Turkey, international NGOs and many good fellows feel very brave to send people in front of the Israeli army....where are they after two years of bloodshed in Syria? or in face of UN's claims of toture in Crimea?
Well, where were they also in Tibet? Burundi? Somalia? Sudan.....
Bottom line, others will do for you only when it's easy and not really risky.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Ukraine's fate and the fall of western liberalism
Regardless of which side you support in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict (or the Syrian conflict), there are a few obvious conclusions to draw.
First, the USA and EU credibility were substantially damaged . They seems to be good at making promises, but when needed they aren't there. Compare Bashar Al-Assad, Russia and Iran's ally to Mubarak, USA's ally.
Second, no one will protect you but your own. International treaties are worthless in front of aggression since no one will enforce them for you. People are still being gassed in Syria according to some reports, and no one does a thing. Ukrainian soil was invaded by one of the sides who signed on an agreement to protect it in exchange of Ukraine's nuclear disarmament - the other signers USA and UK did nothing to prevent it.
Third, the international left is silent and worthless. It seems that ideals are relative and applied selectively. It means they are applied only when it's easy to do so. Liberals world wide did nothing to stop the conflict in Ukraine nor the massacre in Syria. I'm not even talking about human shields to fly over to Syria to protect its people - I'm merely talking about substantial demonstrations or funds mobilization. Ukrainians, Syrians and Russians are all left alone to their destiny.
Fourth, if you are not wiling to die, someone will kill you. Yes, you are right...it sounds like the jungle law. If Ukraine would have posed fierce opposition in Crimea, even is symbolic - showing its people determination to protect their territory, there is a chance that Putin would have reconsidered his moves. Given the anemic response of the west and the disgrace of the Ukrainian army, there is no chance whatsoever that the Russian army will stay away of East Ukraine and the Russian population over there. Why should they?
The domino building of global order is quickly crumbling and we will all pay the price.
Again, brutal force as the upper hand - the more brutal you are the less chance there is someone will stop you.
The healthy, wealthy and well fed idealists of EU and USA, again lost any survival instincts. They may be afraid or just living in a world of fairy tales.
The only 'good' side to this sad story, is that if we thought that the world was being racist when not helping out the millions massacred in Sudan, Burundi and other places - we can rest assure that they won't help also 'paler' kinds. Sad.
Now just come to think how will it affect other conflicts for an instance the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Will anyone trust international guarantees, agreements and forces? Or will instead everyone uphold Darwin's simple and so-painful true of survival of the fittest?
I think you already know the answer. Just go to YouTube and search for 'Syria'. I promise you wont sleep tonight after watching this.
First, the USA and EU credibility were substantially damaged . They seems to be good at making promises, but when needed they aren't there. Compare Bashar Al-Assad, Russia and Iran's ally to Mubarak, USA's ally.
Second, no one will protect you but your own. International treaties are worthless in front of aggression since no one will enforce them for you. People are still being gassed in Syria according to some reports, and no one does a thing. Ukrainian soil was invaded by one of the sides who signed on an agreement to protect it in exchange of Ukraine's nuclear disarmament - the other signers USA and UK did nothing to prevent it.
Third, the international left is silent and worthless. It seems that ideals are relative and applied selectively. It means they are applied only when it's easy to do so. Liberals world wide did nothing to stop the conflict in Ukraine nor the massacre in Syria. I'm not even talking about human shields to fly over to Syria to protect its people - I'm merely talking about substantial demonstrations or funds mobilization. Ukrainians, Syrians and Russians are all left alone to their destiny.
Fourth, if you are not wiling to die, someone will kill you. Yes, you are right...it sounds like the jungle law. If Ukraine would have posed fierce opposition in Crimea, even is symbolic - showing its people determination to protect their territory, there is a chance that Putin would have reconsidered his moves. Given the anemic response of the west and the disgrace of the Ukrainian army, there is no chance whatsoever that the Russian army will stay away of East Ukraine and the Russian population over there. Why should they?
The domino building of global order is quickly crumbling and we will all pay the price.
Again, brutal force as the upper hand - the more brutal you are the less chance there is someone will stop you.
The healthy, wealthy and well fed idealists of EU and USA, again lost any survival instincts. They may be afraid or just living in a world of fairy tales.
The only 'good' side to this sad story, is that if we thought that the world was being racist when not helping out the millions massacred in Sudan, Burundi and other places - we can rest assure that they won't help also 'paler' kinds. Sad.
Now just come to think how will it affect other conflicts for an instance the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Will anyone trust international guarantees, agreements and forces? Or will instead everyone uphold Darwin's simple and so-painful true of survival of the fittest?
I think you already know the answer. Just go to YouTube and search for 'Syria'. I promise you wont sleep tonight after watching this.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The price of treason
During years the liberal democratic countries supported authoritarian friendly regimes in the Arab world. They even enjoyed the perks of having friendly soil in which some of the limitations of the democratic world did not apply. They also gained some tranquillity from the dreaded dream of extreme Islam control over those countries.
The west never turned its back to these allies, until they really needed its support. The west first sin was never making a real effort to create a liberal social infrastructure in these countries. Dictatorship was just fine. They didn't want to take any risks. So, they sacrificed principals for realpolitik.
However, when their allies needed them and were really threatened, the second sin took the stage. The west's secular allies were sacrificed also in the name of realpolitik. A stupid idea that this will get the west some points with the upcoming regimes.
The role of left parties and thinkers in this play of hypocrisy, betrayal and short sighting is appalling and showing again the weakness versus opposing forces in house and worldwide. The voices raising mainly from the European left who preferred to side with the Muslim Brotherhood s and not with the secular Authoritarian regimes are just incomprehensible. One could understand if they had fiercely supported liberal-secular groups and warned them from playing into the hands of the Islamist extremists, but that was not the case in Egypt, isn't in Syria and was never with the Palestinians.
Now the liberal countries look hypocritical for not promoting what they claim to be their core liberal values and for not standing by its official allies or even by its ideological allies (liberal sectors). And all this, for what? For supporting upcoming regimes which ideologically will be opposed to liberalism, that will clash with the small liberal elites in this countries.
In a tough neighborhood a man with no principals and no friends left has only one resource in hand - force. You can definitely expect that force will be needed. So much blood will be shed in order to reassert what was lost during years of hypocrisy.
The most amazing thing of all is how some columnists are partying and declaring that Russia's stand is getting weaker together with Al-Assad. In the very short term and tactically speaking this is correct. However, you tell me - next time you'll be out looking for an ally - who would you like by your side - Obama and Sarkozy (pick any European leader) or Putin?
Liberals should have made a priority to support the liberals in every country and then apply realpolitik to serve their needs or just stick by their allies. What's done is done. Now it is time to reassess who are the liberalism's allies.
