Winter Patriot Community Blog

Bob Dylan-Masters of War-Woodstock 1994

After the masters of war claimed they had met all their objectives in Gaza (just in time for the coronation of the Prince of Change) it looks like they weren't quite finished after all. The Guardian reported today that Israel is threatening a "fierce and disproportionate" response to recent Palestinian rocket fire. (I guess disproportionate attacks are the 'norm' now, no need to even pretend your actions are moral.) Zippy L, whose Kadima party is trailing Bibi N's Lukids in the polls with just nine days to the election, is demanding immediate reprisals. "We need to use strength and a lot of it, there is no reason to wait," she said. Ehud B is reported to be preparing the army for a surprise attack. (Making sure there are getting lots of ruffage in their diets I suppose.) He said, "Hamas was dealt a severe blow and it will be dealt one again." (Well actually, I think he means the imprisoned civilian population of Gaza will be dealt another severe blow).

Meanwhile, Hamas is busy threatening peace and reported to be considering an Egyptian brokered year long truce which would begin on Thursday.

Update: Thanks to Littlehorn for pointing out to me that the slide show pictures I had posted here of Gazans breaking through the border of Rafah were from the Guardian Jan 2008. They were linked on the same page as the article from which I took the information on the above post, along with some other articles from Jan 2009 so I mistakenly assumed they were current. My apologies for having posted them. This article from Guardian (Feb. 1 2009) describes the food crisis that Gazans are facing.

snip:
"...between 35% and 60% of the agriculture industry has been wrecked by the three-week Israeli attack, which followed two years of economic siege.
...it is going to be almost impossible for Gaza to produce the food it needs for the next six to eight months, assuming that the agriculture can be rehabilitated.
...Before the blockade and the attack...Gaza produced half of its own food. Now that has declined by 25%
...The wholesale destruction of farms, greenhouses, dairy parlours, livestock, chicken coops and orchards has damaged food production, which was already hit by the blockade.
...Buildings heavily damaged during Israel's Operation Cast Lead included much of its agricultural infrastructure. The Ministry of Agriculture was targeted, the agriculture faculty at al-Azhar university in Beit Hanoun largely destroyed, and the offices of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees in Zaitoun - which provides cheap food for the poor - ransacked and vandalised by soldiers who left abusive graffiti.
...Although international and local officials are still gathering figures, they believe that scores, perhaps hundreds, of wells and water sources have been damaged and several hundred greenhouses have been levelled, as well as severe damage inflicted on 60,000-75,000 dunums of Gaza's 175,000 dunums (44,000 acres) of farmable land.

Masters Of War

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion'
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins.

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do.

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul.

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead.