Well this week has made a statement. Between the campus police riots that have been going on nationwide and the vilification of the students involved, Israel has tacitly been declared as the third rail of American politics. And since what America says goes, that means they can do what they want.
This is unsustainable, though. The unipolar world ushered in by the fall of the Soviet Union is already dying. China and Russia are building their influence. And while the US will remain influential for years to come, our pro-I politicians aren't winning hearts and minds. Certainly not among the young.
Thus far the Israeli establishment has been in denial about all this, or alternately, acting in a blind panic because they can't deal with it. But at some point they'll have to.
2 comments:
Excellent title for the subject. The Israeli government has enjoyed impunity to commit genocide for the past six months, aided and abetted by the U.S. government and an extra $26 billion. Meanwhile, we're treated to watching policemen brutalizing students.
There are a couple of things that have occurred to us - the first is that Zionists actually do govern in Israel and have done since 1947. They don't like to say so outside Israel proper so any mention of the 'Z' word is instantly translated as anti-Semitism in the media.
Remember Gil Scot Heron? The revolution may not be televised but it is being videoed. The world has found out. A concern is that the current generation of college students have a reputation for short attention spans. Summer's coming and they may just drift away. Still, the whole country has turned against the horrific mass murder of Palestinians.
You're right about the other huge changes - Russia, China, Iran, India, and the rest of the Global South will make sure these atrocities aren't forgotten. Israel has lost its reputation for self defence and could potentially lose far more.
The title was more a result of desperation than anything else, but I'm glad you like it. George Washington warned against "foreign entanglements" and this situation is an illustration of why he was right. If you treat one foreign nation as if it's incapable of wrongdoing, they will on some level strive to prove you wrong. And as we see it's eroding civic life in the States too.
The country's original Zionists could be called guerrilla fighters, or terrorists, and either would work. The hope was that Israel would then join the world's leading democracies. This actually seemed to work for a while. Of course most of the proclaimed democracies have shown an authoritarian streak in recent years.
I don't know what's going to happen over the summer. Some of the students may stay focused. Others undoubtedly will not. One event that is scheduled for the summer is both parties' national conventions. The Democrats' is scheduled for Chicago, which given 1968 us just too perfect. Never a bad time to be reminded of Gil Scott-Heron.
The other countries are going to have a lot to say. They won't always be right, but they'll be there And on this matter they've frequently turned out to be right.
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