gray areas...

(first appeared on my MySpace blog...)

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their own governours, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

James Madison to W.T. Barry, August 4, 1822



The news media, rather than bringing light to the current situations that face our nation, rather obfuscates our predicaments... Too often the media functions as entertainment and propogates the latest sound byte...

It is important that we seek to tease out the truth of things; that we do not attach ourselves to the easy, didatic, view but instead sort out events and cause and reason... This moment does not exist outside of history but rather is an extension of it...

All are wronged and all are guilty... we must find the way that represses/opresses least and we must lead...



The following is quoted from:
United Nations Resolution, November 28, 1947 #A/RES/181(II)(A+B)


PLAN OF PARTITION WITH ECONOMIC UNION

PART I

Future constitution and government of Palestine


A. TERMINATION OF MANDATE, PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE


1. The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.

2. The armed forces of the mandatory Power shall be progressively withdrawn from Palestine, the withdrawal to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.

The mandatory Power shall advise the Commission, as far in advance as possible, of its intention to terminate the Mandate and to evacuate each area.

The mandatory Power shall use its best endeavours to ensure than an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State, including a seaport and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration, shall be evacuated at the earliest possible date and in any event not later than 1 February 1948.

3. Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem, set forth in part III of this plan, shall come into existence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of the armed forces of the mandatory Power has been completed but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. The boundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem shall be as described in parts II and III below.

4. The period between the adoption by the General Assembly of its recommendation on the question of Palestine and the establishment of the independence of the Arab and Jewish States shall be a transitional period.

history...

How will history judge this moment?

As the Middle East sinks into unrestrained warfare... what will prevent its spread?

Will future generations wonder why we didn't take this opportunity to work for peace? The U.S., we are the most powerful nation in the history of the world; to what ends will we use that power?

tomkat and nuclear proliferation...

The news is entertainment. Only a segue separates the superflous from the profound.