Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Breaking the silence on Israel-Palestine posted by Richard Seymour
It's time, it's long past time, that the sombre and sober truth of this situation was spelled out in all its brutal clarity, so that at long last we can have an adult, mature, civilised conversation - yeah? - about Israel-Palestine.
First of all, and it's long past time someone said this, I'm gonna tell you what I think. You know what I think? I think this madness is a tragedy. I think this spiral of violence can only lead to more pain on both sides.
There, I said it. Deal with it.
Second. You know a table, right, that’s made of wood and operates as a flat surface on which transactions of various kinds can be conducted? Well, that’s what I think the participants of this tawdry charade need to be sat around.
I haven't finished yet.
Third. You know what their aren't in this situation? Winners. Or goodies, or baddies. Right?
You begin to see the vision, I think.
Because, fourth. You know what I think an eye for an eye makes? The whole world blind.
Stay with me. I know, I know this is confounding everything you've held most dear, or most often, but try to keep an open mind. Because, frankly, if there's one thing this situation needs, it's more open minds, cool heads and, yes, warm hearts. Because these are human beings at stake.
Fifth. You know what violence will solve? Absolutely nothing. Because it only ever harms the innocent.
Sixth. You know what this situation needs more of? Grown ups. Grown ups who can have a mature, civilised conversation - yeah? Which is an irony because the first casualties of this appalling tit-for-tat are the children. Whom no one will think of. Nor will anyone consider their mothers, who should be doing the talking instead of the awful politicians.
Seventh. You know what I think will really help this situation? People of good faith.
Eighth. You know what will not really help this situation? Yet more inflammatory rhetoric.
Finally, and this is really where I think we may have to part company forever, you and I, as I intend to expound something so radical that the government - yeah? - the government would probably like to have me locked up. Right? You know what the worst thing, the worst thing is about this awful tragedy? Extremists on both sides.
*mic drop*
7:53:00 pm |
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