Driving Public Opinion through “Polls”
Mark Twain is said to have noted, “There are lies, Damned lies and there are statistics”.
Taking advanced statistics class during my UW studies (a LOOONNG time ago!) was an eye-opener for me. I learned that statistics and results of polls can be skewed in any direction one wants them to go. Now, whenever I see some statistic, I look at it questioningly.
WHAT is motivating the stats?
WHO is running the numbers?
WHY was this data collected (to serve WHAT goal)?
When I saw this headline in The Jerusalem Post: “Majority of Americans think Israel should press on with Rafah op., finish war – poll“.
I wanted to know how the “poll” was conducted and exactly WHAT was the question; I was not surprised to see the wording of the question in which “the majority of Americans” gave the okay to continue the slaughter of Palestinians:
…according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll published on Monday.
Survey respondents responded to a prompt asking, “Should Israel move forward with an operation in Rafah to finish the war with Hamas, doing its best to avoid civilian casualties even though there will be casualties, or should it back off now and allow Hamas to continue running Gaza?”
Looking at this “Poll” question, I see how the question is crafted to persuade the audience that “the most moral army” of Israel, will of course, take great care not to kill or injure civilians. I guess we can trust that part if we believe the “most moral army” has so far exercised “great care” and that the 34,000+ dead Palestinians and the well over 100.000 maimed Palestinians and the 2 MILLION+ starving Palestinians happened ONLY after the Israelis did “take great care” to avoid civilians.
The question has been sanitized to a point at which the person saying “yes” feels their conscience is clear that this is a “WAR!” and not a genocide.
The last part offers the reader a choice between wanting to “finish the war with Hamas (not Palestinians, mind you!) or backing away like a coward and allowing the great “Terrorist” Hamas to continue with their rule and control over Gaza. Since Hamas has been so successfully recast as a “Terrorist” organization, what reasonable person could possibly say “NO” to such a proposition?
Goal achieved, headline created; time now to offer it to the blind supporters and the greedy politicians who would willingly slaughter as many people as needed , in order to get the public on their side.
Send it across the media which will also amplify the “poll” so people shut up about this ”Ceasefire” nonsense and let the great slaughter continue; There’s a genocide to complete!!
All Muslims are TRRRSTS!
It looks like Israel has won the emotional war against Muslims. I would NEVER have believed any sane mind could have come to such an asinine and Islamophobic conclusion as this story shows.
If wearing the Shehada as a headband can cause so much distress to Jews that is becomes a criminal offense, then surely wearing a Star of David would also be a criminal offense because of the trauma it would cause to millions of Palestinians!!!??
Below is a link to the story as reported by the British Daily Mail. Of course, one of the illustrations they chose to show is of an armed Palestinian in GAZA, wearing the Shehada headband. Talk about subliminal messaging!
They could have shown the eBay items showing the Shehada headband for sale, or the Etsy site showing a Shehada headband but no, obviously, a gunman in GAZA was more appropriate!
In a demonstration against the Gaza genocide, a (non-White of course!) man wore a headband that had the Islamic Affirmation (Shehada) on it; “la ilaha Il Allah Mohammed Rasul Allah” (There is no god but one God and Mohammed is his prophet”). He was promptly ARRESTED by the Police as showing support for the “TRRRST organization “HAMAS!”.
Unbelievably, the judge found him guilty of intimidating Jews and supporting Hamas!
The Judge said, “Hamas is the most notable Palestinian group associated with the colour green…” (REALLY???) and…
“I am satisfied so I am sure that the defendant wore an item of clothing, a green headband in such circumstances to arouse reasonable suspicion that he was a supporter of a proscribed terrorist organisation, namely Hamas” and..
“‘…I do find that the harm is serious and I have to agree that the nature of the offence when it happened, soon after the incident of 7 October, would have made significant distress to those who were observing the demonstration”
What kind of manipulatable, servile, idiotic and unthinking people does Britain have a Judges???
