Global
As we celebrate July 4th and America’s 250th, let’s hold space for the lives around the world who have been touched by America’s military actions abroad. Such as in Palestine, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and Lebanon to mention few.
Commemoration is not only about honoring our own story — it’s about recognizing our shared humanity and remembering those who have suffered, struggled, or been displaced.
Mahmoud El-Yousseph, Ret. USAF veteran, Westerville, Ohio
“When the Earth Speaks” was the title last month of the world premiere of a production in which highly effective photos synchronized with extraordinary music performed by a talented string quartet from the Yale School of Music brought home the global warming crisis.
It took place before a packed audience at the North Fork Arts Center’s Sapan Greenport Theatre in Greenport, Long Island.
The combination of the photos, from 86 countries, selections from the international BarTur Photo Awards competition, and the music conveyed well the rapidly increasing calamity of climate change.
The award program was created by Amnon BarTur, a veteran photojournalist. He spoke at the event as did José García-León, the dean of music at Yale University, among others. Composers of the music and musicians who performed it, also spoke.
There was a panel from which I was privileged to make a presentation.
As Americans and people of other former colonies recognize, there’s a great deal to be said for national independence.
But, at times, we might also wonder: is it sufficient?
Until recently in human history, imperialism was widespread. In 1939, Britain’s Empire and Commonwealth alone had direct or de facto political and economic control of 25 percent of the world’s population and 30 percent of its land mass. In fact, only a century ago, nearly half of today’s independent nations were European colonies.
When it comes to America’s semiquincentennial birthday, I feel like someone whose husband has gotten fat and surly and announced he’s going vegan.
You just have to keep reminding yourself of those Good Old Days when he was a promising young poet and not promising riches with something called “financial products.”
So, I close my eyes and think back to those Good Old Days when America was young and handsome and did some pretty impressive stuff.
Let’s begin with, “All men are created equal,” which was pretty damn radical in human history. Yes, you can tell me that America never really lived up to those highfalutin words, but by 1865, we the people proved we meant it.
Half a million Americans died in a war to end slavery.
Can you name one other nation on this planet where white people sacrificed their blood, as a nation, to end enslavement of Black people?
And please spare me the sophomoric cant that the Civil War was about something other than human bondage.
The U.S.-Israel military merger has not become law - yet.
Not because Congress rejected it, but because the House unexpectedly voted down the procedural rule governing debate on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
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That vote delayed consideration of the bill, but it did not remove the military merger from it. When the House returns, Congress will almost certainly have another opportunity to consider the legislation.
The American people now have another opportunity to stop it.
What Happened?
The Massie-Khanna Amendment, which would have removed the military merger from the bill, was not made in order by the House Rules Committee, which serves as the traffic cop on legislation, deciding which bills and which amendments move forward.
Whether Israelis will ever comprehend the irreparable damage inflicted upon their country’s reputation by their UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, is a moot point. The damage Israel has done to itself through its barbaric practices in occupied Palestine is simply impossible to overcome.
Danon, however, utilizes a peculiar approach to defending Israel within international institutions: he relies on bullying, intimidation, and an overt attempt to silence anyone who dares to challenge the official Israeli narrative—particularly women leaders. Yet, what makes his behavior most outrageous is his deployment of these abrasive tactics to suppress an issue that demands the utmost sensitivity: the systemic use of sexual violence and human rights abuses against Palestinians.