slaughter in gaza

While most of the US is wandering around in a post-holiday coma, Israel has begun what may soon become the most violent action in occupied Palestine in decades.

Three days of air raids in the Gaza Strip have left at least 300 people dead and many more wounded, and the New York Times reports that "Israeli troops and tanks [are] massed along the Gaza border" in preparation for a possible ground invasion. Gaza has been declared a "closed military zone" by Israel--which in practice often means that civilians, especially journalists, are not to be allowed in while the Israeli military does its dirty work.

According to eyewitnesses on the ground, Israeli air raids have already targeted police stations, mosques, the Islamic University, the Al Aqsa television station building, the largest prison in Gaza City, numerous residential buildings, the fishing port, and crowds of people just waiting for the bus. Hospitals, already low on basic supplies because of the 18-month-long economic blockade that has strangled Gaza, are being overwhelmed by casualties.

At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, women wailed as they searched for relatives among bodies that lay strewn on the hospital floor. One doctor said that given the dearth of facilities, not much could be done for the seriously wounded, and that it was “better to be brought in dead.” (NYT 12/29/08)

And all signs show that it's only going to get worse.

The Israeli army, as always, claims it is only targeting "militants" from Hamas, who have been firing rockets into Southern Israel since their shaky six-month "ceasefire" with Israel expired. (The ceasefire did not, of course, include a cessation of the Israeli economic blockade, ensuring that plenty of collective punishment could still be meted out during the so-called truce.)

The problem, of course, is that the Gaza Strip has a population density higher than New York City. So even if the Israeli military sincerely wanted to hit only "military targets," it would be virtually impossible. And of course, the Israeli military wants nothing of the sort. In fact, they have a well-documented policy of systematically targerting civilians--including unarmed international peace activists wearing bright orange jackets while protecting children.

As usual, the American media has not captured anything near the level of destruction currently being visited on Gaza--although at least some other mainstream news outlets are making an effort. For eyewitness reports and up-to-date coverage, I HIGHLY recommend Electronic Intifada, as always, an indispensable resources for unbiased, factual Middle East news.

There were protests in New York, DC and several California cities over the weekend (as well as many international protests) and there area sure to be more to come. Check your local Indymedia site for updates.

Note: In the time it took me to write this post, the New York Times updated its totals to 350 dead and 1,500 wounded.

movies i loved in 2008

I'm not calling this my "best of 2008" list, since I don't consider myself nearly cinematically well-versed enough to declare these the *best* movies of the year. (Except for #1, which clearly is.) But here, in no particular order, are some movies that moved me in 2008.

1. Milk. No surprises there. Artistically, technically and politically the best movie I have seen in ages. I've already raved quite a bit about this film, so I'll leave it at that. It's enough validation for me to know that Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott agree.

2. Man on Wire. Suspenseful, funny, and ultimately transcendent, this engaging documentary about a small group of people who put an incredible amount of energy into doing something extremely risky simply for the sake of art is a gem. I'm working on a longer post about this film, so I'll save the rest for later.

3. Standard Operating Procedure. Errol Morris can interview like no one else. This absorbing documentary about the Abu Ghraib torture scandal looks "beyond the frame" of some of what are now among the most iconic images of the Iraq war. The film is a compelling look at how ordinary people become capable of doing dehumanizing, violent things to other people, but it doesn't villify its subjects. Indeed, you end up feeling a bit sorry for Lynddie England and the other American soliders--all low-ranking--who faced charges for Abu Ghraib when the brass who gave the orders, explicitly or implicity, to "soften up" prisoners got off the hook. The film also provides a rare, insightful glimpse into the murky military soup of regular soldiers, private "security contractors" and intelligence agencies running around Iraq today. A must-watch for any antiwar activist.

4. The Dark Knight. In my opinion, proof that a "big" franchise movie can still be intelligent, brilliantly acted, philosophically engaging and genuinely disturbing. Okay, I know it was about half an hour too long. (That whole bit in Hong Kong was entirely unncessary, if you ask me.) But stuffing two incredible performances--Aaron Eckhart would have been the standout in any movie that didn't also include Heath Ledger's virtuoso last work--into one movie that also requires flipping over an 18-wheeler takes time.

5. Wall-e. Critics have been naming this the best movie of 2008. I think there were better films (see #1, above). But I have no doubt that this film will be studied for years to come--not just by critics and filmmakers, but by linguists, graphic designers and sociologists. Wall-e is a triumph of non-verbal storytelling, of anthropomorphization (is that a word?) and certainly of the lush, incredibly detailed Pixar animation style.

