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MARK, MY WORDS - The October 7th terrorist acts by Hamas are indefensible. But to begin an intelligent conversation about Israel and Gaza, we must remind ourselves to separate the concept of terrorism from the terrorist. It is easy to get swept up in the moment by viewing images of the dead and buildings reduced to rubble, but that cannot be where the discussion begins and ends. The Israeli Palestinian conflict is a complicated one and requires a nuanced and equally complicated solution, free from the influence of sensational 24-hour headlines and hyperbolic talking-heads calling for torches and pitchforks with a focus on increasing viewers rather than elevating journalistic integrity.
We are dangerously close to repeating the sins of the Iraq war, and there were indeed many. Is the memory of that planned disastrous invasion so distant that we don’t recognize the peril we are once again in? Jumping headfirst and eyes closed into another man-made swamp cannot be on the menu this time, can it? Are we so hypnotized by sensational corporate media as to willingly repeat the same mistakes a mere 21 years later?
Though President Biden timidly hinted at temperance over revenge on more than one occasion regarding Oct. 7th, he now seems to be okay with a large-scale Israeli assault on Gaza. I thought we were going after Hamas, the people who actually committed the terrorist acts? Instead, we get more romper-room partisan politics bundling all “Palestinians” together as if the whole population of Gaza was complicit. I should have known better. Politician’s words are justwords. Either way, the Republican spin doctors have a win-win here that could help to derail Biden’s 2024 re-election bid.
To a great degree, the Palestinian people are captive by Hamas and terrorists in general, along with all the rest of the world. Desperation leads to desperate action, but I would wager that most Palestinians at this point regret voting in Hamas since dire living conditions persist and an Israeli bombing campaign was a predictable response to Oct. 7. Recruiting children to kill children is a bridge too far for any caring person, regardless of their political or religious views, so what did Hamas expect to gain by their attacks? Whatever it was, logic dictates that most Palestinian civilians were not on board or certainly aren’t now.
If we disregard possible political solutions, we are left with only death and violence. In war, the only winners are the industrialists who make the tools that make war possible. This war has gone on for too long and will never end without clearly defined internationally accepted borders and the recognition that all people, including Jews and Palestinians, have the right to exist. The problem is, where.
The danger of constant war in the middle east must now be seen as nothing less than a global threat that requires a global solution. It is difficult to even say that, since the word “global” followed by practically anything conjures up cynicism and trepidation for me, but we do all have to live on the same planet, and military technology has created a necessity to think “globally” when it comes to war between
nations.
But the anger on Israel’s part is justified and understandable. Condemning Hamas is necessary and reasonable, but it is the whole of Israel’s response that will determine how this round ends; or possibly begins the unraveling of what little stability there is in the region. Throughout the fog of war, and war it is, we need to remember that innocent life must be considered to have equal value in any circumstance, in any country, in any conflict. If Israel disregards that, then any disproportionate response by them that unnecessarily claims the lives of more innocent people, becomes merely an act of revenge.
This is not a football game folks. We don’t have to root for one team or the other. The cost of these conflicts cannot just be measured in dollars. The blood of soldiers and civilians is also a currency of war. I don’t see any difference between a dead Israeli and a dead Palestinian, at least not to their friends and families. Unfortunately, the distance between us and foreign wars makes it easy for propagandists to assign their own values to the casualties, based on how those deaths effect world economies and bottom lines.
“Who’s side is this guy on?” you may ask. I am not a Jew or a Palestinian. I am certainly not an expert on foreign affairs. I am, however, a person on the side of protecting innocent people from unnecessary war. I’m on the side of being able to criticize a government without being shouted down as an “antisemite” or “pro-terrorist.” I’m on the side of eradicating suffering and desperation whenever possible and accepting that we cannot trust the corporate media or the industrial military complex to give us the real story. We are now living in a time where we must find that for ourselves.
We can all just keep repeating the same old: “It is a complicated problem and there is nothing we can do.” But we already are doing something...and it’s costing billions of dollars and innocent lives...And it’s not working! Are we protecting economic interests or civilians? If it is the latter, then we must strive to protect all civilians, not just the ones from one side of a conflict or the other. If it’s the former, then God help us all as we continue to repeat the
mistakes made and documented throughout our countless unread history books.
Philosophizing about morality is only affordable for a lucky few in this modern world. But if we continue on this path of perpetual war and economic instability, we will reap a whirlwind that may blow down the very pillars of modern civilization. Our world is not perfect and may never be, but it’s not the dark ages either, so let’s continue to carry the torch forward and do our part for incremental human progress. It’s the least we can do.
(Mark Dutton is a lifelong musician, music producer, and writer. He was arguing politics with his parents since he was a pre-teen. Majored in psychology and left college in his 3rd year on a 30 year magic bus trip around the world playing and writing music with some of the best in the biz. Mark is a contributor to CityWatchLA.com.)