A personal note as someone living in the middle east. I believe there is no way around. The nations of the region have a chance to take a great lesson on self defining their fate. We will all pay the price of these lessons, either high or low, but there is no way around learning and experiencing which was never done. Like in Europe, when people didn't understand the benefits of democracy and liberalism they easily gave it up. Eventually, I believe, things will improve. You ask: when will this occur? Sincerely, I have no idea.
The west never turned its back to these allies, until they really needed its support. The west first sin was never making a real effort to create a liberal social infrastructure in these countries. Dictatorship was just fine. They didn't want to take any risks. So, they sacrificed principals for realpolitik.
However, when their allies needed them and were really threatened, the second sin took the stage. The west's secular allies were sacrificed also in the name of realpolitik. A stupid idea that this will get the west some points with the upcoming regimes.
The role of left parties and thinkers in this play of hypocrisy, betrayal and short sighting is appalling and showing again the weakness versus opposing forces in house and worldwide. The voices raising mainly from the European left who preferred to side with the Muslim Brotherhood s and not with the secular Authoritarian regimes are just incomprehensible. One could understand if they had fiercely supported liberal-secular groups and warned them from playing into the hands of the Islamist extremists, but that was not the case in Egypt, isn't in Syria and was never with the Palestinians.
Now the liberal countries look hypocritical for not promoting what they claim to be their core liberal values and for not standing by its official allies or even by its ideological allies (liberal sectors). And all this, for what? For supporting upcoming regimes which ideologically will be opposed to liberalism, that will clash with the small liberal elites in this countries.
In a tough neighborhood a man with no principals and no friends left has only one resource in hand - force. You can definitely expect that force will be needed. So much blood will be shed in order to reassert what was lost during years of hypocrisy.
The most amazing thing of all is how some columnists are partying and declaring that Russia's stand is getting weaker together with Al-Assad. In the very short term and tactically speaking this is correct. However, you tell me - next time you'll be out looking for an ally - who would you like by your side - Obama and Sarkozy (pick any European leader) or Putin?
Liberals should have made a priority to support the liberals in every country and then apply realpolitik to serve their needs or just stick by their allies. What's done is done. Now it is time to reassess who are the liberalism's allies.
A personal note as someone living in the middle east. I believe there is no way around. The nations of the region have a chance to take a great lesson on self defining their fate. We will all pay the price of these lessons, either high or low, but there is no way around learning and experiencing which was never done. Like in Europe, when people didn't understand the benefits of democracy and liberalism they easily gave it up. Eventually, I believe, things will improve. You ask: when will this occur? Sincerely, I have no idea.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Celebrating at the Bastille - Unconscious Leftists
I couldn't be more amazed to watch the joy of the socialist celebrations in France after taking the elections.
These elections have proven that liberal France is dead - or at least that socialists don't really have a liberal French majority.
Even when the far right casted about 20% of the votes and refused to vote for Sarkozy, Hollande barely got 50% of the votes with very little difference over Sarkozy.
The votes Hollande got consisted of classic liberals (modern liberals, secular, feminist, gay, etc) but also of a large contingent of people who voted just to oppose the Republican Secular strict agenda lead by Sarkozy. These people (mainly marginalized and extremized communities) do not understand or share the values of the liberal left that sincerely embraces them - in some cases even despise them. Hollande couldn't have refused to these votes, but I'm not sure his people understand the undercurrents.
If we do the simple arithmetic, the liberals in France are an absolute minority which managed to take the elections supported by non-liberal populations based on an ad-hoc need.
I would assume that given this anti-Sarkozy coalition, Hollande's administration will evade promoting a "Franchising" policy and not even liberal education to all the French population. The amazing Republican building will be growingly under attack from left and from right.
By the end of Hollande's term the far right in France will be stronger and bigger than ever as well as the non-liberal communities who voted him.
Does Hollande have an alternative? Yes he does. He must take the middle path, cherish the Republican liberal values even at the expense of losing a chunk of his voters. The other way will be far too disastrous for the liberal essence of the republic. Hollande's administration must see itself as the last defender of the Republican values. Otherwise, I'm afraid there will be nothing to stand between the troops of La-Pen and Immigrants' gangs that will clash in the streets.
The Conquest of the Bastille (CC Wikipedia)
These elections have proven that liberal France is dead - or at least that socialists don't really have a liberal French majority.
Even when the far right casted about 20% of the votes and refused to vote for Sarkozy, Hollande barely got 50% of the votes with very little difference over Sarkozy.
The votes Hollande got consisted of classic liberals (modern liberals, secular, feminist, gay, etc) but also of a large contingent of people who voted just to oppose the Republican Secular strict agenda lead by Sarkozy. These people (mainly marginalized and extremized communities) do not understand or share the values of the liberal left that sincerely embraces them - in some cases even despise them. Hollande couldn't have refused to these votes, but I'm not sure his people understand the undercurrents.
If we do the simple arithmetic, the liberals in France are an absolute minority which managed to take the elections supported by non-liberal populations based on an ad-hoc need.
I would assume that given this anti-Sarkozy coalition, Hollande's administration will evade promoting a "Franchising" policy and not even liberal education to all the French population. The amazing Republican building will be growingly under attack from left and from right.
By the end of Hollande's term the far right in France will be stronger and bigger than ever as well as the non-liberal communities who voted him.
Does Hollande have an alternative? Yes he does. He must take the middle path, cherish the Republican liberal values even at the expense of losing a chunk of his voters. The other way will be far too disastrous for the liberal essence of the republic. Hollande's administration must see itself as the last defender of the Republican values. Otherwise, I'm afraid there will be nothing to stand between the troops of La-Pen and Immigrants' gangs that will clash in the streets.
The Conquest of the Bastille (CC Wikipedia)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sustainable Liberalism?
In an era where sustainability is one of the most common buzzwords spread by liberals worldwide we have the right to ask ourselves: Is Liberalism itself sustainable?
Liberal ideas carry a lot of real world attributes which we commonly define as positive, like tolerance, human and civil rights, advance of knowledge, higher life standards, novelty by free minds - just to mention a few.*
However, Liberalism bears also a terrible pain. It carries at its womb a time bomb that will bring to its own destruction. Either this aggressive tumor or one of its complications will kill liberalism. Its self assuredness and pacifism.
Modern liberalism is pacifist. Its main stream adherents do not want to fight in real wars. Actually, many times they do not want to fight at all. The belief in Liberalism embeds the belief in man kindness, benevolence and an ever improving world. So, if the good always win and if everyone are good, why should one fight at all.
This liberalism is light years away from the much more realist founders of liberalism or the revolutionaries of the French Revolution, who lived the oppression that they wanted to oust with their liberal ideas.They knew they had to fight and die for the life they wanted.
