Charlie Rose

yoch3  10/04/2011 12:13 PM Report

Why is it that Charlie does not ask Mr. Erakat why Israeli bases in the Jordan Valley are not acceptable to him? As Netanyahu pointed out, there are foreign bases in many countries around the world. Netanyahu was asked by Charlie to explain why international troops are not good enough etc etc. He was grilled extensively. Here Erakat is given a free hand to just lay on his side of the story with almost no questions whatsoever. Even if Charlie likes one side over the other, he should force himself to ask equally serious questions to both sides. I greatly appreciate what Rose does with this show and when it is gone it will be a BIG loss to those of us trying to see more than 5 minute video clips and tiny bits of audio from the world's players ... BUT... I would like to see more even handed questioning.

mangos  09/30/2011 05:43 PM Report

Abbas will be a traitor if he negotiates while settlements continue, here's what negotiating means to me as a palestinian while continuing settlement activity. I am negotiating with you on dividing this apple pie while I am eating it piece by piece (land assimilation by settlments), hence the longer the negotiations last the less you'll ever get if anything. got it?

goodfella8  09/29/2011 01:42 PM Report

Israel does not want peace

If you watch the last 5 or so minutes of Charlie Rose’s most recent interview with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, he re-counts a meeting that he had with the Israeli chief negotiator, Isaac Molho in which delegates from the US state department (including Secretary Clinton herself) were in attendance. At this meeting, Erakat presented the Israeli representative a map as well as Palestinian positions on various issues, including but not limited to, Israeli security. After being presented with possible solutions to bring this 20 year (since Oslo) negotiation to an end and achieve peace, the Israeli chief negotiator flatly declined to even look at the documents, and proclaimed that Israel will have a military presence in the Jordan valley for at least 40 more years.

You can hear the desperation in Erakat’s voice. The reality is the Palestinians have everything to gain from a peaceful resolution. Freedom, dignity, Human rights, Independence, an economy of their own, water, education and healthcare for their children. It is not logical for the side that has nothing, to stall the peace process, or refuse to make peace.

If you watch Charlie Rose’s most recent interview with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and to his credit, Charlie asked (18 minutes in) the Prime Minister straightforwardly….. “what would you be willing to give up?” Netanyahu gets defensive, Rose goes on to say… “no, no, you are saying you want to take certain territories beyond 67 borders, and therefore I am saying, what does your map look like?” Netanyahu continues with the most ridiculous answer, to perhaps, the most important question to the conflict. You must watch this, as he pathetically, shamelessly, and disgustingly avoids the question by equating the peace process to going into the kitchen and making a bowl of stew?!!!???!! Are you kidding? LOL. Of course, Charlie ceases to persist.

The final 5 minutes of his interview, he talks about how proud he is to be the leader of the Jewish state, what that means to him, what that land means to the Jews and how he will “protect the miracle” of a Jewish state. Unfortunately for him, the indigenous people of that land are not Jewish, and that’s the route of the conflict. Israel wants all the land, and they want it Arab free. Anyone who doesn’t see that is blind, or too cowardly to admit the truth.

Interestingly, Netanyahu mentioned his 101 year old father. Here is a quote from the man who raised Bibi: an interview with Benzion Netanyahu, in which he is quoted as saying the following with respect to what should be Israel's policy toward the Arab population under its control: “That they won’t be able to face [anymore] the war with us, which will include withholding food from Arab cities, preventing education, terminating electrical power and more. They won’t be able to exist, and they will run away from here. But it all depends on the war, and whether we will win the battles with them.”

BENEZRAA  09/26/2011 09:36 AM Report

DEAR CHONG SUN WAH,

Thank you for pointing out to me that I did not spell your name correctly; I did so inadvertently, yet, a first impression can be a lasting impression. Please accept my humble apology, as though the error of misspelling your name had never occurred. Shieh, Shieh.

ChongSunWah  09/26/2011 02:34 AM Report

SACRIFICE IS GREATNESS

As soon as sacrifice becomes a duty and necessity to mankind. I see no limit to the horizon which opens before him - Ernest Renan.

Humble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice - Rudyard Kipling

With the guidance of Almighty God may the Israelis government and people make the right decision that will bring peace, harmony and unity for the world.

ChongSunWah  09/26/2011 01:20 AM Report

My name is Chong Sun Wah and not Chung Wah Sah.

I look forward to establishing a dialogue with you in these pages, and I hope to inspire you to some compassion for the Jews of Palestine.

You don't need to inspire me instead we need to inspire the world communities to come together to promote the beauty of all religions. WHY? Racism on the rise in Europe and the world cannot afford to allow this great divide to get bigger and bigger until there is no Hope of reconciliation. That is why the Israelis and Palestinians conflict must be resolved NOW to bring about a fairer world to save the world from destruction!!! Is it too much to ask from the lsraelis to compromise for the sake of a brighter and better world? Once you ready to give in a bit I believe the Palestinians will follow suit.

