24 Comments

What a wonderful piece of writing!

This is so what we need to do. I wonder if there might be some lessons from Star Trek, with it's exploration of different civilizations and situations, than Star Wars, which I could never get into. Super hero stuff annoys me.

Also, I wonder if there are any historians who understand what happened at the end of WWII. The west supported Hitler up until he and his party were losing the war, and then fascism became uncool -- at least to the public. In many ways, behind the scenes, it never ended.

Western governments have all supported Israel in its genocide, and I doubt they're going to stop. What do we do about this?

Whatever it is, education, numbers, discipline, unity and mobilization are essential.

Thanks for these very important thoughts, Val.

Expand full comment

Ah, a Trekkie! All the closet sci-fi women are coming out--I love it! I like both very much, but for different reasons. I talk too much about Star Wars in this essay, so you already know my feelings there. Star Trek is absolutely wonderful for exactly the reasons you say. The old series was so radical, and the newer series are so great about exploring the challenges of cultural interaction, power, etc. I love Discovery, especially the first two seasons, and I loved Strange New Worlds. I watched Picard because I'm a huge Santiago Cabrera fan (would listen to him read a phone book), but wasn't very impressed with it. I need to go back and watch DS9 and TNG.

Expand full comment

And thank you, Diana, deeply for your very kind words. You have been writing great stuff along these lines for a while now and I really appreciate it.

Expand full comment

First world war the end of the Ottoman empire followed up by the carving up of territories, who could have had the foresight that the illegal Balfour declaration would come in handy one day?

Interesting to read up on what happened during the 1930's, the lead up to it all from the Zionist having high level talks with the Nazi's the Wall Street bailing out a bankrupt Nazi part in 32 to Nations storing their gold bullions in the US for ''safekeeping''.

In the end the nations who were liberated from the Nazi's by allied have all became obedient servants of empire [US vassal States] as if that was the real objective and then look at how the ''West'' fails the condemn the genocide while Netanyahu gives Trump a gold plated pager, but that could also be a warning.

Nazi war criminals became Nato generals.

Russia and China who were fighting against the Nazi's with the US are now regarded as the enemy by the Neocon class of war mongers and their masters, the war profiteers.

Expand full comment

Unfortunately Us-real is not one piece of straw. You have no idea how many corrupt nations and genocidal maniacs they have corrupted as arms dealers to the world or the fact that they actually invite war criminals to get off on Yad Vashem (the Holocaust museum) to sell them weapons to do worse than the Nazis - they have no qualms about this. I can't make this sh*&$ up. We will need everyone to be iron, to be magnet, to be very strong. And I like what you're saying. But you need to know the reality of what we're up against. Then again, truth and the humanity of Palestine and her people must win the day. Anyone with a heart can see the truth. As a Jew I am beyond horrified with what Us-real has done since 1948 and continues unabated. I'm glad you're speaking out. It will take every single one of us.

Expand full comment

Thanks, Emma!

Expand full comment
5dEdited

Thank you. Yes. We must unite. Raise the Palestinian flag from our rooftops, rise from our couches and walk out the door wearing the keffir. Attend the rallies. Use our words to educate.

Say it over and over. It did not start on October 7th it started in 1948 and who lamented then? Were the Palestinians heard or seen by anyone but each other?

The Western world feeds its children myths from the breast onwards. Colonisation vomits entitlement but entitlement is theft. We must stop invasion, expansionism and extermination.

We must unite because we are a family.

Racism - the notion of one superior race and another inferior race is ridiculous and futile.

The planet is dying because the kings we crowned are despots. Because we drank the myth. The people have been drinking this poison for far too long.

It is time to say no, to stop buying the lies, to stop buying the products of genocide, to stop and rise for goodness and peace and for the return of stolen goods, only then can we find goodness.

Expand full comment

I thank Mike Hampton for introducing you to me and I thank you for introducing me to Alon Mizrahi. I now follow both of you.

Regarding Star Wars, I recently read a joke about a group of veterans in a clinic waiting room. One of them asked the group, "When did you get the realization that you're a Stormtrooper and not Luke Skywalker?". There seems to be a lot of that going on and I've seen evidence of it.

You nailed it all over the place with your article. You're absolutely correct and other writers are recommending similar plans. You're right about human contact, knowing your neighbors and community. Your Ghandi analogy is a perfect blueprint.

In the meantime as we do as you recommend, we must do all we can to provide relief to the Palestinian people.