Modern liberals, mainly western ones, have never felt oppression, commonly the worst thing they went through is unemployment.We grew up in welfare states, we saw too many movies in which the good guys always win and whenever we felt blue we could just open the TV to watch a movie, read a book, go for a drink or go shopping. We didn't have to be out fighting for our families' or ideas' survival.
If you have ever participated in an elections campaign, felt the stress in the days before the elections and celebrated with multitudes a victory, you probably know that feeling of an essential battle been won. A tide of strong feelings that you didn't know exist in you. But, a few days later the feeling is gone. This emotion, this fervor lacks in the liberal movement and when it exists it is commonly turned in the wrong direction.
Some additional characteristics add to the clinical history of our soon to be defeated liberal camp.
Liberal people make little children, while non liberals tend to have many.
Liberal communities (if you can call community to an agglomeration of individuals) tend to be tolerant to ideas that threat their way of life even in a violent way, while non liberal communities do not reciprocate and do not allow liberal ideas to freely enter their realm.
Liberals tend more than others to focus on career and material achievements over ideology and community life. Individualism is venerated while the general good which requires an effort to defend is left for others to do. It is a kind of outsourced values implementation. NGOs to which we contribute from time to time, tweet their links, share their Facebook posts or rarely manifest for are the perfect conscience purifier.
Our family life is a sterile from ideas and actions, and even when it is full with ideals passed to our children, we are rarely activists - thus teaching our children what hypocrisy and that a good liberal doesn't have to stand for his ideas.
Liberal which are activists prefer to reprimand their own community or other liberal communities for not being liberal enough towards others, while exalting non-liberals as mere noble savages. It is safer to verbally castigate a liberal society, since the attached price tag is low. When you attack a non liberal society you may be required to pay higher prices which almost no contemporary liberal is willing to pay.
Living such a sweet life, never having to really fight for your way of life and convictions, tunes down our instincts. Most of us are not able anymore to correctly identify who are the essential rivals. This is easily exemplified by cooperation of leftist organizations with dictatorships and undemocratic regimes. So, either these organizations aren't liberal or they are blind and cannot recognize the enemy. Maybe they cannot take seriously any enemy - after all they believe, the good guys will always win.
Human character is shaped like that of other animals through struggles, combats and playing-training towards them. When daily life is left out of any existential struggle and when we are educated that nothing is worth fighting for, we suppress those basic instincts.
The elites which carry the ideas of every regime are always the first ones to become complacent, lose their instincts and take the path towards the extinction of their own regime. Elites, being spoiled and living well, tend to become cosmopolitan, less provincial and supposedly more and more liberal. This is a stage of suicidal liberalism. Liberalism like any other idea must keep its vitality. It must have a Carthage to rival with if it wants to avoid petrification.
* These 'positive' and benevolent attributes can be considered such only in certain situations. When being a 'good guy' gets you or someone from your family/community killed by the 'bad guys' in your neighborhood, there is no meaning anymore to 'being good'.
Sometimes I feel that Hollywood is one of the main problems of the modern liberalism. Darwin taught us that the fittest, the fiercest and the strongest survives. Extremists, dictators and racists twisted the ideas trying to justify some of the most horrible deeds in human history. Liberals decided that they will negate and turn their back to any notion of Darwinism in politics and society. This is where Hollywood gets into the picture. It seems that liberals truly tend to believe that the good guys will always win. I find no possible explanations to that but two - stupidity or watching too many Hollywood movies.
Hi everybody! Wake up! Bad guys do win if you do not fight back! You cannot assume that wife beaters and child abusers will change their ways nor you can assume the same about crazy extremists, people who think a certain deity allowed them to kill others or deprive their women from basic rights.
Liberal ideas carry a lot of real world attributes which we commonly define as positive, like tolerance, human and civil rights, advance of knowledge, higher life standards, novelty by free minds - just to mention a few.*
However, Liberalism bears also a terrible pain. It carries at its womb a time bomb that will bring to its own destruction. Either this aggressive tumor or one of its complications will kill liberalism. Its self assuredness and pacifism.
Modern liberalism is pacifist. Its main stream adherents do not want to fight in real wars. Actually, many times they do not want to fight at all. The belief in Liberalism embeds the belief in man kindness, benevolence and an ever improving world. So, if the good always win and if everyone are good, why should one fight at all.
This liberalism is light years away from the much more realist founders of liberalism or the revolutionaries of the French Revolution, who lived the oppression that they wanted to oust with their liberal ideas.They knew they had to fight and die for the life they wanted.
Modern liberals, mainly western ones, have never felt oppression, commonly the worst thing they went through is unemployment.We grew up in welfare states, we saw too many movies in which the good guys always win and whenever we felt blue we could just open the TV to watch a movie, read a book, go for a drink or go shopping. We didn't have to be out fighting for our families' or ideas' survival.
If you have ever participated in an elections campaign, felt the stress in the days before the elections and celebrated with multitudes a victory, you probably know that feeling of an essential battle been won. A tide of strong feelings that you didn't know exist in you. But, a few days later the feeling is gone. This emotion, this fervor lacks in the liberal movement and when it exists it is commonly turned in the wrong direction.
Some additional characteristics add to the clinical history of our soon to be defeated liberal camp.
Liberal people make little children, while non liberals tend to have many.
Liberal communities (if you can call community to an agglomeration of individuals) tend to be tolerant to ideas that threat their way of life even in a violent way, while non liberal communities do not reciprocate and do not allow liberal ideas to freely enter their realm.
Liberals tend more than others to focus on career and material achievements over ideology and community life. Individualism is venerated while the general good which requires an effort to defend is left for others to do. It is a kind of outsourced values implementation. NGOs to which we contribute from time to time, tweet their links, share their Facebook posts or rarely manifest for are the perfect conscience purifier.
Our family life is a sterile from ideas and actions, and even when it is full with ideals passed to our children, we are rarely activists - thus teaching our children what hypocrisy and that a good liberal doesn't have to stand for his ideas.
Liberal which are activists prefer to reprimand their own community or other liberal communities for not being liberal enough towards others, while exalting non-liberals as mere noble savages. It is safer to verbally castigate a liberal society, since the attached price tag is low. When you attack a non liberal society you may be required to pay higher prices which almost no contemporary liberal is willing to pay.
Living such a sweet life, never having to really fight for your way of life and convictions, tunes down our instincts. Most of us are not able anymore to correctly identify who are the essential rivals. This is easily exemplified by cooperation of leftist organizations with dictatorships and undemocratic regimes. So, either these organizations aren't liberal or they are blind and cannot recognize the enemy. Maybe they cannot take seriously any enemy - after all they believe, the good guys will always win.
Human character is shaped like that of other animals through struggles, combats and playing-training towards them. When daily life is left out of any existential struggle and when we are educated that nothing is worth fighting for, we suppress those basic instincts.
