Sunday, September 30, 2012

Enough!


I am sure our good friend Mark will not mind if we repost this from his mailing list.  You can also hear him at 6:00 Central Time at KOPN with his program.




AFGHAN WAR ANNIVERSARY—JOIN IN SAYING “ENOUGH!”

We are approaching the 11th anniversary of the start of the War in Afghanistan, now the longest war in U.S. history. Although the war is largely forgotten and the updates rarely make page one of the paper, or featured positions in newscasts, the costs and the death tolls are all too real. And what news we do get isn’t good news. Instead, we hear of blue-on-green killings, attacks on U.S. and NATO troops by Afghan troops and police. We hear of increased rates of Taliban attacks and of greater use of drones, leading to more civilian deaths as well. And any progress that might be getting made on the negotiations front is not visible. We thus appear no closer to a resolution to this conflict than when President Obama took office nearly four years ago.

To date this year, 261 GIs have met their deaths in Afghanistan, nearly one per day on average. In total, since the start of the conflict, 2,125 GIs have lost their lives there, with more than two-thirds of these deaths coming on Obama’s watch, not Bush’s. This, of course, says nothing about the much greater loss of life, limb, home and family the Afghans are continuing to experience. Nor have we touched on the massive financial cost of the war, recently running $2 billion per week. This has probably come down somewhat, as some troops have been withdrawn, but our government plans to keep combat troops in the field there for another 27 months, through the end of 2014, and then to station troops on training missions for another 10 years, through 2024. Can you say “endless war”?

It’s a sad commentary on the state of our democracy that for several years the polls have shown a substantial majority of the American people—roughly two-thirds to three-quarters—would like to see the Afghan War ended, but politicians are not feeling the heat for failing to do the will of the people. Both major presidential candidates have taken positions opposite to the will of the majority, and Afghanistan has not been deemed a campaign issue. And, in fact, most voters, while not liking the war, are paying it little mind, which makes it easy for the politicians to get away with pro-war positions.

We, here at Peaceworks, continue to advocate for a negotiated end to the conflict as well as for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the provision of reparations to aid in the rebuilding of the country. We also recognize the responsibility for allocating sufficient funds to aid in the healing of lives, including all those dislocated by the war, Afghans as well as returned U.S. veterans.

We urge all members and supporters to take a few minutes this week to contact the White House as well as your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Rep. to share your feelings about the Afghan War. You can find their contact info at:  http://blog.midmopeaceworks.org/p/resources.html

Saturday, September 29, 2012

972 Bibi -- WTF?


THE ABSURDEST OF TIMES


This is from a blog published in Israel.  The name is the AREA CODE. 

As usual, if you have the copyright and want this removed, let me know and I'll delete it.

So far, the strategy has worked -- he kept the focus away from the plight of the Palestinians.

He was unintentionally funny, but the make the Three Stooges look like Statesmen.



 

Bibi's ACME bomb at UNGA inspires Israeli meme artists

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (or should I say Bib E. Coyote?) had a lot of people worldwide holding their stomachs with laughter as he held his Looney Tune ACME bomb above the UNGA podium. The Israeli meme artists, as usual, were quick to respond. Here are a few (I may update as the creativity surges):

About here, there’s no more chips. It’s just air (Constantin Lauri)

(Tzvika Besor)

(Yuval Drier Shilo)

And that’s where he touched me (Amir Schiby)

(Amir Schiby)

(Ido Kenan)

(Ido Kenan)

And this is how I killed the roadrunner (I can get falafel Facebook page)

(Arie Yampuler)

(Dagan Wald)

(Noa Angel)

(Sara Miller)

(Shira Glezerman)

(Dubi Kaufman)

(Itay Kaplan)

(Amir Schiby)

(Amir Schiby)

 

My precious (Amir Schiby)

(Amir Schiby)

(Amir Schiby)



  • COMMENTS

    1. Anonymous

      The mighty Israeli left in action.

