About Jodey Bateman Pablo Neruda Translations by Jodey Bateman Contributors Abuela Musica Jalapeno Peppers Children’s Page Finder Submissions

Overseas Skeptics | Poem

Jan. 17, 2005 / 7 Shevat, 5765

Overseas Skeptics

By Jonathan Tobin

Cheerleaders and skeptics of latest peace moves need to be careful

 
"...Karl Marx, the false prophet of communism, who once wrote that history repeats itself, 'the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.'"

"That...could...sum up the reaction of some skeptical onlookers to the embrace of new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas by both the governments of Israel and the United States."

If paragraph 2 is true, then Karl Marx can not be labeled a "false prophet".

If you want to look for a false prophet look to those prophets who preach "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" all the while they bomb the world to pieces.

Abbas' unsurprising electoral triumph this week has a hint of déjà vu.

Creating the stench of "blame the lack of peace on Yasser Arafat".

"...the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state..."

That bucket has a hole in it, as some Palestinians believe Israel wants to eliminate Palestine.

Oslo-ites in the media for foisting the mantle of peacemaker on Abbas...just dumb?

Where are the olive branches from the Tobinites?

"...Yitczhak Rabin..."

Who assassinated Yitczhak Rabin?

A BLIND SUPPORT

"...September 1993...fire and bloodshed...Palestinian terror war of attrition in September 2000..."

What September event sparked this war?

"If Israel's democratically elected leaders choose to take a chance on peace, the natural instinct of those who do not vote, pay taxes or do military service in the Jewish state ought to be to defer to their judgment."

Does this mean US should withhold their tax dollars from Israel welfare in order to "defer" US judgment?

"...Klein believes American Jews should place the same sort of pressure on Washington to insist on concrete moves for peace as they did during Oslo."

More important, what does G_d believe regarding this continuing bloodshed?

"If, after...more of the same from the Palestinians, we are still hearing excuses about Abbas' behavior...then the skeptics will be proven correct...."

And also proven wrong it was not Arafat after all.

"If so, then, as has happened many times before in Jewish history, what we will be watching will be a tragedy, not a farce."

Today is a tragedy!

Hitler was another example of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Like many dictators before him he stole the poor people's revolt against rich tyrants - it is true he had many Jews killed - in the end he caused genocide of his own German people -  a few new of the burnings but most did not - they were victims too - who can look at the pictures of flesh peeling off humans as they tried to escape and not see their suffering?

Between WW I, WW II, Cold War and Bush's Wars, the sins of our fathers could be recited repeatedly till the end of time...

...or

or take a true path of peace

I guess maybe not

it thus must be the leaders of the world are yet

not weary of warring

as the sky blackens with Global Hawks.

menu   /   moongate