The elites which carry the ideas of every regime are always the first ones to become complacent, lose their instincts and take the path towards the extinction of their own regime. Elites, being spoiled and living well, tend to become cosmopolitan, less provincial and supposedly more and more liberal. This is a stage of suicidal liberalism. Liberalism like any other idea must keep its vitality. It must have a Carthage to rival with if it wants to avoid petrification.
* These 'positive' and benevolent attributes can be considered such only in certain situations. When being a 'good guy' gets you or someone from your family/community killed by the 'bad guys' in your neighborhood, there is no meaning anymore to 'being good'.
Sometimes I feel that Hollywood is one of the main problems of the modern liberalism. Darwin taught us that the fittest, the fiercest and the strongest survives. Extremists, dictators and racists twisted the ideas trying to justify some of the most horrible deeds in human history. Liberals decided that they will negate and turn their back to any notion of Darwinism in politics and society. This is where Hollywood gets into the picture. It seems that liberals truly tend to believe that the good guys will always win. I find no possible explanations to that but two - stupidity or watching too many Hollywood movies.
Hi everybody! Wake up! Bad guys do win if you do not fight back! You cannot assume that wife beaters and child abusers will change their ways nor you can assume the same about crazy extremists, people who think a certain deity allowed them to kill others or deprive their women from basic rights.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sad May 1st
May 1st is always a day of mixed feelings for me.
On one hand, I tremble thinking about the achievements of socialism and liberalism in the past 200 years and about empowered workers, actually previously slaves, marching and waving red flags - celebrating their dignity.
On the other hand, I think about the great failures, the wars that weren't prevented, the depths of terror to which red flags led and the great betrayal at the end of the 20th century.
I couldn't have for you my fellow readers a better example than the following.
Today a Spaniard friend talked with me about the economical situation in Spain. He started ranting about the situation, the crazy cut downs of the right wing government which is 'selling the country to the Germans'
A: Our government is demented. They are changing laws related to demonstrations expecting that during the summer Spain will burn with manifestations. I didn't expect the right wing government to be so much more radical than the already capitalist previous leftist government. They are handing the country to the Germans.
B: Why to the Germans?
A: Because all the terrible things are done at the request of the German banks.
B: I think you don't fully understand the Germans. Merkel really thinks that the south Europeans are irresponsible and need to learn a lesson.
A: Maybe. But the responsibility should be shared. Investors can't be immune to risk. They invest in Spanish banks and exposed themselves. Their gamble went wrong and instead of them coping with the results, the Spanish state is being sold part by part.
B: Well, that's what Spain (and others) did to Argentina years ago...and the Spanish left didn't even blink...
A: In fact the left here doesn't exist. It's a mere third way.
B: At least Germans are coherent.
A: The pace of changes is brutal. It will take here 2 years to destroy here the welfare state, the same kind of destruction that took you (Israel) 20 years.
B: I tell you again that the life of Argentinians was destroyed much faster, they didn't even have the support, even if virtual, of something like the EU or anyone in the world that could care that they were going down.
A: True. Many times I tell to my Argentinian acquaintances that their past is our future.
B: Other countries in the world were destroyed in months in civil wars and nobody cared. And the Spanish left...what did it do for the Greek people?
An important clarification. I truly believe that people and governments should be the first responsibles for their own deeds and not blame others. There is no redemption for a society which doesn't take responsibility and take bold steps to amend what's wrong internally. Whether the amendment should be brutal austerity or ultra-capitalist changes is debatable. Since economics isn't an exact science, there isn't one formula.
On the ideological level, people who didn't show any empathy and didn't reach out to others shouldn't be surprised when no one shows empathy and doesn't reach out to them.
The failure of the left is global. Instead of establishing a moral stand in hard times, it spent its time on other things and now when the bad times come to their step door people start whining. It didn't rally for people who lost everything, it didn't rally for millions of peoples massacred worldwide, it didn't manifest for human rights in dictatorships. It always opted for fashionable causes.
And no, my left wing party isn't any better.
Workers of the world, show compassion to others! (even when your own middle-class-stomach is full)
On one hand, I tremble thinking about the achievements of socialism and liberalism in the past 200 years and about empowered workers, actually previously slaves, marching and waving red flags - celebrating their dignity.
On the other hand, I think about the great failures, the wars that weren't prevented, the depths of terror to which red flags led and the great betrayal at the end of the 20th century.
I couldn't have for you my fellow readers a better example than the following.
Today a Spaniard friend talked with me about the economical situation in Spain. He started ranting about the situation, the crazy cut downs of the right wing government which is 'selling the country to the Germans'
A: Our government is demented. They are changing laws related to demonstrations expecting that during the summer Spain will burn with manifestations. I didn't expect the right wing government to be so much more radical than the already capitalist previous leftist government. They are handing the country to the Germans.
B: Why to the Germans?
A: Because all the terrible things are done at the request of the German banks.
B: I think you don't fully understand the Germans. Merkel really thinks that the south Europeans are irresponsible and need to learn a lesson.
A: Maybe. But the responsibility should be shared. Investors can't be immune to risk. They invest in Spanish banks and exposed themselves. Their gamble went wrong and instead of them coping with the results, the Spanish state is being sold part by part.
B: Well, that's what Spain (and others) did to Argentina years ago...and the Spanish left didn't even blink...
A: In fact the left here doesn't exist. It's a mere third way.
B: At least Germans are coherent.
A: The pace of changes is brutal. It will take here 2 years to destroy here the welfare state, the same kind of destruction that took you (Israel) 20 years.
B: I tell you again that the life of Argentinians was destroyed much faster, they didn't even have the support, even if virtual, of something like the EU or anyone in the world that could care that they were going down.
A: True. Many times I tell to my Argentinian acquaintances that their past is our future.
B: Other countries in the world were destroyed in months in civil wars and nobody cared. And the Spanish left...what did it do for the Greek people?
An important clarification. I truly believe that people and governments should be the first responsibles for their own deeds and not blame others. There is no redemption for a society which doesn't take responsibility and take bold steps to amend what's wrong internally. Whether the amendment should be brutal austerity or ultra-capitalist changes is debatable. Since economics isn't an exact science, there isn't one formula.
On the ideological level, people who didn't show any empathy and didn't reach out to others shouldn't be surprised when no one shows empathy and doesn't reach out to them.
The failure of the left is global. Instead of establishing a moral stand in hard times, it spent its time on other things and now when the bad times come to their step door people start whining. It didn't rally for people who lost everything, it didn't rally for millions of peoples massacred worldwide, it didn't manifest for human rights in dictatorships. It always opted for fashionable causes.
And no, my left wing party isn't any better.
