Israel has gone too far this time.

The Daily Kos is a liberal blog. Many members are Jewish who are very, very supportive of Israel.

Now you see the following as a recommended diary:

Today I end my support of Israel

by Chilean Jew [Subscribe]

Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 11:07:48 AM PST

Like davidminzer, I'm Jewish and descendant of holocaust survivors. Moreover, I've been a Zionist all of my life. I went to a Zionist school, I was active in Zionist youth groups. I've always been a fervent supporter of Israel as a refuge for Jews around the world who seek a place to exercise their traditions and embrace their identity in peace.

I sang the Israeli anthem in the train rails of Aushwitz-Birkenau and I pledged to fight every day of my life to make sure the savage crimes that had taken place there would never happen again. Every year I pledged: Never Again. Remember and Never forget.

Well, I haven't forgotten. And so to honor that pledge, to honor the memory of my family members who died in those death camps and because "there comes a time when silence is betrayal", today I finally and publicly end my support for the state of Israel.

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I do this with great pain in my heart, but nonetheless with the overwhelming conviction that it is the only right thing to do. I was patient: I tolerated the destruction of the Oslo process by refusing to end or slow down the constant and criminal construction of settlements. I held my nose and stood my ground when Barak killed the final status negotiations at Taba 2001. I even remained loyal after Sharon's massacres in the West Bank, the brutal Annexation wall, the illegal "selective assassinations" and Olmert's war crimes in Lebanon.
I had to defend Israel and Israelis with my friends and others who demanded I be consistent with my progressive views and oppose a country that was responsible for horrible crimes against innocent human beings. "Israelis are scared, they are traumatized, you have to understand...", "Israel is responding to attacks on itself, tell me one other country that wouldn't respond when attacked...", I demanded understanding, I pleaded for a fair and comparative analysis.

ENOUGH. I'm done justifying crimes against humanity by a country that claims to be an illuminated western democracy. I'm done defending a country that is unwilling to grant self-determination to a neighboring people because it won't let go of a few settlements and divide a city. I'm done tolerating the slaughtering of innocent kids, the murderous and barbaric occupation of an impoverished people, the utter disregard for human life.
Fuck them.
If they think their daily peace of mind is worth the lives of hundreds of innocent people, Fuck them.

What the diary author is talking about is this:

GAZA CITY: The Israeli Air Force on Saturday launched a massive attack on Hamas targets throughout Gaza in retaliation for the recent heavy rocket fire from the area, hitting mostly security headquarters, training compounds and weapons storage facilities, the Israeli military and witnesses said.

Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, the head of emergency services at the Gaza Ministry of Health, said at least 140 Palestinians were killed in the raid.

Most were members of the security forces of Hamas, the Islamic group that controls Gaza, but a few civilians were also among the dead, including children. Scores more Palestinians were wounded.

Even if the immorality of killing civilians doesn't bother you, remember that much of the Middle East views Israel and the United States as being linked.

Sure, there is blame to go around, but there is no question that Israel is being seen as the bully this time around.

And remember where Israel is getting much of its aid from:

Since the 1970s, Israel has been one of the top recipients of U.S. foreign aid.^[16] While it is mostly military aid, in the past a portion was dedicated to economic assistance. In 2004, the second-largest recipient of economic foreign aid from the United States was Israel, second to Iraq. In terms of per capita value Israel ranks first.^[17]

In 2007, the United States increased its military aid to Israel by over 25% to an average of $3 billion per year for the following ten year period, while ending economic aid.^[18][19]

In 1998, Israeli, congressional, and Administration officials agreed to reduce U.S. $1.2 billion in Economic Support Funds (ESF) to zero over ten years, while increasing Foreign Military Financing (FMF) from $1.8 billion to $2.4 billion. Separate from the scheduled cuts, there was an extra $200 million in anti-terror assistance, $1.2 billion to implement the Wye agreement, and the supplemental appropriations bill assisted for another $1 billion in FMF for the 2003 fiscal year. For the 2005 fiscal year, Israel received $2.202 billion in FMF, $357 million in ESF, and migration settlement assistance of $50 million. For 2006, the Administration has requested $240 million in ESF and $2.28 billion in FMF. H.R. 3057, passed in the House on June 28, 2005, and in the Senate on July 20, approves these amounts. House and Senate measures also support $40 million for the settlement of migrants from the former Soviet Union and take note of Israel's plan to bring remaining Ethiopian Jews to Israel in three years.^{[citation needed]}

Israeli press reported that Israel is requesting about $2.25 billion in special aid in a mix of grants and loan guarantees over four years, with one-third to be used to relocate military bases from the Gaza Strip to Israel in the disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the rest to develop the Negev and Galilee regions of Israel and for other purposes, but none to help compensate settlers or for other civilian aspects of the disengagement. An Israeli team has visited Washington to present elements of the request, and preliminary discussions are underway. No formal request has been presented to Congress. In light of the costs inflicted on the United States by Hurricane Katrina, an Israeli delegation intending to discuss the aid canceled a trip to Washington.

