The closing

U2 say it best. They always do. So to cap off here is something I could never express better. Its meaning is whatever it means to you.

 

Lover, I'm on the street
Gonna go where the bright lights
And the big city meet
With a red guitar...on fire
Desire

She's a candle burning in my room
Yeah I'm like the needle, needle and spoon
Over the counter with a shotgun
Pretty soon everybody got one
And the fever when I'm beside her
Desire, desire...

And the fever...getting higher
Desire, desire...burning, burning

She's the dollars
She's my protection
Yeah she's a promise
In the year of election
Oh sister, I can't let you go
Like a preacher stealing hearts
At a traveling show
For love or money money money
money money money money money
money money money
And the fever, getting higher
Desire, desire, desire, desire
Desire, desire

We are better

A lot of people believe that the Middle East Crisis is simply a case of Muslims versus the Jews. That Muslims want to destroy Israel because the land belongs to them and that Muslims cannot live under a government of Jews. And there may be some truth to this way of thinking. I have watched men describe in great passion that as long as Israel exists, there will never be peace, that Israel must be destroyed. That it is our land.

I don’t believe in that. I think religious violence only results in casualties and God doesn’t pick sides. And history is littered with religious reasons to send people to their deaths.

I don’t want to see Israel wiped off the planet. I think it is a measure of protection for every other state in that statement. But what I do want to see is an end to Israel’s callous foreign policy. Off course that is the polite term. The reality is that they don’t have a foreign policy but a policy of ethnic cleansing. How else can we explain the targeting of children? Children are not meant to like that? How many Anne Franks are there buried in the rubble? How many parents have had to bury children before those children had the chance to grow up and become what they were supposed to be?

This is not a religious war, this is not a Muslim versus Jew thing for me. It’s a case of feeling helpless at having to be exposed to organized murder and not being able to do anything about it? How do you give hope to people? How do you keep the faith when men in green fatigues butcher women in their homes and children on their way from school?

And what about the victims in Israel? We never stop to think that this war is destroying both sides. An educated person once responded that it was ok because after everything “we” had to endure, its only fair. Once again I disagreed because we as Muslims aren’t the only ones affected by this. There are many non-Muslims living in Palestine. Christian men are incarcerated for days on end and tortured by the military.

If it is our religious duty to fight oppression, then we must rise beyond the religious divide and embrace the humanity common to us all. I saw a bunch of Pro-Nazi posters, one asked what if Hitler had won the war? There would be no blood shed in Palestine. I abhor that kind of cruel rhetoric. Because replacing one kind of suffering with another doesn’t add up to any justification in my books. We as Muslims are duty bound to protect all those needing protection. To use whatever means necessary to prevent and repel oppression in all its forms. This includes amongst the people who also claim to be fighting for a free Palestine. I don’t trust many of the leaders admittedly. But that Shabz is my personal opinion. Because from what I understand Peace comes at too high a price for some people to be willing to relinquish power.

I have to make it clear, I am not fighting a religion. Unlike some of the US right wing support for Israel, this is not about religion. This is about the lack of humanity prevalent in a region where Israel is recognised by the USA as the only Democratic state in the region. Utter horse shit, but then the USA is not big on integrity.

Now is the time to act. Not doing a Saturday Afternoon protest and thinking you did your bit. Not banning Coke from the table and thinking that is your contribution. But actively pursuing a course of action which not only highlights Israel to be a Pariah State, but an effort to ensure that Israel is cut off from the rest of the world. The USA is in the middle of a crisis that they are unlikely to see the light for at least the next 3 years, now is the time to consider what we do without money and what our government does. The Jewish Board of Deputies should be bombarded with as many letters as you can muster, write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Relevant Parliamentary committees urging them to institute sanctions against Israel. Count the number of people in your home and get them all to write a letter, or do a blanket letter for every person and have them fill in their names and signatures and post it. No petitions. Letter bombs. Do the same with the Israeli Embassy, Commercial entities with strong ties to Israel. And if you run out of places to send the thousands and thousands of letters, stat targeting the embassies of other countries, Britain, China, France, Germany.

It might sound a bit long winded, it might sound a tad old fashioned, but we want to pollute their world. Send them posters and photos. Send them to FIFA and UEFA. Send them to the EU. Encourage everyone to turn their backs on Israel. And if every person you know does this, well you get the picture. Lets use our skills. Lets make it known that Israel in it’s current form is not welcome in the world.

Things to include in the letter to embassies and our foreign affairs department:

To sever diplomatic ties with the State of Israel

To ban South Africans from serving in their armed forces and to ban all South Africans from traveling to Israel

To impose sanctions and travel restrictions on members of the Israeli Government

To cancel with immediate effect any trade agreements

To support initiatives to have Israel brought before the ICC (International Criminal Court)

To expel immediately from any and all regional collectives

To freeze all Israeli Assets held in those countries.

For commercial/social interests

To ban the movement of Israeli citizens for the purposes of work

To freeze all assets held by their institution originating from Israel.

To remove Israel from all international sporting federations.

To stop the import of Israeli made goods.

