Most people have no idea that the countries of the Middle East were drawn on a map by the British and French after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, in a way that it would guarantee future frictions among the populations. Frictions that they kindled in societies that were peaceful, multicultural and for the most part secular. They created radical Islamists to use as tools against peaceful Muslims, who were in their majority (according to British polls of the time) in favour of the creation of one country, "Greater Syria" that would encompass the Levante and would be multiethnic and multicultural. And then they promoted the cartoonish version of a violent deranged Muslim, through their movies and media, to manufacture consent for their bloody wars. How many people know that socialism, panarabism, and secularism was on the rise across the Middle East when the West murdered their leaders and installed puppets? Or that Hassan Nashrallah was a book worm, close friend of Norman Finkelstein and Noam Chomsky?
Disgust does not even begin to describe how I feel
Just as the Inquisition divided the world map between the Spanish and the Portuguese, thus bestowing the Pope's License to Kill in the name of ????? Oh yes - G & J Love...
yeah... I'm not American, but this has been pretty much my experience the last year.
I was sich a naive fool... but tbh, to this day I'm not sure if I'd take the blue pill next time.
Cipher was right. Neo died for nothing and we could have been all eating steak and drinking Canernet.
Don't get me wrong, I take this shit fucking serious, but it also brought me down to a lvl of despair that's almost unsustainable.
I knew the world was kinda fucked up, but this shit... that's Germany WW2 lvl of depravity, and people are cheering it on or indifferent to it, while I pull my hair out
Keep on responding like this, Schniedel, every restack you can send out will reach a new swathe of potential supporters for Diana, Martin, and other campaigners for Peace, Maurice https://thiscreativeadventure.com
Right there with you. Raised to always protect Israel. Arabs/Muslims are bad/terrorists. Sheer embarrassment the last couple years as my now best friend is a Muslim and I have spent 6-700 hours reading history and articles and watching documentaries, could literally have a degree in this. I am horrified by American ignorance and ego. Ashamed of their meddling and killing. Sickened by the Zionist players and culture embedded in our government that feeds Israel.
Not everybody will admit they've been duped. They dance around such a confession with elaborate verbiage, and twist themselves into pretzels to justify the unjustifiable. Your honesty in confronting the uncomfortable is even more important than the particular facts you've chosen to share.
Thank you for this honest article. You speak for many of us in the American empire: British, Australian, Canadian… We are as disgusted and disillusioned as you at the continuing lies of the empire. Oh, and this emperor is stark naked.
Here is the thing. In the 1990s and early 2000s the US hit the high watermark of both the Left thinking of the experience of modern Israelis is comparable to Jews in the Holocaust and the Christian Right thinking of Jews and the modern state of Israel as part of eschatological necessity.
Since then the Left has increasingly figured that the Israelis are oppressive white settler colonialists. Meanwhile the Right has increasingly found that Israel’s actions regarding US involvement in their military and domestic situation is deleterious to the US.
The politicians are as much or even more so beholden to the Israel Lobby as ever but most of the rest of us just aren’t.
I have seen the aftermath of the Israeli bombings. I have seen the dead kids. Frankly, I cannot be opposed to the Palestinians when if my children were killed by some nation’s bombs, and I was holding their lifeless corpses afterwards I would commit the rest of my life to destroying that state.
The best the Israelis can hope for increasingly is Americans having no strong feelings. An “I nothing Israel” attitude.
But… I Atleast, look at Israel’s deliberate bombing of Palestinian civilians, and their overt ethnic cleansing, and while I wouldn’t universally condemn all Jews or all Israelis, I do have to condemn their government and any organized lobby groups in the diaspora supporting this
Same here. Fully propagandized my entire life. It's interesting when I think about how I felt when I occasionally heard bad things about Israel. Like Israeli soldiers shoot Palestinian children for throwing rocks or Israeli snipers shoot Palestinians in the knees during the peaceful March of Return. I thought, that's so bad. But, nothing else. I had no idea what my country was doing for Israel, no idea of what the situation is, no idea what Zionism is, no idea of AIPAC. Complete ignorance. Now I have educated myself and I feel terrible that it took this horrible slaughter to wake me up. The propaganda is amazing, so complete and comprehensive from revisionist history to the definition of words. Reading Ilan Pappe's 'Ten Myths About Israel' helped me. I'm also reading Tony Greenstein's 'Zionism During the Holocaust'. Oh my. It's worse than you think.
It took courage to write this post. It always does to publicly admit one has been thoroughly bamboozled. I salute you.
The good news is that there are millions of Americans just like you. I know. I realized what Israel was in the late 1970s, and I've never seen and heard so many of us sound like me before. In fact, most of us really are opposed to sending weapons to Israel so they can slaughter women and children in job lots. That's why they're not polling on the issue anymore; because they don't like the answers they get anymore.
Your post is one more bell tolling for Israel. Americans like you are why Israel is doomed. Don't shut up. Join the ongoing Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against the apartheid state, and Israel doesn't stand a chance.
