Tag: Israel

Should the Federal Government do what Americans Want Them to do??

On By southwerkIn Opinion, Politics

I have written about this a couple of times. Being something of a maverick, I often don’t agree with the majority.

But the disconnect between what Americans want and what the government does has grown increasingly dramatic over the years. It seems to me in 1960, that the government and the people were very much aligned whereas now the government generally just ignores public opinion and serves oligarchs and corporations – and whoever coughs up enough dark money.

But here is one more example of the government and the people having different points of view.

From Al Jazeera,

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/20/most-americans-support-international-recognition-of-palestine-poll

Most Americans believe that all countries should recognise Palestine as a state, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests, as public support for Israel in the United States continues to plunge amid the atrocities in Gaza.

A majority of respondents – 59 percent – also said that Israel’s military response in Gaza has been excessive.

I may be very much a maverick, but that is how I feel too.

James Alan Pilant

The Cultivation of Rage

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

The Cultivation of Rage (1/11/2015)

Currently, there is a tragedy unfolding in California. Fires are burning and people are dying. In past times in the United States, the nation would have pulled together united in efforts to send aid and comfort to the afflicted.

We don’t live in that kind of nation anymore.

The President Elect, a convicted Felon, with an incredible record of spreading lies and misinformation has explained that the disaster is all due to Gavin Newsom, the Governor or California not signing the “water restoration declaration.” And since he didn’t sign that it is all his fault that people are dying and homes are burning. There is a problem with this claim. There is no such thing as a “water restoration declaration.”

So, where does this nonsense come from? How does a public figure make a totally made-up claim and expect not only to get away with it but politically benefit from it?

First, the right-wing playbook very directly indicates that Attack, Attack and Attack is always the basic strategy for political success. And while there is some reliance on Mein Kampf’s assertation that a lie repeated often enough becomes a believed truth, the more modern technique is the firehose method where you simply blanket the media with lies making a rational or intelligent response all but impossible.  

Second, there is a huge alternative media which will without any fact checking whatever repeat this nonsense, these lies, this misinformation. That anyone would willingly spread lies is morally and ethically vile but popular in some political circles. It is also effective. Right now there a millions of people in the United States, shaking with rage, consumed with hatred for this Democratic Governor who is responsible for so many deaths and so much destruction because he failed to sign a document that doesn’t and has never existed.

And that is the point, hatred, discord, and high emotional content. This pent-up rage produces votes, contributions, campaign workers and the fervor of that that hate frightens and discourages the opposition. People filled with hatred express their vitriol on the internet, in public and in their lives.

This cultivation of the angry never stops. Every single day, every hour, every minute, there is a new or revived charge, claim or fabrication implying evil and wickedness on the part of those they hate. The barrage never stops. It rains and rains without pause.

And that is why Trump made up an easily disproved lie. Lie or not, it will still be effective. In fact, we can expect that his lies and nonsense will be continually rewarded. Marketed through the alternative media as truth and supported by his unquestioning, utterly gullible followers they will function as valuable weapons in their continued to question and diminish the values of honor, decency and truth.

This is the nation where we live now. A place where every sort of aid and comfort should be sent to California, and instead the opportunity for attack is being fully cultivated for political advantage.

Honesty, decency and character are important factors in a public servant or indeed in any human being but those factors don’t figure in a media landscape of disgusting, immoral and reckless lies.

Who Are You Going to Believe about the Aid Workers Killed in Gaza??

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

https://www.yahoo.com/news/early-war-idf-gave-clearance-025500680.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/jos-andr-condemns-israel-killing-211711516.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/protests-expected-arizona-capitol-israeli-161916341.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world-central-kitchen-aid-workers-235043732.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-pay-compensation-dead-aid-161339785.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-reportedly-used-lavender-ai-005212158.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/stephen-colbert-spotlights-world-central-082543158.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/absurd-israel-rejects-claims-targeted-023707328.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/parents-of-quebecer-killed-in-gaza-say-israeli-strike-was-targeted-killing-of-aid-workers-225908562.html

If you believe in morality and ethics, you have a duty to speak out particularly when there is an particularly offensive tragedy that has taken place.

Seven aid workers were killed by a precision drone strike. Israel is responsible for these deaths.

Let me begin by naming the seven dead aid workers: (I’m going to use a quote since I don’t want to get any names wrong.)

The victims have been identified as Poland’s Damian Soból, Australia’s Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, Gaza’s Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha and American-Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger, as well as the United Kingdom’s John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby.

These seven people are heroes, in my judgment, the best of us. They died attempt to feed and help other human beings. Their lives are a testament to the good that can be achieved by high moral values and the rare qualities of courage and sacrifice. God love every one of these wonderful people now lost to all of us.

Israel calls claims that the attack was targeted, “Absurd.” Yet, the food convoy had just dropped off food in a designated safe travel zone with the full knowledge of the Israeli military in clearly marked vehicles which were hit individually although they were hundreds of yards apart. Looking at the pictures of the destroyed cars I was shocked at the almost perfect precision of the hits.

I am having real trouble believing that Israel did not kill these people to deprive the Palestinians of food and to drive foreign observers out of the region so they can kill and commit crimes at will.

But there’s more. It is reported that the Israeli military established a ratio for acceptable collateral damage, that is, the killing of civilians. For a low level Hamas official it was okay to up to 20 civilians, for a high ranking as many as a hundred.

Israel has long been a United States ally. Sometimes I get the impression that they are shocked that we in the United States would question what they have done. But at this point in history, not counting the seven aid workers blown into pieces, 33,000 Palestinians have died in the current conflict and more than a million are starving. It is time to start asking questions and making demands. They depend on American money. That money should no longer be free of conditions. Why? Because the blood of the innocent is calling out to us and we have a duty as human beings to respond with justice.

