or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
January 06, 2009
Gaza's Little Eichmanns
IDF spokesman Benjamin Rutland explains Israel's targeting strategy:
"Our definition is that anyone who is involved with terrorism within Hamas is a valid target. This ranges from the strictly military institutions and includes the political institutions that provide the logistical funding and human resources for the terrorist arm."
I believe the technical terms for such people is "Little Eichmanns":
[T]he "technocrats of empire" working in the World Trade Center were the equivalent of "little Eichmanns." Adolf Eichmann was not charged with direct killing but with ensuring the smooth running of the infrastructure that enabled the Nazi genocide.
The collateral damage in both cases is regrettable, of course.
EARLIER: "The main targets were...their military and economic power."
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at January 6, 2009 10:40 AMThe elementary school students killed in Asma school in Gaza City? Studyin' to be terrists.
The unarmed women killed by tank fire in the UN school/shelter in Jabaliya? Terrist-producin'.
The twelve to twenty members of the Daya family in their house in Gaza City, reduced to rubble by a missile? Votin' for terrists. Probably.
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/06/gaza-israel-death-un]
The father of a Fatah-leaning reporter? His farm was just too close to the border. Gotta break a few eggs...
[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-the-death-and-life-of-my-father-1225793.html]
Posted by: Nell at January 6, 2009 11:17 AMI begin to worry that US public support for Israel may ebb to the point that Barack Obama's hand will be forced -- he'll have to issue a statement... condemning our antisemitism.
Posted by: Don at January 6, 2009 11:19 AMOf course Israel's targeting strategy is always fail proof....
They hit a CLEARY MARKED UN SCHOOL and killed 40 civilians taking shelter there.
http://wire.antiwar.com/2009/01/06/up-to-40-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-gaza-school-medics-2/
And I watched Isarel spokesman on CNN claiming he did not know about it and they would have to check into it but "Do remember, Hamas uses civilians as Human shields"! They'd better come up with a better mantra to convince the world if they want to win at least the PROPAGANDA WAR.
Posted by: Rupa Shah at January 6, 2009 11:33 AMCiting Ward Churchill isn't gonna win you any friends, yano? He Hates Murka. Blames Murka First. Prob'ly "anti-Semitic," too...Got fired for that "little Eichman" remark, yano? People got really pissed, hearing their dead relatives (correctly) accused of being willing agents for the Imperialist State. Vide:
In 1996, Madeleine Albright, then ambassador to the UN and soon to be U.S. secretary of state, did not dispute that 500,000 Iraqi children had died as a result of economic sanctions, but stated on national television that "we" had decided it was "worth the cost." I mourn the victims of the September 11 attacks, just as I mourn the deaths of those Iraqi children, the more than 3 million people killed in the war in Indochina, those who died in the U.S. invasions of Grenada, Panama and elsewhere in Central America, the victims of the transatlantic slave trade, and the indigenous peoples still subjected to genocidal policies. If we respond with callous disregard to the deaths of others, we can only expect equal callousness to American deaths.Nope, ya jis caint have that kinda stuff polluting the minds of Murkin Yute! Posted by: woody at January 6, 2009 01:06 PM
I've chosen "24/7 in Dresden" as the title of the third chapter of my Great AMERICAN Novel and "Oh! When Them Tanks Go Rollin' In" for chapter four. (I must say, novel writing is much easier than I ever thought. These things just seem to write themselves.)
Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 6, 2009 01:16 PMI wonder if there is any sort of 'grammatical limit' to the number of pages in a chapter or will I have to learn to edit?
Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 6, 2009 01:45 PMhv
Thanks for the link.
I have been following Isareli govt's ( and our likudnik elected officials') attitude towards UNRWA for quite some time. Iraeli govt has accused UNRWA of, from supporting "terrorists" to perpetuating refugee problem, using books in its schools to teach children to hate Israel ( as if they needed teaching!! and Sen Clinton took up Israeli govt's cause in the senate ), allowing its schools to be staging sites for rocket attacks etc. IDF had held the previous ComGen Mr. Hansen at rifle point, not once but several times when he wanted to get supplies through check points ( specially medicines which needed refrigeration ) and when he demanded that trucks be allowed to cross ( in view of the fact that Israeli govt and UN have an agreement of giving UN diplomats "laissez passer" status ) but was not allowed to cross. Wonder if anyone knows that when a supply truck is allowed to cross, it has to be completely emptied for IDF to check the contents, FOR SECURITY!! It is amazing how the UNRWA employees work under these conditions.
For Chicago readers....with Mr Schwraz's permission!
What: Panel discussion on recent events in Gaza, featuring Norman Finkelstein, Ali Abunimah, and John Mearsheimer
When: Thu Jan 8 5:30pm – Thu Jan 8 7:30pm
Where: Mandel Hall--University of Chicago
