The rhetoric of Israeli-Palestinian "peace talks" was inaugurated today with constant referrals to the "terrorism" in the West Bank over the last few days and no recognition of the ongoing process of colonialist terrorism that is the perpetual nightmare of Palestinians. It is important to recognize the nature of politics today, the timeliness of these negotiations on the eve of elections in the U.S., just off the false victory calls in Iraq, alongside continuous efforts to shape and mold the Muslim world in ways that appease the U.S. master, and the inclusion of political representatives that do not represent the consensus opinions of their populations, alongside countless other hypocrisies. The reality is that the whole "Peace Talk" show is really only a means by which these governments can attempt to portray and thereby reclaim a piece of legitimacy in a world full of discontent with the status quo, complete frustration and disregard for so-called political representatives, but a world lacking any better alternatives.
Remarking on the rhetoric that accompanies these efforts is really a waste of time, but for those watching the opening remarks it should become apparent this is all just a game, albeit a game that verges on full fledge war and potential disintegration of the entire Middle East region. It should signify the birth of complete rejection for everything establishment today, the realization that absolutely nothing good can come from these camps or any of the present political parties that claim to represent their people. This is as true in the Western world as it is in the Middle East. While people dance the rhetorical tune of traditional political plays and manipulations for the press and pundits, the real world slips closer to hell. Rejection by conscious people of the latest example of this charade must lead to creating alternatives outside the realities we know and have grown accustomed to. It must not lead to political withdrawal and silent submission, that is exactly what they desire.
Remarking on the rhetoric that accompanies these efforts is really a waste of time, but for those watching the opening remarks it should become apparent this is all just a game, albeit a game that verges on full fledge war and potential disintegration of the entire Middle East region. It should signify the birth of complete rejection for everything establishment today, the realization that absolutely nothing good can come from these camps or any of the present political parties that claim to represent their people. This is as true in the Western world as it is in the Middle East. While people dance the rhetorical tune of traditional political plays and manipulations for the press and pundits, the real world slips closer to hell. Rejection by conscious people of the latest example of this charade must lead to creating alternatives outside the realities we know and have grown accustomed to. It must not lead to political withdrawal and silent submission, that is exactly what they desire.
While the press will portray the Palestinians as the party unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices for peace, it must be recognized minimally that the political elite of Israel truly considers any clearly defined and lasting borders as non-conducive to Israeli interests in reestablishing greater Israel and protecting the gains of occupation despite the reality that a large portion of its populace demands concessions and the discontinuation of occupation.
One proof that these negotiations are a fraud can be found in the recently released but largely unpublicized remarks of Binyamin Netanyahu with regard to the first Oslo Accords. In the tape he clearly reveals that he does not see negotiations as anything other than theatrics and is little interested in "peace," claiming as well, "I know what America is. America is something that can be moved easily. (see clip)" Certainly the AIPAC lobby representing this same ideology at the expense of American taxpayers would agree.
And so the reality that these negotiations have nothing to do with creating a lasting settlement should be evident. The real cause of this soap opera is the falling public support each of the parties involved has on the home front. Obama's polls are slipping across the globe, whether it is the widespread hatred for U.S. influence in the Middle East, radical Israelis who view him as a threat to their continued colonization, or the neglected domestic population suffering through unemployment and lack of social services at home due to the the American Empire's militarism abroad, these talks represent is an opportunity for him to revive the benefit of the doubt that gave him a clear pass to do whatever he wanted during his first year in office.
Israel and Netanyahu have been utterly embarrassed by the failure of their surge on Gaza and widespread global animosities and awareness that they are running a terrorist, apartheid state. His participation is to simultaneously give him and his government the benefit of the doubt that they truly desire peace. And finally, the Palestinian Authority's so-called President, Mahmoud Abbas was disgraced in 2006 by contributing to the election of Hamas and the subsequent exposure of his betrayal of the Palestinians in numerous areas including preventing investigation by the United Nations assembly into war crimes during Israeli's war on Gaza and numerous intimate backings and partnership to both the United States and Israel that make him look like the puppet he is. His only real objective is to get Palestinians and the international community to grant him some legitimacy and yet more benefit of the doubt to see if he can etch out yet another agreement that spells complete disaster for Palestinians while U.S., Israel and the PLO all plot the destruction of Hamas in Gaza.
With public opinion in every nation directly opposed to the politics of each camp, it is safe to say that these discussions are more a political, propaganda campaign than true negotiations. In reality, it may be more sinister than that, an effort to pass blame on an inevitable, recognized and perhaps even planned systemic breakdown away from the leadership and political parties and onto the populations they claim to represent. With such lack of congruence between population and politician, it is hardly likely that respective constituencies will accept whatever becomes of these plans. And perhaps this is truly the point; after all, if you know there is going to be an all out catastrophe, it is much better to meet and pretend to have tried to mediate that catastrophe so that people cannot accuse you of doing nothing at all. Instead, speaking of peace while planning for war, seems a much more probable purpose for holding such a facade at a time when agreement and common lines seem at a substantial low.
