Posted On: Wednesday - October 11th 2023 1:22PM MST
In Topics: Media Stupidity Geography Bible/Religion World Political Stupidity
"Start spreadin' the news ..." There was the newspaper rack at a New York City location, clamoring:
If I hadn't have known any better, having noticed an article title or post on-line here and there, I hope I would be forgiven for not having noticed this current event. I would not have known enough to care. I do know about this story, to the smallest extent, but I still don't care... not much that is. How many people have been maimed and killed in the Ukraine over the last year and a half, due to encouragement and support of one side by, well, the same people writing these
This stuff has been going on for 75 years, since the State of Israel was carved out of the religiously important but otherwise fairly worthless desert of the "Levant"*. The Palestinian inhabitants who were displaced were understandably upset about their being displaced from their homes, and their anger, with the help of lots of the Arab-Moslem world has not subsided. It did not help that 2 serious wars (1967 and '73) and tit-for-tat suicide, bomb, and rocket attacks have been going on since about Day 1. I don't know if it has been the case since Day 1 that the Arab world has wanted Israel destroyed, but the Israelis have always thought so. Let's face it - the end to the animosity would involve a whole lot of destruction and/or The End Times.
I can remember since I was aware of the news, pretty early on in my life, that violence in the Middle East, with Israel being in the thick of it. As with the weather forecasting joke that one can't go wrong with "partly cloudy, chance of rain", any news report can't be too far off the mark if the lazy "intern" hands the reporter a story about "Today, more violence in the Middle East."
During those Cold War years, having a 1st-World, Free-World ally in that strategic region was helpful. However, alliances with these countries shifted then too - Egypt, a British colony until 1922, shifted to the Communist side of the ledger by the mid '50's, about a decade into the Cold War.** Egyptian President Nasser kept alliances with the Soviets. He died in '70 and Anwar Sadat replaced him, and slowly the country was shifted over. It wasn't until the efforts of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the mid-1970s that Egypt could be considered an ally. Mr. Sadat, you may possibly recall, was given a Nobel Peace prize***, and peace broke out...? Nah, not really.
Israel was of course on the side of the West during the Cold War, because it needed America's support - money, armaments, and media support. Since the Cold War is over - it's been 3 1/2 decades - what's in this alliance for America now? It seems very one sided, unless you are Jewish or a certain brand of Evangelical, concerned not about America, but more about your own people or The End Times going as planned, respectively.
I'm surprised I didn't get into this back in the Peak Stupidity early-on post Toward Peak Neocon? - Part 2 (of an Intro. to "The Neocons"), but it's pretty clear to me now at least that the US military has been over in the Mediterranean/Middle East since the Cold War for the sake of Israel. To ensure that this layer of protection stays in place, those who run and write for the flagships of the Potomac Regime's Lyin' Press make sure the people are well-informed on Israel's travails. If you notice those NYC newspapers and their huge headlines, you should keep in mind also (you probably do) that NY City is ~15% Jewish.****
While an average (best I could gather) of 3 or 4 thousand Russians and Ukrainian military men, along with civilians, have been killed WEEKLY, we have these much more urgent sounding in the NYC newspapers about the most recent violence of this 75 year-long trouble. Yet America has encouraged the former war and we are to get riled up to no end about this latter development.
No. Enough! This is not the business of America. Not our circus, not our monkeys! I'm not riled up, and I don't plan to get riled up. The real story of this post is who runs the media in this country. I don't have any doubt. Tomorrow, Peak Stupidity will have more - Israelis v Palestinians.
* The "Levant" included a whole lot more land per older definition, but from the 20th Century onward has meant the land on, and pretty close to, the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. That means the modern-day countries of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The island of Cyprus is also included, as is the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, a triangular piece of Egypt that's east of the Suez Canal up to what's now Israel's western border. The Sinai is a land bridge between Africa and Asia.
** That is depending on how you define the beginning of the Cold War. Well before the end of WWII in Europe, everyone knew the USSR would not become any friend of The West. Some may date this later, from Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech about a year later - March '46.
*** ... more on these Nobel prizes in a coming post.
**** Wiki has different writers, the whole point of the deal, but, man, they are not so good at arithmetic. I'm just taking the average of 1.1 - 1.6 million from here divided by the 8.7 million in the 5 boroughs that are the city itself.
Comments:
Adam Smith
Thursday - October 12th 2023 8:52AM MST
PS: Good morning, everyone,
During World War 2.0 (The Greatest War Ever!) there were 2.4 million Jews living in German occupied lands. After the war, 3.6 million Jews applied for reparations. Tragically, the other 6 billion were lost.
Mr. Blanc, I'm not sure about this, but it might not be kosher calling Jews monkeys. (If you were talking about the Palestinians, well, then kindly disregard this message and carry on.)(/sarc)
Happy Thursday! ☮
During World War 2.0 (The Greatest War Ever!) there were 2.4 million Jews living in German occupied lands. After the war, 3.6 million Jews applied for reparations. Tragically, the other 6 billion were lost.
Mr. Blanc, I'm not sure about this, but it might not be kosher calling Jews monkeys. (If you were talking about the Palestinians, well, then kindly disregard this message and carry on.)(/sarc)
Happy Thursday! ☮
Moderator
Thursday - October 12th 2023 6:59AM MST
PS: Thanks for the graphic, Alarmist. I'll use it here soon.
