Okay, I've had it.
Benjamin Netanyahu's absurd excuse for blowing up the headquarters of the AP and Al Jazeera is a bald-faced lie. The alleged existence of "military assets" of Hamas in the same building is a cover story for deliberately disrupting media coverage of the war against the Palestinian people.
Any attack on one reporter is an attack on all of us. There are no exceptions to this rule.
What is also patently obvious is this entire "war" is a desperate attempt by Netanyahu to retain power. He was on the verge of finally being expelled from office and perhaps even jailed for corruption when this conflict somehow magically materialized.
A sad corollary is Hamas is all too willing to play into Netanyahu's hands. If ever there were antagonists who deserve each other, it is these jokers.
The big question is where is Joe Biden? Where is the U.S.? Do we believe in human rights and the freedom of the press or does Israel somehow get a pass?
No passes. Principles are principles; you don't bend them because of entrenched political alliances reinforce by massive financial interests. That is also corruption and it is far beyond time to root out this problem right here in America.
Like the singer says "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything."
Don't fall for smokescreens by corrupt politicians -- that is a cardinal rule for journalists and citizens. Call it the way it is.
***
I actually had a real visit with a journalist friend at his apartment Saturday; he cooked us a meal and we watched an old journalism movie I'd never heard of, "Call Northside 777" with Jimmy Stewart (1948).
The plot is based on the true story of a Chicago reporter who investigated whether a man imprisoned for killing a cop was innocent or guilty. Of course it reminded me of why I love journalism and the kinds of stories that, once you start on them, you just can't let go of until you reach some sort of resolution.
You don't always get that resolution, but unless and until you do, you just keep digging. We're a certain breed, not unlike homicide inspectors and any other type of investigator who is driven by figuring out what actually happened in a given situation.
Once that sort of work is in your blood, you're hooked for life. That's true of my friend and it's true of me.
***
As my visit to San Francisco continues, this is one of my first real chances to connect with my youngest granddaughter, Bettina, who is two-and-a-half. A precocious, energetic child who looks almost exactly like her Dad did at this age, she seems to understand everything you say to her and chatters away in complete sentences.
"Okay, Grandpa, read me this book now."
If the book she chooses is one of her favorites, she reads right along with you and will finish each sentence as you start it and stop, like, "She has..."
"...one, two three balls, wow!"
I'm used to young kids before they can actually read memorizing phrases like this, though usually they are more like four when this happens. What I've never encountered before is a toddler who points out each succeeding word in the sentence individually with her finger as she "reads" it.
In general young children dazzle me with their innate brilliance, their determination to learn, and their infectious joy of expression.
But this one is doing that earlier and faster than anyone I've known previously.
The headlines:
* Israel pounded Gaza on Saturday, destroying a tower block that housed news media organizations, while Palestinian rocket salvoes hit Tel Aviv with no sign of an end to almost a week of fighting. Israel’s military brought down a 12-story block in Gaza City that housed the Associated Press and Qatar-based Al Jazeera media operations, as well as other offices and apartments. Israel gave advance warning of the strike so it could be evacuated. The Israeli military said later the building was a legitimate military target because it contained military assets of Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza. The strike was condemned by the AP and Al Jazeera. The United States told Israel "that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility." (Reuters)
* Statement: AP ‘horrified’ by Israeli attack on its office (AP)
* Israeli-Palestinian Strife Widens as Frantic Calls for Calm Go Unheeded -- While Israel and Hamas signaled willingness to consider a cease-fire, worries grew about further fracturing in one of the Middle East’s most intractable struggles (NYT)
* Unrest grips Israel and West Bank ahead of large scale demonstrations -- Palestinians readied for protests to commemorate the loss of homes when Israel was founded more than 70 years ago, raising the specter of more unrest on Saturday as violence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel continued overnight. (WP)
* The fighting between Israel and Hamas comes at a politically opportune moment for Prime Minister , as the threat to unseat Israel’s longest-serving leader appears to be collapsing. (WSJ)
* Arab and Jewish Israelis are increasingly clashing with one another in an escalation of communal conflict that hasn’t been seen for decades. In many ways, the strife represents a more complicated challenge than the country’s external enemies. (WSJ)
* Less than 3% of U.S. small businesses could face tax hikes under Biden plan -White House (Reuters)
* A fading coronavirus crisis and an astounding windfall of tax dollars have reshuffled California’s emerging recall election, allowing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newscom to talk about an end to most COVID-19 restrictions and propose billions in new spending as he looks to fend off Republicans who depict him as a foppish failure. (AP)
* An advocacy group that successfully challenged the use of algorithms in U.K. immigration and education policy is preparing to take on Facebook and Uber Technologies over tech workers’ rights. (WSJ)
* Tesla is like an ‘iPhone on wheels.’ And consumers are locked into its ecosystem. (WP)
* Beneath Joe Biden’s Folksy Demeanor, a Short Fuse and an Obsession With Details (NYT)
* John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, met privately with Pope Francis on Saturday, afterward calling the pope a “compelling moral authority on the subject of the climate crisis” who has been “ahead of the curve.” (AP)
* Americans spend hours and hours preparing their taxes. We shouldn’t have to. (WP)
* Spy Agencies Seek New Afghan Allies as U.S. Withdraws -- The move signals an acknowledgment by Western intelligence agencies that they are preparing for the likely collapse of the central government and a return to civil war. (NYT)
* When Your Company Is Named Covid, You've Heard All The Jokes -- Covid Inc. in Tempe, Ariz., has been selling audiovisual equipment for decades, but in the past year, some visitors stop by for an altogether different reason: They're looking for a COVID-19 test. (NPR)
* Heart study: Low- and regular-dose aspirin safe, effective (AP)
* Why can’t more straight men say ‘I love you’ to each other? (WP Magazine)
* Area Man Passionate Defender Of What He Imagines Constitution To Be (The Onion)
***
Everyone that knew him knew which side that he'd be on
He never was a hero, or this county's shinin' light
But you could always find him standing up
For what he thought was right
He'd say you've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything
You've got to be your own man not a puppet on a string
Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name
You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything
If Daddy had done more givin' in or a little more backing down
But we always had plenty just living his advice
Whatever you do today you'll have to sleep with tonight
You've got to be your own man not a puppet on a string
Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name
You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything
But I still believe what makes a man really hasn't changed
You've got to be your own man not a puppet on a string
Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name
You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything
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