I've been looking for sources to share with my mother who is still badly indoctrinated but has glimmers of understanding. As I've been deeply immersed in this issue for a year and have always defaulted to supporting Palestine as the underdog (though I too believed some of this pro-western propaganda before that, even in spite of being married to an Arab Muslim man for over 19 years! How does that work?!?) there are many sources I love who might be too leftist/revolutionary/intimidating for my mom. This is the article I'm going to start with! Thank you for writing it!
Good for you. Capable of learning and changing - - up ending, even--your mind. It's been great to see so many Americans coming to understand the criminality of Zionism over the last year. The Palestinians have paid a high price for that. We have to try, finally, to put a end to the colonialsi slaughter.
The paragraph "One Last Thing" is the crux of all our writings, that we bear in heart and mind, as we call out for PEACE. Spread the word as best you can, 'cos you are a victim too, Maurice https://thiscreativeadventure.com
I was once a dyed-in-the-wool Zionist, then I chanced upon Ilan Pappe’s book, “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,” and my outlook changed. Solid history, based on meticulous archival research, will do that to you. I then chanced upon other Jewish voices who cared more about justice than tribal solidarity. Gideon Levi, Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, Norman Finkelstein, Jeffrey Sachs, Israel’s leading human rights organization, and others. Yes, I know. Self hating Jews. What bullshit.
Then there the Gentiles, who appear on You Tube: Scott Ritter, Alastair Crooke, John Mearsheimer, Lawrence Wilkerson, Larry Johnson, Chas Freeman, Daniel Davis, Douglas MacGregor, Ray McGovern— each one of forgotten more than the rest of us know about international affairs. Read the books, follow the videos of these people, and you inoculate yourself against the gaslighting of both the Biden and the Israeli administrations.
Most people have no idea that the countries of the Middle East were drawn on a map by the British and French after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, in a way that it would guarantee future frictions among the populations. Frictions that they kindled in societies that were peaceful, multicultural and for the most part secular. They created radical Islamists to use as tools against peaceful Muslims, who were in their majority (according to British polls of the time) in favour of the creation of one country, "Greater Syria" that would encompass the Levante and would be multiethnic and multicultural. And then they promoted the cartoonish version of a violent deranged Muslim, through their movies and media, to manufacture consent for their bloody wars. How many people know that socialism, panarabism, and secularism was on the rise across the Middle East when the West murdered their leaders and installed puppets? Or that Hassan Nashrallah was a book worm, close friend of Norman Finkelstein and Noam Chomsky?
Disgust does not even begin to describe how I feel
Just as the Inquisition divided the world map between the Spanish and the Portuguese, thus bestowing the Pope's License to Kill in the name of ????? Oh yes - G & J Love...
yeah... I'm not American, but this has been pretty much my experience the last year.
I was sich a naive fool... but tbh, to this day I'm not sure if I'd take the blue pill next time.
Cipher was right. Neo died for nothing and we could have been all eating steak and drinking Canernet.
Don't get me wrong, I take this shit fucking serious, but it also brought me down to a lvl of despair that's almost unsustainable.
I knew the world was kinda fucked up, but this shit... that's Germany WW2 lvl of depravity, and people are cheering it on or indifferent to it, while I pull my hair out
Right there with you. Thanks for reading.
It’s worth asking if americans have been gaslit about ww1 and ww2. Not to mention Russia.
Absolutely. Thanks, Enoch, for your comments.
With regard to Russia, I raise the question in 'Confessions of a Propagandized - Part II." Be sure to check it out - https://substack.com/home/post/p-150277854?source=queue
Keep on responding like this, Schniedel, every restack you can send out will reach a new swathe of potential supporters for Diana, Martin, and other campaigners for Peace, Maurice https://thiscreativeadventure.com
Right there with you. Raised to always protect Israel. Arabs/Muslims are bad/terrorists. Sheer embarrassment the last couple years as my now best friend is a Muslim and I have spent 6-700 hours reading history and articles and watching documentaries, could literally have a degree in this. I am horrified by American ignorance and ego. Ashamed of their meddling and killing. Sickened by the Zionist players and culture embedded in our government that feeds Israel.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Cathy! Keep reading and speaking out!
Excellent and admirably honest article!
Thank you, Diane.
Diane the educator....
Great piece. Forbiddingly clear-eyed.
Thank you, Douglas.
Thank you for this article, Diana.
Not everybody will admit they've been duped. They dance around such a confession with elaborate verbiage, and twist themselves into pretzels to justify the unjustifiable. Your honesty in confronting the uncomfortable is even more important than the particular facts you've chosen to share.
This has been my year of awakening as well. Thank you for sharing your journey of reprogramming
Thank you for reading, Pete.
Thanks so much for this important reality check, Martin.
No, thank you Diana, for reading and for your consistent advocacy.
You're welcome, Martin. It really helps to keep me sane.
Plus, you’re definitely one of the writers who is “…not afraid to call out injustices and hypocrisy.”