Racism on the rise in Europe

In Norway, England, the Netherlands, Russia, and especially Austria, racist and Islamophobic movements are on the rise.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/09/201192182426183450.html?utm_source=Al+Jazeera+En glish+List&utm_campaign=828a7dad99-Newsletter&utm_medium=email#disqus_thread

WE NEED TO PROMOTE THE BEAUTY OF ALL RELIGIONS IN THE MAIN STREAM EDUCATION, CAN SOMEBODY TAKE THIS LEAD AND AT LEAST TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY? THIS IS THE JOB OF EVERY CARING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD!!

http://dearmmlee.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/religious-study-in-main-stream-education/

http://dearmmlee.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/where-are-the-renaissances-of-our-time-2/

http://dearmmlee.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/where-are-the-renaissances-of-our-time/

If we love Almighty God we love Humanity not just the Israelis but also the Palestinians because they are humans like us too. Mr Kofi Annan said, "To save one live is to save humanity." How can you justify to the world and still stand tall when you took 1000s lives because Gilad Shalit was captured. Is this the way you show your love for God? Are you chosen to take such an action? Do you still believed you are the chosen ones? You might think so but many people around the world do not. The Israelis government has shamed God's name and I don't believed Mr Shalit's parents condoned the government action. Anyone with a sense of consciousness cannot accept such act!! This is why this ordinary citizen of the world needs to speak up with honesty!!

Do you know how God wants us to love him? My teacher told us God wants us to love Him from the heart and not with grand words. She said that religions ruled and divided and if we truly love God we don't need to spread His name but let our actions or good deeds speak of God's present or that we are the child of God.

Peace Harmony Unity

The root of mankind

Is to carry World Harmony in mind

Freedom from war

We are constantly praying for

To be in a state of tranquility

Requires minds of great intellectual quality

Eternal harmony of peace

We have to seek like daily needs

Peace, Harmony, Unity establishment

Make it our motto of fulfillment

Heralds/Messengers/Proclaimers of peace and harmony

Are universal love and happiness indeed?

- Peace in mind is Harmony within - Sunflower Chong 1983

robdverity  09/25/2011 03:57 PM Report

Ben - Gilad who? What in the Israeli hubristic mindset makes one person worth 1000s - even if they are (mere) Arabs?

BENEZRAA  09/25/2011 01:23 PM Report

"IF I CAN GIVE ISRAEL MY LIVE TO EXCHANGE FOR A HOMELAND FOR THE PALESTINIANS I WILL NOT HESITATE TO DO SO." - CHUNGWAHSAH (BELOW)

Dear ChungWahSah,

The depth of your compassion for the Palestinian Arabs touches me deeply. I have expressed similar compassion for Gilad Shalit, captive to Hamas since 2006; his kidnapping was the proverbial "straw on the camel's back" that led to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. I look forward to establishing a dialogue with you in these pages, and I hope to inspire you to some compassion for the Jews of Palestine; I already have far more compassion for the Arabs of Palestine than you may realize. Shalom!

ChongSunWah  09/25/2011 12:24 PM Report

The widely acclaimed Free Press Index, ‘Reporters without Borders’, ranks Israel 86/190 countries, behind the likes of Togo and Guatemala. The social cultivation of the Israeli state would not look out of place in aHuxley novel.

http://politicalpromise.co.uk/2011/07/22/israel-a-democracy-or-ethnocratic-state/

After centuries of persecution, Zionism’s inexorable quest has been to establish a Jewish state for Jewish people. Yet, that very principle corrupts the common standards of Western democracy and civil liberty. It is for this reason that the rising ‘demographic problem’, caused by both an explosion of the Arab population in Israel and the looming establishment of a Palestinian state, has caused the anxious Knesset to treat civil rights with mounting contempt.

A combination of anti-democratic rulings such as the 2003 Nationality & Entry Act which prevents Israelis marrying Palestinians and Netanyahu’s and Lieberman’s insistent inflammatory anti-Arab rhetoric, has unnerved the general Israeli populace. According to a recent survey commissioned by Ynet, 41% of secular Israelis support municipal religious leaders’ call not to rent apartments to non-Jews.

The phenomenon of globalisation has helped highlight Israel’s somewhat contentious realpolitik foreign policy, which today elicits vociferous global condemnation. Now is time for America to stop peddling the illusion that Israel is a beacon of liberty and instead address the embedded inequalities internally in Israel, before channelling over $4 billion annual aid to a state with dwindling moral support.

ChongSunWah  09/25/2011 12:11 PM Report

http://mwcnews.net/focus/analysis/13130-political-weapon.html

After reading this article you know Israel is not ready for peace.

JohnGelles  09/25/2011 07:06 AM Report

The issue appears to be borders drawn on maps and respected by Arabs and Jews as legitimate. It would be useful if many alternative maps were offered by the negotiating parties to world opinion. Supplementing the maps would be resolutions for all issues.

World opinion, if counted numerically, would probably favor the anti-Israel arguments that prevail in the General Assembly.

That is nearly the situation we have today without the maps.

What then should Israel do? Agree to the borders in exchange for peace? Refuse to agree -- and hope for war to stay away and time to improve the situation?

Saeb Erakat, Chief Palestinian negotiator, appears to want peace and a two-state solution. He argues that democracy will take root outside Israel in the Middle East, as the Arab Spring evolves into permanent progress.

He makes a good argument.

Israel makes a better argument IF the General Assembly intends to add conditions when it makes Palestine a guest nation that would arm Palestine with offensive military forces that radically threaten the two-state solution.

If, such conditions are prevented, and the two states will live side by side in peace, then the arguments on both sides of guest nation status may be equal. Since the General Assembly is likely to create guest-nation status and to add conditions that ought to be omitted, I expect to see the two-state solution implemented soon. Then we will see if peace prevails.