Workers of the world, show compassion to others! (even when your own middle-class-stomach is full)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
No competition to capitalism and the rotting west
Hegel made a correct observation that dialectics between two opposites (thesis and anti-thesis) creates new matter (synthesis) and promotes the advance of history.
Currently, when the leftist ideas championed by the USSR and socialist movements were demolished, there is no counter thesis to create dialectics versus the capitalism, which in its turn causes the rotting and decay of capitalism.
This way, the basis of the western renaissance, the logic questioning of subject, competition between ideas and cycling improvement is in danger.
While Capitalism and Socialism were contending against each other, new and advanced forms of matter appeared in the friction lines - social-democracy, welfare state, social security and more.
Nowadays, it seems that regardless whether you are a western capitalist, a middle eastern Islamist, a nationalist Russian or a competitive Chinese - money is a tool and a goal at the same time. Thus, they do not challenge capitalism and capitalism isn't really challenging their core values. This way, western liberalism (what we used to wrongly call, leftism) is left without a defender and is vanished from the ideological arena.
I agree that these ideologies currently competing on world dominance do have dialectics between them, but not sure these dialectic currents are positive.
The left has left and we are left alone. It's our own responsibility to bring up a new notion of liberalism.
Currently, when the leftist ideas championed by the USSR and socialist movements were demolished, there is no counter thesis to create dialectics versus the capitalism, which in its turn causes the rotting and decay of capitalism.
This way, the basis of the western renaissance, the logic questioning of subject, competition between ideas and cycling improvement is in danger.
While Capitalism and Socialism were contending against each other, new and advanced forms of matter appeared in the friction lines - social-democracy, welfare state, social security and more.
Nowadays, it seems that regardless whether you are a western capitalist, a middle eastern Islamist, a nationalist Russian or a competitive Chinese - money is a tool and a goal at the same time. Thus, they do not challenge capitalism and capitalism isn't really challenging their core values. This way, western liberalism (what we used to wrongly call, leftism) is left without a defender and is vanished from the ideological arena.
I agree that these ideologies currently competing on world dominance do have dialectics between them, but not sure these dialectic currents are positive.
The left has left and we are left alone. It's our own responsibility to bring up a new notion of liberalism.
We had a dream - and now we have none
Martin Luther King had a dream. That dream marched hundreds of thousands of people all over the USA and inspired others around the globe.
The strength of King didn't lay merely on is personality and his ideas.
It laid, first and foremost, on the fact that he had an idea. He combined the existing wishes and passions of people in the USA, centuries of belief in human equality and human rights into a clear an articulated utopia - an achievable new world which managed to wash away cynicism and mobilize masses.
The existence of a clear alternative world is a strong force - the one which explains the force of religions over people. The one which explains why Marxism had the same force over people.
This explains also the amazing strength of the capitalist idea - which is a clear but also one of the simplest of all utopias. Let the market play, don't intervene and the world will be paradise.
There is no leftist utopia nowadays. There is no liberal utopia. Liberalism has succumbed to a pile of post modernist bullshit. It retreated in the face of a mass of relativist ideas which justify why all the ideas of humanism and liberalism should be sacrificed to appease religious, extremist ideologies and oppressing regimes.
Enlightenment as moved aside and in the name of liberalism cleared the way to anti liberal ideas.
The west's liberalism submerged itself in a bath of guilt over the calamities that Europe has brought on the world over the 20th century has disappeared.
Instead of reformulating its aspirations into a new sociopolitical movement is was washed away by relativism, effectively accepting non-liberal ideas as acceptable just in order not to impose "European" ideas and castigating those who still believe in it as "imperialists", i.e. the USA.
For the sake of humanity and the world, the western liberalism has the same right to exist and profess its convictions like any other ideology. Regretting for western deeds should learn to a revision of ideas, improvement of liberalism and cleanup of racist ideas, but not to a full retreat.
The strength of King didn't lay merely on is personality and his ideas.
It laid, first and foremost, on the fact that he had an idea. He combined the existing wishes and passions of people in the USA, centuries of belief in human equality and human rights into a clear an articulated utopia - an achievable new world which managed to wash away cynicism and mobilize masses.
The existence of a clear alternative world is a strong force - the one which explains the force of religions over people. The one which explains why Marxism had the same force over people.
This explains also the amazing strength of the capitalist idea - which is a clear but also one of the simplest of all utopias. Let the market play, don't intervene and the world will be paradise.
There is no leftist utopia nowadays. There is no liberal utopia. Liberalism has succumbed to a pile of post modernist bullshit. It retreated in the face of a mass of relativist ideas which justify why all the ideas of humanism and liberalism should be sacrificed to appease religious, extremist ideologies and oppressing regimes.
Enlightenment as moved aside and in the name of liberalism cleared the way to anti liberal ideas.
The west's liberalism submerged itself in a bath of guilt over the calamities that Europe has brought on the world over the 20th century has disappeared.
Instead of reformulating its aspirations into a new sociopolitical movement is was washed away by relativism, effectively accepting non-liberal ideas as acceptable just in order not to impose "European" ideas and castigating those who still believe in it as "imperialists", i.e. the USA.
For the sake of humanity and the world, the western liberalism has the same right to exist and profess its convictions like any other ideology. Regretting for western deeds should learn to a revision of ideas, improvement of liberalism and cleanup of racist ideas, but not to a full retreat.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 27
On Saturday, August 27, there was a main demonstration in Tel Aviv but also big manifestations in several other cities. We headed to the city were I spent most of my adolescence years - Rishon Letzion. The event was divided into a march and a central concentration with singers and speeches.
There were only a few hundred marchers, so it was a bit disappointing. They were a mix of social-democrat youth movements lads and ordinary people. I was soooo proud of this youth, my youth - finally, during this whole protest, seeing the ideological secular-liberal youth taking the streets.
When we arrived to the main park of the city, I was surprised and cheered to find that there was there a huge public of several thousand people awaiting the marchers. They were all family people, and if I know enough the city, you can count that they weren't leftist. Most of them were the common electorate of the right wing parties. They protested, they chanted, they promised to rebuild the tents over and over again and even if the tents will disappear they promised to keep meeting in 'popular gatherings' to discuss their right and planning their next steps.
They were standing and singing shoulder to shoulder with the socialist youth movements. It was a moment to remember. Let's hope both sides will know how to maintain this cooperation.
I momentarily had a dream that the left movements in Israel will stop talking on high profile on the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict and instead embrace this public which joined them and raised the humanist-liberal-socialist banner above all else, and take care of the needs of this public. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel this is nothing but a dream.
All in all only 25K people protested this weekend. The optimists say people are gaining force for next week's :"1 million' protest.
Rightist and religious extremist groups all over the world do the fundamental work of teaching people their ideas from childhood, while liberals just try to convince adults on the rationality of their ideas - this is a lost war, or even better a battle who's results are clear to everyone beforehand. We should finally change the script according which we see and analyze our world. Consumerism isn't an ideology!