Those are a few ideas I had while reading an email from a friend. Its easy to shake your head in disgust, its easy to shout when everyone is shouting, its easy to sign the same tattered page that your friends are signing. What we need is the collective efforts of individuals striving for the same goals. Everywhere men and women can only hope they will survive the next few hours and it only takes a few minutes to write a letter and R2.50 for a postage stamp. Heck steal one from work if you must, but you have to take action as an individual. This situation cannot be rectified through the efforts of a few people only. This cannot be solved by dying. This cannot be solved by murder. We must leave no room for these perpetrators of violence to maneuver and claim the victim.

We are tired of the bodies and the children who cant be children. Of the widows and the widowers. Of the desperate. Because it has just gone on too long. We don’t need guns and bombs. We don’t need cap in hand tactics or grand gestures of defeat and the world’s sympathy. It is in everybody’s interest to stop this war and hold Israel to account. We need to stop the Nazi-fication of the world now. Before we’re the ones behind barbed wire, without water, electricity or medication. Where children are murdered for being on the wrong side of the fence.

Inspired by the note.

The OH

499 Sever Diplomatic Ties

Although I think the general state of protests in South Africa seems aimed at creating a hullabaloo, I think efforts would be better served with a definitive goal in mind.

In marketing the process involves gaining control over the hearts, minds and pockets of potential consumers. When it comes to teaching large entities a lesson, say for instance, Israel, we should aim at reverse marketing. I saw Nooj’s note on boycotting Israeli products. Which I believe is in the right spirit of things. I don’t believe in the mock funerals to make a statement. PR exercises might work when it comes to selling cellular phones, but when it comes to politics, if a country is still making money, or has access to it, they pretty much don’t give a crap who likes them or who doesn’t. South Africa pre-1985 was a prime example. Once their access to credit was severed, they quickly ran out of money and by 1987 were involved in secret talks with the ANC to facilitate change.

In the case we need to not only declare our intention to wage war against their gross abuse of human rights, we need to hurt them where it hurts most. Their pockets. They depend largely on their agricultural sector. And while we can’t send tanks in to destroy their crops like they have done over areas over Palestine, we can make people aware, I mean actively aware that by buying Israeli products, you support and condone the murder of children. That you support the torture of civilians. That Israel forces are Nazi-fying the Middle East.

As for marches and protests, we’re in an election year. Force members of parliament to acknowledge that Israel is counter to the values of our Constitution and that support of them is a breach of our constitutional values. The aim should be to sever diplomatic ties with Israel immediately. With that ensure that imports from Israel are either banned or at the very least taxed so heavily that importing them would be unviable.

There are children being affected and although children dying is sad, what’s worse are those children who survive and have to live through it all. Because it will take generations from now for any sense of normality to settle in.

Although every little constructive bit helps, we need to be clever about it. Expecting the powers that be to do anything is futile. The United Nations’ hands are tied by its own rules. The policeman of the world, the USA, doesn’t care because Israel is its surrogate and the surrounding Arab states are unreliable.

We may not be able to fight with our fists and bodies, our collective efforts might be wasted on public protests with no discernable goal other than to create awareness. We need to attack using the weapons we have, our minds and our wallets.

This is not an indictment against the people of Israel. But an aim to put pressure on the people of Israel to pressure their own government to change. We aren’t going to win a gun battle with Israel. And it will only perpetuate the problem. Israel is the second highest importer of US made weapons. Outside Saudi Arabia that is. We need to attack the pockets, the minds and hearts of Israel and its supporters and run the Zionists of the planet. Right now the Zionists are faceless individuals. A collective of ethnic cleansers. See where they hide when the money eventually runs out.

As for the Palestinian side, there needs to be a collective action from all groups where the interests of all Palestinians are paramount to the interests of each group. They shouldn’t be the ones creating the victims but rather forcing the Israeli Government to turn their own citizens into victims.

But then again this I war and motives and goals are not always aligned. What is important is giving the Palestinians a life where they can enjoy the same rights and benefits as their counterparts across the border. Where they are able to feed themselves, send their children to school without worrying if your daughter will be shot by some over zealous Israeli soldier.

I wish I could do more. I can’t and that annoys and depresses me. I don’t see the point of making a noise about it if I am going to go home and sit on my arse and lament the abuse taking place over there. I don’t see the point of going there and being a human shield, because there are plenty dead heroes and living imbeciles running things. But what I can do is not support Israel economically, not support the supporters of Israel either.

I once watched something on TV where Shimon Perez justified using a helicopter gunship to blow up a Palestinian man in his car in early morning school traffic. Several kids were injured. He said the man was a threat. That he was planning on bringing nuclear explosives into Palestine (they had evidence before they decided to execute him). When asked what was wrong with that since Israel had nuclear explosives, he replied, Israel was a democracy.

So let the people talk, let the people turn on their leaders, let them turn their fear on their own elected leaders.

Barack Obama se ma.

The Organ Harvester

Discipline

I have pretty poor discipline. I am like a crackhead sometimes. No regard for the big picture. Instant gratification is my modus operandi. Well it was. I need to make some big changes. And I know people in the know would say one thing at a time, drastic changes will not be as effective as gradual ones.

The way I figure a lifetime of failed personal promises and commitment to a healthier way of life, I owe myself something.

I used to be a disciplined kid. I didn’t scratch when I had chicken pox. I never misbehaved in class. I didn’t smoke, drink or fall for loose women. Something changed somewhere and it has been pretty much downhill since then.

Obviously that kind of commitment would indicate a dangerous level of insanity creeping in. Well if you really knew me. I tend to be actually quite chilled in real life. I do tend to blow a gasket when challenged and when met with hypocrisy. Unfortunately I could handle most situations better. I am man enough to admit it, but when I am challenged I don’t see the point in going half hog. Some people call it a tag aggressive but if you want to get into the ring, make sure you are prepared, otherwise shut your mouth.

And I do care about shit. Contrary to popular belief. I just don’t make a dog and pony show out of it. I always question the motives of people who feel the need to publicise their good deeds, as if they have something to prove. The way I figure it, when you start talking about what you do, instead of doing, the beneficiaries of your benevolence take a backseat to your ego. Do what you can and move away, you don’t need your spot in the sun.

But off course I could be wrong.

I just received an email from a film producer. A local film producer. So maybe some of you will go see the movie. In theaters please. None of this bootleg shit. I don’t do Leon Schuster adverts. I will just kill you.

So with a strong history of heart attacks in the family I think I should organize myself. Get a little disciplined and get my shit together. I took down the timer. Because I don’t think I need the rush. I don’t want to be like those people who fall into marriage because someone says you have an expiry date. Besides the fact I am full of shit, I just think I deserve better than to be fixed for the sake of being fixed. Does that make sense? And besides I don’t know if I quite make the husband grade. Not yet anyway. I heard how my cousins are with their wives and I thought, I could so not do that. I mean it works for them, but I don’t think that it would work for me. Besides the future Mrs. Harvester was a person before getting married, the whole speaking to your wife like is kid is not my cup of tea.

Maybe I don’t know what I really want and that is why at one point I was so attached to the wrong person. Hey she seems nice, ignore her emotional retardedness. That shit needs to stop. If you feel something is wrong, and often we know something is wrong but we tend to push away, then do something about it. When things are right, everything goes right.

But its hard isn’t it? To do the right thing, some people will be content with a slice of pie now than the whole thing later. A symptom of the world we live in perhaps? Its no use making exceptions for people and lamenting their betrayal of your commitment to them later on. Like I said some people are just grateful to feel acknowledged that they would put up with anything. I don’t believe in that make believe world anymore. It just takes too much effort and leaves you feeling worse when things blow up.

Wrong marriages are just job numbers for divorce lawyers. I hope I never have to go down that path.

Well I guess it’s back to work. Although no one is back at work yet which is rather annoying. What will I do with all of this motivation?

The OH

496 posts and a hair oil endorsement in the works.

I have been saying this for a few months and some of you have been thinking I am mad, but I am serious about closing this blog down, seemed a shame to just leave it before I hit 500 posts.

I am just sick and tired of the creeps out there. The people like shabz who get personal but don’t like the fact that I don’t accept their personal attacks as gospel. I will admit that although I had passed that post about Palestine, after tonight I am adamant to just move away from the type of people I would happily have run over by a drunk driver tonight.

This blog thing besides the fact that over aged students don’t seem get the point, and think that I am their personal pin cushion for a life time of rejection issues, it is not what I wanted. Not what I was after. This should have ended a while back, but since I wanted to hit 500 posts before I quit it, here I am.

This is a common argument, “you post shit on a public forum and therefore I am entitled to attack you and your post.” Fair enough I say, but don’t cry wolf when I am the one swinging harder. Catch my drift? It works both ways, what is good for you is good for the next person. And especially since you don’t post anything of your own opinion on your own blog, it makes it easy to sit and attack people.

I am tired of the people without the balls and courage to just say what they want and confront an issue. No in order to win an argument, we have to call people names and comment on their character, irrelevant to what they’re actually saying. And as long as everyone nods and agrees, everything is hunky dory.

This is all bullshit. Honestly. I don’t like the personal comments about me from people who don’t know me and they don’t like the retorts either because its all bullshit.

But here is the thing, for some people, as long as they can be the center of control telling people what to do and how to do it, then off course they will be extremely happy. Not being one for telling the emperor that his clothes are beautiful, I suppose I attract the quality of attention seeking scavenger that has been present of late.

I am appalled and disgusted.

When a lion comes up to you, don’t think because you’re a vegetarian that you get a pass.

If you behave with respect and manners, then you will receive it. When you call someone’s character into question and think that is not a personal attack, then expect to be treated like the insecure, Mac-cause searching idiot every guy takes you for.

I am done with this. If you want to comment or sms your friend in on the act, be my guest, but it just shows your lack of decency and what a spoilt myopic fucktard you are.

Don’t get in the ring if you cant keep up. Rather learn to find something to do other than comment.

The OH