I want to offer a brief clarification and an explanation.
It should have been clear from my post that I regard the Boston Marathon massacre as a despicable crime, so horrifying that I lack the imagination to comprehend the sociopathic mentality that planned and executed such a monstrous event. And beyond this, that I feel great empathy for the unspeakable human loss that brought such acute suffering on entirely innocent victims, their families and friends, and the wider community in Boston and elsewhere.
Further, I had no intention whatsoever to connect any dots as to whether there was a causal linkage between what the U.S. or Israel have done in the world and what happened in Boston. My only effort was to suggest that in addition to grieving and bringing the perpetrators to justice, this could also become an occasion for collective self-scrutiny as a nation and as a people. Should this be seen as such a provocative assertion as to provoke a wave of hate mail? At a time when the U.S. Congress rejected even mild legislation requiring more extensive background checks for gun purchasers, it should be a no brainer that something has gone badly wrong on the home front. And the fact that the Tsarnaev brothers assembled such an arsenal of weaponry might at least have raised a few additional eyebrows!
By way of explanation, because there was such a flood of comments on my post, I abandoned just this once, my recent blog policy of excluding those responses that seem hateful and insulting, and lack substance. My intention remains seeking a blog site that is hospitable only to discourse conducted in a spirit of civility. My departure in this context was that I felt there were significant substantive issues and strong emotions sometimes bound up with the invective, and that I should not try to pick and choose among the various comments to select those I deemed appropriate. It would be misleading, however tempting, to allow only those comments that supported my outlook, and even the most hostile disclosed one dimension of the national mood.
I realize, of course, that my post can and will be read in different ways, but what I have tried to clarify is the nature of my intentions when it was written and now after the array of responses.
Global Justice in the 21st Century 
Thank you Richard. As always your decency shines through and especially in the face of invective shown. It is a long and hard task to stay true to your ethics despite opposition from vested interests.
This post is addressed to Mr. Richard Falk. (I have been unable to fathom out how to send a direct message, and I fully understand the difficulties and the resulting precautions which you must take in order to preserve, if not your life, at least your personal safety.)
My name is David Collett, and I am an Israeli, a member of a kibutz in Upper Galilee. I have been here for well over fifty years, so that I have seen a fair amount of strife. I also served, as do most Israeli men, in the army, so I have, at some point , been personally involved, and, insofar as I am a citizen and a voter, I bear a certain responsibility for the actions of my government. I like to think that I an a loyal citizen , but I am not always proud of the things done in my name. I certainly do not feel that I must defend them to the outside world.
It is unlikely that you and I would agree on many topics, but I honor you, Sir, on your steadfast obstinacy in stating your own opinions, even if they are distasteful to your employers and their friends. If there were more people who would be prepared to tell the Emperor that he was naked and to shout it out in public, our leaders might be shamed into honesty. Whether that would be a positive step or not, is uncertain, but, at least it would be impossible to paint things in the false and lurid colors that are used to disguise evil acts as anything other than they are. It makes no difference, to the people injured by such policies, whether they were undertaken to promote the “global security (USA), or in some form of imagined self defence (Israel).
I will not refer to the empty hate that is directed at you by otherwise sane people, but I wish you the very best of success in the tasks which you have taken upon yourself. David Collett
Dear David, what a brave and revealing post. If more Israeli people begin thinking like you, we can survive this. But when a zionist takes the first step of admitting that evil is being done in Israel, it is hard to prevent the next realization, and the next, and the next, leading all the way back to the Elders of Zion and further and realizing that the historical record has been intentionally tampered with by hasbarists, and so we don’t really know what happened in World War 2. Once you read the comments on JPost, and you see the actions of the Israeli government year after year, a rational self-thinker cannot prevent the cascade of gathering awareness to begin, casting doubt on whether we understand the most fundamental causal links between events of the recent past.
Good luck.
walker
There is no one I trust more for fairness or admire more for bravery than Richard Falk. In this tragic issue as in the Palestinian tragedy, I follow him all the way.