What's up this week:
[nggallery id=1 w=400 h=599]
There were only a few hundred marchers, so it was a bit disappointing. They were a mix of social-democrat youth movements lads and ordinary people. I was soooo proud of this youth, my youth - finally, during this whole protest, seeing the ideological secular-liberal youth taking the streets.
When we arrived to the main park of the city, I was surprised and cheered to find that there was there a huge public of several thousand people awaiting the marchers. They were all family people, and if I know enough the city, you can count that they weren't leftist. Most of them were the common electorate of the right wing parties. They protested, they chanted, they promised to rebuild the tents over and over again and even if the tents will disappear they promised to keep meeting in 'popular gatherings' to discuss their right and planning their next steps.
They were standing and singing shoulder to shoulder with the socialist youth movements. It was a moment to remember. Let's hope both sides will know how to maintain this cooperation.
I momentarily had a dream that the left movements in Israel will stop talking on high profile on the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict and instead embrace this public which joined them and raised the humanist-liberal-socialist banner above all else, and take care of the needs of this public. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel this is nothing but a dream.
All in all only 25K people protested this weekend. The optimists say people are gaining force for next week's :"1 million' protest.
Rightist and religious extremist groups all over the world do the fundamental work of teaching people their ideas from childhood, while liberals just try to convince adults on the rationality of their ideas - this is a lost war, or even better a battle who's results are clear to everyone beforehand. We should finally change the script according which we see and analyze our world. Consumerism isn't an ideology!
What's up this week:
- The young physicians insist in resigning regardless of the agreement between the government and their trade union
- The government is raising the taxes on gasoline
- The students declared boycott on a major supermarkets firm, which responded by lowering its prices by 20%
- The whole protest movement is making an effort to bring to the street '1 million' people on next Saturday's (Sept-3) evening.
- There are rumors that this is going to be the gran-finale of the tents camps and that the protest will start reshaping
- As we are getting closer to the Palestinian's 'state recognition' in the UN, the social movement is in a greater risk of being 'forgotten' by the media and the political system.
- Regardless of everything, people keep talking about having a better life, about not being poor when you work and get a salary, about the commitment of the state to its citizens and not only to its fiscal policy. Something has changed.
[nggallery id=1 w=400 h=599]
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 25
Today buses from all around the country carried protesters to Yeruham. Yeruham is a special place in the south of Israel. It's in the middle of the desert, suffers from the regular problems of any 10K people town that is far away from labor and finances centers.
1,500 people demonstrated in Yeruham supporting the tents camp started by a 16 years old leader.
We went to the tents camp in Rehovot, were people sat in a circle, read the demands phrased by the national movement. People from various social strata joined the circle and the discussion was lively and sharp. There were even a couple of guys from a misticism movement that tried to convince everyone that love among people is the most important thing and we shouldn't handle with demands form the government. A couple of researchers from a social think tank closed the evening with a long discussion into possible models of societies and their suggestion on focusing in investing resources in community and youth development on neighborhoods level.
In the past week the government got another 'gift'. A star celebrity who is a judge in the local version of 'American Idol' got arrested for alleged relations with the organized crime. A whole week that all the newspapers filled their headlines with this stuff instead of the important things, the social movement that still kicks and bites.
Though, the probably most serious problem faced by the protest till now was the demand of the leaders who grew from the tent camps themselves, to take part in the leadership. This quickly became a challenge of the "old" leaders vs. the camps leaders vs. the periphery leaders. Some of the leaders were mad about the frontal attack against the government's committee (it seems people want to believe things can be changed by the government). Eventually, it seems that the 'old leaders' were smart enough to make a place for new faces besides them. I have a strong feeling that some of this demands were nurtured by government supporters in some of the camps in order to remove the 'leftists' leader of the movement. I say 'leftists' because I can personally attest that this isn't so - not everyone who wants social justice or a sane free market is a socialist or a dove.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
1,500 people demonstrated in Yeruham supporting the tents camp started by a 16 years old leader.
We went to the tents camp in Rehovot, were people sat in a circle, read the demands phrased by the national movement. People from various social strata joined the circle and the discussion was lively and sharp. There were even a couple of guys from a misticism movement that tried to convince everyone that love among people is the most important thing and we shouldn't handle with demands form the government. A couple of researchers from a social think tank closed the evening with a long discussion into possible models of societies and their suggestion on focusing in investing resources in community and youth development on neighborhoods level.
In the past week the government got another 'gift'. A star celebrity who is a judge in the local version of 'American Idol' got arrested for alleged relations with the organized crime. A whole week that all the newspapers filled their headlines with this stuff instead of the important things, the social movement that still kicks and bites.
Though, the probably most serious problem faced by the protest till now was the demand of the leaders who grew from the tent camps themselves, to take part in the leadership. This quickly became a challenge of the "old" leaders vs. the camps leaders vs. the periphery leaders. Some of the leaders were mad about the frontal attack against the government's committee (it seems people want to believe things can be changed by the government). Eventually, it seems that the 'old leaders' were smart enough to make a place for new faces besides them. I have a strong feeling that some of this demands were nurtured by government supporters in some of the camps in order to remove the 'leftists' leader of the movement. I say 'leftists' because I can personally attest that this isn't so - not everyone who wants social justice or a sane free market is a socialist or a dove.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 20
On August 18 a terror attack on the Israel-Egypt border which was planned and launched from Gaza, left 7 dead and dozens wounded and threw the media and public opinion into the 'security, Palestinians and more security' discourse. Israel responded to the attack killing the responsible militant leaders and as result the whole south of Israel was attacked by rockets from Gaza. Definitely not a good atmosphere for social protest.
The protest movement decided to change its regular plans and instead hold in Saturday (the regular day for big demonstration) a 'Silence March'. The idea was to achieve 2 things: 1. Maintain the protest and not stop it because of a 'security event'; 2. Make the demonstration different in order to pay respect to the dead and not to antagonize the public.
Over the last couple of weeks the government's 'committee for social economic change' started its discussions and interview of public representatives.This gave some credit to the government for trying to 'do something', mainly among people who aren't natural sympathizers of the the tents movement. The committee's head, Prof. Trachtenberg, is a very nice person but also a hardcore adherent of the current system - he declared changes are needed but that the state's budget won't be reopened. On top of this it isn't clear at all what the government will take from the committee's recomendations if any. It seems the public isn't yet sure what to think about this.
The first tent dweller and uncrowned leader, Daphne Leef, demanded Prof. Trachtenberg to resign and boldly said that the committee is a farce aimed at dragging legs and await the protest to disintegrate. Some of the movement's participants, mainly the Students Union which is the strongest and best organized organization, oppose this aggressive approach of Leef. They have made public their disagreements, but at the same time declared they remain part of the protest movement and are committed to making a social and values change in the Israeli society.
