By Jim Miles

As global affairs intensify, I often find myself in that category of those discouraged and disillusioned, fully cynical, wondering if anything I can do is worthwhile in the long run. A global pandemic, an economic collapse preceding the pandemic and severely worsened by it (and different reactions to it); an infrastructure continually pumping more and more carbon and other chemicals into the atmosphere; nuclear war always imminent; a powerful rogue nation dealing internally with its own internal rogue elements and externally applying illegal actions against countries it disagrees with over oil and the avoidance of the US$: all add up to a world of dystopian insanity.

On the other hand, the beautiful spirit of human creations with music, art, theater, dance; and human endeavors challenging humanity for a better world with science, education, health, human rights; the recognition that we are all one race, all cousins, living on a single blue planet; the astounding beauty of nature as it cycles through seasons and lifecycles: that part adds up to a world of beauty and inspiration.

I cannot reconcile the two, the ugly side of humanity and the beautiful side of humanity, other than to think of human nature, with the emphasis on nature and its long biological imperative to survive. Obviously, for the short term, a dystopian society benefits a few, while harming many and harming the prospect of long term societal cooperation. An increasingly industrialized, technological, financialized society attempting to defy death and celebrate youth, but above all else promoting the falsehood that we are all individuals with the liberty and freedom to act as we please without any responsibility attached for the assistance and betterment of others and the environment we need to survive in, has proven to be a disaster of its own making.

The US, the great promoter of all the liberty, freedom, and rugged individualism platitudes (a polite word for verbal garbage) have used that language to cover up many aggressions towards other nations over many decades. In essence, it is a colonial settler country within which violence and domination have been used to carve out its empire. Now it has come home with alarming force – blowback of its militarization of other nations’ struggles.

While the mainstream media follows all the COVID news and now the riots and demonstrations in the U.S. and elsewhere, Israel is quietly – at least as far as the media is concerned about reporting it – preparing to annex all but a tiny fraction of the occupied West Bank.

In Canada, Justin Trudeau has reacted well to the COVID crisis, and his twenty-one-second pause after a reporter’s question was probably the best response to questions about Trump’s actions and comments in the U.S. Really, what can you honestly say to the guy without inflaming his narcissistic bullying threats and rants although it would be beneficial if some top politician would risk sticking it in his craw (cause considerable or abiding resentment).

Trudeau was also questioned about Israel and responded in what some claim as unfair criticism of Israel. Part of the criticism of Trudeau’s response is the old canard about why criticize Israel when many other countries also have serious human rights problems. Well, yes they do, but Israel just happens to be at the center of and actively involved in global geopolitical events supported by our rogue southern neighbor. It is Involved both as an ally of global dominance and involved as a purveyor of military, security, and technological information “field-tested” in Palestine for better crowd control and domination of an indigenous population.

But Trudeau’s actual response was rather timid, and is probably aimed at his attempts to put Canada into the UN Security Council (two seats available for three contenders: Ireland, Norway, and Canada):

“I have highlighted both publicly and directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu and alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz the importance of staying away from measures that are unilateral and our deep concerns and disagreement with their proposed policy of annexation,” Trudeau said.

“We think that the path forward is a two-state solution reached to by dialogue between the parties involved and anything that is unilateral action by either side is unhelpful in the cause of peace.” CBC, Evan Dyer, June 02, 2020.

In other words, Canada effectively is allowing the status quo to continue its slow ethnic cleansing of Palestine. The two-state solution is gone and Canada – at least the government – has not yet realized it, or is wilfully not wanting to admit it.

“Dialogue between the partners” is another spurious argument as there are no partners – Israel is fully supported by the rogue manipulations of the U.S. government and there is no balance of partners when Israel has all the firepower it needs, using the military to control the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza. The dialogue never worked, was never intended to work, not for a two-state solution. It was used to delay, obfuscate, dissimulate, and outright lie about Israel’s intentions towards its final goal of an ethnically cleansed Jewish state.

In a world dominated by Trump tweets, COVID fears, economic uncertainty Israel is simply going about its own business with a free hand. Canada will not offer a significant protest, only offer the official dead-end two-state solution and “dialogue”.

In a world on the edge of losing control and when social/economic uncertainty combines with systemic racism it is difficult to not just sit back, and let it all happen as beyond one’s control. But Palestine needs a voice, more correctly needs its voice to be heard, and at times such as these when concerns about racism and indigenous rights are brought to the fore, it is all the more important to say, yes you are being heard. If nothing else, I can say, I hear you.

– Jim Miles is a Canadian educator and a regular contributor/columnist of opinion pieces and book reviews to Palestine Chronicles.  His interest in this topic stems originally from an environmental perspective, which encompasses the militarization and economic subjugation of the global community and its commodification by corporate governance and by the American government.

– Jim Miles is a Canadian educator and a regular contributor/columnist of opinion pieces and book reviews to Palestine Chronicles.  His interest in this topic stems originally from an environmental perspective, which encompasses the militarization and economic subjugation of the global community and its commodification by corporate governance and by the American government.