(Adapted from ‘Mr. You’re A Better Man Than I’ by Michael and Brian Hugg and originally recorded by Yardbirds.)
Can you judge a man, By the way he wears his hair? Can you read his mind, By the clothes that he wears? Can you see a bad man, By the pattern on his tie?
– Well then, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Oh, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I.
– Could you tell a wise man, By the way he speaks or spells? Is this more important, Than the stories that he tells? And call a man a fool, If for wealth he doesn’t strive?
– Well then, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Oh, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I.
– Can you condemn a man, If you’re faith he doesn’t hold? Say the colour of his skin, Is the colour of his soul? Could you say that men, For king and country all must die?
– Well, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Oh, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I, Yeah, Mr, you’re a Braverman than I.
Israel’s airforce bombed a refugee camp in Gaza and killed hundreds of civilians. It was a precise deliberate act. Senior military personnel in Israel claimed they acted as they did in order to kill one Hamas leader who they claim was at the location bombed, and added that civilians had been told to move further south in Gaza away from the refugee camp.
– There are two possible reactions to the bombings:
One reaction to the blatant atrocious war crime is to be horrified, disgusted, sorrowful and angry, feelings motivated by humanity.
An alternative reaction is to support the act fully via lies, misrepresentation, contorted logic and cold political expediency, a stance motivated by dehumanisation of Palestinians.
Most people reacted from a humane perspective because most people, by nature and by nurture, care for other people, care about justice and fairness, despise murderous acts and despise dehumanisation.
– People in power and with influence, particularly in governments and in mainstream media outlets, chose the inhumane reaction. They understand the importance of Israel, geographically, to ‘Western’ exploitation, and so they never waver from unfettered support regardless of whatever illegal genocidal acts are committed. Any humane feelings were suppressed early in their careers; if they hadn’t been expunged of humanity they would not have attained their career heights.
– Similar comments emerge from different politicians in different parties and in different countries if they are asked about a “ceasefire” or asked whether dropping ordinance on densely inhabited neighbourhoods or hospitals are war crimes. There is never a flicker of emotion or a smidgeon of admittance of wrongdoing by Israel.
– As awful as the reactions to mass slaughter are, people should not be surprised. All the politicians who lead the cheers for annihilation of Gaza value corporate profit over human life absolutely with no exceptions. Their commitment to their ideology is binding and boundless.
– Israel helps to ensure ‘Western’ values of financial exploitation have a foothold in the Middle East. This manifests itself in obvious ways like daily theft of oil in Syria by USA armed forces of behalf of oil companies and by theft of oil in occupied Golan Heights; there may be oil reserves under Gaza and its territorial waters.
– In a general sense, violent soulless acts by Israel government and military against Palestinians are a constant threat to anyone who wants to challenge theft of land and resources.
– Macron, Schloz, Trudeau, Biden, Sunak, von der Leyen, etc. cannot fail to give Israel full support because their political ideological adherence is to ensuring maximum profits at the expense of all and everyone else. Every action they take in government is to that end. Their roles are to steal from the public. Any resistance is met with violence and incarceration. In UK, the same scenario is true for the next government that is very likely to be led by Starmer.
– Given who they are and what they are, why is anyone surprised or disappointed when these politicians see huge bombs destroying densely-packed residential districts and react with full support accompanied by lies. Why be surprised if the people who ask for peace and cessation of violence are vilified, arrested and financially unembursed?
– Reasoned conversation, discussion or debate with such politicians is impossible. Communication with them is a clash of realms: A humane perspective cannot engage with a focussed criminal; any pretence at debate from them is a ruse, a con.
– Dead-eyed compliance from Blinken, arrogance from Lammy, bizarre accusations against peace campaigners by Braverman – all are consistent with intrinsic ideology of selective dehumanisation in order to protect the capability to exploit.
–
USA Secretary of State Antony Blinken
– There is nothing surprising about recent behaviour and rhetoric of conservative politicians.
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