On February 26, Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron reportedly died from injuries sustained in a brutal and unusual way. Most Americans mourn the death of any service member. I hope he is mourned as well. He made a tragic sacrifice for a higher ideal.... Continue Reading →
At the Israeli Security Checkpoint in Occupied Palestine
As you approach the checkpointHave all your papers in perfect order.Hold them just in front of you.Always keep your hands clearly in view.Always be humble,Pretend you respect them.Never stare at the guns.And never, never change your mind and run.(Even if you have now almost forgottenWhat it was you so badly needed to do).Remember, they are... Continue Reading →
Reflections on Two Storms
Like many people in the Pacific Northwest, my wife and I were hit pretty hard by the recent ice storm. We live on a patch of woodland just outside of Newport. We lost power and cable early and (since we are on a well) that meant no water. We were offline for almost six days.... Continue Reading →
Netanyahu’s Latest Poison Pill
Gaza in Ruins Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu recently posted an op-ed laying out his three prerequisites for “peace.” I place the word peace in quotes because his plan is basically a poison pill to avoid any serious move towards a just peace which acknowledges the rightful aspirations of the Palestinian people. It is, like many... Continue Reading →
Attrition / Genocide
Another Empty Desk Children learn their numbers best when they can count how many homes and schools were destroyed, how many mothers and fathers were wounded or thrown into jail. -Mosab Abu Toha As a teacher, as a human, I was appalledWhen I first saw the aftermath of an Israeli attack on Gaza A... Continue Reading →
Palestine New Year: The Roots of the Problem
The situation in Palestine is often falsely described as “ancient, complex, and insoluble.” In fact, the modern problem began with the growth of political Zionism in 1895. In The Jewish State, which he published that year, Theodore Herzl announced his plan quite clearly: Palestinians were to be removed to make room for Zionist settlers. That... Continue Reading →
Gaza Ghetto: Lessons from History
Ghaza Ghetto, Gilbert Schramm It is hard for many people to get their heads around what is happening in Gaza today. Whatever “side” you are on, the sheer brutality is hard to bear. Israel seems bent on amplifying a strategy that has never worked before. There are certain points on which reference to history really... Continue Reading →
Gaza: Irony, Violence, Fear, and Insecurity
Gaza Carnage In the wake of the current violence in Gaza, a huge number of ironic comments abound. Many of them are unintentional: they are the product of people who really haven’t thought the facts through. One comment of this kind which really took me aback recently was made by a proponent of Israel. He... Continue Reading →
How “Iron-Dome” has Transformed Prospects for Middle East Peace: An Analysis of Israel’s Missile Defense System and What it Means for Peace (written around 2014)
Sky Watcher What follows is extensive analysis of the vaunted “Iron-Dome” defense system. I have been thinking about what I call “Iron-Dumb” for some time, and I was happy when Obama made the point in Jerusalem that, “we’ve invested in the Iron-Dome system to save countless lives.” Of course, he also noted that, “no... Continue Reading →
Peter Beinart’s Unremarkable Letter (AND A LITTLE UNREMARKED ISRAELI TERRORISM)
In recent weeks I have received a barrage of “alerts” about an article by Peter Beinart entitled “I no Longer Believe in a Jewish State.” There have been follow ups like an article by Joshua Leifer which refers to the “Two-State Solution” as a “Liberal fiction.” After reflecting carefully on what they had to say,... Continue Reading →
Mind-Cast 