I believe it will, IF the new Palestinian state has the will to prevent attacks on Israel. If not, Israel will have to prevent such attacks -- and that may lead to military conflict most of us had hoped to see avoided. NATO forces may have to be stationed in the new Palestine to deter an ugly war. If this happens, and if the cost comes out of the sale of oil from Arabia, a stability of sorts may be established.

This appears to be the hope of Saeb Erakat. If it is, he is a good negotiator for his side. Time will tell. It may well be that neither Arabian oil nor NATO forces will support the future need for peace. All in all, the situation is presently unstable and may remain so for many years. Tomorrow, I hope, things will look brighter and for good reason.

ChongSunWah  09/25/2011 05:57 AM Report

For all the words of peace, there is no peace offered Israel. It is time for the world to stop using Israel as a "poker table", where international gambling for power is played out, where the table itself is blamed and the legs kicked, when one player or another is unhappy with their hand or with the distributions of the chips. There is far too much at stake in the world, for the world to be so myopic.

1)Instead of saying it is time for the world to stop using Israel as a "poker table", it should be it is time for Israel to wake up or face the reality that the world is not with you because of your arrogant, stubbornness and especially using security as the weapon of non negotiation. Look at Ireland how peace was negotiated.

2)It is not that the world is myopic but the other way round. The world was woken and thankfully a lot of the Jewish people were woken too and share the world's view that Palestinians has suffered enough and Enough is Enough. How long more do you want the Palestinians to suffer before they get their homeland?

I am not well educated yet I need to express my view in this issue because I cannot "Tahun" that means I cannot take it anymore. If I can give Israel my live to exchange for a homeland for the Palestinians I will not hesitate to do so. I want Peace for the Israelis and the Palestinians since I was 10 years old. This is also the wish of the world citizens but most do not voice out because they are pragmatic and they know as long as America is standing by Israel instead of Peace, peace is just a dream.

President Obama cannot be a hero look at what happened to Yitzhak Rabin. John F Kennedy fought for justice for the African Americans look what happened to him and Robert Kennedy. For the Palestinians to have their homeland Israel must have a "BIG HEART" and that is not easy to do specially when there are so much hatred and suspicious after Sept 11. There is an urgency to promote the beauty of all religions in the main stream education with the hope that the future generations will think like One People and One World.

ChongSunWah  09/25/2011 03:30 AM Report

History Of Terrorism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_terrorism#Early_Terrorism)

Middle East

Following the 1929 Hebron massacre of sixty-seven Jewish settlers in the British Mandate of Palestine, the Zionist settlers militia Haganah transformed itself into a paramilitary force. In 1931, however, a more militant Irgun broke away from Haganah, objecting to Haganah's policy of restraint toward Arabs fighting Jewish settlers.[71] Founded by Avraham Tehomi,[72][73] Irgun sought to end British rule by assassinating police, capturing British government buildings and arms, and sabotaging British railways.[74] Its tactic of attacking Arab communities, including the bombing a crowded Arab market, is considered among the first examples of terrorism directed against civilians.[75] Irgun's best known attack was the 1946 bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, parts of which housed the headquarters of the British civil and military administrations. Ninety-one people were killed and forty-six injured in what was the most deadly attack during the Mandate era.[76] After the creation of Israel in 1948, MENACHEM BEGIN (Irgun leader from 1943 to 1948) transformed the group into the political party which later became part of Likud.[77]

Irgun is the present Hamas and Haganah is PLO. Why Irgun broke away from Hagnah? Because Irgun objected to Haganah's policy of restraint toward Arabs fighting Jewish settlers. So now you know why Hamas broke away from PLO!

There is a saying that goes like this "As a man sow so shall he reaps" or "What goes round comes around" and this is what happening to Israel with all the rockets onto their compound. Hamas is following the footsteps of Irgun because that was how Irgun got Independence for Israel.

When Fairness is in action and not just word, Peace will prevail. Rabbi Mordecai said that they (Palestinians)don't hate Jews it is the unfairness act that the whole world cannot accept and must not accept.

In 1967 when I was 10 years old at primary 4 my teacher Ms Soloman told us that Palestinians stole their land but I did not agreed with her. I argued with her and she asked me to shout up and she got us to sing this song "This Land is mine and God gave this land to me."

I told my mother what my teacher told us about Israel and she said if we got to go back to history and the Bible then that will be the end of the world because there will be so much claims and counter claims for this reason I know why Israel cannot allow the right of return of the Palestinians in the peace agreement.

My uneducated mother said that if we had to go back to history then some of the Asean countries belong to Indonesia (Gajah Mada). So for Indonesia to be the leader of Asean it is their rightful place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gajah_Mada

Even his closest friends were at first doubtful of his oath, but Gajah Mada kept pursuing his dream to unify Nusantara under the glory of Majapahit. Soon he conquered the surrounding territory of Bedahulu (Bali) and Lombok (1343). He then sent the navy westward to attack the remnants of the thallassocrathic kingdom of Sriwijaya in Palembang. There he installed Adityawarman, a Majapahit prince as vassal ruler[dubious – discuss] of the Minangkabau in West Sumatra.

He then conquered the first Islamic sultanate in Southeast Asia, Samudra Pasai, and another state in Svarnadvipa (Sumatra). Gajah Mada also conquered Bintan, Tumasik (Singapore), Melayu (now known as Jambi), and Kalimantan.

