Well, Now the Political Cartoonists Have All Had Their Say

Nice.  The foto of that dead kid face-down in the surf is so shocking, we're going to build a sandcastle-version of it...and force our own kids to pose by the same...*

Our culture being what it is, how long till someone comes up with a way to make a halloween-costume out of this dead kid's fucking corpse ?


* I know, Gaza...Open-air prison...Those monstrous Israeli's...  Wonder what direction the two younger kids are listening to off-camera as the older child looks dutifully at the lens.  How old are they, and already being used as political props ?

** Intentionally looked for the largest version of the pic. I could find.  In this case, judging by the resolution, it could well be the original dimensions from a DSLR or the like.  But, since Blogger appears to restrict the max. width, you'll have to click here for the original.

The Country We Pretend Doesn't Exist

Seems like every other day or so, there is another encouraging story of countries in the vicinity of what we still insist on calling the South China Sea (we really need a rebranding of that body of water, that should never have been given such a misleading name in the first place) asserting their rights against the attempted landgrabs and colonisation of the PRC.

I'd noticed the earlier stories, such as the Japanese patrols, and the reopening of Subic Bay, but honestly, couldn't think of anything specific to say on the matters.  This, on the other hand, struck me about the story regarding Taiwan:

Taiwan, which lacks the diplomatic ties to negotiate with the other five governments with claims in the South China Sea, has installed $1.29 million worth of solar panels on Taiping Island since 2011 to light a cluster of buildings and provide power for construction of a 200-meter (yard) pier due for completion by year's end, the head of the island's coast guard said Friday.

Taiwan has been an independent country for almost seventy years.  Not a country we choose to pretend to be independent, like 'Palestine', but an actual fully-functioning autonomous entity.  The US (which likes to pretend that international borders haven't changed since the second world war), and most countries in the EU, granted quick recognition to Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.  And yet, the vast majority of the countries on the planet, maintain the fiction that Taiwan, seven decades of actual independence regardless, is still* a province of the People's Republic of China.

Some of these countries used to recognise Taiwan, as the ROC (Republic of China), but later switched their recognition to the PRC.  I've never understood this 'choice' -- How was recognition of the obvious independence of mainland China from Taiwan ever dependent on rejecting the obvious independence of Taiwan from mainland China ?  Were we not capable of recognising both East and West Germany ?  Are we not capable of distinguishing between North and South Korea ?

Of course, I'm being a bit disingenuous here, as if I didn't know full well the political intent of forcing countries that wanted closer economic ties with the PRC to reject Taiwan.  As if I didn't understand their economic motivations in betraying a country that may have been, and may yet prove to be a valuable ally.

It still stinks.  We in the West scarcely dare say boo to the PRC, even when they steal from us, spy on us, threaten us and our allies militarily, engage in cyber-terrorism even.  Because we're so desperate for access to their markets and their cheap labour.  Meanwhile, we turned our back on a peaceful ally in Taiwan and officially embraced the insane One-China dogma of those on the mainland who would willingly destroy the Taiwanese utterly rather than allow them their rightful independence.

And now here we are, with the PRC threatening the sovereign waters of Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, et al.  And the country similarly and more historically thus threatened, Taiwan, 'lacks the diplomatic ties to negotiate with' them, because they, like so many other cowardly governments worldwide, stabbed Taiwan in the back, so greedy were they for relations with the PRC at any cost.

Here's the countries, according to Wikipedia, that have recognised, mostly in the last few years, 'The State of Palestine':

Image: Wikipedia, User Night w  CC SA 3.0

OTOH, the tiny few remaining countries in green below have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, whilst those cowards in blue maintain some sort of unofficial relations.

Image: Wikipedia, User Alinor  CC SA 3.0

As I said above, it is encouraging to see countries in the 'South China Sea' pushing back against the PRC's aggression just off their shores.  But if they wanted to truly send a signal to the PRC of their displeasure, then decades-long belated recognition of their neighbour and potential ally in Taiwan would be a hell of a place to start.