Congress has legislated other special provisions regarding aid to Israel. Since the 1980s, ESF and FMF have been provided as all grant cash transfers, not designated for particular projects, transferred as a lump sum in the first month of the fiscal year, instead of in periodic increments. Israel is allowed to spend about one-quarter of the military aid for the procurement in Israel of defense articles and services, including research and development, rather than in the United States. Finally, to help Israel out of its economic slump, the U.S. provided $9 billion in loan guarantees over three years, use of which has since been extended to 2008. As of July 2005, Israel had not used $4.9 billion of the guarantees.

So, whereas I acknowledge that Israel grants better rights to those who live in its borders than the other countries do in that region, the current aggression is unacceptable, given that it comes from a country that is mostly propped up by the United States.

A Bad Case of the I don't Wants

Ugh, I simply hate the winter holiday season.

I live in a small Midwestern rustbelt town where it is often cold during the winter. I have never liked the cold but this is where the job was. It pays ok; but it will be tough to leave as I have a child (through my 300 + pound ex wife) and I am obligated (rightfully so) to make child support payments.

So, I am stuck with a job I don't want in a place where I don't want to live.

Also, mistake number 2: I did remarry; I have a wife I don't want in a place I don't want to live at a job I don't want (mostly teaching students who don't want to learn).

And, well, there is no way out, at least for another 4-8 years.

Still, this is tolerable until the winter holiday season when I am forced to take the winter holiday trip to bring my daughter back to this *hit hole where I live.

That means either a long drive that I don't want to take or flying on today's airlines; this past trip featured a flight cancellation, lost bags and being given the run-around, stuck with an extra night's hotel, etc.

Frankly, I'll throw a party when American Airlines goes under; I am never flying those *ssholes again.

And of course, there is spending holiday time with people I don't want to associate with; either my in-laws (fat, stupid, noisy, obnoxious people) or my own family (same).

I just simply HATE THE FRIGGIN HOLIDAYS!!!!!

If I can switch jobs, I'll make this non-negotiable demand: NO WINTER HOLIDAY.

Grumble...

Are there good things? Of course, the employment is steady and it doesn't feature back breaking work or breathing toxic fumes (except for the polluted city air), some of the students are ok and my work colleagues are actually fine people.

I have some close by places to work out (pools, trails, etc.) and my daughter really is healthy (ask anyone who has a seriously sick kid) and economically, whereas I won't like paying off the car repair and trip bills, I am doing fine (usually no balance on the credit cards, etc.)

It isn't as if I am ready to Go Santa on anyone. (though it wouldn't have broke my heart if Santa had done the American Airlines executives prior to doing himself in).

What is it with these fundie pastors?

Of course, liberals are up in arms that the nauseatingly ignorant and bigoted Rick Warren has been picked to do the invocation for Obama's inauguration.

But I've noticed that Warren, like the late Jerry Falwell, is obese.









Is gluttony still a sin these-a-days?

And I Thought that my students were idiots!

Idiots Doing Idiot Stuff - video powered by Metacafe

On a positive note: some guy at the pool was quick with the camera.

Getting College Students Ready For the Workforce

I've had some time to think as it is final exam season at many universities. Some places of higher learning are just that: they seek to educate students; to not only give them access to knowledge but also to teach them how to learn and to love learning.

But many other places have become de-facto "credential obtaining" and "job training" centers; the idea is to give the students the tools which will optimize their chances for success in the workplace.

Ok, given that one works at such a place, one might have the following quandary: a not so talented C student asks for help (via e-mail) on a take home exam; they have had a week to complete it but the e-mail pleading for help is sent on Saturday evening when the assignment is due on Monday?

Then the little snowflake asks if she "could possibly get a B" for the course (uh...maybe with a brain transplant?)

But the snowflake does wear low cut blouses and mini skirts to class and, frankly, looks good in them.

So: given that her chances of getting ahead in the work place by her brain power is minimal (ok, of measure zero) but that she looks good enough to sleep her way up the ladder, does the faculty member have an ethical obligation to let her have some practice this, "talent"?