The DISH
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Volume 5 Issue 13…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…April 5, 2002
by John Burl Smith
Logical constructs fill gaps in observations and experimentation. They take thought beyond phenomenon by fitting empirical facts into a conceptual framework. Constructs are designed to explain behavior. Whether the phenomenon is observed or inferred, the need to answer questions about behavior necessitates the use of constructs. Such devices reduce dilemmas to certainties and eliminate WHYs?
Religion and faith-based orthodoxy use such devices to support their appeal to authority. Pseudo sciences, such as Alchemy and Ptolemy's "flat earth," were total constructs, in that, they required belief in certain unprovable assumptions, which were presented as facts. Such unquestioned tenets hold the belief system together. Accepting the authority of the church, faith replaces knowledge and trust replaces reason.
Prior to Galileo, the Christian Church's authority controlled development and acceptance of knowledge. It enforced strict adherence to "flat earth" orthodoxy. Then, like a bolt out of the blue, Galileo constructed a deterministic predictable universe controlled, not by an invisible hand, but by cause and effect relationships. "Flat earth" became a ridiculous construct.
Nevertheless, the Christian Church spent the next two hundred years trying to force people to believe what children had come to know instinctively. An Inquisition, several wars and millions of "stolen lives" later, the church reluctantly accepted individual motivation as a viable construct. Although centuries have past, the Christian Church today is reluctant to accept the crisis of pedophilia among its priests and nuns, as more than just another construct.
Secularly, George Bush is using the same "flat earth" logic to justify his disastrous policies. For instance, his Middle East policy is riddled with fallacies that rely entirely on accepting what authorities tell people to believe, not what history has shown. First and foremost, the conflict in the Middle East has always been about land: Israel taking it and keeping it. Their model is the United States, which applied this strategy to take a large chunk of North America from its indigenous people. Then, the United States' construct was "Manifest Destiny." Today, it is "terrorism." As with Christianity, supporting the "war on terror" requires a leap of faith, one cannot demand proof.
Justifying the Inquisition and present day pedophilia in the church require one to deny questions that flow naturally from what one's experiences reveal and history teaches. Like "flat earth" dogma, Bush's faith-based approach encourages people to rely on authority for knowledge and direction. Believing authority and trusting government enable Bush to reduce truth down to "an unquestioning faith in authority figures." Der Fuehrer! John 2002
Disgruntled feels:
Betrayed! "There is no greater pain than a parent's betrayal" (Jeremiah 34). Revelations that the Catholic Church covered up the criminal activities, especially pedophilia, of bishops and priests cut deeply, forcing us to look more closely at authority figures. While parents must be more vigilant and look with better eyes at Catholic priests, members of the black community must also question sellouts in the pulpit.Disgruntled says:
If ever there was a time for Arab leaders to act, it is now. While they lack the military might to match a United States-backed Israeli army, the Arab nations collectively control enough of the world's oil reserves to cripple the dependent Western economy. Nothing beats an economic solution!
The Hebrew Kingdoms: Israel
Christianity, Islam and Judaism grew out of the Hebrew (later called Israelites and then Jews) experience, which is recorded in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The Biblical account of Hebrew history begins with Abraham. Around 1800 B.C., he led his people out of Ur in Sumer to Canaan (Palestine).
Driven by famine, (1700 B.C.), some Hebrews followed Abraham's great-grandson Joseph, (also called Jacob), into Egypt, where the Hebrews were enslaved. Moses (1300 B.C.) led them out of bondage and into the Sinai wilderness, where they entered into a covenant with their God, Yahweh (Jehovah). The Sinai Covenant bound the people as a whole - the nation of Israel - to worship Yahweh and obey his Law. In return, Yahweh made Israelites his chosen people to whom he granted Canaan, "a land flowing with milk and honey."
Canaanites occupied Palestine. Many Hebrews adopted their fertility deities and luxurious way of living. Prophets arose who "spoke for" Yahweh, insisting on strict adherence to the Sinai Covenant and in condemning the worship of other gods, the selfish pursuit of wealth, and the growth of social injustice. The greatest of these prophets were Jeremiah and the anonymous Second Isaiah, whose message was incorporated in the Book of Isaiah (Chapters 40-55). Jeremiah foretold of coming calamities and affirmed that Yahweh would forgive their sins and restore "a remnant" of his people under a "new covenant."
