Genocide: (n) The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or grGenocide: (n) The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.
It is a sad irony that a nation-state built primarily for a group of people who suffered a near-successful genocidal campaign by a psychotic world leader in the 20th century has, in the 21st century, engaged in a similar genocidal campaign against another group of people, an almost-perfect textbook example of the oppressed becoming an oppressor.
Please don’t twist my words, either. I am not being Antisemitic in that statement. Criticizing the colonial policies of the Israeli government should not imply a hostility or hatred of the Jewish people. Unfortunately, the world being what it is, such a statement will inevitably be misinterpreted.
The truth, though, is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used the Israeli-Hamas War that started on October 7, 2023 as the impetus to continue a deliberate ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip that began roughly more than a hundred years ago.
Rashid Khalidi’s 2020 book “The Hundred Year’s War on Palestine” is an immensely eye-opening history of the conflict that has turned an area of the Middle East that is considered sacred by three of the major world religions into a profane killing field.
Blaming Israel is disingenuous, of course, as British Imperialism is as much at fault as the popular Zionist movement at the turn of the last century for creating the Palestinian displacement. In what has now become known as the Balfour Declaration—a single sentence recorded in a November 1917 cabinet meeting by the secretary of state for foreign affairs, Arthur J. Balfour—-Britain essentially declared its support for the eventual creation of a Jewish state in what was the country of Palestine. Perhaps nothing more than a statement to appease the growing number of Jews supportive of the Zionist movement in Europe at that time, this statement threw open a door that led directly to the creation of Israel many years later, a prospect that many indigenous Palestinians feared.
Jewish settlements, with the support of Britain, began to appear in Palestine after the First World War, bringing an already-existing Jewish population of roughly 6% of the whole to roughly 18% by 1926.
In 1947, The United Nations General Assembly voted for the partition of Palestine. Known as resolution 181, the plan provided an area of the country (42%) for the Arab population, an area of the country (56%) for the Jewish population, and the remainder (2%)—-an area comprised of the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem and surrounds—-designated as an “international zone”.
It was only a year later that Israel officially became a country, under David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency. Helping to establish legitimacy was U.S. President Harry Truman’s recognition of the state on the same day it became the State of Israel, May 14, 1948.
Almost immediately, the violent upheaval that resulted in roughly 750,000 Arab Palestinians expelled from their homes began in earnest by the new Israeli government. Called the “Nakba” (an Arabic word meaning “catastrophe”), this ethnic cleansing of Palestine ushered in a new era of violence on both sides.
The Israeli narrative of this event vastly deviates from the Palestinian perspective. The tendency by some Israelis even today to downplay, ignore, or completely refute the violence committed by its own government during this time period ironically earns it the expression “Nakba denial”.
Palestinian militancy grew stronger in the subsequent years, eventually culminating in the foundation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), initiated by the Arab League (comprised of the seven countries of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, North Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Transjordan), in May 1964. This was the first organization to officially represent the Palestinian people.
The group Hamas was formed many year later, in 1987.
The late 1960s was the beginning of what Khalidi refers to as “the classical period of the Arab-Israeli conflict”, in which the United States and Israel became unofficial “partners” during the Cold War against Russia, which “unofficially” offered support to militant Palestinian groups.
Amidst the violence perpetrated by Israel and militant Palestinian groups, it is important to keep in mind the vast number of innocent Palestinian people—-children, especially—-caught in the crosshairs of this conflict. Just as it is wrong to lump all Israelis together as anti-Palestinian, it is equally wrong to lump all Palestinians as terrorists. Unfortunately, this is essentially what happened.
Over time, the PLO denounced many of its own militant tactics, such as suicide bombing, and became simply a political arm of the Palestinian people. Many times, the group came close to getting countries such as the U.S. and Israel to recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian people as a nation-state without a nation. But a two-state solution has never been adequately devised.
If any progress was made with the countless talks and accords over the years (and, frankly, there hasn’t been much), President Donald Trump set the conflict back considerably with his proposed peace plan announced in 2020, a plan rejected almost unanimously by Palestinians.
Then, October 2023 happened, where Hamas launched a full-scale attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. According to recent data, roughly 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 5,341 injured; roughly 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured.