I've heard that name, SafeNow. Speaking of New York and Jewish, from my wiki reading I learned that Oscar Levant moved from Pittsburg, Penn to NYC a century ago + 1 year. 6 years later he went to Hollywood.
I borrowed the movie "An American in Paris"- he was one of the stars - a year or so ago, but I just couldn't get into it. I never like musicals anyway, even the Elton John movie, as much as I like his music.
I've heard that name, SafeNow. Speaking of New York and Jewish, from my wiki reading I learned that Oscar Levant moved from Pittsburg, Penn to NYC a century ago + 1 year. 6 years later he went to Hollywood.
I borrowed the movie "An American in Paris"- he was one of the stars - a year or so ago, but I just couldn't get into it. I never like musicals anyway, even the Elton John movie, as much as I like his music.
SafeNow
Thursday - October 12th 2023 2:31AM MST
PS
Mr. M, thank you for the Levant footnote, but you forgot, or are too young, the other Levant, Oscar Levant. He was a concert pianist, movie actor, and tv host of “mordant wit” who talked openly of his hypochondriasis and neuroses. You see the risk you take when you try to be helpful with explanatory footnotes?…some nitpicker might nitpick the footnote. So I will add this…your footnotes are very helpful, and clever, and I love your footnotes, so please don’t be offended by my addendum. I am old and when I hear “Levant” I immediately think of Oscar, and I have to say something, I can’t help it.
Mr. M, thank you for the Levant footnote, but you forgot, or are too young, the other Levant, Oscar Levant. He was a concert pianist, movie actor, and tv host of “mordant wit” who talked openly of his hypochondriasis and neuroses. You see the risk you take when you try to be helpful with explanatory footnotes?…some nitpicker might nitpick the footnote. So I will add this…your footnotes are very helpful, and clever, and I love your footnotes, so please don’t be offended by my addendum. I am old and when I hear “Levant” I immediately think of Oscar, and I have to say something, I can’t help it.
The Alarmist
Wednesday - October 11th 2023 6:49PM MST
PS
No matter what that warmonger Nimarata Randhawa tells us, this is not our war ...
https://westernrifleshooters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/thumbnail_1697021822935blob.jpg
🕉
No matter what that warmonger Nimarata Randhawa tells us, this is not our war ...
https://westernrifleshooters.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/thumbnail_1697021822935blob.jpg
🕉
Moderator
Wednesday - October 11th 2023 6:03PM MST
PS: Thanks, Mr. Blanc. It's been incorporated.
Fred, thank you for that take on the Evangelical and Biblical aspects. " I know that in some evangelical circles every time anyone sneezes in the Middle East people start shouting "End Times! End Times!" Indeed, but there are so many other goings on right now that would lead one to believe we're close too.
I'm thinking phone payments if nothing else. The Red Dragon mentioned in Revelation 12 could be said to be China. They are most ahead on this cashless society thing, enabling the complete control of buying and selling. OTOH, there doesn't seem to be much else to back up the idea of China being the bad guy.
Fred, thank you for that take on the Evangelical and Biblical aspects. " I know that in some evangelical circles every time anyone sneezes in the Middle East people start shouting "End Times! End Times!" Indeed, but there are so many other goings on right now that would lead one to believe we're close too.
I'm thinking phone payments if nothing else. The Red Dragon mentioned in Revelation 12 could be said to be China. They are most ahead on this cashless society thing, enabling the complete control of buying and selling. OTOH, there doesn't seem to be much else to back up the idea of China being the bad guy.
Fred the Gator
Wednesday - October 11th 2023 4:22PM MST
PS As someone who considers myself an evangelical Christian (sort of; I didn't leave evangelicalism; it left me), I do not understand why evangelicals think the US should support Israel so The End Times will go right. From my understanding, Israel as a nation gets saved by God---"by hand" as the meme goes---once it is abandoned by everyone else. Last I checked, the US was not God. So the support of the US for national Israel (apart from prayers and the like) is actually preventing Israel from depending on God alone.
BTW there's a fascinating Bible passage (fascinating to me at least) in Zechariah:
"And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."
(Zechariah 12:9-10)
There's some stuff earlier that is also apropos:
"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it." (Zechariah 12:2-3)
Make of this what you will. I know that in some evangelical circles every time anyone sneezes in the Middle East people start shouting "End Times! End Times!" But there are interesting correlations between what the Bible says and what has happened in the Middle East since WW2.
BTW there's a fascinating Bible passage (fascinating to me at least) in Zechariah:
"And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."
(Zechariah 12:9-10)
There's some stuff earlier that is also apropos:
"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it." (Zechariah 12:2-3)
Make of this what you will. I know that in some evangelical circles every time anyone sneezes in the Middle East people start shouting "End Times! End Times!" But there are interesting correlations between what the Bible says and what has happened in the Middle East since WW2.
MBlanc46
Wednesday - October 11th 2023 2:39PM MST
PS What’s that expression you see on the internet? Not my circus, not my monkeys.
F jizzreal. Let them fight their own wars, and keep the US out of it.