At the resignation of the queen, Tribuwanatunggadewi, her son, Hayam Wuruk (ruled 1350-1389) became king. Gajah Mada retained his position as mahapatih under the new king and continued his military campaign by expanding eastward into Logajah, Gurun, Seram, Hutankadali, Sasak, Makassar, Buton, Banggai, Kunir, Galiyan, Salayar, Sumba, Muar (Saparua), Solor, Bima, Wandan (Banda), Ambon, Timor, and Dompo.

He thus effectively brought the modern Indonesian archipelago under Majapahits's control, which spanned not only the territory of today's Indonesia, but also that of Tumasik (old name of Singapore), the states comprising modern-day Malaysia, Brunei and the southern Philippines.

BENEZRAA  09/25/2011 12:54 AM Report

IT IS A SAD, BUT, COMMON THING, THAT SO MANY PRETENDERS TO PEACE AND LOVE BASH ISRAEL AND CLAIM (FALSELY SO) TO LOVE ARABS MIS-DESIGNATED TO BE "THE NATION OF PALESTINE. THE SAME PERSONS FIND MORALITY IN THE SOFT SPOKEN MISREPRESENTATIONS OF SUCH AS SAEB EREKAT.

It is the Turks, Persians, Arabs -- and perhaps once again the Egyptians as well -- who war on Israel, placing Israel in an unending state of hyper-vigilance and self-defense. It is the religious and the anti-religious prejudices, hatreds, and persecutions of other peoples and other nations that makes necessary a Jewish State; Israel sets a positive example for other nations by definition, as Judaism does not impose it's faith on others. Israel is a State of Jewish definition and character, yet, is not a racist State; this is proven by the fact that a fifth of Israel's citizenry are not Jewish, the majority of that fifth is Arab, and the majority of those Arabs (more than a million) are full citizens and worship Islam in total freedom. There are more Arabs living in tiny Israel than there are Jews living in Europe and Arabia combined. There are more Arabs living in Jerusalem -- not restricted to Arab East Jerusalem, incidentally -- than there are Jews living in the Arab world.

There is a willful blindness to those, who perceive Israel as Occupier and Interloper, and who speak of an "Israeli-Palestinian Conflict", when they should properly speak of an "Israeli-Arab Conflict", if not an "Israeli-Muslim Conflict". This willful blindness is like unto the false thinking of the man, who on seeing a leaking hole in his rowboat, shoots a second hole in order that the incoming water may drain out through the second hole.

There is a desert sea of Arabs numbering more than 300-million persons that surrounds Israel, and those numbers stretch from Saudia Arabia across North Africa and East Africa, and again from Saudia Arabia northwards through the Middle East into Turkey and Souther Europe and into Russia, and again from Saudia Arabia eastwards into Persia and Central Asia. Saudia Arabia is the original home of Islam, and Islam numbers more than 1.3-billion persons worldwide and geographically in addition to Arabia the majority of these Muslim persons extend into the farthest reaches of Russia, China, and East Asia including the Philippines.

Yet the world, having aided and abetted this desert sea of Arabia to leak into Israel, would have Israel solve this "leak" by shrinking Israel and establishing an additional hostile Arab State on Israel's shrunken border. And then there are those, who would arm that new Arab State! (As if, even "promising" otherwise, such a State would hesitate even for a moment to arm itself; in fact it is already well on it's way to being armed.)

Eloquent speeches and poems are given here below about "peace", including the words of a religious Jewish ignoramus, whose wishful thinking and ignorance of history would place Jews and Israelis at great harm, and would also place non-Jews under Israeli protection at great harm (Muslims, Bahai, Buddhists, Christians, Druse, Hindus, Atheists....).

It is fascinating that there are Chinese, who speak of their wishes for a "Palestinian" state, when these same "Palestinians" would not tolerate the presence of the Chinese, except to purchase arms, technical knowhow, illegal drugs, etc. It is fascinating in general that the world at large -- including Israel as well -- has robbed Israel of it's own second name: Palestine. The name Palestine was given to Israel by the conquering Romans long before the religions of Islam and Christianity as we know them came into existence. This name of occupation was used again by the British in modern times. And yet the same Britain that supported a Jewish Homeland in Palestine just as quickly reneged on that promise, vociferously lobbying for dividing Palestine into a tinier Israel and an Arab "Palestine". This is a theft of property by a theft of name, and it is just another example providing Israel with Justification to distrust those, who claim friendship.

For all the words of peace, there is no peace offered Israel. It is time for the world to stop using Israel as a "poker table", where international gambling for power is played out, where the table itself is blamed and the legs kicked, when one player or another is unhappy with their hand or with the distributions of the chips. There is far too much at stake in the world, for the world to be so myopic.

ChongSunWah  09/23/2011 09:08 PM Report

Many Americans Remain In The Dark About The World

Effort under way to educate Americans after post-Sept 11 surveys show an alarming lack of international knowledge.

The United States is facing an uphill task trying to close the international knowledge gap among its citizens after surveys showed they are alarmingly uninformed about Asia and other regions and are in the dark about cultures and languages other than their own.

Among the first steps the US took after the Sept 11, 2001, terror attacks was to find out how much its citizens knew about the world outside their borders. The findings were rather depressing, particularly American knowledge of Asia, home to more then 60 per cent of the world’s population and with which US trade exceeds even that with Europe and amounts to a whopping US$800 billion (S$1,376 billion) a year.