Israel and Netanyahu have been utterly embarrassed by the failure of their surge on Gaza and widespread global animosities and awareness that they are running a terrorist, apartheid state. His participation is to simultaneously give him and his government the benefit of the doubt that they truly desire peace. And finally, the Palestinian Authority's so-called President, Mahmoud Abbas was disgraced in 2006 by contributing to the election of Hamas and the subsequent exposure of his betrayal of the Palestinians in numerous areas including preventing investigation by the United Nations assembly into war crimes during Israeli's war on Gaza and numerous intimate backings and partnership to both the United States and Israel that make him look like the puppet he is. His only real objective is to get Palestinians and the international community to grant him some legitimacy and yet more benefit of the doubt to see if he can etch out yet another agreement that spells complete disaster for Palestinians while U.S., Israel and the PLO all plot the destruction of Hamas in Gaza.
With public opinion in every nation directly opposed to the politics of each camp, it is safe to say that these discussions are more a political, propaganda campaign than true negotiations. In reality, it may be more sinister than that, an effort to pass blame on an inevitable, recognized and perhaps even planned systemic breakdown away from the leadership and political parties and onto the populations they claim to represent. With such lack of congruence between population and politician, it is hardly likely that respective constituencies will accept whatever becomes of these plans. And perhaps this is truly the point; after all, if you know there is going to be an all out catastrophe, it is much better to meet and pretend to have tried to mediate that catastrophe so that people cannot accuse you of doing nothing at all. Instead, speaking of peace while planning for war, seems a much more probable purpose for holding such a facade at a time when agreement and common lines seem at a substantial low.
Al Jazeera reported after the opening remarks that Palestinians in Jerusalem weren't even watching the initial statements of Clinton, Netanyahu, and Abbas. Instead they were more concerned with breaking their Ramadan fast and getting to a location where they could watch their favorite Ramadan television series. A recent poll showed that less than 25% of Palestinians believe the talks will yield results. This is yet the latest sign that the politics of rhetoric, exasperbated by Brand Obama and his teleprompter reading flare and vigor, has worn out its usefulness and continues to deceive only true believers.
The rhetorical manipulation intended by Brand Obama, coming into power during the biggest international crisis since the depression and the World Wars, has not worked to deceive the mass. For that reason, so-called "peace talks" are also going to fail. The table-sitters are delegitimized in the eyes of their populations so even if a settlement is reached the likelihood of it ever being implemented by real people on the ground is nil. Negotiations will certainly not remark on the process of occupation in the West Bank, discuss relocation of settlers, the subjugation of water-rich land, the strategic settlement development that will prevent any form of contiguous and cohesive Palestinian State. Likewise, the U.S. will offer no real force in its positions by, for example, threatening to remove some of the $3 billion per year in military aid or by allowing, Hamas, the democratically elected choice of Palestinians, to participate. Therefore, the entire process is completely divorced from reality.
In order to delegitimize this sudden desire for peace talks, the military of wing of Hamas, responded by carrying out two attacks against civilians in the West Bank. Were they themselves really concerned with anything other than maintaining their own political control, they would realize that these peace talks were destined to fail regardless and that such a response was unnecessary. Instead they would have worked to implement a much needed form of politics that speaks to constituents not as though they are cattle needing to be lead to yet another trough of cud, but as human beings capable of seeing through lies and deceit. Unfortunately, even the opposition is encumbered by this reality today.
Political processes and democratic participation have been utterly destroyed by the form of political sophistry of the modern era. Brand Obama is the final nail in the coffin, and quite possibly indicative of the death knell for democracy, representing the folly that plagues the decline of all eras. Today, planners write the political news as if they are scripting a soap opera and politicians serve as population control, directors attempting to guarantee that everyone plays their part. However, people have recognized that political speech has nothing to do with reality, and they realize that they are living in a disconnected reality. Unfortunately, in response, they too often withdrawal altogether from a political process that continues to exert great influence on their everyday lives. This is exactly what the power elite desire with regard to the Palestinian situation, the complete delegitimization of politics rather than lead to the development of alternative avenues will more than likely lead to the passive acceptance of whatever is decided.
In this realization lie the actual intention of the talks, not to bring peace, but to certify division and chaos. What better way to usher in an era of authoritarianism and austerity at the expense of the general population, than by pinning the blame on failed peace efforts to those on the ground? The enemy of states has become their own populations; this is true in the Europe where states suffering fiscal crisis are implementing austerity policies rather than calling for radical reform, in America where the population is being sacrificed for the sake of banks and corporations, and in the Middle East and Israel where populations vie for greater rights and actual alteration of political course, only to be deceived by their governments and the powers that control them time and time again.