6. Che. Part 1 is a brilliant, perceptive portrait of the Cuban Revolution and an all-around excellent movie. Part 2 is less successful, and actually drags a bit at times, but at least partially makes up for it with three or four shots that are absolutely devastating. Again, I'm working on a longer post about this film, so I'll just say that Che, while far from perfect, deserves high priase for genuinely seeking to understand a controversial historical figure without either lionizing or demonizing him.

And finally, here are four films I've been dying to see, but haven't been able to yet. I have a hunch most of these would have made it on the list above, so I'm mentioning them here. Call these "movies I can't wait to see in 2009."

1. Waltz with Bashir. All you have to say is "animated autobiographical Israeli film about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon" and you've got my attention. But after finally seeing the absolutely mind-blowing trailer, and hearing Karen Wang of Scarlett Cinema call it a "masterpiece," it is now firmly on top of my viewing list.

2. Frozen River. Two single moms confront grinding rural poverty by smuggling undocumented immigrants across the US-Canadian border. Written and directed by newcomer Courtney Hunt, this film seems from all reviews to be one of those rare films that draws suspense not from plot contrivances, but from the utterly believable, utterly desperate circumstances in which the characters find themselves.

3. Let the Right One In. In a year full of vampires, this Swedish vampire tale, of sorts, proves there's more to be sucked from the vampire myth than Robert Pattinson's gravity-defying hairstyle.

4. XXY. Again, I thank Roger Ebert for the tip-off about this well-reviewed Argentine film about an intersex teenager growing up on a remote island. Is the protagonist Alex male or female, straight or gay; both; neither? Does it matter? This film seems to wrap these questions, which may or may not get answered, in a delicate coming-of-age tale that explores many things without feeling the need to shout its message too loudly.

obama watch: slap in the face in 3, 2, 1...

I have a confession to make.

I am guilty of the greatest sin of a student of history: forgetting the lessons of the past. I was seduced--reluctantly, half-heartedly, and when I absolutely should have known better. I was charmed, at least a bit, by image and illusion, into forgetting a bitter reality that eight years of activism have proven to be true again and again.

On election night, I watched thousands of ecstatic African-Americans...nay, ecstatic Americans...pour into the streets of New York, Washington, DC and other cities, overwhelmed with joy. And it melted even my cynical fuck-the-two-party-system heart. This was a historic moment, to be sure. A great barrier had fallen, and I'll admit that even I was at least partially taken in by the messianic Obama glow. Despite the warning cries of the little Marxist on my shoulder (I think it might be Peter Camejo) I started, almost, to believe that this guy was at least somewhat genuine. I know, I know! As a revolutionary socialist and a long-term third-party organizer, I of all people should know better. What can I say? The Obama phenomenon (Obamenon?) is powerful indeed. I daresay very few on the left escaped that tractor beam.

Thankfully, history saw fit to correct my momentary delusion, and hastily indeed. Obama is not even in office yet, and already he's working overtime to tarnish that shiny halo as much as possible. The sparkle started to fade with his first appointment, power Zionist Rahm Emanuel, and took a big hit when Obama decided to retain Iran-Contra-entangled former CIA director Robert Gates, Rumsfeld's heir apparent, as Secretary of Defense, and appoint mysoginist globalization guru Larry Summers as head of the National Economic Council.

My fellow degenerates, we have now reached 100% disilluionment. What was the slap in the face that shook me out of the temporary hypnosis that foolishly made me believe we could expect any genuine change from the two-party system? Why, of course, Obama's choice to appoint anti-gay, anti-abortion evangelical zealot Rick Warren to give the invocation on Inauguration Day.

Who, might you ask, is Rick Warren? He is not just your average crazy Christian. He is the pastor of Saddleback Church, the Orange County megachurch that provided a significant portion of the money and foot soldiers behind Prop 8.

Your next question, quite justifiably, might be, why? Why, out of all the thousands of religious leaders in the US, did Obama decide to pick this guy? Because he's only too eager to pander to the Christian right? Because he doesn't care nearly as much about the activist base that propelled him to victory as they do about him? Because he thinks that progressives will continue to fogive him because they're so happy to be rid of Bush? Or D, all of the above?

Obama might feel like a rock star right now, but if you ask me, he is playing with fire. When you build up people's hopes and dreams and then dash them, when you hold out the promise of a better world and then snatch it away, people tend to get angry. Professional liberals are already in a tizzy of hurt and confusion over how Obama's administration is shaping up. And recent events--from the surge of Prop 8 protests, to the Republic factory occupation, to the current occupation of the New School--have shown how quickly the deep anger churning under the surface of US society can flare up.