Four of 10 college-bound high school students could not name the ocean that separated the US from Asia. Worse still, eight of 10 students did not know India was the world’s largest democracy or Mao Zedong was the founding father of the people’s republic of china, according to surveys conducted by Asia Society and other US groups.

But the students could not be solely blamed as the research showed that teachers were not prepared and language instruction did not reflect today’s realities. Of the top 50 US Colleges and universities that train teachers, only a handful required any coursework on Asian history for their students preparing to teach history, the studies showed.

They also revealed that while more than one million students in the US studies French, a language spoken by about 80 million people worldwide, fewer than 40,000 studied Chinese, a language spoken by 1.3 billion people.

The Sept 11 mayhem was “a wake-up call of sorts for educators to close the international knowledge gap in the United States”. Said Mr. Micheal Levine, education executive director of the Asia Society. The society is striving to foster understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific.

To stem the disturbing trend, Mr. Levine said, a number of programmes were introduced to promote international knowledge and skills in US schools. Many states incorporated knowledge of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East and global issues in their social studies standards.

Also, for the first time in 30 years, the prestigious Harvard University reviewed its undergraduate curriculum, stressing knowledge of a wider range of subjects, deeper understanding of the principles of science and a far greater grasp of international affairs.

Despite these efforts, however, the situation remains grim, officials say, citing feed back-gauging mechanisms. “Unfortunately, the benefits of such programmes to millions of students who know very little about the 90 per cent of the world outside their borders are squandered because of a lack of resources for replication,” a research report by the Asia Society said this month.

The society, in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation, is currently reviewing more than 400 international studies programmes from school districts represented in early every US state. To further address the global knowledge gap, the society and the foundation are preparing a blueprint on the “best practices” findings of such educational programmes, to be released later this year. – AFP (Straits Times 29 July 04)

ChongSunWah  09/23/2011 09:06 PM Report

19/11/08

Dear President Obama,

The below poem was sent to me on World Harmony Day 2002.

Putting the 'Great' into a 'Great Nation'

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 1963

What makes a nation 'great'?

Is it economic might?

Is it military might?

Is it glorious war victories?

Is it a nation that claims it has the right to go to war unprovoked to prevent another nation from using weapons that itself has designed while being the only nation in history to actually use these types of weapons?

Is it a nation whose largest industrial export is war-making equipment?

Is it a nation that spends fifty-six percent of its discretionary budget on its military, while spending only seven percent on educating its citizenry?

Is it a nation that claims to be overwhelmingly Christian but has forgotten a few simple principles; "thou shalt not kill, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, and do unto others as you'd have done to yourself"?

Is it a nation that has a health care system so expensive that forty-six million of its citizens cannot afford it?

Is it a nation where twenty-five percent of it's homeless and downtrodden are people who supposedly fought in wars to keep it a great nation?

Is it a class structure that leaves the poor behind?

Is it a justice system that favors the rich and ignores the poor? (We all want justice but you've got to have the money to buy it.)

Is it a violent crime rate at least fifty times that of its next rival?

Is it a broken home rate approaching sixty percent?

Is it a nation that consumes at least forty percent of the world's natural resources while containing only five percent of the population? (If everyone in the world consumed as much as we do, we would need six planets to sustain us.)

Is it a nation that creates a significant amount of the world's air pollution and when asked to join the rest of the world (The Kyoto Protocol) to try to curb the problem says "no, not if it affects our economy"?

Is it a nation that gives 0.1 percent of its GNP to poor nations while other wealthy nations give five percent or fifty times as much?

Is it a nation that has a one party political system disguised as a two party system, excludes all other parties from national election debates, and claims to be the last bastion of democracy?

Or could a great nation be one that values justice and equality above all and for all both social and economic?

Or is it a nation that actively plans for the future of its children, and their children, and their children?

Or is it a nation that realizes that without clean water, air, or soil, life is insupportable?

Or is it a nation that works toward world peace instead of using war as the first and only solution to disagreements with other nations?

Or is it a nation that provides universal health care for all of its citizenry? (When doctors become businessmen, who will the people turn to when they need a doctor?)

Or is it a nation that cares for it's downtrodden? (We are judged by how we treat the least among us.)

Or is it a nation that works toward racial and social harmony by education its citizenry on how discrimination is destructive and not constructive?

Or is it a nation that seeks to educate its citizenry on past wrongs it committed so that they can correct and not repeat them in the future? (He is a lover of country who rebukes and does not deny its sins.)

Or is it nation that allows all great thinkers and new ideas into the national debate in order to build a progressive structure of harmony and tolerance, both foreign and domestic?

If a nation is to be considered great, it should be judged as such by "the contents of its character".

"If you're not part of the future, then get out of the way." -- John Cougar Mellencamp - 2001.

By Frank Gubasta

5327 Summerlin Rd. Apt. 4

Fort Myers, FL USA 33919

Tel: (239) 277-1280

Fax: (239) 277-7060

e-mail: uwmap@peganet.com

ChongSunWah  09/23/2011 09:05 PM Report

19/11/08

Dear President Obama,

The below poem was sent to me on World Harmony Day 2002.

Putting the 'Great' into a 'Great Nation'

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 1963

What makes a nation 'great'?

Is it economic might?

Is it military might?

Is it glorious war victories?