Eventually about 15K people appeared to the 'Silent March' on Tel Aviv on August 20 - Saturday night as usual. It was a special event in many aspects. First of all a manifestation of silence, no music, no chants, no slogans crying. Second, some people in the street reacted against the protester with signs calling for free market or shouting that we are shameless protesting while people get killed. Eventually, these were about 5 individuals, but yet it was something new. Third and most important it's the first time that the society-wide tissue of this protest was challenged. The very minor-ton speeches were given by a settler, an Arab political leader, a girl from a Hamas bombed city in the Israeli south border and a combat pilot. Each voiced his own view and expectations of the protest. Needless to say there were some contradictions. However, both the speakers and the public who was sitting in circles in the grass managed to hold themselves and respect those different from them. A group of ultra-left lads didn't manage to hold themselves and chanted anti government slogans against the spirit of the event. They were hushed by the public.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
The protest movement decided to change its regular plans and instead hold in Saturday (the regular day for big demonstration) a 'Silence March'. The idea was to achieve 2 things: 1. Maintain the protest and not stop it because of a 'security event'; 2. Make the demonstration different in order to pay respect to the dead and not to antagonize the public.
Over the last couple of weeks the government's 'committee for social economic change' started its discussions and interview of public representatives.This gave some credit to the government for trying to 'do something', mainly among people who aren't natural sympathizers of the the tents movement. The committee's head, Prof. Trachtenberg, is a very nice person but also a hardcore adherent of the current system - he declared changes are needed but that the state's budget won't be reopened. On top of this it isn't clear at all what the government will take from the committee's recomendations if any. It seems the public isn't yet sure what to think about this.
The first tent dweller and uncrowned leader, Daphne Leef, demanded Prof. Trachtenberg to resign and boldly said that the committee is a farce aimed at dragging legs and await the protest to disintegrate. Some of the movement's participants, mainly the Students Union which is the strongest and best organized organization, oppose this aggressive approach of Leef. They have made public their disagreements, but at the same time declared they remain part of the protest movement and are committed to making a social and values change in the Israeli society.
Eventually about 15K people appeared to the 'Silent March' on Tel Aviv on August 20 - Saturday night as usual. It was a special event in many aspects. First of all a manifestation of silence, no music, no chants, no slogans crying. Second, some people in the street reacted against the protester with signs calling for free market or shouting that we are shameless protesting while people get killed. Eventually, these were about 5 individuals, but yet it was something new. Third and most important it's the first time that the society-wide tissue of this protest was challenged. The very minor-ton speeches were given by a settler, an Arab political leader, a girl from a Hamas bombed city in the Israeli south border and a combat pilot. Each voiced his own view and expectations of the protest. Needless to say there were some contradictions. However, both the speakers and the public who was sitting in circles in the grass managed to hold themselves and respect those different from them. A group of ultra-left lads didn't manage to hold themselves and chanted anti government slogans against the spirit of the event. They were hushed by the public.
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 17
August 17-18: I stayed the night in the main tents' camp in Tel Aviv.
I decided to do so as I felt that the protest was losing some momentum so I wanted to feel the vibe from within and I was sure that one more head to the count wouldn't be bad for sure.
I arrived around 20:00 and was impressed by the amount of people. There are several gathering places were meetings were taking places - in some of them were classes were given and in others there were round tables of experts debating and explaining economic, ideological, cultural and other aspects of the protest. In many other points in the camp people were sitting around talking, debating, getting a free massage or running a regular tents camp 'life'. Half a hour before I arrived there was a video conference with the tent dwellers in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid.
The sight of hundreds of people respectfully and politely debating into the night finances, economy, budget planning and society base-values is something to remember. This awareness won't die and won't fade, even when the tents won't be here anymore. Israelis were always opinionated, but the culture of street debates and finances-society oriented debates are new.
I could feel some tiredness comparing to the first days of the camp. The humidity and temperatures of the Israeli summer and the days passing by are taking their toll. However, when I started talking with people it was obvious that it's a 'tactical' weariness. The motivation for the protest is still there and even stronger. People know now that they aren't alone, that others think like them and that there is a wide public support for their demands.
At 24:00 I went to grab a slice of pizza. While I was eating and sweating outside of the pizzeria, three men in undershirts took a seat nearby and were passionately planning the next protest actions in a suburb of Tel Aviv - what is called here 'the neighborhoods' (the low and low-middle class neighborhoods). My guess is that they were followers of the ruling right wing party and one of the religious parties. They discussed how the ruling party activist in their places are trying to obstruct the protest and how they (the speakers) are successfully coordinating their actions with the protest leaders, though they insisted that they must be independent in taking new initiatives, since otherwise the protest can't succeed and if it fails the next chance to make a change will be in years.
I was generously hosted in the tents of the National Left movement. My neighbors for the night were 2 high school students, a graphic designer and its amazing puppy, a 50 years old women who was thrown of her house and 3 students. Everyone were looking for ideological discussion including the 60 years old man who joined us at 1:00am with a small bottle of beer to join with everyone. Each person had its own reasons to 'Attent', but they have formed a community, they know each others history, weaknesses, pains and even food preferences - much more than what I know about the neighbors of my rented apartment. I went to sleep at 3:00am, when everyone were still discussing the relation between state and religion.The others said they'll wake up for work at 7:00am, but I needed to wake earlier.
When I woke up for work at 5:45am, everyone were asleep, but the light was great for another round of photos. Enjoy!
Previous post on the chronology of the Israeli Social Protest
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
I decided to do so as I felt that the protest was losing some momentum so I wanted to feel the vibe from within and I was sure that one more head to the count wouldn't be bad for sure.
I arrived around 20:00 and was impressed by the amount of people. There are several gathering places were meetings were taking places - in some of them were classes were given and in others there were round tables of experts debating and explaining economic, ideological, cultural and other aspects of the protest. In many other points in the camp people were sitting around talking, debating, getting a free massage or running a regular tents camp 'life'. Half a hour before I arrived there was a video conference with the tent dwellers in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid.
The sight of hundreds of people respectfully and politely debating into the night finances, economy, budget planning and society base-values is something to remember. This awareness won't die and won't fade, even when the tents won't be here anymore. Israelis were always opinionated, but the culture of street debates and finances-society oriented debates are new.
I could feel some tiredness comparing to the first days of the camp. The humidity and temperatures of the Israeli summer and the days passing by are taking their toll. However, when I started talking with people it was obvious that it's a 'tactical' weariness. The motivation for the protest is still there and even stronger. People know now that they aren't alone, that others think like them and that there is a wide public support for their demands.
