Thursday, January 8, 2009

Brave Democrats Support Massacre in Name of Peace

The Senate voted today on a resolution expressing "unwavering commitment" to Israel and its actions, placing all of the criticism on Hamas and none on Israel. As ThinkProgress notes, Democrats took the lead in drafting the legislation so they wouldn't be "out-hawked" by Republicans. Those Democrats represent their constituents very well, regardless of what the most recent Rasmussen Reports poll shows because fuck numbers:

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Republicans back Israel’s decision to take military action against the Palestinians, but only half as many Democrats (31%) agree. A majority of Democrats (55%) say Israel should have tried to find a diplomatic solution first, a view shared by just 27% of Republicans.

Only 31% of Democrats support Israel's military action, and yet their elected officials are out in front, drafting legislation in support of that very action. If this doesn't convince you that the two-party system in this country is a foul, vile, sickening parody of democracy, then you are probably an idiot. If you want to vote for a viable political party that won't support the massacre of Palestinians you need to move to another country. It is that simple.

Greenwald, once again, is the best place to turn for analysis. He writes:

It's hard to overstate how one-sided this resolution is. It "expresses vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders." Why should the U.S. maintain an "unwavering commitment to the welfare" of a foreign country? It "lays blame both for the breaking of the 'calm' and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas." It repeatedly mentions the various sins of Hamas -- from rockets to suicide attacks -- but does not mention a single syllable of criticism for Israel. In the world of the U.S. Congress, neither the 4-decade occupation of Palestinian land nor the devastating blockade of Gaza nor the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements even exist. That may not be mentioned.

The Resolution demands that Hamas take multiple steps towards peaceful resolution but demands that Israel do absolutely nothing. It purports to call for a cease-fire in which the Palestinians make all the concessions and Israel makes none. Worst of all -- in light of the Red Cross condemnation, yesterday's slaughter at the U.N. school, and other similar incidents -- the Resolution disgustingly praises Israel's conduct of the war, claiming that "Israel has facilitated humanitarian aid to Gaza with hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian assistance and numerous ambulances entering the Gaza Strip since the current round of fighting began on December 27, 2008."

Who's excited for the inauguration! It'll be fun and changey!

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