If Obama is not careful, I think there is a good chance he will be remembered not as a Lincoln or a Kennedy, but as much more like another liberal who rode to victory on a wave of dicontent with war, racism and inequality--Lyndon B. Johnson--who, coincidentally, holds the record for the largest inagural crowd in history. 1.2 million people descended on Washington to watch him take office in January 1965, aglow with his promises of a War on Poverty. Instead, Johnson delivered a war in Vietnam and an increasingly violent crackdown on the protest movements of the '60s--in many cases, on the very people who had helped him get elected just a few years earlier. The result was four years of rage--and the Democrats' loss in 1968, as their young, progressive base came to the realization that they change they wanted was something that politicians were neither interested in nor capable of delivering.

Of course, no one can predict what an Obama administration will bring, and it's useless and simplistic to try to fit the template of history past onto the current situation. Indeed, in many ways, the world we live in today is far more volatile than America in the 1960s. I am indeed hopeful for the years ahead. I think change is on the horizon. But not at all--indeed, least of all--because of who is in the White House.

hate crime in brooklyn

Jose Sucuzhanay was not gay, nor was his brother Romel. But someone thought they were, and now Jose is dead.

The two brothers were walking home arm in arm (as is common in their native Ecuador) through Bushwick after attending a church party and then stopping at a bar afterward. Half a block from Jose's apartment, they were jumped by a group of men shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs. Jose was attacked with a beer bottle and a baseball bat, fracturing his skull, and died Friday at Elmhurst Hospital.

Jose's death was a grim reminder that (despite what some people may think) anti-gay violence is still a real threat--and hate crimes against Latinos have risen sharply in the past few years.

CNN has brief video of a protest against Jose's murder (although they neglect to mention the homophobic part of the attack.) Despite the fact that witnesses heard Jose's attackers yelling both racist and homophobic slurs, the attack has not been categorized as a hate crime by the NYPD.

support mary beth maxwell for secretary of labor

Thirty years after Harvey Milk made history in San Fran, Obama has a chance to appoint the nation's first openly gay Cabinet member, Mary Beth Maxwell, as Secretary of Labor.

In addition to being an out lesbian, Maxwell was a former national organizer of both Jobs With Justice, an activist group aimed at organizing low-wage workers, and NARAL. She is currently the executive director of American Rights at Work, a pro-union nonprofit.

Will appointing a lesbian labor organizer to a Cabinet-level position automatically make things better? Of course not (especially given Obama's recent backpedaling on his campaign promise to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and some of his questionable economic advisers.) Will getting a pro-union queer through a Congressional confirmation hearing be easy? Hell no. But it can't possibly hurt to try.

You can join the event on Facebook to support Maxwell's nomination or visit the Equal Rep website for more info. Days of action to call and email your support are Dec. 17-19.

defend the baghdad shoe-thrower!

Iraqi reporter Muntader al Zaidi (numerous transliterations of his name exist) has become an international hero overnight for throwing his shoes at President Bush on Bush's "farewell" visit to Iraq.

Could there be a more perfect image to close out the last disastrous eight years of Bush? Remember, back before 9/11, when Bush was just a global embarrassment instead of responsible for two barbaric wars? I couldn't have imagined any better way of encapsulating the Bush administration--Bush coming face to face with the global anger over his crimes, and looking like an idiot while doing it.

But while much of the world reacted, appropriately, with glee to the shoe-throwing incident, things are not currently so funny for Muntader. After being hastily arrested and possibly beaten by Iraqi security forces, Muntader remains in detention. At least three separate petitions are currently circulating for his release.

Perhaps some of his anger at Bush came from the recent US bombing of Sadr City, which he covered for al-Baghdadia television. Whatever the genesis of the shoe-throwing plot, Muntader has inspired a global movement. As one commenter wrote on the Facebook group supporting Muntader (which has rapidly accumulated over 10,000 members): "This guy will go down in history as a hero. Someday when I'm 80, I'll go to the Middle East and say to another 80-year-old, 'Do you remember the guy who threw his shoes at Bush?' and we'll both laugh until we cry."

After taking a moment to do your part to protect our brave shoe-throwing hero, be sure to take some additional joy at some of the things his actions have wrought in just a few short days. I particularly like this (from a British version of The Onion) and this.

jon stewart + mike huckabee = awwwwesoooome!

In case you missed it, here is the full clip of Jon Stewart nailing Mike Huckabee on gay marriage on last week's Daily Show.

Huckabee was on promoting his book, Do the Right Thing, "a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics," and Jon Stewart, bless his heart, responded with a hearty "WTF?"

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video