How can anyone twist a holy symbol into a representation of something bad (It’s bad enough that “HAMAS!” is deemed a “TRRRST organization by so many of the oh-so civilized nations in the West)?
Einstein is reported as having said, “The difference between Stupidity and Genius is that Genius has limits”.
Muslims had better walk careful; don’t wear green, don’t wear a T-shirt with a watermelon on it and don’t say, “Palestine” except with “Kill them all!” afterwards. Otherwise, you are supporting terrorists and causing great grief to Jews. If you are non-White, don’t “look like a Muzlem“.
You could lose your job, you could lose your education, you could even go to Prison!!
…Or some super-patriotic buffoon could kill you!
Five Months…
Wasn’t it wonderful to hear Biden’s State of the Union speech?
So righteous, so strong (America loves “Strong”) and SUCH a (“lifelong”) supporter of Holy Israel!
He informed us that the “WAR!” in Gaza (invasion) was “gut-wrenching”, but obviously not enough to make Israel stop the bombing for which HE provides the money and the means. He has no such “gut wrenching” reaction about people being slaughtered by the tens of thousands; they are Palestinians!
Israel “has a right to go after Hamas.”, he said, Hamas had taken “hostages” (captives) and must release them, and he said the only path to peace is the dead-on-arrival, Two-State “Solution”.
“Give Hate no safe harbor”…except when it is from Israel against Arabs and Palestinians. Words coming from all ranks of Israeli Jews, genocidal words such as “Amelek”, “It is an entire nation who are responsible. This rhetoric about civilians supposedly not being involved is absolutely untrue”, “We will turn Gaza into an island of ruins”, “Gaza to be smashed and razed to the ground without mercy”, and many more, appear to have a perfectly safe harbor with Genocide Joe.
UN Office on Genocide prevention and the Responsibility to Protect
There was no mention of the fact that the US has offered Egypt massive IMF support of Egypt accepts Palestinians terrorized and slaughtered out by Israel. With US help, Egypt is building its own concentration camp with concrete walls, for Palestinians who, in the words of Israeli leadership, will “voluntarily transfer” out of Gaza.
Genocide Joe is also by now, keenly aware that people whose support he has to count on, are starting to shift, they are ready to vote for Trump or just not vote at all, rather than vote for a geriatric, heartless leader; a man who has proven that he does not care if well over 13,000 children and 10,000 women are slaughtered among a number totaling over 30,000. He does not care that the well over 100,000 victims of HIS bombing are being treated…their limbs being amputated…without anesthetics. He doesn’t care of the people of Gaza are literally starved to death as is happening under Israel’s plan to starve them until Hamas surrenders. Hamas will not surrender but the people WILL starve to death in a genocide financed largely by the US and Germany (the second largest provider of weapons to Israel).
Images below are of a dead child in Gaza and children in a Nazi death camp
But Biden wants people to know that he actually does care! He dropped a planeload of pallets of supplies in Gaza…killing five people (two children) with the pallets in the process.
FIVE MONTHS after the October attack Genocide Joe ordered a few pallets of food to be dropped in Gaza…FIVE MONTHS after Israel had blocked all food, all water, electricity, medical aid…everything from reaching the people of Gaza.
FIVE MONTHS after the October attack Genocide Joe said the US would be building a temporary port to deliver supplies by sea to the people of Gaza…in the next SEVERAL WEEKS. At 1,500 dead Palestinians a week, Biden’s feeble P-R posturing is certain to take another 10,000-20,000 more lives before any effects of starvation can be staved off. In the meantime, the endless supplies of bombs will continue to be delivered to and used by, Israel.
It is as if Biden wants Palestinians to remain alive long enough so they may be slaughtered by Israelis.
It took exactly THREE DAYS for the first plane loads of bombs and weapons to be delivered to Israel after October 7 (Day One: Order. Day Two: Load. Day Three: Deliver).