Holding these talks now with the parties involved is therefore essentially a slap in the face of humanity, blatant disregard for the role of the people in the so-called democratic process and further proof that governments today could care less about the people they represent. People try hard through counter-narratives, boycotts, humanitarian relief and other forms of mobilization, but they do so working inside a system that is designed to allow advocates and activists to address only manifestations and not a core disease.
The truth is that there will be no peace, not in Palestine, not in America, and not in the world until people reject, boycott and replace the entire contemporary order. In order for that to occur, complete alternative paradigms must be developed. Unfortunately, whether it be leftist parties in Europe, tea- partiers in the U.S. or Islamists in the Middle East, presently existing alternative parties represent a change in face and name but essentially more of the same. Were a new platform formulated, sensible, and based in the simple universal principles of justice, honesty, and a belief that people can see through rhetorical politicians, people would be less concerned with their favorite television series and motivated to participate in real change. Because an alternative does not exist, people are forced to go along with the status quo or drop out of political participation altogether, passively accepting whatever comes their way, forced to give legitimacy where it is completely unwarranted or declining to care one way or the other. Unfortunately, that is exactly the plan. Here is to complete new alternatives.
The rhetorical manipulation intended by Brand Obama, coming into power during the biggest international crisis since the depression and the World Wars, has not worked to deceive the mass. For that reason, so-called "peace talks" are also going to fail. The table-sitters are delegitimized in the eyes of their populations so even if a settlement is reached the likelihood of it ever being implemented by real people on the ground is nil. Negotiations will certainly not remark on the process of occupation in the West Bank, discuss relocation of settlers, the subjugation of water-rich land, the strategic settlement development that will prevent any form of contiguous and cohesive Palestinian State. Likewise, the U.S. will offer no real force in its positions by, for example, threatening to remove some of the $3 billion per year in military aid or by allowing, Hamas, the democratically elected choice of Palestinians, to participate. Therefore, the entire process is completely divorced from reality.
In order to delegitimize this sudden desire for peace talks, the military of wing of Hamas, responded by carrying out two attacks against civilians in the West Bank. Were they themselves really concerned with anything other than maintaining their own political control, they would realize that these peace talks were destined to fail regardless and that such a response was unnecessary. Instead they would have worked to implement a much needed form of politics that speaks to constituents not as though they are cattle needing to be lead to yet another trough of cud, but as human beings capable of seeing through lies and deceit. Unfortunately, even the opposition is encumbered by this reality today.
In confirmation that these talks are being held in complete disconnect from reality on the ground it was reported in Israel press that,
Hours before peace talks were set to begin in Washington, Jewish settlers defiantly announced plans on Thursday to launch new construction in their West Bank enclaves in a test of strength with Palestinian Islamists.Naftali Bennett, director of the settlers' Yesha council, said settlers would begin building homes and public structures in at least 80 settlements, breaking a partial government freeze on building that ends on September 26.
Elsewhere Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri vowed,
"Operations of resistance will continue and the measures by the occupation and Fatah will not block them,"
In this realization lie the actual intention of the talks, not to bring peace, but to certify division and chaos. What better way to usher in an era of authoritarianism and austerity at the expense of the general population, than by pinning the blame on failed peace efforts to those on the ground? The enemy of states has become their own populations; this is true in the Europe where states suffering fiscal crisis are implementing austerity policies rather than calling for radical reform, in America where the population is being sacrificed for the sake of banks and corporations, and in the Middle East and Israel where populations vie for greater rights and actual alteration of political course, only to be deceived by their governments and the powers that control them time and time again.
Holding these talks now with the parties involved is therefore essentially a slap in the face of humanity, blatant disregard for the role of the people in the so-called democratic process and further proof that governments today could care less about the people they represent. People try hard through counter-narratives, boycotts, humanitarian relief and other forms of mobilization, but they do so working inside a system that is designed to allow advocates and activists to address only manifestations and not a core disease.
The truth is that there will be no peace, not in Palestine, not in America, and not in the world until people reject, boycott and replace the entire contemporary order. In order for that to occur, complete alternative paradigms must be developed. Unfortunately, whether it be leftist parties in Europe, tea- partiers in the U.S. or Islamists in the Middle East, presently existing alternative parties represent a change in face and name but essentially more of the same. Were a new platform formulated, sensible, and based in the simple universal principles of justice, honesty, and a belief that people can see through rhetorical politicians, people would be less concerned with their favorite television series and motivated to participate in real change. Because an alternative does not exist, people are forced to go along with the status quo or drop out of political participation altogether, passively accepting whatever comes their way, forced to give legitimacy where it is completely unwarranted or declining to care one way or the other. Unfortunately, that is exactly the plan. Here is to complete new alternatives.
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