Write your representatives. Make sure they know that they are killing people with their votes in Congress. Make sure everyone you know realises the effects of their government’s policies abroad.

Robin, I very painfully read your entry regarding your parent’s reaction to Iran. Members of my own family, too, are equally cold about the havoc that the U.S. is wreaking abroad. Our only possible response to be couriers of the truth.

Anyway, the Christopher Hitchens of 1988 still had his head screwed on properly, so I recommend the book. It’s on Verso, the same publishers that put out a good deal of Chomsky’s work. Another recommended read. Anything by this MIT Linguistics professor is worth it’s weight in gold for it’s concise and scholarly approach to politics. “Fateful Triangle” is a good one, or the “Chomsky Reader”, both for highlighting the hows and whys of U.S. policies abroad.

Good reading to you.

A one-state solution would allow Israel to continue it’s expansion of settlements, which would become legal. Everything would be Israel… Palestine would no longer exist, and since the Israelis already have the power, the Palestinians would likely be the built-in subordinate lower classes (as they have been).

A two-state solution could be problematic also, in that the Israelis could kick the Palestinians out of Israel, thus robbing the remainder of 48 territory Palestinians of their homes and land. The other problem with this is that Gaza and West Bank are not contiguous territories, which has been a problem, to date, in terms of governance and simple economic and social logistics.

Either way, unless the world community seriously holds Israel accountable, the right of return will never be granted. Imagine all of the external refugees and diaspora Palestinians moving back to the 13% sliver of land that remains of Palestine. It’s not feasible anymore, unless, again, the world community forces Israel to hand back a lot of the land that they took in 1948 and 1967.

I think more Palestinians favor a two-state solution than a one-state, but it’s an educated guess, rather than statistical info.

Ah, yes, our good friend Wolf Blitzer who launched his career in the first Iraq war by spinning lies on CNN. If Olmert and his regime is humanitarian, then I’m the tooth fairy.

Kimmy, here’s the link for Rachel Corrie: http://www.rachelcorriefoundation.org/ – 12k – and another one too about her: http://www.rachel-corrie.com/ – 53k – . Haitham had a link about her back in February I think. I often find I’m most effective when I’m really mad. If you don’t know about Rachel and you read about her, I assure you it will be maddening. She was not Palestinian, she was an American college student working with a peace organization when Israeli bulldozers ran over her as she tried to prevent them from demolishing a Palestinian home. Her family is suing Caterpillar. YES!! One more in a long line of American complicity and outright support. Again, very sorry to hear about all the illness in your family. Take care.

Did anyone see the Wolf Blitzer interview with Olmert? It was so absolutely frightening. Briefly, they have NOT ruled out the option and are preparing for a unilateral strike against Iran if Iran does not back off. On the Palestinian issue, “I am not aware of ANY humanitarian problem in the occupied territories…..We are simply not paying the citizens who are working for terror…..We will purchase and provide all the necessary medical supplies and deliver them ourselves to the hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza”. How VERY humane of Israel. Absolutely SICK how these Zionists are able to twist things. I’m speechless. Olmert is here for a state visit. I’m cringing.