Khalidi’s book is a good start if you want to understand the situation overseas. He lays bare his own personal history, one that divulges some of his own potential biases, but his book manages to be as objective an account of the last hundred years as is possible....more
Christ, I love a good old-fashioned mobster story, and Dennis Lehane can tell a doozy. His 2012 novel “Live By Night”, a sequel to his 2008 novel “TheChrist, I love a good old-fashioned mobster story, and Dennis Lehane can tell a doozy. His 2012 novel “Live By Night”, a sequel to his 2008 novel “The Given Day”, has everything you want in a mob thriller—-Tommy guns, zoot suits, and hot dames. It also has something you won’t find in a lot of mob stories: an understanding of white privilege and the historically racist consequences of Prohibition.
Joe Coughlin is the youngest of the Boston Coughlins. Unlike his older brother, Danny, who was a cop and went out west to be a sheriff, Joe went the other way, into a life of crime. Pulling off bank robberies with aplomb with his two Italian partners, Joe makes the mistake of pulling a job on the gambling backroom of gangster Albert White. It’s not the money that White cares about. It’s the fact that Joe stole the heart of Albert’s moll, Emma Gould.
Joe finds himself on the run from the police and White’s thugs. Ending up in prison, Joe works out a deal with Maso Pescatore, a rival mob boss of White’s. Maso takes Joe on and sends him to Ybor, Florida, to run his rum-running business there. Joe flourishes, as does the rum-running business, thanks in no small part to Prohibition and because Joe knows how to deftly handle the many Cuban immigrants there, mainly by treating them with respect and as humans, something which the local white population of rich snobs and white supremacists don’t.
Joe falls in love with a Cuban woman, Graciela Suarez, who makes him rethink his life of crime. Does he really want to own the world? Or is greed worth a life of loneliness and constantly looking over one’s shoulder?
This book is as perfect as one can get: full of action, suspense, romance, and a beautiful sense of American history. The ‘20s may have been a roaring good time for the rich assholes, but for a large part of the population (i.e. non-white), America wasn’t kind.
I “read” this as an audiobook, narrated by Jim Frangione....more
It has been said that one person can change history, and history certainly has many examples of that. Take, for example, the story of D.C. Stephenson.It has been said that one person can change history, and history certainly has many examples of that. Take, for example, the story of D.C. Stephenson.
A rather cherubic young man, Stephenson wasn’t particularly intelligent. He wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer. He wasn’t a politician or a man of letters. He never served in any capacity as an elected official. He didn’t invent anything, and he didn’t discover anything of any significance. And yet, in the early- to mid-1920s, Stephenson somehow became one of the most powerful and influential men in the United States.
Timothy Egan, in “A Fever in the Heartland”, tells the ugly and brutal tale of Stephenson’s horrifying rise to fame and infamy as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Through sheer charisma alone, Stephenson managed to attract hundreds of thousands of men, women, and—-sadly—-children to join the Confederate-era white supremacist organization bent on the eradication of Jews, Catholics, blacks, and immigrants that didn’t fit into a strict white Anglo-Saxon Protestant mold.
Stephenson “owned” whole police departments, city councils, and mayors throughout Indiana, where he was settled. He had at his constant beck and call teams of doctors, lawyers, newspapermen, school superintendents, teachers, and business owners. He began to build connections with state officials and governors. Eventually, he would have connections with U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and even Presidents.
Many years later, a man named Adolf Hitler would take pages from Stephenson’s playbook in his own attempt to rule the world.
But if one person can change the world for the worse—-and Stephenson was clearly on that path—-then one person can change it for the better.
Madge Oberholtzer was, by all accounts, a beautiful young woman with the kindest of hearts and a friend to many. She did not particularly like the direction her home state was going in, especially with the rise of the Klan, but she was not particularly politically-active or aggressive. She believed in simply doing the right thing and being a good example to others.
How she got on Stephenson’s radar is rather simple: she was an attractive young lady that he saw around town, and he was a notorious ladies man. That description is being too nice, however, as anyone who knew him well knew that Stephenson was a brutal sexual aggressor and violent rapist, who often left a trail of bloodied and traumatized women in every city he visited. These women could often find no redress as Stephenson bought off local police officers and judges so that none of the women could even file rape charges, let alone convict him of anything.