Is it a nation that claims it has the right to go to war unprovoked to prevent another nation from using weapons that itself has designed while being the only nation in history to actually use these types of weapons?

Is it a nation whose largest industrial export is war-making equipment?

Is it a nation that spends fifty-six percent of its discretionary budget on its military, while spending only seven percent on educating its citizenry?

Is it a nation that claims to be overwhelmingly Christian but has forgotten a few simple principles; "thou shalt not kill, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, and do unto others as you'd have done to yourself"?

Is it a nation that has a health care system so expensive that forty-six million of its citizens cannot afford it?

Is it a nation where twenty-five percent of it's homeless and downtrodden are people who supposedly fought in wars to keep it a great nation?

Is it a class structure that leaves the poor behind?

Is it a justice system that favors the rich and ignores the poor? (We all want justice but you've got to have the money to buy it.)

Is it a violent crime rate at least fifty times that of its next rival?

Is it a broken home rate approaching sixty percent?

Is it a nation that consumes at least forty percent of the world's natural resources while containing only five percent of the population? (If everyone in the world consumed as much as we do, we would need six planets to sustain us.)

Is it a nation that creates a significant amount of the world's air pollution and when asked to join the rest of the world (The Kyoto Protocol) to try to curb the problem says "no, not if it affects our economy"?

Is it a nation that gives 0.1 percent of its GNP to poor nations while other wealthy nations give five percent or fifty times as much?

Is it a nation that has a one party political system disguised as a two party system, excludes all other parties from national election debates, and claims to be the last bastion of democracy?

Or could a great nation be one that values justice and equality above all and for all both social and economic?

Or is it a nation that actively plans for the future of its children, and their children, and their children?

Or is it a nation that realizes that without clean water, air, or soil, life is insupportable?

Or is it a nation that works toward world peace instead of using war as the first and only solution to disagreements with other nations?

Or is it a nation that provides universal health care for all of its citizenry? (When doctors become businessmen, who will the people turn to when they need a doctor?)

Or is it a nation that cares for it's downtrodden? (We are judged by how we treat the least among us.)

Or is it a nation that works toward racial and social harmony by education its citizenry on how discrimination is destructive and not constructive?

Or is it a nation that seeks to educate its citizenry on past wrongs it committed so that they can correct and not repeat them in the future? (He is a lover of country who rebukes and does not deny its sins.)

Or is it nation that allows all great thinkers and new ideas into the national debate in order to build a progressive structure of harmony and tolerance, both foreign and domestic?

If a nation is to be considered great, it should be judged as such by "the contents of its character".

"If you're not part of the future, then get out of the way." -- John Cougar Mellencamp - 2001.

By Frank Gubasta

5327 Summerlin Rd. Apt. 4

Fort Myers, FL USA 33919

Tel: (239) 277-1280

Fax: (239) 277-7060

e-mail: uwmap@peganet.com

ChongSunWah  09/23/2011 08:54 PM Report

31/12/08

Dear Sirs and Madams,

America cannot go down because if America go down the whole world will go down too. We are so connected now and in so many ways - We are One People One World. America problems are the world problems and likewise the world problems are America problems too. America must get out of Iraq in a smart way and President Obama must focus on the Israel and Palestine issues right away.

Love, light, peace, harmony and unity,

Sunflower Chong

NB: I am just an ordinary Singaporean without any paper qualifications to my name please forgive me for my poor English.

29/12/08

Dear President Obama,

This article “Because We Are Jews” was sent to me on World Harmony Day.(www.worldharmonyday.com)

Having a sense of right and wrong is having "The Consciousness". Rabbi Mordechi Weberman gives the World Hope. We must keep on Hoping and Rabbi Mordechi attitude towards Palestinians suffering gives us hope that we can still heal this world of Hate to a world of LOVE.

"Because We Are Jews"

There are those who ask us why we march with the Palestinians. Why do we raise the Palestinian flag? Why do we support the Palestinian cause?

“You are Jews!” they tell us. "What are you doing?"

And our response, which I'd like to share with you this afternoon, is very simple.

IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE WE ARE JEWS THAT WE MARCH WITH THE PALESTINIANS AND RAISE THEIR FLAG!

IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE WE ARE JEWS THAT WE DEMAND THAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLES BE RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES AND PROPERTIES!

Yes, in our Torah we are commanded to be fair. We are called upon to pursue justice. And, what could be more unjust then the century old attempt of the Zionist movement to invade another people's land, to drive them out and steal their property?

The early Zionists proclaimed that they were a people without a land going to a land without a people.

Innocent sounding words.

But utterly and totally untrue.

Palestine was a land with a people. A people that were developing a national consciousness.

We have no doubt that would Jewish refugees, have come to Palestine not with the intention of dominating, not with the intention of making a Jewish state, not with the intention of dispossessing, not with the intention of depriving the Palestinians of their basic rights, that they would have been welcomed by the Palestinians, with the same hospitality that Islamic peoples have shown Jews throughout history. And we would have lived together as Jews and Muslims lived before in Palestine in peace and harmony.

To our Islamic and Palestinian friends around the world, please hear our message --

There are Jews around the world who supports your cause. And when we support your cause we do not mean some partition scheme proposed in 1947 by a UN that had no right to offer it.

When we say support your cause we do not mean the cut off and cut up pieces of the West Bank offered by Barak at Camp David together with justice for less than 10 % of the refugees.

We do not mean anything other than returning the entire land, including to Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty!

