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THE ABSURD TIMES
Illustration: Sent by one of you who usually sends texts or articles. Self-explanatory.
This, on the other hand, was sent to me by one of you who usually deals with images, not prose:
"You cannot say I am anti-Semitic because I hold no animosity toward the other Semite tribes who live in the area. I am anti-Israeli. Like most of my generation, I was raised to believe that Israel was our friend our ally, and I blithely believed that and supported them for lo these many years, but after so long and so many failed negotiations - I see these supposedly "wise" people have not been able to negotiate a peace with the original inhabitants of the area as mandated them by the UN after WWII; - 60 odd years, they have not been able to make any progress? That doesn't sound very smart . In the meantime, they almost sank our ship "Liberty" and killed how many of our sailors -120? There are many other indications of their non- alliance and their willingness to forge war against their neighbor on their own forever up to and including this latest announcement to build 1600 houses for Israelis in Jerusalem and I have come to believe that Israel should be "proverbially" driven into the sea with all expediency and with an announced lack of any support from the US to back them. "
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Now the following may be a bit "dense" as one reader describes it, but I think it is worth pointing out:
Many Americans, well, some Americans, expect that Israel and the Palestinians will accomplish a two-state solution and that peace will reign. Both Moslems and Christians, especially, think that prophesy signals the end of Israel. The end has something to do with Al-Aqusa Mosque (pardon the spelling) and the "Wall" and the domicile of David -- the old David. Predictions run from about 10 to 60 years. Our media seem to think that everything will be worked out way before that.
There have been a few interesting developments. Hootenanny's government announced the construction of 1,600 dwellings in Jerusalem, an extremely contentious announcement and issue. Even worse, he did it during the visit of the U.S. Vice-President, making him look like a dupe. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, called and berated him for 45 minutes and announcement that Israel had "insulted" the United States. Hm -- what happens to countries the United States have described as "insulting"?
The last peace talks that had a chance of going somewhere, between Arafat, Bill Clinton, and Barak, were, in truth, abandoned by Israel, and over the capitol city. Of course, we were told the bad guys did it.
Well, how soon is a solution likely? Never. A two state solution is as likely as the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series. It is worth a moment to consider that. Americans, aptly called the "United States of Amnesia," a third of the electorate can not even FIND the United States on a map, can hardly be expected to remember 1812. (It is worth pointing out, rather than the insulting adage that "You get the government you deserve," it is more to the point that the Government gets the electorate it deserves. Bush was so egregious that his administration got an idealistic, progressive, forward looking electorate and the Republicans were thrown out on their asses. Obama is so feckless, not at all representing the electorate he had, so that he will eventually get an electorate I can not bear to describe, but it will be what he deserves.
At any rate, back to 1812, Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo, the "Eroica" symphony of Beethoven, our own little war with Briton, and so on. It was a long time ago. It was the time of the New Madrid earthquake, named after a town in the "Louisiana Territory," now called Missouri.
This could go on and on, but you get the idea. 96 years later, nearly a century later, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. To this date, 102 years later, they have never won another. So, it has already taken longer the the time from the war of 1812 to the Championship that since the last time until now. Still, you will find people in Chicago who actually believe that the Cubs will win the World Series soon. All I can say is that it is much more likely that the Cubs will win a World Series than a Two-State solution in the Middle-East.