One night, at gunpoint, two of Stephenson’s henchmen kidnapped Madge and brought her to Stephenson, where Madge’s story suddenly turned dark and tragic. It would, however, lead to a criminal trial that would turn the general public against Stephenson and reveal him as the monster that he was, thus leading to a domino effect in which the public would begin to regard the Ku Klux Klan with disfavor and disgust. In a few short years following, the once-majestic Grand Dragon would be in a prison, and the once-powerful hate group would lose much of its momentum and political power.
Egan’s story is frighteningly well-told, but it highlights an even scarier truth: awful people like Stephenson are not isolated incidents, as our previous president, Donald Trump, proved. The fact that a cretin and sleazebag like Trump could become president and retain loyal followers—-even after two impeachments, leading an insurrection, and facing 91 indictments—-shows how lemming-like many Americans still are. It also shows the just-beneath-the-surface racism and xenophobia that extremists like Stephenson and Trump use to their advantage....more
The second, and final, issue of Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez's "Locke & Key" cross-over event with Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" is awesome. Mary Locke, dThe second, and final, issue of Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez's "Locke & Key" cross-over event with Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" is awesome. Mary Locke, donning the Dream Lord's magical regalia and cleverly making a copy of Lucifer's Key to Hell, goes to Hell in search of her twin brother, killed in Europe during the War. With the help of Fiddler's Green and Etrigan the Demon, Mary wages war against Lucifer's army. Her secret weapon? The enemy's serious underestimation of her... ...more
H.P. Lovecraft. I am of the opinion that he is one of those writers that you either love or hate. I have encountered both in my travels. Some love himH.P. Lovecraft. I am of the opinion that he is one of those writers that you either love or hate. I have encountered both in my travels. Some love him with a fanaticism that goes beyond religious and is actually scary. Some hate him with a loathing so strong that it’s almost laughable for someone that, more than likely, the hater has never actually met, nor actually ever will meet.
I am perhaps a bit of an outlier in that I fit somewhere in the middle. I have enjoyed some of Lovecraft’s work, recognizing his importance to the entire genre, while also acknowledging the fact that Lovecraft was extremely racist and misogynistic in his writing. He also wasn’t that great of a writer. All that said, I neither love nor hate the guy.
Alan Moore’s “Providence” is a thinly-veiled examination of Lovecraft’s life and times in graphic novel form. It is also a prequel to “Neonomicon”, which was one of the better Lovecraft-inspired graphic novels I have read in recent years.
Illustrated beautifully by Jacen Burrows, “Providence” tells the story of a young man named Robert Black who gives up his job as a journalist to write novels and research the existence of an extremely rare ancient book of the occult. It is rumored to have incantations and spells for raising demons. His investigation leads him to New England, where he begins to gradually uncover a hidden society of people with occult knowledge.
Fans of fast-paced stories and comic books in which lots of stuff happens may want to avoid this series. There are whole pages in which characters literally say and do nothing. There are also numerous pages of text—-journal entries, letters, articles, book excerpts, etc.—-interspersed throughout, so fans of comic books with actual panel drawings and dialogue along the lines of “Guards, seize them!” or “It’s clobberin’ time!” will be sorely disappointed. This is definitely a more cerebral graphic novel. ...more
Disappointing. That’s my take-away from Mark Sable’s five-issue series “Miskatonic”, an homage to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and an attempt to addDisappointing. That’s my take-away from Mark Sable’s five-issue series “Miskatonic”, an homage to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and an attempt to add some social commentary about the sexist-misogynistic world of J. Edgar Hoover’s 1930s. Neither attempt was very successful.
The storyline lacked any kind of depth, the artwork was atrocious, and the ending is incomprehensible. It feels like the creators of this series gave up by the third issue and just phoned in the last two issues....more
I’m less than enthralled by Mark Sable’s fourth issue of “Miskatonic”. I’m just gonna say it: the artwork by Giorgio Pontrelli is sucky. I swear to GoI’m less than enthralled by Mark Sable’s fourth issue of “Miskatonic”. I’m just gonna say it: the artwork by Giorgio Pontrelli is sucky. I swear to God, I’ve seen better drawings of monsters by kindergarteners.
