Law, Power, and Justice

Friday 17 October 2023

Israel

U.S. Air strikes in “Iran-linked” targets in Syria. 12:19 PM

Morning News Notes

The shooter in Maine has still not been captured.  Some people think he is dead, others think that he has retreated into the wild of Canada. 

I cannot think of another shooter who gave off more warnings.  This guy informed the military where he was a reserve officer, that he was hearing voices and wanted to shoot up a military base.  According to what I have heard, he was put under psychiatric observation for a week and released.  A week is evidently, according to one source, a long time since resources are not in place to keep people under observation for very long.

I think that he was under observation in New York.  There is a question about whether New York authorities informed Maine, where he was living.

Fox News’ Jesse Watters’ response to this horrible shooting where at least 18 people died, was to complain that laws controlling guns were too strict, and to celebrate the Second Amendment.  “Thank God for the Second Amendment.”  That is the lesson learned by Waters from this incident.  (Note: It’s probably more like: Thank God for the Arms industry cause they keep me employed.)

Fox New is, of course, working 24/7 to propagandize the event and keep people from thinking that the problem is access to guns (in this case automatic guns which nobody has any reason to possess). 

A nice touch last night from Fox was the hosting of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” (I think I have that right), who appeared with Jesse Watters spreading his infinite wisdom.  He wanted to call out the Marines because “only the Marines can kill a Marine.”  In addition, he wanted to “Kill ‘em all.”  I am not sure who “’em” are, but the Dog wanted to kill ‘em anyway.  Watters agreed.  (Note: I’m 72, people did not talk on television like this before Donald Trump.)

On the subject of the media…

I suspect that there is a canned collection of questions that anchors (like Anna Cabera, CNN) are given in mass shooting situations.  “How are you feeling?”  Is one standard question which I suppose is intended to convey deep compassion and concern for the victims and their families.  It does neither.  The other question (from Cabera) was what the victim was like “as we raise them up” to viewers.  I have no earthly idea what “raise them up” means, but it is usually followed by individuals expounding on and on about what a wonderful person this or that victim was.  I have yet to hear about a real SOB who was killed.  They are always near to saints.

Fortunately, last night, the people in Maine refused to participate in this ridiculous press-driven exercise.  The individuals I heard refused to comment on the victims, citing privacy issues.  I think this is the correct response.

It is not the character of the individuals massacred that is at issue.  It doesn’t matter if they were good, bad or indifferent.  They are dead and they didn’t need to be and we need to do something about it.

According to polling, we would have done something about it had it not been for ambitious, grifting Republican politicians who prefer to be paid off rather than act in the national interest.  I have no patience with them.

What else,  Israel.

The delay in the ground invasion of Gaza is puzzling.  Perhaps it is a strategy, I have no idea.  It is perhaps the thought that with long and longer delay, Hamas will become exhausted, pressured by the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding, or worn out with just remaining constantly prepared.

Others argue that the delay is a response to US pressure to secure troops in the wider region.  Again, I have no idea.   (Note: MSNBC has just disclosed that US has targeted areas in Syria with air attacks.)

Another line of argument (heard infrequently in the US press because they refuse to talk about the disastrous administration of Netanyahu) is that the Netanyahu government is completely disorganized, incompetent, and unable to function. 

This is what happens when a country allows a man to run the government for decades while his primary interest is “criming” and ensuring his own longevity.  In this case, he is also diverting massive resources to support a right-wing settlement movement that is creating more antagonism in the region and is considered illegal by international humanitarian bodies like the UN.

There are a great many commentators who are very sure of their positions about the past and the future of Israel and Gaza and Palestinians and the other “occupied territories.”  I am not one of them. 

It seems to me that “giving” Palestine to the Jews after WWII was the “original sin,” and nothing is ever going to be right flowing from that decision.

First, I don’t know how a country, or countries can “give” a group of people land or the right to have a state.  That act of “giving” seems to me to be a legal fiction.  On the other hand, where were European Jews to go after the horrors of WWII, and who of them would turn down this new state that held the promise of safety and a place of refuge for Jews from all over the world?

I don’t pretend to know much about the history of the region.  I am, like all of you, trying to educate myself.  I simply feel a great sorrow for all involved.  All I can hear, or be certain of, are competing voices, competing arguments. 

Since I have no first hand information, I have no idea who to believe.  Western media has cautioned about, for example, believing Hamas Health Department estimates of 5,000 people having been killed since the beginning of the bombing.  But, who are we to believe?  Israel is bombing this small territory daily and the 25 by 7 mile strip is heavily populated.

I can also hear the voices of the Jews across the world, who after WWII said, we will never, never let this happen again.  They in fact, even received criticism from some quarters for not resisting the Nazi’s enough.  So, these people and their descendants are seeing the situation in terms of having to act, having to act with ruthlessness to defend themselves from obvious hatred.

On and on and on it goes, from one side to the other.  I sit and read and think and just wonder at man’s ability to destroy himself, to hate, to kill gruesomely “eyeball to eyeball” (as one commentator phrased it) and from the buttons that release bombs from drones.

On a lighter note…

We had to break up another grudge match between two of our nine formerly feral cats this morning.  Hiram Bernard (aka The Pooper) and Alva Edison (Eddie) got into another tussle during morning walk.  There was something on the sidewalk going down to the dock.  It was something wet that had been there when we came out in the morning.

I have no idea what it was, but Pooper proceeded to roll around on top of it and rub his face into it.  After a while, the charm wore off and he proceeded to other things.  As walk time wore to an end, Eddie came back and discovered the wet patch.

So, he started to roll around all over it and rub his face into the sidewalk.  When Pooper observed this from across the yard, he lowered his head and moved in, jumping on top of Eddie.

Eddie, ran back into the screened in porch and Pooper pursued him accompanied by Tasmanian Devil noises.  Mike broke it up and the two squared off on both sides of Mike’s feet.  Tails puffed out in full battle regalia, they trash talked each other and then Pooper lunged again.  Eddie ran, Pooper pursued, Mike broke it up, more trash talk, and it started again.  Finally, Mike was able to scoot Pooper back through the kitchen and away from Eddie.

If case you didn’t already know, Pooper is a problem child, a juvenile delinquent to whom even the vet refers as “The Butthead.”  For some reason, he and Eddie have a grudge match which has been running for at least a year.

Well, I really know why.  Eddie is the only cat who will stand up to Pooper’s bullying, and so Pooper is obsessed with carving out some little inch of height over Eddie in the Male Dominance Hierarchy.  On and on it goes.

The vet finally sent us some Gabapentin to try to deal with the “butthead” problem.  After the stand off, Pooper was given his gabapentin (which is standard procedure for humans and animals now in our house) and sent off for a morning nap. 

When you have nine former feral cats, seven of which are males, you spend a lot of time fulfilling the role of referee.  Pooper responds to admonishment, but I fear he is a lot like Eddie Haskel.  He comes later and tries to weasel his way back into my good graces, usually by lying about what happened even though he knows most times I have seen it with my own eyes.

“Mom, that’s a really pretty outfit you have on.”  (Note: You have to be of a certain age to understand the joke.)