Muslims I know or have heard from are adamant about not supporting Joe Biden. Muslims and many people of good will, understand that the only way a strong and lasting message will register with ALL politicians is when they realize that they can no longer be assured of the Default Vote where people may hold their noses but still vote for their party. The stench of rotting Palestinian bodies is too great even for noses that are held shut.
“From the River to the Sea!!”
Why not?
This slogan is viewed and sometimes, meant to suggest that there should be no Jews in Israel/Palestine, just as “Eretz Israel” means there should be no Palestinians on the same land. Angry Palestinian calls against Jews are perhaps, less bloodthirsty than angry Israeli calls against Palestinians but both are pretty final in their sentiments. Such a mindset comes from a 70+ year old Occupier-Occupied relationship which has promoted an “us or them” mentality, a climate of fear, anger and hate.
Why NOT, “From the River to the Sea!!”? One land with equal protections and equal rights for Jews, Christians AND Muslims? One land with Justice and reconciliation, a “Final Solution” that does not involve the extermination of one side or the other.
Of course, it is possible! Hate is driven by opportunistic, amoral politicians and it quickly becomes the way of life, not just in Israel/Palestine but in just about every country I can think of…the US, Europe, Asia, Africa… everywhere. Hate has driven people to slaughters of unimaginably massive numbers and STILL counting. Hate has made people very creative because the carnage has to become more “civilized” as Humanity decides on what type of violence is acceptable and what is not. Thus, Concentration camps as during the WWII Holocaust, are no longer acceptable but slaughtering tens of thousands of people…millions of people with massive bombs that extinguish life in a second, are perfectly okay as morality tailors sophistication.
One intelligent look at the map of Israel/Palestine will show that the so-called “Two State Solution” and “Confederation” are fool’s fantasies. Jews have forced their way into so much of post-1967 Occupied Territories that it is simply impossible to remove them. The only viable, large sources of water lie under the West Bank and in the Jordan river, EAST of the West Bank. Just those two facts make it impossible to divide the land into anything giving Palestinians a fair share of independence and equality.
Then there is JUSTICE to think of. Just as Jews receive reparations from the offending countries that removed or butchered Jews during WWII, Palestinians need to have their properties restored or, be given compensation equal to current values of what was taken from them. Indeed, this is neither easy nor affordable but if Western countries can ply Israel with billions of dollars a year to wage war and kill Palestinians, why not convert that money to compensate Palestinians so they may live on one land, in peace and tranquility?
Of course, many Palestinians and many Jews will hate the idea of living side by side with each other and of course, there will be sporadic violence between them. That is where we can see some POSDITIVE interference from Western countries instead of interfering on the side of Evil as they so often do; cut off all support for politicians who try to drive Hate and Fear, sanction them like we do for leaders that we dislike today. Life will not turn to rainbows and roses overnight but any start will be better than the endless cycle of hate and violence we support today.
Just imagine! A land where Jews, Christians and Muslims can live and thrive as equals, a land where a Kippa is as welcome and acceptable as a Cross or a Hijab.
What would you call such a land? Take the example from Switzerland, they have four languages and cultures in one country, any one place, even the name of the country, has three to four different “names”. Why not a land which can equal/y be called “Israel” AND “Palestine”?
There is no other option; The children on that land can grow up living as friends or die fighting as they have for the past 70+ years. I know what I would choose.
To those who might say I am smoking something, I wish they would take a puff or two themselves.
