It's amazing what decades of sh*t can do

My whole life, to a certain age, I believed "Israelis good, Palestinians bad." That's because that's all I heard when I was growing up, either from my parents or from TV or from newspapers or from adults or from wherever. It was the meta-narrative: Israelis good, Palestinians bad. In 1967, when I was eleven, Israel's smashing victory in the Six Day War was a wonder to behold and a cause for celebration. The plucky little guys had won, and won resoundingly. Take that, you stupid camel jockeys!

I knew of the Holocaust, of course, and was repulsed by it. Who wouldn't be? I asked the standard question: How could something like that happen? How could an entire population stand by and watch as a megalomaniacal leadership ratcheted up the lunacy daily, until rights had been stripped, property stolen and myriads murdered?

I couldn't fathom it. Until, that is, the Bush/Cheney junta systematically used 9/11 to shred what little remained of the Constitution and sent the U.S. crashing fool-speed ahead down the path of neo-fascism. Then, fathoming commenced. But I digress.

Or do I?

Through no fault of the U.S. media or my formal education, I came to learn (truly) about Israel and its "special relationship" with the U.S. In dribs and drabs, I learned about Zionism. Over time, I learned about neoconservatives. (Often redundant.) I learned about AIPAC and the (not so) great influence these all have had on American foreign and domestic policies. I learned that what Israel's champions decided was best for Israel was often not best for Americans.

I learned this was just tough sh*t.

I learned about the Balfour Declaration, the Stern Gang, Irgun, the King David Hotel bombing, Deir Yassin, Nakba, the USS Liberty, Mossad, Sabra and Shatilla, "A Clean Break," the bulldozing of olive groves and homes, white phosphorus, torture, collective punishment, humiliation, assault, murder, annexation, settlements, Rachel Corrie"

I learned that a favorite activity of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is to smear feces (theirs) all over, well, everything inside Palestinian buildings they've overrun. This is apparently great fun.

I'm not so hot on Israel anymore.

So what changed my view? Why, Israel, of course. Or rather, the actions of its government and military. It seems fairly clear: Israel takes the approximately four billion U.S. taxpayer dollars it's given annually to subjugate an entire population, while its "leaders" provide evermore risible justifications (as well as a stiff-as-you-please collective middle finger) to anyone who dares question their chosen nation's God-given right to imprison, brutalize and kill as many people as necessary so it can take their sh*t. (Maybe that's why so much is left in return.)

But perhaps I'm being unfair. After all, what other nation possessing 150 nuclear warheads and one of the best-equipped (we can safely leave out "well-trained") armies on the planet wouldn't feel threatened by a boatload of peace activists in international waters bringing food, medicine and clothing to an impoverished ghetto?

Poor Israel. Their troops were only defending themselves, you know. Against dangerous people (terrorist sympathizers!; cue theme to "The Hate Boat") with clubs and sticks who, amazingly, took offense at being assaulted by armed troops dropping from helicopters in the middle of the night.

I know what you're thinking: "Armed? But the Israelis were only carrying paint guns!" And how do we know this? Because Israel says so. Hear what one brave wounded IDF goon, sorry, soldier, tells ABC News:

"I was armed with a paint gun and had no other weapons. It was a civilian paintball gun that any 12-year-old can play with. We didn't come for war, we just came to tell please stop, move the vessel back."

I believe him. Don't you? Because (repeat after me): Israelis good, Palestinians bad. And, being the good guys, Israelis would never lie.

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