Dr. Falk, I don’t think you need to clarify anything. So many people are in a state of denial over the US’ hegemony and murderousness in the Middle East that what you wrote endangered that denial and provoked aggression. A variation of this is the large number of paranoid conspiracy theories popping up on the internet which prevent people from fully confronting the part American taxpayers play in the continuation of those policies. It’s entertaining to go on Facebook and comment with our friends about the horrible things the US govt does, but totally useless as well because the sense of futility caused by these conspiracy theorists makes people think there is no reason to engage in political activity. The system has indeed broken down, helped along by the Alex Joneses and Glenn Becks, as well as by the sinfully inept and slipshod news media.
Prof. Falk is calling for “collective self-scrutiny”. Why is Israeli lobby/media twisting his words and his intentions?
Robert Rands
I had a look through the comments. Mostly verbal carnage of the sort that has spirited me away from comments threads. I hope you are able to to rescue some humanising, broader meaning. I thank you for your courage and forbearance. The pen is still mightier than the sword, Your words may not win respect from everyone, but your battle is honestly fought.
I have always admired and respected your thoughts and still do! i first met you many years ago when I worked in the OSU Law Library and remember you. I have been an activist for social, economic and political justice while raising 3 daughters with my husband David. We are now in our 80’s and retired in Florida but still somewhat active on the internet. Keep on making us think! Thanks for all you do.
It was totally clear to me what your point was as well as to those individuals I shared your blog with!
As always I continue to support and admire your brilliant writing and courage.
Safiya
Are you planning to attend the funerals of the four victims or are you to busy to visit as you call them “cannaries”. Might be best if you stay out of Boston as I would hate to see you get caught up in any “blowback”.
Were you at the memorial funerals Paul?
Here again, you are ignorant of the context and symbolic meaning of Richard using the canary allegory.
An allusion to caged canaries (birds) that mining workers would carry down into the mine tunnels with them. If dangerous gases such as methane or carbon monoxide leaked into the mine, the gases would kill the canary before killing the miners, thus providing a warning to exit the tunnels immediately.
Are you threatening 83 year old richard falk with violence if he enters YOUR city? Boston is full of pugnacious louts like you, if I recall my college days. By claiming the right to police the thoughts and language of others, you diminish civil discourse for everyone. Please rethink your position and apologize, or I will be forced to come over there and beat you with my boston slugger!
It is gratifying to read the five above replies to Richard’s explanatory comment. We can at least know that there are still a few sane people in the U.S. and elsewhere who can discern right from wrong. I am amazed at Richard’s equanimity in the face of such hateful invective. Carry on Richard.
Well Gene it is the likes of “proffesor” falk that perpetuate the hate which fuels terrorists to take the lives of innocents. Damn all of you.
Boston Stong
Pls. spell-check.
Yes, Paul. Let it all out! all that hate you have inside you!
Richard, as you recite in your further comments, of course these issues need to be addressed, discussed and hopefully resolved. I still have substantial issues with your outlook on various matters. For one: why do you seek to censor adverse comments? Outright faul language, while not socially proper, is still protected under our Constitutiion! If it is in “poor taste”, then it reflects badly on the speaker. Strong language, however, is another matter. This is not a classroom. This is real life where words do matter. You have a Public Forum on your blog. You raise hard issues. Some people disagree with you. If you can’t handle confrontation, especially when dealing with highly emotional issues; if you want only “yes” men around you; if you are concerned that you might hear something that might prove you to be wrong or mis-informed and don’t want to be further educated (and perhaps in that process realize that you are right for additional reasons), then select some folks and send them letters or require a password to get onto your blog.
I do like your “background” imaging. 16th-17th Century Dutch tile?
Harvey, why waste time on Israeli propaganda? I think Richard should delete all comments that whitewash Israeli war crimes in Middle East. Israeli government employs an army of internet commenters who visit blogs, news websites, forums, etc. and post comments in defence of Israel. Should we go through each of these comments and waste hours, days, weeks, and months debating how wonderful Israel is toward Palestinians and how human rights flourish under Israeli government control? Or should we just block it and ignore it?
Here is link to Foreign Policy Journal’s defense of Richard Falk. Again, thank goodness there are still some sensible people out there. We’ll just ignore Paul (above).
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/25/the-demonization-of-richard-falk/print
I wonder if the poor Dad in Boston can ignore that his son is dead, daughter has a foot missing and his wife has critical brain injury. I guess they were just another couple of canaries
Ask that of the American Soldiers, more than were killed on 9/11, if vengeance was worth it?
Paul, may all victims be blessed. My heart goes to all innocent victims, period! If you read prof. Falk’s commentary carefully, you will realize that he meant nothing bad. Go back and read it again.
Also Paul, how do you feel about thousands of Muslim women and children killed in the Middle East? Are you also sorry for them or do hate them because they are Muslims?
Gene Schulman, Counterpunch.com is a Srebrenica-Genocide-denying website. I think that articles defending Prof. Falk should be published in more credible websites; you’re hurting Prof. Falks’ credibility by defending them on hate-filled genocide-denying websites like Counterpunch.com
Don’t you agree?
No, Daniel, I do not agree. First of all, the article we are referring to was published in Foreign Policy Journal and merely picked up by Counterpunch and reprinted. As for Counterpunch, I do not think they are what you imply. They have been one of the best sources of information I have found, among the many others out there. They have even published Richard’s articles. If you wish to see their take on the Balkan tragedy, check out their archives for articles by Diana Johnstone who exposed the truth of what really happened there. If there was a genocide it was perpetrated by the U.S. and Nato forces. A warm-up for what has followed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and and Syria.
Well Daniel to quote the great proffesor they are just more canaries dying. Sucks to be in the way of “blowback”
Response to Gene Schulman:
If Diana Johnstone is your expert on the Balkans, your credibility is deeply questionable. She is one of the most rabid genocide deniers. As for the US and the West, they are responsible for preventing Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) to defend themselves by installing “arms embargo”. That is why Ratko Mladic’s Serb forces were able to commit genocide of 8,000 men and boys at Srebrenica, rape 20-50,000 women and girls, killed 11,000 people in Sarajevo, torture Bosniaks in concentration camps and keep Bosniak people in cities under siege for years, starving them and frequently shelling and sniping civilians.
As for Prof. Falks, he does not deny Srebrenica genocide. That is precisely why his credibility is impecable.
@ Bosnisn Genocide
Neither Diana Johnstone nor I deny the attempted genocide in Bosnia. Our complaint is with the Nato/US bombing which made the situation even worse.
Even Prof. Falk is not defending what he wrote. He is backing away from it as quickly as he can, and rightly so:
“I had no intention whatsoever to connect any dots as to whether there was a causal linkage between what the U.S. or Israel have done in the world and what happened in Boston.”
And very neatly shifting the focus to gun control!
Because of your prejudiced, preconceived notions about Richard, your mind is too perverted to understand what he wrote.
He is not backing away from anything. He is just trying to calm down people like you who are so emotional and devoid of reason in hating Professor Falk, you automatically ascribe the most sinister and evil motives in your own mind, and spin his words and thoughts to match your own hatred for him.
His mode of thinking and writing style is that of a Law Professor, stating the unemotional facts in the most objective way he can.
God knows the MSM have no integrity or devotion to the Truth and Fact. The live coverage of the search was absolutely terrible Journalism. It wasn’t even Journalism. It was magnifying rumour, innuendo and hearsay as fact. It increased fear and loathing in the American people.
I thought the continuous TV coverage was a gross disservice to the American Public. I thought if the media gave 10% of the emotional pap fed the Americans, to the pain of the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and children killed in far off lands by drones remotely controlled from within the US, the world could change for the better.
Well Ray, the United States would be a much better place if you and your ilk decided to head off to far off lands to comfort those poor people
Paul, I live in CanaDa.
“I thought if the media gave 10% of the emotional pap fed the Americans, to the pain of the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and children killed in far off lands by drones remotely controlled from within the US, the world could change for the better.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Richard, you are doing the right and Principled thing. The Lord works in mysterious ways. May God strengthen you even more. The more you are attacked, the more people will become aware of your rational, reasonable, fair and balanced perspectives. Those blinded by hatred for you and the Truth are giving you an even greater platform. Be Happy!
Republished Jeremy R. Hammond’s CounterPunch article –
After reading your clarification I wish to retract my comment regarding the Boston Marathon bombing. Please accept my humble apology. And I believe we should have background checks before buying or selling any firearm. If it makes one nervous then what does one have to hide?