“Brutal Hamas Attack” vs. “Israel’s Right to Self-defense”
When Hamas attacked an Israeli festival on October 7 and different Palestinian groups killed Israelis there and at other places, the whole world was shocked. Palestinian supporters were left either speechless or a few of them had a schadenfreude moment. Israeli Jews and their supporters were of course shocked, grief-stricken and wanted vengeance. Western countries led by the US, started giving Israel massive support of weapons and money to “Defend Israel from this existential attack. Bad as it was, the attack was by no stretch of the imagination, an existential attack on Israel or on world Jewry. Bombs, munitions and weapons from the US, started flooding into Israel and US companies rushed to deliver more bombs as Gaza becomes a testing ground for new kinds of bombs and missiles. In one week, Israel dropped more bombs on Gaza than the US had dropped in an entire YEAR in Afghanistan. Israel has bombed population-dense places; high rise apartments, schools, hospitals and mosques, ostensibly to “destroy Hamas” but in reality, they don’t care as long as they kill as many Palestinians as they can while they enjoy the Carte Blanche to kill from the US and the West
Gaza is about 25 miles (40 km) long and about 7.5 miles wide, 141 Sq Miles in all while Afghanistan is about the size of Texas (402,600 sq miles). That was almost a month ago. Since then Israelis have killed at best count, over 8,700 Palestinians, 50% of whom are children, and maimed many times more. Israelis placed a complete stranglehold on Gaza, allowing nothing in or out so now, there is no electricity few medical supplies and no anesthesia and almost no water left. Medical procedures and surgeries are being carried out by the light of cell phones and without anesthesia.
Israeli leaders have said they want to “wipe out” all Palestinians and they are doing a convincing job of it. One Member of Knesset (R. Gotliv) called for dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, IDF spokesman Hagari said “the focus (of the bombing of Gaza) is destruction, not accuracy”. Many are invoking the Bible, Deuteronomy 20:16-17 which says, “In the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.”
US politicians from President Biden on down to members of Congress, Governors and other officials have openly stated their complete and blind support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”, which of course, means, “Finish the job” on the Palestinians.
Israel’s blind supporters are nodding in their understanding of Israel’s reaction. They point to the WWII Holocaust and talk about “generational trauma” of Jews, they repeat the old saw that if Israel fails to defend itself, Israel will cease to exist and so will world Jewry; Israeli Jews are “forced” to kill this many Palestinians and a lot more. European countries are rushing in to support Israel as much as they possibly can. Countries such as Germany have banned all demonstrations supporting Palestinians and are unquestioningly supporting Israel. It is particularly ironic that the Germans are desperately trying to get away from the shadow of the WWII Holocaust by supporting yet another Holocaust. France has banned pro-Palestinians demonstrations too, but neither country stops pro-Israel demonstrators. Sweden and Britain have said they will revoke citizenships of anyone supporting “terrorism” (read, ‘Palestinians and Muslims’). The Israeli bombing continues without let, joined now by a land invasion guided by an American three-star general and other senior US Army officers.
“In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. UN. Dec 1948
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
Gullible Western citizenry has been lulled into accepting the carnage because it is crafted by Western Press and politicians as a “WAR!” of survival between “Hamas” (not the people of Gaza) and Israel and that the attacks are targeting “Hamas terrorists” (not cruelly random bombing). The tragedy of Palestinian deaths is supplanted by Israel’s mourning the death of a soldier or a scene of the Hamas attack of October 7th; Palestinian deaths are blamed on “Hamas” and there is no further discussion.
In light of all this hate and venom against Palestinians and Muslims in the West, it is hard to explain why Western Press should focus on the “existential fear” expressed by Jews in Europe and America for Israel and world Jewry and seemingly pay the barest of attention to the genocide of the people of Gaza. Yet, here we are. People are losing their jobs if they voice support for Palestinians or against Israeli bombing, the press labels everyone who does not support Israel as supporting “terrorism” (a meaningless term used to stifle opposition and justify attacks), billionaires are withdrawing financial support to universities that allow demonstrations against Israel and that has prompted universities to bear down hard on students and faculty (labeled “Anti-Semitic”) that stands against Israel’s bombing. The FBI is starting to focus (again!) on “Domestic Terrorism”, this of course, means “Muslims” (again!) because such a term and focus is seldom invoked by the FBI against White, Christian militias and their supporters. The atmosphere against Arabs and Muslims is becoming so toxic that organizations and institutions fear taking on anything with a “Muslim” connection, the Frick museum in Pittsburg postponed an exhibit
featuring ten centuries of Muslim art by almost a year claiming they did not want to host it during the “Israel-Hamas war” because such an exhibit might be too “traumatic” for some people. Never mind that such postponement will needlessly drive the focus of hate and fear on Muslims.
