Monday, July 31

Why the silence? I'll tell you...

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Obviously NOT Condi's and again,
we're not going there.


A number of commenters at C&L have asked, and indeed, so did On the Media from NPR yesterday, why the blogosphere is relatively silent on the current conflict. I think it has more to do with the state of the blogosphere than with our feelings on the matter.

By the way the On the Media story, "I Know You Are But What Am I?" is fascinating. You can give a listen at the link.

Many of us have seen a blog or two (I'm specifically thinking about the Sadly, No! fiasco) get shut down by obnoxious bullies with a siege mentality. It does not show a lack of moral bravery to avoid thugs. Ask the refugees from the country to the north of them. That is all.

8 comments:

  1. To explain the state of the blogosphere, look no further than the ministry of foreign affairs in That Country.

    They've put out a general "calling all hands" order for any cyber-savvy person. Their goal? to shout down the cries of the dead, flood the net with their bile to wash away the blood of - among others - the 36 mostly-special-needs children killed in a direct attack on their homes.

    With U.S. missles, and by pilots flying U.S.-manufactured planes.

    (not to mention Gaza - all the death and destruction there is hardly even on page 12...)

    Some things are too terrible not to mention. Even if it draws fire in return.
    (But feel free to delete this... ...it's your blog, and my presence is sufficiently unwelcome to Israel-sympathizers to draw way too much fire.)

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  2. I think Condee should be made to wear a pair. Bizarre watching Bush trying to struggle with the notion of bringing the UN into the conflict, when the US Agenda is chasr hezbollah all the way from Lebanon past Syria & Iraq to Iran and beyond.
    However though I in no way justify Israeli action, what do you do with an army of people whose agenda is the same in reverse.

    A bit like the Cavalry & Indians, the indians were the cruel heathens or barbarians, doing unimaginable things, whereas the US cavalry were whiter than white. Pun intended.

    Now you know what I said when I said that the US foot soldiers were fighting a war by proxy for Israel. Now with Iraq out of the way and Syria cowered into a corner, you can see Israel's and the US Administration Open Agenda.

    Oppress the Palestinians for 40 years, and blame them for not lying down and dying quietly. This conflict would not exist, if the US & Israel were willing to accept that if you can stick 12 million people in New York & Manhattan island, there is more than enough room for six million (imported) israelies, and six million (deported) palestinians in Palestine. I have spoken my piece. Now I AM at Peace!

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  3. Quasar9, Israel has been opressing Palestinians since 1948 (when it grabbed all their land and chased about half the population - 600,000 - out of of their homes and repopulated the homes with hastily flown-in immigrants), not just from 1967.

    There is a solution out there. It involves demilitarization of the region and a generation or two of practicing democracy (for everyone there, not just for Jews, as it is right now).

    As it stands, I do not see what a Palestinian born there can do - there are NO avenues to dignity, equality, even good jobs - it's all for the Jews. This is an intentional policy - Israel wants them all to leave (look up Israeli "demographics" - the science of counting and importing Jews). It ain't gonna happen, though. And until Israel figures that out, sigh...

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  4. What's to say, Blue Gal?

    Same is it ever was.

    Same as it ever was.

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  5. I don't know about all of blogdom, but I personally thing the griding sameness of the stupid gets a little hard to bear sometimes.

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  6. I'd have to side with the omnipotent one on this one... The "stupid" is a real drain on this country as commander in chief.

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  7. Why the "silence" in the blogosphere? A few suggestions:

    It's so exhausting keeping up with everything and besides it's holiday season in the North and West hemispheres.

    See comrade Kevin and Poobah

    Maybe it reflects a bit of maturity in the blogosphere--a reticence by some to not jump into the fray without supporting information, the information is fluid. Perhaps there's a desire amongst bloggers and the readership for reliable information and informed comment than gossip and market-driven infotainment--perhaps bloggers are taking a more resposible and considered view on this seemingly familiar situation. There's perhaps a lot more depth to this conflict than the previous one, or perhaps more people are more aware of the depth and issues involved at this time.

    Maybe everyone is just holding their breath.

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  8. Anonymous12:24 AM

    Hi, folks. Just back a few days ago, from a week away--kept up with Canadian news coverage though, of the destruction of Lebanon and many of the people in it. If any of you are still reading comments re "Why the silence?" please go to a couple of articles, to be found under Google, as follows. For the first one, written by journalist Gwynne Dyer (he's in London) use these key words: 7 July 2006 Disproportionate Force by Gwynne Dyer. Choose the entry that refers to Europeans having rediscovered their backbones. For the second article, look under Google using these key words: SojoMail 07.27.06. Then, click on: The Body of Christ in Lebanon, and also click on Hearts and Minds, by Jim Wallis. The articles are exceptional. My heart breaks. Be well.

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