* Almost got myself there

** Oh, and in case it is brought up at some point, no, the situation with the South China Sea is not the same as that with Russia and Eastern Ukraine, the latter conflict being largely if not primarily created by Western hostility against and encirclement of Russia, which hardly relates to the circumstances of the Chinese Civil War in the 'forties.  And the differing attitudes towards the PRC & Russia, both being motivated overwhelming by corporate greed, with geopolitical principles bent at will to whichever attitude might bring about the greatest possible profit in the short to medium term, even if in the long term, those attitudes might lead to global thermonuclear war.  Much as the likes of idiots such as John McCain (or, for that matter, even Vladimir Putin himself) might like to fantasise about a 'new Soviet Empire', Russia is in fact a much lessened nation, than its Soviet predecessor, responding more in the manner of a cornered animal, but no less dangerous for that.  If you want to find yourself a new imperial project (other than the perpetual one of the United States of course), Southeast Asia is where you will find it.

*** Assuming in all of this that the Taiwanese would not be so insane as to assert the same made-up 'nine-dash' claims for their own nation, which would be equally absurd as the same claims of the PRC.

Nina Paley: This Land is Mine

Was looking for something else entirely, but this piece by Nina Paley is a classic, and arguably says something more universal about us humans, than the specific historical/spatial context might imply.


Sita Sings the Blues is worth checking out as well, if you like her style.

Israel in Colour by British Pathé

Interesting time-capsules in these videos, including in the way Israel was portrayed by British Pathé back in the 'fifties & 'sixties.  Keeping in mind that Israel during much of this period was more political ally of the UK & France than of the United States.  There's a more than somewhat touristy if not propagandistic tone to many of the videos, but always cool to see a window into the past.  And in colour no-less.  Hell, most British teevee was still in black-and-white till the seventies.

Last line of the last video, from '69: 'They hope for peace.  The tragedy is, can it be achieved ?'  Well...

Mike Lumish: One State. Two State. Red State. Blue State.

Didn't intend to link again so soon to the artist formerly known as Karmafish, but...I just can't resist with this piece.

Not sure how seriously I can take the idea of community service (as proof of 'loyalty' no less) as a solution to the demographic problem for a one-state solution to I-P (begs so many questions), but at least Mike Lumish has a proposal for a solution, rather than simply denying the problem exists, as seems to be the default for most Likudniks.  And with Bibi's recent pre-electoral comments, maybe it's time we starting having the debate in the West, rather than clinging to the fantasy that a two-state solution is still possible in this generation (Myself, I still think it might have been back in the nineties...but water under the bridge).  And while I hesitate to say too much about the whole I-P situation, my own 'evolving' attitudes being somewhat at odds with the tide in the West, I will say that there is much in Lumish's piece with which I agree.

In fact, the last two sentences quoted below reflect almost exactly what for years now would have been my advice to Israel.  In fairness, I guess I should also state what my advice would have been to the Palestinians, which is to publicly declare that as a two-state solution was clearly no longer viable that they would henceforth abandon claims to a separate statehood, and demand full and total rights as de-facto Israelis, including suffrage.  Which is another kind of one-state solution, but not on Israel's terms.

I disagree, however, that a single-state must necessarily mean the demise of Israel as either Jewish or democratic.

The reason for this is because there is no requirement that a democracy must incorporate hostile foreign elements into it, in order to remain a democracy.  What I propose, under the circumstances of initiating a single state, is that those non-Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria who wish to gain the franchise would need to demonstrate good will toward their Jewish neighbors through the completion of two years community service of some kind.

Those who receive a good report would be given the full franchise.

As for those Arabs who remain resident non-citizens, their children should be given every opportunity to join as full citizens of the state.  Since education would no longer be in the hands of hostile terrorist organizations, Israel could educate Arab youth to the benefits of joining with the country and clearly demonstrate those benefits as young people see their older siblings getting good university educations and well-paying jobs.

By limiting the franchise to only those Arabs who actually want to live peacefully within the Jewish state, Israel would remain both majority Jewish and democratic.  In fact, it would remain more democratic than the United States because the US, for far less good reason, does not allow Puerto Ricans to vote in national elections, despite the fact that Puerto Rico is incorporated into the United States. 
...
I certainly appreciate the dilemma, but since a negotiated conclusion of hostilities is, in fact, impossible - because this is not the Palestinian-Arab national objective - that leaves only the option of unilateral action.
Israel should, thus, declare its final borders, remove the IDF to behind those borders, and toss the keys over its shoulder.  Good-bye and Good luck

And, as I finish this piece, Biko of all things comes up in the shuffle.  Shit you not.  That you, God ?