Already, Muslims are promising to not vote for any politician from Biden on down, who either supports Israel’s attack or remains silent during the on-going genocide. It now remains the job of Muslims and other friends of Palestinians, to join up and demonstrate the threat to the political aspirations of our political leaders who seem to have been struck mute.
Consequences of the “WAR!” against “Hamas”
Not many Blind supporters of Israel have paused to wonder how this “WAR! against Hamas” is and will be working out for Israel, for Palestinians and for the world. Consider the ramifications:
1. Israel. What Israel is doing defies description, even the supporters don’t go there, they satisfy their consciences by saying “Hamas must be eliminated”.
Reality? Israel is indiscriminately bombing everything that stands in Gaza…homes, apartments, hospitals, schools, everything. Israelis do not wish to consider that half the population of Gaza is under 18, that to date over 2,000 of the over 4,000 Palestinians known to have been killed, were children. It may hard to swallow but Israel has adopted the Hitlerite policy of extermination but against Palestinians. The Terms “Existential Fear” and the “Generational Trauma” are looking more and more like justifications to over-react and go into a murderous frenzy.
2. USA and Europe. It is no surprise that the US is providing unlimited munitions that make it possible for Israel to exterminate Palestinians. After all, the US is STILL butchering Muslims across the world as vengeance for 9-11…the Muslim toll far exceeds 3 MILLION by now. Europe? When it comes to USA or Israel, Europe loses its moral compass and when it comes to BOTH of them together, all European countries can do is hand over the keys of their treasuries and armories to Israel to kill more of the Unwashed Brownies. Even Germany, a country that still suffers from Shoah guilt, is rendered dumb in spite of the fact that Hitler has risen again but this time, in Israel.
Morality be damned, Europe is arrayed in lock-step behind Israel and its pursuit of extermination of the Palestinians. As Muslims realize even more starkly, that the Empires and Colonists of the past, still regard them as less than human and still long for control over them. Israel will not be the only focus for their hate.
3. Muslim-majority countries. They live in a bi-polar situation; the leaders are cowed or purchased into silence by the Western (USA) powers, but the people are deeply anguished about what is being done to the Palestinians by Israel and with supplies from Western powers.
These will most likely result in major unrest in Muslim-majority countries, a lot of blood will be shed and there may even be some uprisings. Some may get so over-worked in their anger and their grief, that they may decide to take it out in Western countries where they live. That will only raise Western fears of “Islamic extremism”, Western countries will vow to fight “Islamic Jihad” and more violence will be perpetrated against Muslims in Western countries and abroad. The spiral of violence will keep getting worse as more Muslims continue to get brutalized in order to protect “Freedom” and “Democracy”.
Much as Israelis and the US/West would love to see Palestinians crushed, it will not happen. Yes, Israelis Jews (there are other religions in Israel too) may succeed in slaughtering thousands more Palestinians, but unless every single one of them falls victim to Israel’s ‘Final Solution’, they will rise again and again and again until they too, can live in peace with Justice and equality.
If this sounds too Cassandra-like (foretelling of doom), it may be, but it would be very much in the interests of the future of whatever humanity that remains amongst us, to examine carefully, what decisions Western powers are making, why and what the results could be. Tragically today, any voices that do not support the slaughter in Gaza, are seen as “Anti-Semitic”, hating Israel or, in favor of (Islamic) Terrorism, Yet, these may be the most patriotic voices we hear.
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