Dear Richard,
I think with this clarification you will attract more and more admirers for your steadfastness and your ability to confront misunderstandings and/or evil actions directed to you personally.
If it would be possible and you have time I would alsk you kindly to read on the website
http://bedford-ma.patch.com/articles/read-the-criminal-complaint…
this is a copy of the affidavit of a special agent : The criminal complaint against bombing suspect Tsarnaev.
I read it several times and couldn’ believe. There are too many assumptions, too many “believings”, too many referrings to video pictures where this suspect isn’t really depicted.
Moreover it made me shivering: if a person in United States can be shot and/or incarcerated based on such a complaint by a Special Agent of the USA – and gets the death penalty – what law does such a state have ? No real facts and too many assumptions and a real good lawyer would in any other Western country or even in the East get this person out of jail because too many assumptions, too many video pictures which cannot trace the individuals personality and this means only one thing: this person has been shelled. And in the light of the past happenings brought into the open no one will wonder if a person would confess unter certain cicumstances questioned by police in USA.
The real tragedy is: too many people in USA believe what mainstream media is “reporting”.
They have forgotten how to ask important questions, look for more keys to find out truth; they just obey.
Take care of yourself,
monalisa
What a moron! No wonder the UN is a dysfunctional cesspool of corrupt lying officials like you. Don’t you have any shame or sense of decency? Shame on you! It is time to disband the UN and take your UN job away from you.
I have just read the comments of Susan Rice and the Canadian Foreign Minister. True to form, the idiots are frothing at the mouth because someone has revealed the truth. That is, for all their “anguish” and “pain” at the Boston tragedy, they not only uncaring but are actually responsible for other tragedies just as bad and often much worse. It is THEY who are hate-filled and ignorant. Richard Falk – please continue to stand strong and clear.
Yet, Prof. Falk claims he “had no intention whatsoever to connect any dots as to whether there was a causal linkage between what the U.S. or Israel have done in the world and what happened in Boston.”
This statement flies in the face of the very words he uses in his own article. He wrote: “The American global domination project is bound to generate all kinds of resistance in the postcolonial world. In some respects, the United States has been fortunate not to experience worse blowbacks, and these may yet happen.”
By saying “worse blowbacks,” Prof. Falk is obviously considering the Boston attack a blowback. The definition I found for this work doing a simply Google search is: “The unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.” Thus, Prof. Falk wrote that the Boston attack was an unintended adverse result of a political action or situation. And what political action or situation does Prof. Falk reference in his article? The alleged “American global domination project” along with its ties to Israel.
So if Prof. Falk truly did not intend “to connect any dots as to whether there was a causal linkage between what the U.S. or Israel have done in the world and what happened in Boston” he is at best a reckless writer. But Prof. Fail is much too smart and much too experienced to have written so recklessly.
This pattern with Prof. Falk repeats itself again and again. He writes or publishes something so offensive that makes himself the target of justified vitriol. Then, he denies intending or understanding the very offense at issue. This happened with his comments/writings on 9/11. It happened with the anti-Semitic cartoon he published on this website. And it happens again here with his clear tying of American foreign policy to the Boston attack.
Meant “Falk” not “Fail” in the 4th paragraph. My apologies. A very bad typo.
You seem so obsessed with Prof. Falk and Israel, that you could manage to make anything mean something else, except of course that not everyone will buy such criticisms as anything more than those of an obsessive neurotic, even if we don’t know or care why you are. I read all of the same stuff, and made none of your interpretations, aside from what we’ve all known, by observation, for many decades. We can cite multiple examples of “Blowback” at the geopolitical level, and Richard Falk isn’t the only person who has ever discussed such a phenomena. So, you should read up. Check out Chalmers Johnson, or Tom Dispatch, or any number of other regular Americans who’ve lived and been conscious the last 6 or so decades. Because right now, you’re obsession with Prof Falk on these obviously widely-acknowledged phenomena, (US Hegemony, Imperialism, the non-stop warring all over the place) seems like nothing more than a personal neuroses, or a case of ‘thou doest protest too much’. You give yourself away with the very nature of your accusations. I think the psych techs call it ‘projection’ or ‘transference’ or something. It’s really a discouragement to any reasonable dialog as well.
