Sadness does not begin to describe the feelings I have as I watch the continuing, daily destruction of Gaza and its civilian population, not only the homes and infrastructure, including hospitals and health facilities, but also schools, shelters and even UN facilities. Their food, water, fuel and medical supplies are denied. These are the necessities that allow for people to survive on a daily basis. Add to that that the people are trapped, not allowed any way out. They are in a prison where all access and help are controlled by their jailers who are an occupying army. There is no hope for justice or any appeal to courts or even world opinion since journalists are targeted and killed, and communications are cut off.
The population is continually being moved from one area in Gaza, under bombardment to another area, equally under bombardment, in some grotesque game of musical chairs. All of this in full view of the entire world.
I watch in shock. This is not some deranged third-world dictator carrying out his own version of ethnic cleansing, it is a supposedly highly civilized democracy, which, up to now, has had at least the tacit support of the Western World. And my own country the USA, has been a staunch supporter of that nation, subsidizing it politically and militarily with billions of dollars and allowing it to become the only nuclear power in the Middle East. The US has also continued to run interference for it in the UN, vetoing any challenges to its growth, expansion and tactics.
And now I am to watch the wanton destruction of a civilian population supported and encouraged by the government of my nation, the US, while we pour additional arms and intelligence into the conflict to increase the killing of a defenseless civilian population. Meanwhile I must recognize that it is being done in my name and funded by my tax dollars.
It is too much! I cannot allow the idea of my implied consent to such inhuman actions. Have we devolved into such a soulless nation? Where is our human decency, where are our democratic ideals and the value of human life that supposedly separated us from other brutal regimes?
There are no political expediencies, no principled national interest that can justify these actions. Are our politicians so afraid of the political power of AIPAC to even dare to speak up in support of a civilian population under brutal attack? Are there really no politicians who are willing to risk reelection to be on the right side of history? And all this from a nation that has continually complained about human rights abuses by our enemies. This only demonstrates a moral bankruptcy.
Not only do nearly all of our political leaders lack the moral courage to stand up for human decency, but they also conspire to work tirelessly to stop any voices willing to do what they are afraid to do. People are losing their jobs and being excluded from institutions for speaking up for human rights. We are no longer a democracy when that begins to happen.
Or perhaps our lack of humanitarian impulses has been exposed for what it really is when the veneer of civilization has been removed. Let us hope not.
And the mainstream media has been following the government lead with one-sided stories, spin and propaganda to present what is happening as a moral necessity, not nearly as serious as those in Gaza would have us believe. Perhaps they would have us believe that what is happening in Gaza is just a minor spat between neighbors and all will be ironed out in a few months and things will just go back to normal and we will see that it was much ado about nothing, only now without the over 15,000 Palestinian civilians, 40% of which have been children.
Perhaps we can go back to the principles of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", and pretend that all is well with the world, and we are a noble and moral people.
Bah, humbug!
