a different take on the news
January 4th, 2007 — political theater
It’s a collective effort—they will be walking everywhere, and ordering salads to eat at their desks.
The U.S. House of Representatives, after installing its new Democratic leadership, voted to ban lawmakers from flying on corporate jets and accepting gifts and meals from lobbyists.
It’s even got a name: the “culture of commitment.”
January 4th, 2007 — Israel, theater of the absurd
Palestinian-on-Palestinian violence, which has been boiling over for a good six months, is taking a terrible toll:
Fatah gunman (Photo: AFP)
As Hamas and Fatah gunfire raged in the Dahiya neighborhood in Gaza City, Amina Abu Sahar walked into the street Thursday night and cried out, “Stop the fire! Palestinians shooting Palestinians…”“What has happened to us? Save your bullets for the enemies. What a disgrace,” she said through tears.
…
Ghayeb was on the phone to Palestine TV just moments before his death and appealed for help as his house came under attack. “They are killers,” He said of the Hamas gunmen. “They are targeting the house, children are dying, they are bleeding. For God’s sake, send an ambulance, we want an ambulance, somebody move.”
This, from Google News, is how it’s reported today.
Ten Palestinians killed in clashes with Israel, internal fighting
Canada.com, Canada - 56 minutes ago
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israeli undercover troops burst into a West Bank vegetable market Thursday, seizing four fugitives and exchanging heavy fire with …10 Palestinians Killed In Raid, Clashes
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 57 minutes ago
From AP. AP Photo JRL133. By KARIN LAUB. AP Writer. RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israeli undercover troops burst into a West Bank vegetable market Thursday, …Four Palestinians die in Israeli raid
Pakistan Dawn, Pakistan - 57 minutes ago
RAMALLAH (West Bank), Jan 4: Israeli forces mounted a rare raid into the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, killing four Palestinians and detaining …Palestinian Leaders To Pull Back Forces
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 56 minutes ago
From AP. AP Photo JRL137. By IBRAHIM BARZAK. AP Writer. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Rival Palestinian leaders agreed to pull back their forces early Friday …Israel raids Ramallah on eve of summit
TVNZ, New Zealand - 4 hours ago
Israeli forces mounted a rare raid into the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, killing three Palestinians, while a spasm of factional fighting among …
Israelis Battle Gunmen in Ramallah
Wall Street Journal (subscription), NY - 7 hours ago
AP. RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen exchanged heavy fire in downtown Ramallah on Thursday after undercover Israeli forces tried …
I’m not saying that the Israeli raid into the West Bank after a wanted man wasn’t a newsworthy story. What I’m saying is that every outlet used the tired old Israeli-on-Palestinian violence to frame their story of the day—the only story they know how to tell about the Middle East. Meanwhile, they are avoiding the troubling, disturbing story behind the story: the fact that Palestinian society seems to be disintegrating.
And every day a new political wiseman solemnly intones that the key to peace is to solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue (one way or the other).*** It is to laugh!
——–
***I’m going to start a list:
King Abdullah of Jordan
Tony Blair and the rest of Britain
Kofi Annan
Jim Baker and the ISG
Condi Rice and the State Department
all the Arab countries
the new Secretary-General of the United Nations
Hezbollah
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran
Hamas
Fatah
Jimmy Carter
the editor-in-chief of Al Jazeera
Have I left anyone out?
January 4th, 2007 — America at war, media, politics
but a new Gallup poll reveals that a
Majority of Americans View Media Coverage of Iraq as Inaccurate
Most likely to say coverage is too negative
Among the findings:
As can be seen, by a 61% to 36% margin, those who feel that the Iraq coverage is inaccurate say it is because the media make the situation there appear worse than it actually is.
What a surprise.
January 4th, 2007 — humor, politics
And our new national comedy program is just beginning:
I have a dream that we are approaching the day when a ranch-owning millionaire Republican like George Bush will make peace with a vineyard-owning millionaire Democrat like Nancy Pelosi.
I have a dream that Pelosi, who was chauffeured to school as a child and who, with her investor husband, owns minority shares in the Auberge du Soleil resort hotel and the CordeValle Golf Club, will look over her famous strand of South Sea Tahitian pearls and forge bonds of understanding with the zillionaire corporate barons in the opposing party.
Furthermore, I dream of a great harmonic convergence among the obscenely rich — between Randian hedge fund managers on the right and helipad environmentalists on the left.
Read it if you’ve got TimesSelect.