       Reply to Comment
      • Y-Man

        the mighty hasbara troll in action

         Reply to Comment
    2. Don’t push him. He’s a maniac.

       Reply to Comment
    3. Danny

      Holy crap! He actually used that bomb pic? Absolutely shameless man! I doubt he’s ever been ashamed of himself in his entire life. I doubt if he even knows the meaning of the word ‘shame’. Well, as an Israeli citizen, I am ashamed for my country that this buffoon is its leader!

       Reply to Comment
      • Deathstar

        He has lost his faculties- no question.

         Reply to Comment
      • M_s

        He not only used it, he felt the need of explaining it to his audience:

        “This is a diagram.
        This is a bomb.
        This is the fuse.”

         Reply to Comment
      • Mitchell Cohen

        @Danny, I remember you saying you “gave up being an Israeli a few years ago”.

         Reply to Comment
    4. Ibrahim

      Hhhhhhhhh
      Big lol

      Super like guys
      You release my pitty angry .

       Reply to Comment
    5. Edwin

      Easy to criticize. Easy to laugh. But Bibi has the responsibility, and A-jad still wants to make a big explosion in Israel. Keep on yucking it up.

       Reply to Comment
    6. Lisa Roehrig

      These are sooo hilarious. On a serious note, however, why is the actual picture AS hilarious. Now it’s just a mockery of us all, isn’t it?

       Reply to Comment
    7. Shelly

      BIBI BOMBS AT U.N.!
      His ridiculous prop is akin to Clint Eastwood talking to a chair.

       Reply to Comment
    8. Debs

      I preferred Abu Mazen`s speech- it was factually 100% correct and he is prepared to take responsibility for all his faults. I wish Israel had a leader like him!!!!!!

       Reply to Comment
    9. great, Magazine!!!

       Reply to Comment
    10. Vadim

      Guys, this is simply not funny. I love political humour and caricaturisation. But is nonsense and the only reason you lie to yourself and exclaim how funny it is – is because Bibi is there. This is the same as telling “Yo Mama” jokes about him. It makes you look childish and ridiculous.

       Reply to Comment
      • Aristeides

        The person who looks childish and ridiculous is Bibi. That’s why we have ridicule.

        The problem is, this cartoon caracter actually has real bombs and wants to use them.

         Reply to Comment
    11. @vadim – you’re not funny either.

       Reply to Comment
    12. Caleb

      Nothing like self-hating Jews!

       Reply to Comment
    13. Rupert

      down with zionism

       Reply to Comment
      • Caleb

        Since the Jewish tradition says that the world was created for Israel I infer that if we have to take it all down with us it is the only a logical conclusion.
        2,000 years of anti-semitism, persecution in Europe to the max culminating with the Holocaust it seems rather bizarre that in the end the Jews are endowed with the ability to defend themselves for the first time in 2,000 years, don’t you think?

         Reply to Comment
        • Caleb: Isn’t it time you started a serious heshbon nefesh with yourself as to what defence or real security in a normal country mean? Like living with your neighbours (including ALL our citizens, not just some), allowing normal life to them and NOT threatening the region with nuclear, as Israel has done for the past 40 years or so? Our Samson complex is suicidal, and Israel (as you must know if you live here) is the least secure place on the Earth for Jews. If the intention was to provide a safe haven, it’s failed. If the intention was to abide by the moral, ethical code of Judaism, it’s failed. Could it be because the one policy we’ve never tried is generosity? Or a genuine, goodfaith attempt at peace?

           Reply to Comment
    14. Dennis

      I doubt there there will be killings and burning of flags because of these cartoons. Quite a contrast.

       Reply to Comment
    15. Amy Goodman points out that Bibi was saying the same thing (Iran will soon have the bomb) back in 1992.

       Reply to Comment
      • Paul

        … in other words – about as long as Sy Hirsh has been telling us about the imminent attack on Iran by Israel …

         Reply to Comment