News from the Front

I am usually pretty ambiguous about Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Left likes to get on its high horse and ride it around on this issue, and damn me if I take the Right seriously about anything, so I tend to just ignore their oversimplications on the issue. Not surprisingly, that's Stephen Harper's story:

Mr. Harper said the conflict is the result of the fact that there is no Middle East peace process because "the current Palestinian government is not committed to a peace process. "Secondly, there is an immediate crisis because of the actions of Hamas and the actions of Hezbollah," he said, referring to the radical Islamic movement that controls the Palestinian Authority and the Shia Muslim group that controls much of southern Lebanon.

It's never one-sided. Not ever. But that's the technique in politics-- polarize the issue and ignore any and all nuances. Larry Zolf, who's recent political commentary has been rather less than perceptive argues that its all about the votes and I am inclined to agree with him.

In the Mideast crisis, only Harper has come out 100 percent for Israel. Harper is now Israel's best friend. Harper understands that the Tories have received little of the Jewish vote, perhaps because they are a bit too socially conservative and right of centre for the traditionally small 'l' liberal Jewish vote. Normally one would have to say Canadian Jewry would be a tough group for Harper's Tories to win over. But that is exactly what Harper has done. Harper's stand on Israel could get Harper his majority government, even if he does not break through in Quebec.

Meanwhile, my friend Adina, who has a fine blog of her own, sent me a link to the blog her sister Lisa writes. Lisa lives in Israel and like many citizens there, has been very concerned about the recent violence. I have to say that this post really impressed me. I find the thing most often lost in the arguments about various military actions is the effect on civilians-- the whole human shields argument is complete bollocks as far as I am concerned. But Lisa goes on to make an even better point about the effect of the internet on how both Lebanese and Israeli citizens feel about the war:

I do think about the fact that many of these bloggers are from their respective countries' educated, liberal elite and I am sure that amongst them are some future leaders. When this latest round of pointless death and destruction ends, when the anger dissipates, perhaps they will remember the personal connections with their "enemy." Think about what it means, if the next generation of Lebanese and Israeli politicians and business leaders have intimate and personal knowledge of the others' humanity. They won't forget that, even while there was a war going on, they were able to talk to one another and express their feelings. It's not so easy to kill someone you know. It's possible to contemplate embarking on a joint development project or business endeavour with someone from the other side - if you know him or her as a human being, not simply "the former enemy."

This is spot on as far as I can see. And it makes the principle of net neutrality even more important-- voices like this shouldn't be hidden, shunted to the bottom of search engines or given less validity than those of big corporations, many of which have economic interests at stake in one side of a given conflict or another.

But Lisa makes another even more important point. Part of the whole point of propaganda is to make in possible to dehumanize the enemy-- it's pretty hard to have a good war if you actually remember that human beings are involved on the other side, not just faceless evil monsters. That's an effect the net actually makes possible. It wouldn't surprise me if governments started to take steps to cut off that sort of communication between beliigernents under the aegis of
"security"-- but while it lasts, we should make every effort to spread the word that some people don't support this bollocks, whether they love their country or no.

It ought to be thought about...

This is a political blog (well, insofar as it's anything, seeing as I never update it) but this was an article that caught my attention and made an impact on me today.

But, mostly, I've been thinking about you, the man or woman who saved my life.It may not seem to you that you did much. All you did was blow your horn. But it was your action that certainly saved my life and quite possibly the life of my daughter.

Source

It's not just the quick thinking of the car driver that moved me. It was the thought of how little we appreciate life.

We are alive.

Regardless of what you believe happens next, this consciousness is fleeting. We so seldom stop and give thanks for the simple grace that has been granted to us to be able to go about our everyday business, to watch sunsets and listen to music. We don't appreciate the gift we have been given, a gift that could be torn apart in an instant by random chance. You could be in an accident tomorrow, be diagnosed with something terminal, be hit by a bus crossing the road.

Yes, just the simple fact of life is a great gift. What have you done to earn it lately?

Post Script: July 23rd, 2006

It is a very strange thing I wrote this went I did. Five days later, I was hit by a taxi rollerblading along a busy street in Toronto. I was not wearing a helmet. I was very, very lucky only to have suffered a concussion and some scrapes; almost miraculously lucky really. I actually don't remember anything about the incident at all; only waking up in the hospital over an hour later. I have a sort of dreamlike memory of being in the ambulance, but it is very hazy. It seems as if I have been spared to finish some of the things I worked hard to accomplish. I am not a religious man-- spiritual perhaps, but not religious-- but it is hard not to think I have something left to accomplish. Even stranger, my left rollerblade was snapped into two pieces and my glasses broken, but both my foot and my face are fine. Maybe the boot acted as armour, maybe I was just lucky.

Another strange thing; the same day I wrote this, I was up at my University, speaking with a student of mine who sustained a head injury during the semester when she was launched through the windshield of her car. She was telling me that more than six months later, she still gets bad headaches, though most of her ability to concentrate has come back. Strange that I should have this conversation the same day as I wrote this. Perhaps I was being warned? Well, it seems as if my injury was less severe, and I have been much luckier. Still, how easily it all could have been taken from me! I am recovering slowly, but surely; with hopes, I will be able to return to work shortly. But with a changed perspective I think.

I should also say, just to add a political note to this, that the folks at St. Michael's hospital were simply awesome, as was the police officer who was there when I woke up. They were good-humoured, attentive, and arranged for a thorugh battery of tests that left me confident I will recover fully. So anyone who has something to say about public health care can shut the hell up. *grin*

Barry Manilow: Scourge of the Underworld!

I mean, how could anyone actually resist linking to this? I always knew he had it in him.