It seems that Israeli propaganda (ADL – Anti-Defamation League, Bnai Brith, etc…) will try to discredit everyone who questions Israeli government’s criminal treatment of Palestinians.
No need for you to apologize Falk since you didnt say anything remote to what now has been directed at you. Stand tall and keep doing what you are doing and ignóre the hateful, smearing comments by the Israel-lobbying groups trying to silence your legit article.
I am very grateful that you continue to write. Keep on, please. You are needed.
I do support your outlook and was heartened by your courage to speak out. “Blowback” was the first thought that came to my mind after the initial shock of the bombings wore off. I should think even the most casual student of U.S. foreign policy and its effects on other peoples would have a hard time reaching a very different conclusion.
I am absolutely not an expert in politics, but like more and more Americans these days, I am learning that the “history” we were taught in school is sugar-coated untruths which leads one to speculate the reality of any national event. The bold subject line referencing “your opinion” on the Marathon bombings caught my eye and I read the article which only quoted a few things you (Mr. Falk) blogged about. Even with my naivety about world situations, I understood that you did not condone violence, but did understand the natural tendency for vengeance and the quest for justice when years of civility and diplomacy are ignored and that you wanted Americans to wake up to what is going on around the world and have compassion for all people that are being treated unjustly. I appreciate anybody that steps up and tries to confront a bully and your speaking your mind is just as admirable. Thank you for that.
Richard, the world is blessed by your presence. Please keep fighting the good fight.
Luc Hansen
Auckland
New Zealand
Don’t worry, Prof. Falk…the truth will prevail!
“Amazing for its viciousness and rank dishonesty is the campaign waged against UN special rapporteur for human rights in occupied Palestine Richard Falk for making some pretty straightforward “blowback” points in the aftermath of the Boston terrorist attack…
The smear campaign was probably started not because what Falk wrote was ridiculous but because it was reasonable.”
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/smearing-richard-falk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=smearing-richard-falk
I want Richard Falk to know that there are people in Canada that stand in solidarity with him. I being one of them. Deeply admire the courage it takes to speak truth and hope Richard that you will continue to do so. Ignore those that have the inability to look through the eyes of those that suffer more than them. Especially foolish politicians like “John Baird” and Susan Rice. Stand strong Richard, our world needs you.
Dear Richard,
I was in the airport on Friday waiting for a friend whose flight had been delayed. Having been extremely busy with work the last week, I had not seen your post on the Boston Marathon bombing. Personally, my sense is that if these acts were more like the shootings at Columbine than an act of terrorism. However, I completely agree with you comments about blowback and state terrorism.
Anyway, at the airport there was a TV on in the waiting area with Fox New playing and no way to change the channel. On the screen, commentators were going on and on about your blog post. They were extravagantly insulted and suggested that a vicious anti-American like your gentle and compassionate self should not be allowed to hold a public position at the UN. They went on and on for 15 minutes or so before they switched to a clip of the young men’s poor mother sobbing and insisting that her children could not have done such a thing, which is a pretty natural reaction, and one that should not be used to sell merchandise. The commentators were more or less mocking her grief.
If I could have turned it off I would have but it wasn’t possible. I wondered what you had said to invite such a fierce reaction. At the same time, if you wonder where all those vicious comments originated, perhaps Fox News has something to do with it.
Thanks for alerting me to the full extent of these attacks on Fox News. As I have been out of the country for the past week, I was only dimly aware of the fury unleashed by the defamatory letter from UN Watch written in response to a post on my blog that was trying to make a simple call for self-scrutiny in the larger context of response to the Marathon crime & tragedy. Richard
If you lose your memory, how do you know who you are? If you do not know where you came from or how you got where you are, how are you to figure out where to go next? If you have forgotten the beauty and fears of childhood, how are you to become an adult? What does it mean to be an “adult,” if one has no understanding of a beauty to be sought or dangers to be avoided? Someone suffering from total amnesia would understandably reach out for guidance, but what if a whole society had amnesia?
