Just for a second, I’m going to pretend that I’m a political/news blogger…
This story is CNN covering Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks about the Holocaust being a “myth” as part of his argument for the elimination of Israel and the reinstall of a Palestinian state. Now, these comments are absolutely deplorable, unacceptable, and evil. The Holocaust was not a fucking myth, and “[a]ll responsible leaders in the international community” agree, so I’m not worried about this idea spreading and being generally accepted.
I’m not an expert in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I sure as fuck have never expressed my opinions/views/limited-understandings of it online before, and I also don’t have any actual personal ties to it other than the fact that a few generations ago, my descendants ancestors (thanks rio) came to the US from Lebanon. (and I still have a lot to learn.) Even though I truly believe that the Israelis rightly deserve a home-country, my gut instinct is also to be sympathetic to Palestine, which I also know isn’t too unreasonable of a position; most educated people realize that there is no way to truly “take sides” because the history (like all history) of the conflict is complicated and both the “west” and the “mid-east” parties involved have blood on their hands. Maybe it’s naive to “just want to have peace” or to have a place where both Israeli and Palestine can exist together without neighboring countries and western powers trying to tie each other’s hands behind their backs. No, not “maybe.” It’s totally naive. It’s a sentiment that’s expressed to death in fairy tales and “can’t we all just get along” hippy sentiments.
The world is Fucked Up. (Notice how that’s also a sentiment that’s expressed to death.)
But this also highlights and deepens my understanding of how mid-east leaders must feel like they, and their nations, are being patronized by western national leaders. They’re not allowed to develop nuclear programs, and their peoples are often met with suspicion and hate from our peoples. Terrorism/freedom-fighting is the result of not having any peaceful or recognized avenues of getting their point across to a network of world powers who probably wouldn’t take them seriously anyway, because we’re so invested in Israel (for example), dependent on oil (for example) and in keeping our own version of history popular so that the western population doesn’t start blaming itself and sympathizing with the “other side.”
Statements like this, that the Holocaust is a Myth, is like rhetorical “terrorism” in that he is desperate to support a position that has no legitimate or recognized avenue of expression. Like terrorism, he’s using a tool that is the closest thing we have to being OBJECTIVELY wrong to try to say something about something that’s subjectively right. Palestinian supporters have been trying to have a place to live for decades, and the west, who installed Israel, and Israel itself, isn’t going to just sit down and say “yes, sorry. Here, have your land back.” (look, readers! Another sentiment that is expressed to death!)
Anyway, I’m frustrated with my inability to NOT simply restate what other people say and feel. But I don’t know enough, and I don’t have the right perspective to come up with anything new. I don’t have personal ties to the area, but I still feel so completely tied to this conflict probably because it is so disillusioning. It’s one of those things you learn about the world that makes you realize without a doubt that shit is Fucked Up and that there is no simple solution at all. Its both maturing (like life) and devastating (like death). It’s the same feeling I felt when I started to realize how widespread the illegal sex industry, and people-trafficking industry (CIA pdf, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women pdf, wikipedia + lots of links) is in the US…
*sigh*
Ok. I’m pure tired right now. And there’s no hope for me to find any kind of closure or even try to slap some kind of judgement or solution or strong opinion onto this like many news-bloggers try to do.
Consider me either subvertive, honest, or just plain naive. I don’t care. I want more perspective and I also don’t ever want to have an over-simplified understanding of things like this.
I welcome opinions, information, links, heads of cabbage, and hugs.
Discuss.
(x-posted)
drdougfir | 14-Dec-05 at 10:41 am | Permalink
aqoul.com is worth a read.
winnebagos | 14-Dec-05 at 2:29 pm | Permalink
Though I don’t recall the source, I once read that Harry Truman’s most difficult decision was not whether to drop the bomb on Japan, but whether to recognize Israel as a sovereign state.
Personally, I tend to side with the Palestinians. I’ve read a fair amount and have discussed the situation at length over the years. It really goes back to the Crusades. The scenario is similar, but rather than exporting Christianity, the west is exporting democracy. And now the Palestinians are the ones being displaced, not the Jews.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is making some rather inflammatory statements as of late. However, his statements aren’t of any substance I haven’t once pondered myself. The difference is, he’s voicing these opinions on the world stage, and they’re not constructive at all. He’s about to start a war with Israel.
kazujin | 14-Dec-05 at 4:01 pm | Permalink
I think both sides are crazy.
If I was God, or even an alien looking down from space, I’d want to stay as far away from man as I can.
We as a race are so destructive.
It’s in our nature to destroy ourselves.
durandal1707 | 14-Dec-05 at 4:33 pm | Permalink
your ancestors came from Lebanon. your descendants, i hope, haven’t gone anywhere.