In the aftermath of the ceasefire, all eyes are on Gaza again, and the governments around the world look less in touch with reality as they return to their unacceptable positions.
The consequences for the West in response to its extreme inhumanity and criminality will be profoundly destructive and may well continue over time, eked out in a way that we'll have no clue as to when, if ever, the debt is paid. So be it.
Beautifully written, heartfelt and acute analysis Joel. Thank you.
Your emphasis on the damage being done to international law and our credibility is spot on, and Albanese and Wong's continued failure to speak up is both ugly and craven.
May I second every word of your comment , while thanking Joel for his most excellent post . Albanese , Wong and Marles continue to demonstrate their breathtaking level of unfitness for the office they hold , in perilous times such as this . They are prepared to sacrifice the sovereignty of our nation in order to grovel to foreign countries , and not only those , but foreign mining corporations as well . Not only Gough would be disgusted , but so would Tom Uren . This is no longer a Labor Party , as can similarly be said of the other version in the UK , where peaceful protest in support of Palestine is now labelled as Terrorism . There are words for that expression of power .
The "increasingly unacceptable positions" of our politicians, indeed. Not to distract from their wishy washy response to Gaza, but I'd like to go a bit OTT. The Nats leader Littleproud a few days ago showed his contempt for the electorate while sitting next to Sussan Ley, after her Press Club address. "The fundamentals still haven't changed...the mob will turn, as they turned in this election they can turn again." All "the mob" need apparently is a Nats kelpie to corrall them, then off to the slaughter, as the natural order ordains. Unlike the cockies and townies, he'd never call the mining barons a "mob".
Getting back to the post, you mention the historical Israeli attempts to divide opponents in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, but in Iran regime change is more than leadership change but splitting the longstanding unitary empire, accordng to the realism of John Mearsheimer, ("The bully got bullied"on Youtube) who sees Israel's promotion of a Kurdish state as also undermining Turkey's power. Israel's regional dominance would be the result. Our media and pollies seem incapable of looking over the horizon to analyse as well as describe the geopolitics.
I , and no doubt many others have recently received an email from “Labor HQ” , pleading for donations . As the expression goes , there is more chance of hell freezing over , while ever this spineless, cowardly , grovelling excuse for a “Labor” government refuses to condemn the genocide in Gaza , and STILL dares to allow its pathetic “Defence Minister” to bleat that “Israel has a right to defend itself “ against unarmed Palestinian civilians; women ,children and tiny babies. Even referring to these genocidal barbarians as “our valued friends”. That the government is now descending further into banning
Public protests in support of Palestinians is a further attack upon democracy and humanity itself .
Donate to this shrivelled , cowardly version of a Labor Party ?? Not ever , until the emergence of another leader like Gough Whitlam .
At least Albanese and Wong look vaguely ashamed of themselves by the contortions they must perform to keep our Imperial masters from punishing us. Dullard Marles is positively loving it as he meekly succumbs to the demands of the military-industrial complex and eyes off his post-politics junkets.
What's happening in Gaza is genocide, famine and a tragedy. Our political leaders have been oddly quiet on their official policy with respect to Israel and Palestine: The Two-State Solution.
I suppose there's really nothing they could say about that policy now that anyone would believe.
The consequences for the West in response to its extreme inhumanity and criminality will be profoundly destructive and may well continue over time, eked out in a way that we'll have no clue as to when, if ever, the debt is paid. So be it.
Beautifully written, heartfelt and acute analysis Joel. Thank you.
I second Jennifer's closing comment.
Your emphasis on the damage being done to international law and our credibility is spot on, and Albanese and Wong's continued failure to speak up is both ugly and craven.
May I second every word of your comment , while thanking Joel for his most excellent post . Albanese , Wong and Marles continue to demonstrate their breathtaking level of unfitness for the office they hold , in perilous times such as this . They are prepared to sacrifice the sovereignty of our nation in order to grovel to foreign countries , and not only those , but foreign mining corporations as well . Not only Gough would be disgusted , but so would Tom Uren . This is no longer a Labor Party , as can similarly be said of the other version in the UK , where peaceful protest in support of Palestine is now labelled as Terrorism . There are words for that expression of power .
To sum up:
Defend Gaza or we're next.
The "increasingly unacceptable positions" of our politicians, indeed. Not to distract from their wishy washy response to Gaza, but I'd like to go a bit OTT. The Nats leader Littleproud a few days ago showed his contempt for the electorate while sitting next to Sussan Ley, after her Press Club address. "The fundamentals still haven't changed...the mob will turn, as they turned in this election they can turn again." All "the mob" need apparently is a Nats kelpie to corrall them, then off to the slaughter, as the natural order ordains. Unlike the cockies and townies, he'd never call the mining barons a "mob".
Getting back to the post, you mention the historical Israeli attempts to divide opponents in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, but in Iran regime change is more than leadership change but splitting the longstanding unitary empire, accordng to the realism of John Mearsheimer, ("The bully got bullied"on Youtube) who sees Israel's promotion of a Kurdish state as also undermining Turkey's power. Israel's regional dominance would be the result. Our media and pollies seem incapable of looking over the horizon to analyse as well as describe the geopolitics.
Well said 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 How pleasing it was to see the Nat candidate in the seat of Calare lose to an Independent.
I , and no doubt many others have recently received an email from “Labor HQ” , pleading for donations . As the expression goes , there is more chance of hell freezing over , while ever this spineless, cowardly , grovelling excuse for a “Labor” government refuses to condemn the genocide in Gaza , and STILL dares to allow its pathetic “Defence Minister” to bleat that “Israel has a right to defend itself “ against unarmed Palestinian civilians; women ,children and tiny babies. Even referring to these genocidal barbarians as “our valued friends”. That the government is now descending further into banning
Public protests in support of Palestinians is a further attack upon democracy and humanity itself .
Donate to this shrivelled , cowardly version of a Labor Party ?? Not ever , until the emergence of another leader like Gough Whitlam .
And these same politicians will claim they were against the murder of Palestinians when the time comes
At least Albanese and Wong look vaguely ashamed of themselves by the contortions they must perform to keep our Imperial masters from punishing us. Dullard Marles is positively loving it as he meekly succumbs to the demands of the military-industrial complex and eyes off his post-politics junkets.
What's happening in Gaza is genocide, famine and a tragedy. Our political leaders have been oddly quiet on their official policy with respect to Israel and Palestine: The Two-State Solution.
I suppose there's really nothing they could say about that policy now that anyone would believe.