At that point justice demands that the Palestinian people should decide if and how many Jews should remain in the Land.

This is the only path to true reconciliation.

But we demand yet more. WE demand that in returning the land back to its rightful owners we have not yet done enough. There should be an apology to the Palestinian people, which is clear and precise. Zionism did you wrong. Zionism stole your homes. Zionism stole your land.

By so proclaiming we proclaim before the world that we are the people of the Torah, that our faith demands that we be honest and fair and good and kind.

We have attended hundreds of pro Palestinian rallies over the years and everywhere we go the leaders and audience greet us with the warmth of Middle Eastern hospitality. What a lie it is to say that Palestinians in particular or Muslims in general hate Jews. You hate injustice. Not Jews.

Fear not my friends. Evil cannot long triumph. The Zionist nightmare is at its end. It is exhausted. Its latest brutalities are the death rattle of the terminally ill.

We will yet both live to see the day when Jew and Palestinian will embrace in peace under the Palestinian flag in Jerusalem.

And ultimately when mankind's Redeemer will come the sufferings of the present will long be forgotten in the blessings of the future.

On 20th January 2009, President Obama will say Enough is Enough!

Palestinians and Israeli must not be selfish anymore because the attack on Gaza by Israel is pulling the world down. Is Israel testing President Obama resolve?

Below article is from the Obama's blog

Israel force vs Palistine is way to much! | Report to Admin Reply

By Dan The Man Dec 29th 2008 at 2:36 am EST (Updated Dec 29th 2008 at 2:36 am EST)

My last name is Berkowitz but I actually think that Isreal is going way overboard with the violence they are showing against Palistine.

Its almost the exact same thing that Russia was doing to Georgia, and the world was outraged.

I wish Obama would also break the mold and say that what they are doing is excessive and tell them to back off. they are starting a war that is unnecessary. This is the worst possible time for such a conflict, and I wish Obama would step up and say that things have to change for real. Not just words that he will be a president that will see both sides.

I don't know. It just seems to me that the deaths, and injuries suffered by one side, are way too much for what was done to them to provoke it.

This is coming from a Jew.

Re: Israel force vs Palistine is way to much! | Report to Admin Reply

By grettyforObama Dec 29th 2008 at 2:56 am EST (Updated Dec 29th 2008 at 2:56 am EST)

I agree 100%. Would you mine posting your comment to Change.gov, it may be more affective there. I am supporter for peace in any region of the world and I am also a supporter of every ethnic group who has been subjected to hate and violence. But this time around I do not support the actions of Israel, I think their actions are very extreme and hundreds of Palestinians’ lives have been lost because of the recent attacks. PE Obama should not support Israel.

It is the unfairness act conducted by the past America govt that anger the whole world who now await for true justice from President Obama.

Love, light, peace, harmony and unity,

Sunflower Chong

robdverity  09/23/2011 03:36 PM Report

mutex - spot on. Israel wants the status quo, and they deserve it. As the US (rightfully) declines so too will Israel. Then they may learn that civility may have been the better route - not occupation, not settlements, not storm-trooper tactics. The irony is too rich: Israel a creature of the UN, squealing about the same for the Pals.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  09/23/2011 03:22 PM Report

The Daily Show nails it again:

Three and a half minutes of Jon Stewart, John Oliver and Aasif Mandvi:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-22-2011/west-bank-story---challahfax-vs--halalifax?xr s=share_copy

Please notice how the argument is too emotional.

Hmm . . . perhaps a little holy medication will do wonders.

kugelmum  09/23/2011 03:17 PM Report

Wonderful interview. Wonderful man. I pray that you see your country as a State soon and find the strength to continue to establish a community free of extremists . Establish a government and get support from a neutral US . The US has its own problems internally and can't handle them so it is easier to be bullied by religious groups into supporting other countries and ignore the needs of its own people.

taleiran  09/23/2011 03:11 PM Report

The main obstacle for peace with Israel are Palestinians and their Arab and non-Arab (Iran) supporters whose only binding issue is hatred of Jews and Israel.

With tears in his eyes, Mr. Erekat says that Palestinians want peace more than anything else. How touching. What about naming squares after terrorists? In the West Bank, not Gaza. How about continuing incitement against Israel and the Jews in Palestinian schools. How about not taking any steps to prevent terrorism? How about doing everything to prevent any realistic advances in the peace process that would guarantee Israel's security?

Mr. Erekat is a negotiator for Mr. Abbas who wants statehood without having any power over Gaza and Hamas government there. Is he requesting to recognize the State of West Bank? What is all this nonsense about?

This UN maneuver by Abbas is not to achieve peace, it is to provoke more violence as became clear after today's speech by Mr. Abbas. This is an act of cold war which Palestinians will be only too happy to follow with more rockets and terrorist bombs. I hoped Charlie Rose would do a better job than nodding in agreement to sheer hypocritical nonsense told in very touching way by experienced liars.

mutex  09/23/2011 02:14 PM Report

@Sara R. Iglesias --- Amen.

ChongSunWah  09/23/2011 01:25 PM Report

I have one great wish when I was young about 10 years old that one day Palestinians will have their homeland.

I was told that will not be possible as long as America is standing by Israel and not Peace.

The poem below was written by an American after Sept 11 how she felt about the American government. And in today local paper Straits Times American singer Tony Bennett apologised for suggesting in a radio interview that the United States bore blame for provoking the Sept 11 attacks.