Lastly, thank you so much for showing the difference between Hebrew Israelite Humanitarians from Zionist Israeli Colonial Genocidal Maniacs.

Expand full comment

"Educate, Organize, Mobilize" should be a tattoo.

Expand full comment

We absolutely must unite without fear and be very loud about it. I bought a Palestinian flag and put it up but my wife took it down and hid it, saying we’d be sticking our heads over the parapet and be targeted. I attend protest marches and return decorated with a colourful t-shirt and feel proud. However, I feel it is not enough. Not enough at all!

Expand full comment

This is wonderful! Thank you for pointing toward hope. I’d urge everyone in the West, and certainly in the U.S., to download and use No Thanks. Massive rolling strikes are also a good idea— though I know how scary that concept is.

Did you know, btw, that George Lucas saw the empire as the U.S. and the rebellion as the Viet Cong?

I now want to watch Andor! My favorite of the films are The Empire Strikes back and its twin, The Last Jedi. That film is seriously underrated, IMHO.

Expand full comment

I had heard that the Ewoks were inspired by the resistance of the Vietnamese people, which frankly, I found more than a little paternalistic (though badass teddy bears are cool). That he saw the whole rebellion as them sits much better with me. I really liked the Empire Strikes back. Last Jedi had some beautiful moments. The Pitch Meeting nailed its flaws, hilariously.

Expand full comment

I'll check out No, Thanks. I'm actually working on other piece now called "My Name is No."

Expand full comment

Watch Andor and then Rogue One. They are jointly the best of the StarWars franchise and detail what the Palestinians have to do because the evil of the United States, UK and the ultra apartheid regime is overwhelming but ultimately limited as they have revealed too much of themselves.

Expand full comment

It’s a great app! I use it every time I shop. I also have one called Buycott. BTW, I’m more of a Trekker than a Star Wars fan, and I especially love DS9. “Duet” is one of the best hours of TV I’ve ever seen, and “Past Tense”, in spite of some silly science, is haunting—and prescient. I wrote about it here: https://mary-j-59.livejournal.com/111053.html

Expand full comment

"Numbers, Unity, Discipline" is the other half of the tattoo.

Damn right Val, on both counts. It's how we won the Vietnam War in the USA.

Expand full comment

Great words Val !

I did post on Note about something that I need to write down seriously about how we use Substack and about how we relate each other and how we're not.

I'll write my thoughts and let you know to open a debate possibly or just exchange different or similar pov. Thank you

Expand full comment

I grew up on a dirt farm in Ohio. Never underestimate farmers. Their sometime friend, sometime adversary in Mother Nature. More powerful opponents do not exist.

Expand full comment

Everyone to A,B,C,

George Lucas is a visionary, the only thing he got wrong is that the rebel alliance speaks ARABIC, not english.

https://www.amc.com/blogs/george-lucas-reveals-how-star-wars-was-influenced-by-the-vietnam-war--1005548

Expand full comment

Straw is indeed strong. Watching straw bales be made into a house is amazing. This is a fantastic analogy on the strength in numbers we who support human rights and the Palestinian people have. May the force be with all of us!

Expand full comment

Outstanding article, Val! Yes, we need to unite and organize and act, but we need brave, humble, honest, intelligent and dedicated leaders to make things happen. And we won't find them in the White House or Parliament! Where the hell are they?

Expand full comment

Thank you for this incredible piece of hopeful writing Val . A tonic for these frightening times .. I feel the ripple in society - may it grow into your vision !

Expand full comment

Great article. I would make one point about Indian independence, it also happened because it was an idea whose time had come.

Yes Gandhi was a unifying force, as well as a complex and flawed human being, but independence for India was always going to happen because of the nature of the British system and because of the times.

Israel and its minder, the US, are so debased that there can be none of British integrity, in the times, long gone, at work to free Palestine. But, the times are right.

Nelson Mandela was also a unifying force, and of course, F.W. De Klerk who was the true force for change, far more than Mandela. But a unifying leader is always helpful. This is why it is highly unlikely that Israel will allow Marwan Baghouti to be freed or to live.

But, just as one door closes and another opens, so one leader dies and another arises and of course it is not mere mortals who choose such leaders but the Fates, God, Destiny, the Cosmos or whatever you like to call the underlying force at work in this world.

Expand full comment

Wow, inspiring. We can look to the Wobblies and Black Panthers for inspiration. They are in our lineage, as are indigenous resistance groups.

Expand full comment