Gazan Lives Are Worth Nothing

Where has the outrage been concerning the murder of 19 Palestinians in Gaza, among them children and elderly? What a shame that these victims do not carry the surname "Fogel", otherwise they would have enjoyed their mugs splashed on the front page covers of the mainstream papers. This is just sickening. It is absolutely despicable, that the Palestinians as the brown "other" are continually dehumanized in msm outlets by not giving them their proper due and coverage.

Hamas firing rockets is such a stupid tactic. They just don't learn; it has brought more harm than good to the rest of the civilian population in Gaza, which remains under siege (Egypt, sort this out.) Granted, the rockets are shoddy tinpots that barely kill anyone, but the fact that they are fired blindly targeting whoever into the surrounding settlements is such an idiotic move and fuels the braying hasbara machine of Hamas' bloodthirsty nature, as opposed to the IDF's upstanding morality.

Israel on the other hand have the latest technologically developed weapons and deliberately pick off their victims. Those boys playing football? Huge security threat. Tzipi Livni called for another Operation Cast Lead. Did anyone bat an eye? Pure craziness that just serves to showcase once again the innate hypocrisy of Israel.

If Hamas ceased to stop firing rockets, their form of lackadaisical resistance, the reality is still not going change. Israel will still murder farmers and passersby in the ridiculous 300 meter buffer zone-which keeps getting extended-, the strip will still remain under siege, and Israeli air strikes definitely won't stop. This collective punishment which has reduced the 1.5 million civilians, over half of them under the age of 18, to just mere numbers is definitely unacceptable.

The impotent Arab League asked for a no-fly zone over Gaza to be implemented. Well. Let's see what comes out of this even though I won't hold my breath. Who am I kidding of course it won't be enforced. After all, Israel has a right to defend itself and the thousands of women, children, elderly, and non-combatant men (who always get left out in this equation) who paid the price with their blood are just collateral damage. As you were.

UPDATE: They have names. One family broken as they lost their mother and older sister.

Amy Goodman from Democracy Now talks to Omar Barghouti about Gaza, BDS, PA's tactics regarding BDS and solidarity protests, and Juliano Mer Khamis.

Fomenting People Power III

Libya's Day of Rage was on the 17th, where protesters in Benghazi, the second largest city, took to the streets. A reported 24 were killed. 5 days into the protests, over 200 have been killed so far.

Fun Facts

• It is 1,759,540 square kilometers with a population of only 6.5 million
• Almost half of the population live on 2 dollars a day
• More than 95% of Libya is desert. Hello Sahara!
• The flag is boring. It's just green
• Libya imports 75% of its food due to its arid dry weather
• There was only one king, Idris or somebody who was overthrown in 1969 by reigning Crackhead

Fun Facts about Crackhead

• Claims his name is Muammar Gaddafi
• He's the longest serving ruler in the world, with 42 years under his festering belt
• Calls himself the king of kings in Africa
• Official title is Revolutionary Leader
• Rambles on inanely in UN meetings
• Has virgin female bodyguards to protect him
• Proposed once to resolve the Israeli occupation of Palestine by calling the country Isratin('tin' being the last 3 letters in filastin/Palestine)

Call for reform: Dude, he's been in power for 42 years. Plus the whole economic (30% are unemployed) and political limitations and censorship shtick.

Demure response: Gaddafi and his pro-government supporters shared the love publicly on Friday in Tripoli, as shown by state television. Then security forces were sent to Benghazi to crack down on dissenters, shooting them with snipers. 84 were killed and 1000 more injured. Facebook, Twitter, and Al Jazeera are banned, as are foreign correspondents.

The army is on the side of the protesters now, after witnessing the brutal tactics used by mercenaries from Chad and Niger on the peaceful protesters. Anti-aircraft missiles are one means used to kill them. Women and children jumped off the Giuliana Bridge in Benghazi to escape the murderers. They either drowned or were killed by the impact of water. This is definitely the most violent government response to demonstrators calling for reform. Hospitals were running out of supplies before today saw a change of fate as protesters took charge of military barracks and police stations, liberating the city of Benghazi from troops supporting the government and looking forward to liberating more cities in the direction of Tripoli. Protesters numbered in the hundreds of thousands after a 15 were killed during a funeral procession.

2 Years Since the Horrors in Gaza

Searching through pictures of the Gaza massacre is about as fun as staring at Tzipi Livni's bearded face on Al-Jazeera TV. It reinvoked those helpless frustrated emotions in us, as we were glued to our screens unable to tear our eyes away at the horrors taking place 5o miles away from us. The fact that we couldn't even express solidarity with our fellow Palestinians was extremely difficult to stomach, to say the least, as any signs and protests expressing resistance were cruelly trampled upon by old man Abbass and his despicable legion of brainless yes men.

Israel's Operation Cast Lead has had at least one positive impact-the increasing awareness and activism carried out through the boycott, divestment, and sanctions committee all around the world. It managed to open up the eyes of citizens worldwide who finally came to terms-albeit 60 years late- with Israel's gruesome and horrifying policies against an occupied population, all at the expense of the more than a thousand innocent civilians killed, which includes over 4oo children. Convoys have been organized and sent, and some have succeeded whereas others were denied access. Now, two years on, Gaza remains what it was before the 08/09 invasion-simply forgotton about in the eyes of the international community and great upholders of human rights, such as the United Failtions. Now, more than ever, the people of Gaza are reliant on conscientious citizens to keep on notifying the world of the past and present injustices done to them and the terrorism they were subjected to by the great democratic state of Israel. Bastards Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barack, and Tzipi Livni are still walking around free, not being held accountable for the atrocities under their orders. Il dinya dawara-what goes around comes around.

22 days living in absolute trepidation while the silent eyes of the world simply looked on. This will never do, and hopefully-as the right wing nut cases are gaining more power in the Israeli government, threatening a future civil war-the Gaza massacre will have marked a crucial point in the demise of Israel as a brutal occupying force. Maybe then we can all enjoy our reparations.

Never Forget

Today marks the 28th anniversary of the massacre of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

No justice, no peace. No accountability, no amity.

Who can ever erase the grotesque images of charred and mutilated corpses of the children and the elderly, the young women and men?

Ariel Sharon, that brain coma is too good for you.

Read Robert Fisk's account right after the aftermath.

This article was written 8 years ago, commemorating the 20th anniversary.

Dr Ang Swee Chai has written her own account here.

And the youtube videos here and here.

Never forgive, never forget.