What if a whole society forgot its history, its glories, its advantages, its mistakes, the free lunches it had eaten, the harm it had caused others on the way to its own successes? Could such a society make rational plans for the future? How would it learn the lessons necessary to avoid old, harmless-looking but fatal mistakes? How could it define success? How would it know to prepare for the chickens it had long ago sent aloft before they come home to roost? Such is the predicament of a society that substitutes myth for history, denial for responsibility. That is fast becoming the reality in U.S. society.
Memory of the key crises of recent domestic history, history that occurred during the lifetimes of a significant proportion of those living today, is fading so fast in the minds of a population distracted by economic distress and distortion by the guilty desperate to avoid the possibility that they might be held responsible for their crimes that it has already become almost impossible for us, as a society, to draw accurate lessons from even the most prominent of our failures.
Keep fighting, Professor Falk. You are one of the clearest voices for reason in a hypocritical, self-serving world.
Dear Mr. Falk,
I only heard about you the other day. And I knew instantly that there were ugly distortions and slanderous statements made concerning what you had been really saying.
This is appalling, and hurtful and I am sorry, but not it is not the end. Know that many people are behind you.
I know many will call out the slanderous opportunists – I did, when I emailed Pres. Obama, and condemned Susan Rice’s libelous and ugly attacks and your words.
Somehow in googling, I came to a site called Heritage, I never have seen. Saw an article there with the bent distortions, and fired back, “politely”, but to the point, and as a “guest” on the site, it was included – to my surprise.
The Heritage site, whatever it is, showed me what virulence is out there. I won’t go there again.
My compliments to you. Thank you. Your courage is the hope of this world and an inspiration.
Jessica B
I would just like to offer you, Richard Falk, my support for your efforts to inject reality-based self-awareness into foreign policy issues in the US. It is too often a thankless job and it is also, as a mentor of mine from a major private philanthropy liked to say, God’s Work.
I had never heard of you until today. I read an article at Ynet News about the letter Congressmen sent to the UN to disparage your views on the Boston bombing. The article quoted you. Your words came across to me as critical appraisal of world politics, not an insult of American or Jewish people.
It gets harder and harder to feel that we live in a world large enough (morally) to allow free speech. I feel brave just leaving a comment here.
I think it’s hard in the U.S., which is not what you would expect. Maybe it feels hard, compared to say, Europe. But compared to many other places in the world, there’s much more freedom of expression – which also means, unfortunately, that boundaries are breached and misinformation and slander abound. It’s in authoritarian societies, too – misuse and abuse of information.
In America, we like to think we are free to express our views. I don’t think there’s any place on earth where that is possible, without considering possible consequences. It’s always been this way, and a hard road getting truth out.
When institutions / power groups encroach on individual freedom and liberty, those freedoms and liberties are threatened. It gets to feel unsafe to speak one’s mind, and speak up. It’s all the more necessary. Many with other ideas have open minds, others not – and can do real harm. That is what’s dangerous, anywhere.
I was not old enough to live through the McCarthy era, or know how much it pervaded society, bit I certainly have heard of it. One hopes something like this never returns to America and hopefully, people will never stand for it.
Jessica: In your reply to my comment about disagreeing with a dominant mindset in public discourse. you said, “It gets to feel unsafe to speak one’s mind, and speak up. It’s all the more necessary.” I agree with you, but I feel unfortunate to be one who does. Too many people are “smart enough”, knowing when to keep their mouths shut, for me to feel hopeful that present-day American society would or will react in time to ward off gradual suppression of free-thinkers. And it could be that in the “information age” our minds are too distracted to notice a martyr.
One has to see beyond the Islamophobe smokescreen.
Shortly after the tragedy, one of America’s top Islamophobe, Robert Spencer, of Jihad Watch was quick to say that it was done in the name of Islam. Spencer could not tell us that the suspect’s uncle was married to C.I.A. officer’s daughter and shared a home with him. Other Zioconservatives such as Bruce Bawer of FrontPage magazine were quick to use this incident to popularize the Zioconservative ideology through their powerful media outlets.