Thank you for this honest article. You speak for many of us in the American empire: British, Australian, Canadian… We are as disgusted and disillusioned as you at the continuing lies of the empire. Oh, and this emperor is stark naked.
For sure. As a jaybird.
Here is the thing. In the 1990s and early 2000s the US hit the high watermark of both the Left thinking of the experience of modern Israelis is comparable to Jews in the Holocaust and the Christian Right thinking of Jews and the modern state of Israel as part of eschatological necessity.
Since then the Left has increasingly figured that the Israelis are oppressive white settler colonialists. Meanwhile the Right has increasingly found that Israel’s actions regarding US involvement in their military and domestic situation is deleterious to the US.
The politicians are as much or even more so beholden to the Israel Lobby as ever but most of the rest of us just aren’t.
I have seen the aftermath of the Israeli bombings. I have seen the dead kids. Frankly, I cannot be opposed to the Palestinians when if my children were killed by some nation’s bombs, and I was holding their lifeless corpses afterwards I would commit the rest of my life to destroying that state.
The best the Israelis can hope for increasingly is Americans having no strong feelings. An “I nothing Israel” attitude.
But… I Atleast, look at Israel’s deliberate bombing of Palestinian civilians, and their overt ethnic cleansing, and while I wouldn’t universally condemn all Jews or all Israelis, I do have to condemn their government and any organized lobby groups in the diaspora supporting this
Well said. I couldn't agree more. Thanks for your comments.
Same here. Fully propagandized my entire life. It's interesting when I think about how I felt when I occasionally heard bad things about Israel. Like Israeli soldiers shoot Palestinian children for throwing rocks or Israeli snipers shoot Palestinians in the knees during the peaceful March of Return. I thought, that's so bad. But, nothing else. I had no idea what my country was doing for Israel, no idea of what the situation is, no idea what Zionism is, no idea of AIPAC. Complete ignorance. Now I have educated myself and I feel terrible that it took this horrible slaughter to wake me up. The propaganda is amazing, so complete and comprehensive from revisionist history to the definition of words. Reading Ilan Pappe's 'Ten Myths About Israel' helped me. I'm also reading Tony Greenstein's 'Zionism During the Holocaust'. Oh my. It's worse than you think.
Someone else mentioned Ilan Pappe, too, for “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine." I'm going to check that one out, too.
I'm going to check out both of those books. Thank you!
It took courage to write this post. It always does to publicly admit one has been thoroughly bamboozled. I salute you.
The good news is that there are millions of Americans just like you. I know. I realized what Israel was in the late 1970s, and I've never seen and heard so many of us sound like me before. In fact, most of us really are opposed to sending weapons to Israel so they can slaughter women and children in job lots. That's why they're not polling on the issue anymore; because they don't like the answers they get anymore.
I posted this back in March:
https://ohiobarbarian.substack.com/p/the-first-bell-tolls-for-israel
Your post is one more bell tolling for Israel. Americans like you are why Israel is doomed. Don't shut up. Join the ongoing Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against the apartheid state, and Israel doesn't stand a chance.
Excellent post. Thank you for your comments.
I've been looking for sources to share with my mother who is still badly indoctrinated but has glimmers of understanding. As I've been deeply immersed in this issue for a year and have always defaulted to supporting Palestine as the underdog (though I too believed some of this pro-western propaganda before that, even in spite of being married to an Arab Muslim man for over 19 years! How does that work?!?) there are many sources I love who might be too leftist/revolutionary/intimidating for my mom. This is the article I'm going to start with! Thank you for writing it!
Thank you for reading. I hope it helps. Best of luck.
Good for you. Capable of learning and changing - - up ending, even--your mind. It's been great to see so many Americans coming to understand the criminality of Zionism over the last year. The Palestinians have paid a high price for that. We have to try, finally, to put a end to the colonialsi slaughter.
Agreed. Thanks, Jim.
The paragraph "One Last Thing" is the crux of all our writings, that we bear in heart and mind, as we call out for PEACE. Spread the word as best you can, 'cos you are a victim too, Maurice https://thiscreativeadventure.com
I was once a dyed-in-the-wool Zionist, then I chanced upon Ilan Pappe’s book, “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine,” and my outlook changed. Solid history, based on meticulous archival research, will do that to you. I then chanced upon other Jewish voices who cared more about justice than tribal solidarity. Gideon Levi, Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, Norman Finkelstein, Jeffrey Sachs, Israel’s leading human rights organization, and others. Yes, I know. Self hating Jews. What bullshit.
Then there the Gentiles, who appear on You Tube: Scott Ritter, Alastair Crooke, John Mearsheimer, Lawrence Wilkerson, Larry Johnson, Chas Freeman, Daniel Davis, Douglas MacGregor, Ray McGovern— each one of forgotten more than the rest of us know about international affairs. Read the books, follow the videos of these people, and you inoculate yourself against the gaslighting of both the Biden and the Israeli administrations.
Thanks, John. I'm going to check out those writers.