On COI #494, Kyle Anzalone and Connor Freeman discuss the Israeli war on Palestinians.
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Violence Never Settles Anything
Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission.
The ongoing Israeli attacks against Gaza put me to mind of one of my favorite science fiction books as a teenager, Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. In that book, a military veteran and teacher of “history and moral philosophy” is discussing violence with high school students. One of them blithely says violence never solves anything, which draws this memorable response from her hard-nosed instructor:
Anyone who clings to the historically untrue – and thoroughly immoral – doctrine that ‘violence never settles anything,’ I would advise to conjure the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and their freedoms.
In Heinlein’s book, humans were at war with an alien species and those who chose military service to fight against “the bugs” got the right to vote and participate as citizens in government.
Dave DeCamp Appears on Timcast Show
Antiwar.com news editor Dave DeCamp appeared on the Timcast Show (Tim Poole podcast) on Friday.
Conflicts of Interest: White House Says To Deter China, Arm Ukraine and Israel
On COI #493, Kyle Anzalone discusses the latest news about American foreign policy.
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Police Brutally Attack Anti-Zionist Jews in Israel!
From Jimmy Dore’s channel:
Despite what we may be led to believe by the western press, Israelis are not entirely united in their support for the Israeli government’s assault on Hamas and Gaza – in fact many Israelis don’t even support the idea of establishing a Jewish state in the first place. Recently footage emerged of Israeli police assaulting a group of anti-Zionist Jews in Jerusalem for posting Palestinian flags, underscoring how the state will employ violence against virtually anyone who challenges military policy.
Guest host Craig Jardula and Americans’ Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss the curious case of devout Jews living in Israel who do not support the Jewish state.
Congress Wildly Out of Sync With Voters on Gaza Ceasefire
A recent Data For Progress poll showed the following voter support for immediate ceasefire to end civilian deaths in Gaza.
ALL VOTERS 66%
DEMOCRATS 80%
INDEPENDENTS 57%
REPUBLICANS 56%
Tragically, support for that ceasefire in Congress is a minuscule 2.4%, just 13 of 535. No wonder Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected any consideration of ceasefire. The bombings and invasion of Gaza will likely continue till its 139 square miles are ethnically cleansed.
Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.