Joined by other Hebrew tribes in Palestine, the Israelites formed a confederacy of twelve tribes (clans of the twelve sons of Israel) and subjugated the Canaanites. A more formidable foe, the Philistines, from whom we get the word Palestine, settled on the coast (1175 B.C.). Aided by iron weapons, the Philistines were dominant. The twelve-tribe confederacy demanded a king to lead them in battles. Saul, the first king of Israel (1020-1000 B.C.), died fighting the Philistines. His successor David (1000-961 B.C.) defeated them, and under Solomon, David's son, (961-922 B.C.), Israel reached its pinnacle of power and splendor. The price of Solomon's vast bureaucracy was great. High taxes, forced labor, and the loss of tribal independence led to dissension, and upon his death (922 B.C.), the realm was split into two kingdoms - Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
New empires defeated these weak kingdoms. The Assyrians (721 B.C.) captured Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean ruler of Babylonia, destroyed Jerusalem, capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Thus began the famous Babylonian Exile of the Jews (Judeans), which lasted until 538 B.C. when Cyrus the Persian, having conquered Babylon, allowed them to return to Jerusalem where they rebuilt the Temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Hellenistic Greeks and Romans followed Persian rule over the Hebrews. In 66-70 A.D., the Jews rebelled against Rome, and Jerusalem was totally destroyed in the savage fighting that ensued. The Jews were again driven into exile.
The old covenant between Yahweh and the nation no longer existed; it had become overlaid with ritual and ceremony and centered in the Temple, which had been destroyed. The new covenant was between Yahweh and each individual; religion was now a matter of man's own heart and conscience, and both the nation and the Temple were considered superfluous. (Sources: Civilization: Past & Present, Wallbank, Taylor, Bailkey, 4th ed, 1975; World History: Patterns of Civilization, Burton F. Beers, 3rd ed, 1986, Encyclopedia Britannica)
The Holy Bible: Exodus 20
I am the Lord thy God,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife,
nor his manservant, nor his maidservant,
nor his ox, nor his ass,
nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.
The Origins of the Palestine-Israel Conflict
by Jews for Justice in the Middle East
As the periodic bloodshed escalates in the Middle East, the search for an equitable solution must come to grips with the root cause of the conflict. The conventional wisdom has been: the Palestinians are irrational "terrorists" who have no point of view worth listening to. Our position is the Palestinians have a real grievance. Their homeland was taken, without their consent and mostly by force, to create the state of Israel.
The standard Zionist position is: they showed up in Palestine in the late 19th century to reclaim their ancestral homeland. Jews bought land and built up the Jewish community and were met with Palestinian opposition, presumably because of anti-Semitism. The Zionists were forced to defend themselves.
This explanation is simply not true. From the beginning, the Zionist movement looked forward to a practically complete dispossession of the indigenous Arab population so that Israel could, as much as possible, be a wholly Jewish State. Land bought by the Jewish National Fund was held in the name of the Jewish people and could never be sold or even leased back to Arabs (a situation which continues to the present).
As it became increasingly aware of the Zionist intentions, the Arab community opposed further Jewish immigration and land buying, which posed a real and imminent danger to the existence of Palestinian Arab society. Because of this opposition, the Zionist project could not have been realized without the British military. The majority of Palestine had been Arabic since the seventh century A.D. (Over 1200 years). Zionism was based on a faulty colonialist view: the rights of the indigenous inhabitants did not matter. Arab opposition to Zionism was not based on anti-Semitism, rather on a reasonable fear of the dispossession of their people.
Being Jewish ourselves, the position we present here is critical of Zionism, but is in no way anti-Semitic. We do not believe that the Jews acted worse that any other group might have acted in their situation. The Zionists (who were a distinct minority of the Jewish people until after WWII) had an understandable desire to establish a place where Jews could be masters of their own fate, given the bleak history of Jewish oppression. Especially as the danger to European Jewry crystallized in the late 1930's and after, the actions of the Zionists were propelled by real desperation. But, so were the actions of the Arabs. The myth is "land without people for a people without land" was already home to 700,000 Palestinians in 1919. This is the root of the problem. For your free copy of the complete paper that explains the Middle East situation write to: Jews for Justice in the Middle East; P.O. Box 14561; Berkeley, CA 94712, or read it online at www.cactus49.com/truth.html
by John Burl Smith
Upheaval in the Middle East has unearthed a dark and deadly evil, long hidden by today's hi-tech politically correct alter-consciousness. Young Palestinians became superimposed over Buddhist Monks setting themselves afire in Saigon streets, protesting American occupation of their country. Monks were perceived as sages, wise, thoughtful and passive. Therefore, the symbolism of flaming monks ignited the fires of freedom in a nation of rice farmers, and they drove America from their country.
