Smile Don't Frown

On 11^th January some of us in Worcester will be hosting a film showing of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, which follows the story of three men of three different faiths and their lives in Israel and Palestine. According to the film’s website, it examines ‘the struggle to promote equality through nonviolent engagement in the midst of incredible violence that has dehumanized all sides. Sami’s story begins as a young boy living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; Yonatan’s starts on an Israeli military base; and Ahmad’s begins in a Palestinian refugee camp.’ [1]

The BBC could learn a lot about how to humanize all sides, instead of repeating the word ‘militants’ and ‘Islamists’ whenever Israel has ‘retaliated’ by murdering innocent civilians. Apparently ‘two years ago, a 22-day clash between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza killed an estimated 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and 13 Israelis’. [2]

No, it’s a war against PEOPLE not ‘militants’. Oh, and animals – I’ve seen photos taken by someone who went to treat casualties in Gaza. The Israeli military made sure to massacre livestock as well as innocent people. I wouldn’t rule out the BBC parroting Israeli propaganda about terrorist cows…

Happy New Year.

[1] http://littletownofbethlehem.org/

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12079970

For years, since the Iraq war, I’ve not been fond of Ben Brown – he just comes across as so achingly loyal to his paymasters. Richard Seymour, writing about Brown’s much-panned interview with Jody McIntyre (now destined to be remembered as the guy who was dragged out of his wheelchair by police) gives a great description of Brown:

‘Ben Brown…failed to notice how utterly absurd and obscene it is to imply that a wheelchair bound man with cerebral palsy is any physical threat to armed policemen. Brown regurgitated, without a moment’s reflection as to its credibility, the “suggestion” that Mcintyre was wheeling his wheelchair toward the police, as if that was relevant, as if it would pose a threat that could possibly justify assaulting Mcintyre in his wheelchair, throwing him onto the road and dragging him across its surface. He did this because that’s what people like him always instinctively do, and it simply didn’t occur to him that there was any other way to behave. And that’s the whole problem.’ [1]

At least Jody McIntyre was subsequently given a platform to speak so articulately about ‘the whole problem’:

‘Why do we so heavily criticise state television in other countries and then suggest that our state television would be impartial? I was at a demonstration against the government, and I’m then interviewed on television that works for the government. Why would they question me fairly?…To me, it’s as if people must have been asleep all their lives if they don’t realise this is the police’s role at demonstrations – to protect the interests of the government and the state.’ [2]

And to think that David Cameron told China to respect the rule of law and that a free press represent the best path to stability and prosperity! [3]

The term ‘hypocritical scumbag’ comes to mind, but that would be childish.

Jody McIntyre for Prime Minister!

[1] http://leninology.blogspot.com/# (14/12/10)

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/15/jody-mcintyre-protester-dragged-from-wheelchair

[3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11723838