At 24:00 I went to grab a slice of pizza. While I was eating and sweating outside of the pizzeria, three men in undershirts took a seat nearby and were passionately planning the next protest actions in a suburb of Tel Aviv - what is called here 'the neighborhoods' (the low and low-middle class neighborhoods). My guess is that they were followers of the ruling right wing party and one of the religious parties. They discussed how the ruling party activist in their places are trying to obstruct the protest and how they (the speakers) are successfully coordinating their actions with the protest leaders, though they insisted that they must be independent in taking new initiatives, since otherwise the protest can't succeed and if it fails the next chance to make a change will be in years.
I was generously hosted in the tents of the National Left movement. My neighbors for the night were 2 high school students, a graphic designer and its amazing puppy, a 50 years old women who was thrown of her house and 3 students. Everyone were looking for ideological discussion including the 60 years old man who joined us at 1:00am with a small bottle of beer to join with everyone. Each person had its own reasons to 'Attent', but they have formed a community, they know each others history, weaknesses, pains and even food preferences - much more than what I know about the neighbors of my rented apartment. I went to sleep at 3:00am, when everyone were still discussing the relation between state and religion.The others said they'll wake up for work at 7:00am, but I needed to wake earlier.
When I woke up for work at 5:45am, everyone were asleep, but the light was great for another round of photos. Enjoy!
Previous post on the chronology of the Israeli Social Protest
[gallery link="file" columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A photographed chronology of the Israeli social protest
In this post I will keep track and present to you an photographic timeline of the Israeli social protest events as I experience it. In category "Israel - j14" you will be able to find longer and more in depth thoughts.
August 27
August 25
August 20
August 17
August 13
August 6
July 30
July 25 & 28
July 23
July 19
July 17
July 16
Prelude
August 27
August 25
August 20
August 17
August 13
August 6
July 30
July 25 & 28
July 23
July 19
July 17
July 16
Prelude
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 13
August 13 - no central demonstration in Tel Aviv. People were called to attend demonstrations in other cities. 70K appeared in total, with many high profile artists performing.
A famous popular singer attacked the protestants during the week saying they have the political motivation of throwing over the prime minister and for being spoiled child that just complain for not having inherited an apartment in central Tel Aviv. Her comments caused fury and after 2 days she complained and even participated in August-13 protest.
The number of attendants in the 'periphery' cities wasn't a disappointment as it showed substantial support in numerous cities. On the other hand, it wasn't a head-counting achievement for relatively low number of participants that compering to the 300K of the previous week. In total, nothing that would move the government's coalition of rightist parties that seems rock solid at this point.
The protesters are aware that the more time passes, the bigger the chances are of losing momentum and getting the public distracted to other issues as the government would wish.
A famous popular singer attacked the protestants during the week saying they have the political motivation of throwing over the prime minister and for being spoiled child that just complain for not having inherited an apartment in central Tel Aviv. Her comments caused fury and after 2 days she complained and even participated in August-13 protest.
The number of attendants in the 'periphery' cities wasn't a disappointment as it showed substantial support in numerous cities. On the other hand, it wasn't a head-counting achievement for relatively low number of participants that compering to the 300K of the previous week. In total, nothing that would move the government's coalition of rightist parties that seems rock solid at this point.
The protesters are aware that the more time passes, the bigger the chances are of losing momentum and getting the public distracted to other issues as the government would wish.
Chronology of the Israeli protest – August 6
Since the previous protest, the officials and ruling party chants changed somewhat but irritating comments that the protesters are "leftists" kept propelling the protest and brought in even more people. However, the biggest motivator was the bill passed by the government pushing towards further fast and uncontrolled privatization of of lands, in spite of the public outcry against it. August 6 was an amazing day. This demonstration was the biggest or 1 of the 2 biggest in the Israeli history. It was definitely the biggest regarding social issues. Over 250K demonstrators in Tel Aviv, 30K in Jerusalem and thousands in other cities. Jews and Arabs, Middle class and low class, everyone were in the streets. This means almost 5% of the Israeli population! The veteran social militant Charlie Biton declared in front of the crowds: "40 years passed...every year I awaited a new generation..my hope faded year by year and the government injustice grew...now my vision is materializing!" The demonstrations were exciting - everyone in the street talked about making history and that the government cannot keep ignoring people's demands. There were yet two problems: 1. The demands aren't clear. "The People Want Social Justice!" is a very broad demand if don't mean to change the whole system. 2. The government did barely nothing to tackle this demand till this manifestation. After this demonstrations the government set a committee of 14 members to recommend on actions to be taken. The public got divided between suspicion and endorsement. The government scored 2 points - first, dividing the public. second, gaining some time. The tents' movement leaders have gathered a committee of experts of their own and launched a camps-cross discussion about which demands should be presented. The cynics use to say the government is awaiting Israel's neighbors (Palestinians or Hezbollah) to save the day by a terror attack which will distract the public attention. Others believe the government does intend to make some changes.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Friday, August 19, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – July 30
The first demonstration was big, but the second one was huge and it already had siblings in many cities! It was the first one it was clear to everyone that not only 'leftists' were participating. The build up by the government was unbelievable - they kept claiming there is no real problem and that the protestants are a bunch of leftists-sushi eaters-water pipe smoking spoiled Tel Aviv youngsters.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Chronology of the Israeli protest – July 25 & 28
The tents camp in Rotschild boulevard keeps growing day by day. The government keeps trying to diminish the cry and claim the leaders of the protest are mere leftists wanting to throw the rightist government (which from personal knowledge I can tell you that's not exact). More and more tent camps are being set in other cities around the country (here in Rehovot). Daily street protests are being held - here in front of the government offices building in Tel Aviv.
The leaders (the first tent dwellers) keep standing for quite protest, do not demand government change and embrace a 'revolution of love'.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
The leaders (the first tent dwellers) keep standing for quite protest, do not demand government change and embrace a 'revolution of love'.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest – July 23
The first public protest was an important milestone to prove the public support for the case of social justice. This is also the moment where the cry "The people demands social justice" crystallized and became the movement's mantra. The 20-30 K people that attended were hard-core followers of civil organizations, and showed a wide and varied support. Read more here About July 23, 2011 protests
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Chronology of the Israeli protest - July 19
After 5 days only, it was obvious to everyone involved that something big and unexpected is occurring. More and more tents and people poured in and the media provided wide daily coverage. People out of central Tel Aviv-middle class-young-artist joined with their tents and various political and civil groups joined in too. Trade unions (physicians, social workers) and other joined too and their own protest converged into the great stream that was flowing from the center of Tel Aviv and most important the students union known for it's organizational and mobilization capabilities.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Chronology of the Israeli protest - July 17
The tents camp rapidly grew to be an organized neighborhood. The dwellers banish people talking about violence and embrace the wish to be a protest of love.
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
[gallery columns="6" orderby="rand"]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)