On the Israeli Flip-Off, $23 Million Against Health Reform, Next Drone War

John Avlon
Ayman Mohyeldin
Mark Perry

"In 1998, there were 12 documented terrorist-related Web sites. One decade later, there were over 6,900 Web sites and online forums devoted to cyber-jihad." - John Avlon

"One thousand days ago, Gaza became the world's largest outdoor prison" - Ayman Mohyeldin

"America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers" - Mark Perry

There's no doubt that Israel has just given a big "fuck you" to the US, all of the newspapers say that the relationship between the two countries is at its lowest point in 35 years. Joe Biden went to Israel with the express purpose of trying to repair that bond, but the political slap in the face he received produced the opposite effect. Although Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Mr Biden, the Israeli press makes it clear that he doesn't really mean it, and keep out of our internal affairs... But actions have consequences, and as Biden relayed to Netanyahu in a private conference: "Yedioth Ahronoth went on to report: "The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel's actions and US policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops fighting against Islamic terrorism."

The major change in US - Israeli relationships are twofold: the first and most obvious one is that we have troops stationed throughout the region. Like it or not, we have gone to war because of our support for the state of Israel. If the Palestinian problem had already been solved, there would be no al-Qaeda recruiting terrorists to focus on the US. There would not have been 9/11 and the subsequent events that led us to invade Iraq. How Israel treats the Palestinians on its soil will reflect in the safety or endangerment of our troops.

Second, are the results of trying to improve relations with the Muslim countries in the region, and listening to their concerns as well. We have invaded and have operations in three Islamic countries, and are confronting a fourth. It is in our interests to understand the cultures and ways of thinking of these countries, and to forge new friendships to help stabilize the region. Our military now has a vested interest in what our foreign policies are, and like it or not, the Obama administration is listening more than the previous one did. That's because Cheney and Rumsfeld, neither who had any military experience, figured that they knew it all, and the current Generals we have in command are a lot smarter than the previous ones.

So, it's personal now, we want these talks between Israel and the Palestinian groups to continue and produce real results, for the lives of our children. Israel wants the status quo so they don't have to relocate Israelis and give land and power back to any Palestinian. They would rather deport all Palestinians to Jordan and Lebanon, let them become Palestinian states...

As long as there is a right wing majority ruling Israel, we will see nothing but contempt at any attempt to prod them towards action. The right wing mentality is one of mental illness, and they will never listen to reason, and how dare anyone tell us what to do! Netanyahu has had nothing but contempt for the US ever since he was an ambassador to the US at the beginning of his career. So, as long as there are individuals who are mean and sneaky like Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Leiberman in charge, we will continue to see stunts pulled that will assassinate further peace talks... On the other political spectrum, I have read that now even Hamas regrets its former aggressive stances. Id Hamas had lost the 2006 election, Gaza would not have been blockaded and turned into a prison based on the movie "Escape from New York". As I said before, maybe the best solution to this dire situation is to send over Snake Pliskin as chief negotiator and envoy instead of George Mitchell... "Escape From Gaza Strip"...


where's my piece of the pie?...

I have tried my best to get some of the $12 million that the insurance industry has spent this month on ads against the upcoming health care vote. Evidently I haven't written enough articles calling Obama the devil's spawn and his policies taking us to hell in a hand-basket. Or used the words socialism and communism in a scare piece. Opposition groups have also spent $11 million in trying to bribe, err, influence Democrats to join them in voting NO! We even have this dire warning from Senator Jim DeMint: “If the president is successful, I think it will give him some boldness to go back to other programs.” Well, duh, Sherlock. It doesn't matter that Obama is a Democrat, or an idealistic moderate. Even if he was a Republican, he would be vilified in the press over his every thought and move, because he is attempting to change the status quo. Our right wingers are attempting to make him fail at everything he tries to do, and be mean spirited and evil in the process. His own party waters down legislation and criticizes his staff. We have such a vicious culture in Washington, no wonder that George Bush spent every chance he could clearing brush in Texas. And we want to export this shit to other countries, hold it up as exemplary? Ouch...

new drone war...

When I warned about Americans getting killed in Mexico this Spring, I didn't think it would happen at the same time I was typing up my blog yesterday. But I am going to make another prediction, that as a result of our consulate workers being killed in a drive-by, the US will now use drones to help Mexico in its war against the drug cartels. You will soon be reading of cartel members being taken out by rocket fire instead of police shootouts, it is going to become the way that we wage war and law enforcement, in conjunction with setting up more and more cameras to watch public behavior.

Either Time or Newsweek had a story that drones are already being used as crop-dusters in farming regions, and that an anti-immigration group spent $25,000 and bought a drone of their own to patrol the border area between the US and Mexico. Coupled with the fact that you can buy a robot to clean your house or serve you food, or even to be your girlfriend, we are fast approaching a world that science fiction wrote about 50 years ago. We have a big curve to catch up to, but the use of drones as the new faceless form of aggression disturbs me. It is one more facet that creates a virtual reality, moving us one more step into the matrix, until future generations will not know the difference between what is displayed on the cave walls and what might be outside, if they could leave... Happy hunting, amigos...