding the genocide in Gaza."
"Endorsers of the lawsuit include Taxpayers Against Genocide, Roots Action, Party for Socialism and Liberation, CODEPINK Bay Area, Sonoma Valley Solidarity With Palestine, Marin DSA, SURJ Marin, Centro Del Poder Popular, Raizes Collective, Humboldt for Palestine, Mendo for Palestine,..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhtuN2MUtE
Good. This is the first I've heard of this. I'm in Sonoma County.
I hope you can connect with any one of these organizations....!
I will check them out. Thanks!
yep. 100pct. esp knowing that the incoming admin is going to enable yet more killing. the people feel powerless.
Thank you, Michael. The horizon is dark, yet we speak the words of truth in hopes that the song of our combined voices can lift us all in response to this vortex we are blindly navigating. 🕊 ☯️
I know of no other instances where criticism of a murderous, authoritarian regime in another country is not allowed in the U.S. What a mistake it would be if criticism of Trump (another authoritarian, seemingly capable of anything) were universally interpreted as anti-American or anti-Christian? I know there are Jews who are horrified at the behavior of Israel, but where are they? Their voices are awfully soft.
Susan. Yes, there are many of us, in Israel itself as well as in the US. Why do you say we are not allowed to speak out? See below
And look at Haaretz, an Israeli daily also in English, much read in the US, and as antiwar as anyone here.
College protests shut down. Protesters arrested. Msm and social media heavily censored in favor of Israel...
Michael, thank you for opening your heart to the terrible pain and suffering going on in so many places. I watched Bernie Sanders earlier in the day talking about how there is always obscene money available for arms while people living in the richest country in the world are cold and hungry and lacking access to decent medical care. He quoted President Eisenhower warning us about the danger of the military-industrial complex. Sanders should have been met with passionate applause, but it looked like few were even there to hear his speech.
As bitter as you must feel (and as I feel), I urge you to drop the sarcasm. It sounds too real - and it is hard to discern sarcasm in print.