Israeli advocacy groups such as the American Enterprise Institute were also on the move to use the incident as a conduit for their worldview.
http://www.voltairenet.org/article178337.html
Dear Richard:
In the last three years, I have learned that, love, is the only answer to all our ills. And I mean it. Steadily I am refusing to feel offended or offend anyone. I am looking at others as myself and asking questions: “What would I do in the same situation?” Instead of criticising, I am refraining from it and looking at alternatives. Sometimes I do a silent prayer and ask the universe to embrace the problem and let me find a loving way to deal with it.
Of course I am not stupid, but I am refraining from conflict, by all possible means. And I noticed that the conflicts have gone away, almost completely.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because I think that, if many individuals practice non aggression, non violence, non criticism (which is different from discernment), forgiveness (of themselves and others), goodwill and courtesy on a daily basis, we will increase the chances of diminishing the level of negativity and conflicts that we face in the world.
The Bodhisattva path is a great example of the demeanor we, as humans, can emulate. In a Christian society, like most Western society; following the basics – 10 commandments, ought to be a priority.
How can we go to prayers and have not forgiven ourselves and our enemies? This is valid for every religion as well. Was not just the Christ that spoke about it.
I am taking the opportunity to thank you so much for your integrity and discernment in dealing with such difficult issues. I am also expressing that if each one of us,( in our lives and families) would practice real love for each other and engage in cooperation, instead of competition, forgiveness, instead of revenge, joy in every accomplishment of our communities, encouraging our most needed community member to excel and give a hand to those that are afraid, timid, sick, and faltering, our society would benefit greatly and our joy would spread like wildfire.
Profound gratitude,and if you would like a break, Brazil (in the mountains of Minas Gerais or Goias or Mato Grosso) where there are plenty of beauty, fresh fruits and veggies and where Monsanto has not arrived yet, and one can enjoy life.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/06/in-praise-of-richard-falk/print
I add the above link to a comment, not my own, but one that I think says everything most of believe about Richard and his latest blog on Boston.
Thank you for posting this, Gene.
There’s an expression in Austraila: “Blind Freddy can see it.”
When it comes to the damage that the USA is doing to itself through its misguided foreign policy, I believe Blind Freddy could connect the dots, dead drunk, on a moonless night.
From the Counterpunch article:
“The ugly fact is that, most Americans have been kept dangerously ignorant of the wanton damage caused by their government’s foreign policies, and those who would prevent them from knowing the truth are, at the very least, indirectly responsible for terrorist attacks launched in reaction to those policies”
There are a lot of people out there, shooting at the messenger (in this case, Richard Falk), at their dire peril. I wish feeling pity for their ignorance was somehow useful, but I expect it isn’t.
Hi faithful,
There’s another expression I have heard : in the land of the blind, one eyed man is king.
I know this can mean a lot of things, depending on the situation
Please come to Minnesota, we would love to take you out for a walk in our woods and share them with you!!!!
On April 30, 2013, the American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted the anti-Zionist American Jewish professor Richard Falk, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for the Palestinian Territories. He was a guest speaker in the “Bill and Sally Hambrecht Distinguished Peacemakers Lectures” – named after American millionaire Bill Hambrecht (estimated worth $500 million).
A few day earlier, Falk had delivered the annual Constantine Zurayk Lecture, also at the AUB. He entitled that speech, “Rethinking the Future of Palestine: Beyond the Two State Consensus,” and argued against two-state solution for ending the Palestinian Arab-Israeli conflict because at this moment in time it is “obsolete.” Iranian Press TV reported Richard Falk claimed that Israel doesn’t want to live with its Arab neighbors in peace as result of American blind support for the Zionist entity. He also praised Palestinian armed resistance against Israel – as the only viable mean to resist Israeli expansionism.
Professor Constantine K. Zurayk (1909-2000) was vice-president of the American University of Beirut and president of the International Association of Universities. Zurayk was also one of the pioneering theorists of the discredited Arab Nationalism.
On April 29, Geneva-based Jewish-Israeli advocacy group UN Watch, sent a letter to Hambrecht urging him not to honor the “disgraced UNHRC expert on Palestine”. The letter cited that Richard Falk was recently condemned by the UN chief Ban Ki-moon, the US, UK and Canadian governments for suggesting that Israel was behind Boston Bombing. The letter was also sent to professor Peter Dorman, president of AUB and Israel-Firster Maura Connelly, US ambassador in Lebanon. She is rumored to be replaced by David Hale, a Crypto-Jew.