The concept for this comic book series is really cool: In the 1930s, J. Edgar Hoover sends the only female investigator of the newly-formed FBI to Massachusetts to investigate bombings that are suspected to be Communists. What Agent Miranda Keller finds instead are ancient gods, creatures from the beyond, and inhuman cults. With the help of a retired New York City detective and a professor at the Miskatonic University in Arkham, Mass., Keller battles cosmic horrors and sexism in an homage to H.P. Lovecraft’s writings.
The concept is cool, but the execution hasn’t been that great. And each issue has been more disappointing than the last. I’ll be honest: this penultimate issue does not give me much hope for a satisfying conclusion in the fifth and final issue....more
Professor Armitage is under arrest for double murder. The tentacle-laden body seems to have disappeared from the morgue, leaving green slimy residue. Professor Armitage is under arrest for double murder. The tentacle-laden body seems to have disappeared from the morgue, leaving green slimy residue. Malone follows a hunch to the home of Herbert West, a person of interest in the bombing at Miskatonic University. Asenath Waite is using powers of seduction on Keller, although it doesn’t take much. Reanimated corpses are standing outside the front door of Herbert West, and they look hungry…
Issue 3 of Mark Sable’s “Miskatonic” ramps up the suspense a bit more. Things are coming to a head in this well-written 1920s mystery that pays homage to H.P. Lovecraft. Keep your eyes open for a bunch of Lovecraftian easter eggs....more
Being a fan of H. P. Lovecraft and cosmic horror, Mark Sable’s graphic novel series “Miskatonic” sounds like it would be a sure-fire hit for me. It waBeing a fan of H. P. Lovecraft and cosmic horror, Mark Sable’s graphic novel series “Miskatonic” sounds like it would be a sure-fire hit for me. It wasn’t. Although I’m certainly not giving up on it after only one issue.
I unfortunately am starting with issue #2, so I missed a lot of character intro and plot set-up from the first issue. Here’s what I have deduced: Set during the Red Scare of the 1920s, J. Edgar Hoover sends investigator Miranda Keller to Arkham, Massachusetts to investigate a series of bombings. Hoover has them written off as commies, but Keller—-with the help of Thomas Malone, a retired New York detective—-uncovers something weirder, involving cultists and otherworldly creatures.
Issue #2 starts after Keller and Malone barely escape with their lives from a gang of fish people in KKK masks in Innsmouth, Mass. They get back to Arkham and are assigned to investigate a wealthy debutante named Asenath Waite, who may be a witch. During a Gatsby-like humdinger of a party, another bomb goes off at the nearby Miskatonic University. Malone arrives on the scene to see the body of… something. With lots of tentacles.
I’m intrigued but underwhelmed by the story’s pacing and the rather minimalistic artwork by Giorgio Pontrelli. It’s not bad, but it’s not very exciting either. And Lovecraft, in my opinion, deserves a bit more excitement....more
Dennis Lehane's epic historical novel "The Given Day" is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The prologue alone is perhaps the best piecDennis Lehane's epic historical novel "The Given Day" is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The prologue alone is perhaps the best piece of short story writing I have read in years, and to have it continue the story for another 600+ pages is pure joy. The novel is set in Boston during the years after the First World War and leading up to the Boston police strike, an event of which I'm ashamed to have had no previous knowledge. It's a novel about the shaping of Boston, which is essentially a microcosm of America, told through the intertwined stories of a dozen or so characters, white and black, young and old, male and female. Along the way, Lehane brilliantly introduces real-life characters: a blissfully ignorant Babe Ruth, a young J. Edgar Hoover, and then-governor Calvin Coolidge. This is one of those novels that you won't want to put down or want to end....more
F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is still a magnificent novel, as poignant a story today as it was in the 1920s. History will always have the F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is still a magnificent novel, as poignant a story today as it was in the 1920s. History will always have the eternal struggles between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots. Humanity will always suffer from greed and desire, unrequited love and revenge. There will always be tragic anti-heroes like Gatsby. There will always be vapid, morally indifferent people like Tom and Daisy. And there will always be people like Nick, sitting on the sidelines, observing and commenting on the tragedies of human life as they unfold, cleaning up the mess afterward....more
Loading...
