August 5, 2006
by Russell Cole

American politicians - with the exception of the atypically principled Chuck Hegel - refuse to even consider the possibility that Israel is anything less than fully justified in its ferocious attack upon the country and inhabitants of Lebanon.  Apparently, the dehumanizing expression, collateral damage, is a sufficient rhetorical device to effectively obfuscate the destruction of non-combatant human life during military operations that are planned under the auspices of the foresight that such atrocities can likely occur and are in fact probable.  Israeli soldiers, who retain their humanity during the strategic considerations of the Israeli war technicians are not to be endangered through their deployment on the ground until the area has been thoroughly bombarded with artillery and bombs from the air.  As it has been announced, Israel will take its time and choose when to actually attempt to occupy the Southern portions of Lebanon.  Transparently, an Israeli life is far more esteemed than a Lebanese noncombatant civilian.  Of course, Israel in a great gesture of consideration for the Lebanese inhabitants has dropped leaflets warning the indigenous population to leave their homes in order the avoid an impending assault from the American supplied planes dropping 'high-precision' American bombs upon the Lebanese that apparently are not precise enough to compensate for the imprecise intelligence of the Israeli war technicians as they coordinate their targets.

I, personally, am too the point of exasperation over the inability of this country, America, to even raise objection to this onslaught.  In order for me to express the reasons for my dismay, let us go over the events that precipitated this slaughter.  Israel currently detains, against international law, approximately 9000 Lebanese and Arabs in its prisons.  In order to barter for the release of these prisoners, held in extrajudicial limbo, the militant group in Southern Lebanon, which formed in response to Israel's earlier invasion and occupancy of Lebanon, captured 2 Israeli soldiers.  Well, I suppose the value of a Muslim life has increased in its evaluation by two fold because it is now worth, approximately, 1/4500th, of an Israeli's life, because this is what has 'justified' Israel's unrelenting incursions with accumulating 'collateral damage' into Lebanon.

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I have some basic proposals for the general conditions that might eventually lead to an end of this ongoing conflict between Israel and virtually all of its geopolitical neighbors.  First, and I borrow this recommendation from Chomsky, Israel can begin by following the Geneva Convention.  Second, Israel can unconditionally withdrawal from the West Bank.  Third, Israel will end what amounts to the guidoization of the Gaza Strip, as it continues to isolate to the most densely populated area in the World - I wonder why? - from all transactions it might conduct with its neighbors and fellow nationals.

Enough is enough, and I personally am not going to be inhibited from speaking out against this outrage due to it making me vulnerable to these ridiculous accusations of anti-Semite.  The "Little Warrior Nation," Israel, must end this mistreatment of the indigenous inhabitants whom Israel has already displaced from much of their traditional homeland.  I am publicly, at this point, not an anti-Semite, but most certainly, and unapologetically, an anti-Zionist.  There is nothing I can really affect with respect to this, but I have seen enough this dehumanization of Muslim life, and I refuse to politely swallow my own vomit any longer as these crimes against humanity continue, and members of my very own country refuse to consider that this should end, right now!

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Russell Cole [send him email] is a contributing author to the Populist Party of America, and is the coordinator for the Populist Party's Midwest Alliance, the Midwest Populist Party.  Read more from Russell Cole at the Midwest Populist Party blog.