Last year, Falk in a report singled out Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard and Motorola of the United States, Veolia Environment of France, G4S of Britain, Dexia of Belgium, Volvo Group and Assa Abloy of Sweden, Ahava, Elbit Systems and Mehadrin of Israel, Riwal Holding Group of the Netherlands, and Cemex of Mexico for beneffiting from illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Franklin Lamb PhD, has penned an article, titled Professor Falk graces Lebanon and gets an ear full, published at Al-Manar TV website as follows:
It was the Professors first visit to Lebanon since the fateful summer of 1982. Back then, en route by sea to Beirut, which was under Israeli siege and blockade, Richard was Vice-Chair part of the Sean McBride Commission of Inquiry into Israeli crimes against Lebanon. Mid-way between Cyprus and Lebanon, the Zionist navy, in a blatant act of piracy on the high seas, intercepted, boarded and commandeered their vessel. Eventually, under reported American pressure via US Envoy Morris Draper’s telephoned profanity to Tel Aviv, the pirates allowed Falk’s delegation to disembark at the port of Jounieh, just north of Beirut. Draper, who like so many US diplomats, claims he finally “saw the light” after retiring, told this observer that “I never swore so much in my life as I did at those sob’s during that summer of 1982 and after I learned the details of Israel’s choreography of the Sabra-Shatila massacre!” And Ambassador Draper added, “The world will never know the extent of Israeli crimes until Washington threatens to cut off all aid until they open their archives on this period.”
Falk came to listen and to learn. He did both. He focused intensely on each speaker, scribing hurried notes regarding the current conditions of Palestinian refugee education and health status in Lebanon’s 12 camps and two dozen “gatherings,” reports that were presented by several NGO’s working here.
If Professor Falk was weary as he left Lebanon from all the data he was presented, it would be understandable. But given his history as a supporter of resistance to occupation and oppression, his assurances that he will continue his work armed with the above sampling of data gives rise to new hope for Palestinian and Syrian refugees from Syria and to those who support their right to return to Palestine.
http://rehmat1.com/2013/05/10/zionists-condemns-beirut-university-for-honoring-un-envoy/
to rehmat1:
thank you for this information !
monalisa
Yes indeed, Rehmat1, thank you. Very interesting, specially the Franklin Lamb article.
I found out last night 40 Billion of taxpayers funded weapons are being negotiated/authorized to Israel (2019-2028), even as I speak.
I suppose I should not be surprised, but I was, and disturbed, to say the least. This is not 30 Billion, as before – but 40!
The problem is that most Americans do not know about any of this.
I came across a new petition on Care2 website to be delivered to the European Union:
thepetitionsite.com/1/divest-and-boycott-the-Israeli-apartheid-regime
There is a very important petition that needs to be shared, urgently, to as many as possible, to Pres. Obama / congessional parties on this website: endtheoccupation.org
and a petition to demand this tax day a tax refund : demandarefund.org
or Skype (202) 332-0994
Another important petition: http://www.gopetition.com?40720.html
I would be grateful, if you would share these petitions and information. The endtheoccupation.org site has a lot of information /Take Action; I looked up “Congressional report cards” on, who voted for House Bill HR 938 (military aid to Israel), and Senate bill S462 ( Israel as “strategic ally”).
I am not great with computers – I also had written this as a link:
http://salsalabs.com
endtheoccupation.org
Thank you.
CORRECTION:
HR 938, and S462, “designates Israel as a ‘major strategic ally”
(they are not connected to military aid – directly’)
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Lots of venom in these comments, but little thought. I believe that speaks to the substance of Ms Bayevsky’s article.
A quote for your consideration:
“A final word on the recent election. Many radicals voted for Johnson for fear of Goldwater. Hannah Arendt has given them the answer: “He who votes for the lesser of two evils, quickly forgets that he chose evil.” ”
Ammon Hennacy, December 11, 1964
Article at http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/06/09/Samantha-Power-Richard-Falk#comments
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