Reflections - Ode to 9/11

All too convenient,

A perfect distraction.

Do you really think that one man

Orchestrated those actions?

It is highly unlikely, statistics have shown.

Something smells fishy,

An out of tune tone.

Candlelight vigils, tears falling down,

"God bless America," sang in every town.

"Be patriotic - go out there and spend."

A guilt trip always works, a means to an end.

Stickers and flags, T-shirts and tattoos,

Oh what a market - that red, white and blue.

Strong in anger and united in fears,

"Revenge, revenge," they cried through their tears.

They rallied together, calling for action,

Strife with pride and instinctive reaction,

"Together we stand, we won't forget,

We can't let them win. Not for a bit."

"We'll drop our bombs with pride you see,

For killing's a virtue for people with an enemy.

Let's kill, let's fight, we've got to stand strong.

Let's show them right now, their actions were wrong."

"Bombing's the solution," they shout with resonance,

"We must retaliate," they decry with no hesitance.

"How dare they attack us! We're the U.S."

"Why do they hate us?" They ask in duress.

"They love us, they do, they've got to, they must.

We're the keepers of virtue, in God we trust."

"We are most generous, so good and so kind,

Just look around you, it's easy to find

People all over the globe we've assisted.

Jobs provided, too numerous to be listed."

Fueled by strong rhetoric the resentment grows,

The pressure builds daily, ready to blow.

More anger is generated, civilians killed,

Collateral damage - compassion chilled.

Just like a child, he shakes his fists and calls names,

"Axis of evil, those evildoers have no shame."

"They can't beat us, we're the good guys, yes we are.

We're the U.S…if you don't love us, you're bizarre."

How hypocritical. Who's really to blame?

That "demon" bin Laden? Or Saddam Hussein?

If you look way back, be honest and objective,

You supported al Qaeda, gave bin Laden directive,

all in the name of fighting an enemy.

Oh, so shortsighted, the American academy.

When a ruler won't play the capitalist game,

Agree with your views or support a claim,

Or you just plain don't like the man in power,

You covertly support the rebels of the hour.

Selling arms to the buyer of the day,

Profiting from destruction, the free market way.

It's not easy to face the results of your actions,

Supporting rebel groups, uncommon factions.

But soon enough the truth will abound.

Karma's unavoidable, it won't mess around.

The economy's bad, things have digressed.

In the name of "fighting terror," they are put to the test.

But the people don't get it, they just don't see,

What's really going on, a police state to be.

Ashcroft with his T.I.P.S., the PATRIOT Act.

Civil rights are eroding, that is a fact.

So easy it is to move things along.

"Stand by your country, stand and stand strong."

"Don't question the violations of civil and human rights.

This is a war, together we must fight

That dirty al Qaeda, or whatever the name."

"What!? You don't agree? You should be ashamed!

You must be a terrorist. It goes without reason

You are unpatriotic, guilty of treason."

"How dare you debate? United we stand."

Operation Enduring Freedom,…….Saviors of the land.

Be careful what you say, watch what you write

Freedom of speech……gone overnight.

"Homeland Security……..that is the answer!"

Billions spent on weapons, spreading the cancer.

While children are starving and living on streets

No electricity or clean water, forget about heat.

These minor details have been brushed aside

With a threat at bay, common sense is denied.

Suspicion, hatred, revenge, and fear

Oh, how things have changed in only one year.

- By Sara R. Iglesias

- August 2002

mutex  09/23/2011 11:43 AM Report

How can any moral person listen to the impassioned words of Mr. Erakat and not see the legitimacy of his argument? In contrast, the words of Mr. Prosor and Mr. Zuckerman seem petty, self-serving and disingenuous...at best. Israel doesn't want to negotiate with the Palestinians as equals because it doesn't see them as equals. Why is Israel allowed to dictate that the Palestinians can't have a military? Why does Israel demand that the Palestinians 'guarantee' their security? How is this even possible? What nation on earth has a 'guarantee' of security? Even a strong military is no 'guarantee' of security. Look at 9/11 if you need proof. The only hope any nation has of security is to act in just and humane ways. Currently Israel has no security for this very reason. I will even go so far as to say that the very concept of a 'Jewish State' is racist, unjust and an anachronism. Ultimately I believe the solution to this dilemma is a ONE State solution with majority rule. As Mr. Erakat stated the Israeli people and the Palestinian people actually have a lot in common historically and culturally. Why should religion be allowed to separate them and cause all this violence and destruction?

REMant  09/23/2011 11:18 AM Report

Frankly I don't think it matters whether Palestinians are ready for democracy or not. What matters is that neither side is kept from realizing the consequences of its actions by foreign subsidy. And this is what we have done. The Palestinians as a result not only deserve recognition, they deserve compensation. Believe me the president's commitment is to being re-elected, not to peace, justice, prosperity or anything else, and that means he sides with the Jews. Maybe he thinks he can do more good than evil. Maybe he just fears for his life, or the loss of his party's affection. But I certainly can't believe he thinks building up Israel and setting-up Predator bases all over the place is a means to American security and world peace. I can't believe he thinks the Rothschilds, etc are still victims. Netanyahu, like Andy Jackson, would like nothing better than to remove all the rest of the Palestinians. He would no doubt call this defense, but just where would it stop? He's at war with every Arab, every Turk and every Persian.