Today, frustrated young Palestinians, fighting for the same rights as incendiary monks in Vietnam, are branded terrorists. Their desire to have and control their own country is no less strong than Vietnamese of the 1960s. Like a chilling refrain from Warsaw's ghettos or a lynching in America, Palestinians are isolated. Facing a desperate life of occupation, young Palestinians have gone from children "throwing rocks at Israelis" to teenagers exploding in frustration. If only bombers were dying, as Buddhist Monks did, their deaths would only be a loud annoyance to disinterested Israelis.
Their frustrations exploding, otherwise nameless, faceless and voiceless young people become a cry for justice for their people. The international community has abandoned Palestinians as it turned its back on Omar Al-Mutktar in Libya, Patrice Lumumba in the Congo, Salvador Allende in Chile, and genocide in Rwanda. Although a construct, freedom's fires burn brightest in the hearts and minds of the oppressed. For exploding young Palestinians, the fuel for freedom comes at such a high price: "some must purchase it for others with their lives." Like Buddhist Monks, they love freedom. John 2002
The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro will be on spring break soon and is looking forward to his vacation. When asked where he would like to go, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro replied, "I want to go to China."
International Day of Protest Against War and Racism
British and U.S. military forces are at war in Afghanistan. The U.S. has dispatched troops to the Republic of Georgia, the Philippines and Yemen, and it plans to step up military operations in Colombia and Peru. The U.S./Israeli war against the Palestinians is ongoing. A new U.S. assault on Iraq - a country devastated by more than eleven years of bombing and blockade- is no longer a matter of if, but when, according to Bush war planners.
The Pentagon has sent to Congress new plans for nuclear war against seven counties, five of them non-nuclear powers. These plans defy commonsense, international law, international treaties, and the most elemental of human rights.
To fund its maniacal military plans, the Bush administration is calling for the Pentagon budget to increase by a half-trillion dollars by 2007, more than the combined military spending of the rest of the world! This madness must be stopped!
The Bush war program threatens all of humanity. To stop it, the people must unite. The international A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition urges all anti-war, labor, women, student and other organizations to join anti-war and anti-racism protests on Saturday, April 20, 2002, the International Day of Protest Against War and Racism. Email ANSWER@afgj.org to tell us about your plans or visit the web at www.internationalanswer.org to get more information. The time to act is now to stop the war and end racism. Let your voice be heard!
Strongest Not Most Strongest
George W. Bush is the deadliest chief executive in modern history. The U.S. and U.K. tag team act like those rogue New York City cops that killed Amadou Diallo and sodomized Abner Louima with a broomstick. For these rogues, innocent deaths are collateral damage. As these rabid rogues roam, no one, including the United Nations, dares object to their carnage.
Strenuously, I object, because killing is a sin! In addition to killing people wholesale, Bush is murdering the English language. Remember those comparatives and superlatives teachers drilled into our heads in elementary school? Bush neither learned the rules, nor mastered the exceptions. Just the other day, he said, quite clearly, 'most strongest!' He butchers the language!
Media talking heads and reporters are following his lead in butchering the language. Bush and his "most strict," "more hard," and other incorrect comparatives, superlatives and broken verbs air without comment. How can we expect our children to learn to speak correctly when their leader massacres the language daily? A good indicator of what to expect can be found among the reporters on the White House beat; they either failed grammar like Bush or imitate him. And, as far as Bush compassion goes, if our children follow this leader, they will surely grow up to be ruthless bullies.
Children are taught to look up to the president. Most do not understand what is meant by "selected" rather than "elected." Absent dialogue about the tainted election that made it possible to install the deadliest government in modern history in office, the innocent and ignorant simply see him as Mr. President. When media run his "broken English," children may assume he speaks correctly. If you happen to be in the classroom, this is a real conundrum. Forced by tradition to see the president is an intellectual, it is difficult to teach students to master elementary English, the national language, when Bush comes across as a dummy. When he speaks, I want to put plugs in my students' ears. He is making his mark in education all right, and his grade is a failing one.
Email: alexrobbin@juno.com A leading British rabbi criticized Israel as the "last colonial power in the world" and questioned whether it was time for Judaism and Zionism to go their separate ways. According to the London Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi David Goldberg said that many Jews faced a "crisis of conscience" and also attacked the policies of Israeli leader Ariel Sharon. Anyone who believes Sharon and a Likud government would willingly cede an inch of land "must also imagine that the Pope is a Jew who will sanction birth control and married priests." The St. John's Wood Liberal Synagogue rabbi warned it was a "pivotal moment in Israeli-Diaspora affairs" when Jews were being called upon to support the Zionist regime, which had "long since vacated the moral high ground." Some would say the time had come for Judaism and Zionism to go "their separate ways." www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/14133917.
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