Is Israel willing to make changes? I doubt it. There is this from the great state of Arizona:

An Israeli diplomat praised Arizona lawmakers for their support and condemned the international community’s lack of outrage at the harm Israel has suffered from the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. In a speech punctuated by three standing ovations, Israel Bachar, the country’s counsel general for the Pacific Southwest, refuted reports of starvation in Gaza and rebuffed calls for a ceasefire unless Hamas meets certain conditions.

It is pretty obvious to me that they feel with their allies in the media, politics and of course, American Evangelicals, they can just bluff their way through this. They can’t. There is too much blood.

We in the United States cannot escape blame. We give Israel about three billion a year and our total aid comes to about 260 billion dollars over the long term. Last year in response to the Hamas attacks, they received a 14.5 billion dollar military aid package. This emboldened that nation and every time someone dies at the hands of Israel, it is more than a little likely that U.S. dollars paid for the bullet.

Now, I am sure that some will do the “what about” argument so popular on the internet and on Fox News. So, here it is.

What about the crimes of Hamas? Aren’t you being naïve and serving their purposes by calling out Israel for their supposed crimes?

Hamas has murdered and kidnapped. They are currently holding hostages. They should be brought to justice. I am not on their “side.” We have a responsibility and a duty to humanity to do what is right. And what is right is avoiding indiscriminate killing, collateral damage and at the very, very least missile strikes on food convoys. And that is true whether “we” did it, our friends did it or our enemies did it.

You don’t do what is right because it is convenient. You do it because it is the right thing to do. We have duties in this life. If there is anything that I am completely sure of, it is that those seven dead aid workers deserve more a passing mention in a news feed. Something must be done about this.

James Alan Pilant

Ethics Bob Calls Out the Haredim for their Assaults on a Second Grader

On By southwerkIn International

Ethics Bob

Ethics Bob is not shy about calling out the Haredim for their ridiculous behavior. I put his first paragraph up. Please go read his whole article (and his follow up article which is also listed below).

Who would spit and curse at a second grader and call her a whore?

Who would spit and curse at a second grader and call her a whore? Haredim, that’s who. The Haredim are considered the extreme of orthodox Jews, although they reject the label: to them they are just “Jews,” everybody else is not. In the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, some Haredim spat and cursed at second grader Naama Margolese (pictured here with her mother), and called her a whore for dressing immodestly. Since the assault Naama.is afraid to walk to her religious school, even when her mother is with her, holding her hand.

Who would spit and curse at a second grader and call her a whore? « Ethics Bob

Ethics Bob follows this up with another article on a related topic entitled:

Israeli religious fanatics assault a female soldier for not moving to the back of the bus

I was going to add some comments of my own but I realized I was too angry to write well. I worked with children in the criminal justice system for some years. The idea of daily verbal assaults along with spitting against an 8 year old move me toward violence. So, I will stop here.

James Pilant

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Good or Evil? It Depends. (via Words Have Consequences)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

Our author here believes that we can draw parallels and lessons from popular literature. So do I. I tell my students that literature tells you how people think, relate and improve themselves. It makes the reader subtle and develops insights.

Read to understand, read for knowledge, read to build judgment. Read so that you live at least a little while in your life in the company of others that you can have real insight into. Because very seldom in our lives do we bother to spend a few minutes understanding another.

Follow the writer’s thinking and see what you think.

James Pilant

Good or Evil? It Depends. On my 24th birthday, I received a gift which, little did I know would change my life.  My friend Matt gave me a book.  Now, at the time, I was not to thrilled with receiving a book for my birthday.  I wanted money or a gift certificate or something, other than a book.  I was not, what one might call, an avid reader.  So I thanked him for the book and put it on my shelf, which at that point consisted of cardboard boxes sitting on their sides.  Aft … Read More

via Words Have Consequences

Connecting the Dots .gov, .com, .edu.. – Intellectual Capital of The State of Israel – Case Study by IBCM (via Jayaribcm’s Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Jayaraman Rajah Iyer is a friend of mine whose work is deep and complex. I recommend it to you, and warn you that you are dealing with a formidable thinker and economic analyst.

James Pilant

Connecting the Dots .gov, .com, .edu.. - Intellectual Capital of The State of Israel - Case Study by IBCM Intangible Connecting the Dots – .gov, .com, .edu, .. Intellectual Capital of The state of Israel – Case Study by IBCM I am pleased to release this Research Paper from IBCM a Case Study on Intellectual Capital of The State of Israel. The State of Israel has done exceptionally well in Human Resources utilization for the growth and achievements, that are many, of the country. Countries like India that waste Agricultural Produce in millions of tonne … Read More

via Jayaribcm's Blog

$6.64 Billion Damages Sought over Israeli Government and AIPAC Use of Stolen Classified US Trade Data (via Aletho News)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

What a surprise! A union between commercial interests and the government, the only surprise being in this case it concerns another nation.

This is nasty. The government of Israel stole diplomatic information on trade and commerce and handed it over to their business community giving those businesses an enormous and illicit advantage.

When should the government cooperate with industry? We can argue over where and when it is ethical. But can we really argue with direct illegality? I don’t think so. It was wrong to use privileged information, not just because it was illegal but because it endangers all future international cooperation.

This is not the first time the government of Israel has acted as a rogue government. It will not be the last.

James Pilant

Grant F. Smith | IRmep | May 24, 2011 WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today the Section 301 Committee of the US Trade Representative formally received a petition demanding $6.64 billion in compensation for US exporters. In 1984 US exporters were urged to submit business confidential data about their prices, market share, internal costs and market strategy to the International Trade Commission. The USTR guaranteed confidentiality and compiled the dat … Read More

via Aletho News