ARE NORTH AMERICANS TOLD THE TRUTH?

The simple fact is that the truth is out there, but the majority of North Americans are just too lazy or too ignorant to find it. Or, possibly, just content with the status quo. Or, perhaps, afraid to have their world shattered by the truth. These days have been filled with “media” reports on Israel and the Palestinians and the conflict there. Needless to say, these reports have been hideously one sided and biased towards "self defense against Hamas". We have also have been barraged by this same “media” about the prospect of Israel attacking Iran and this story is becoming more common as each day passes.

If a casual reader were to read all of the “mainstream media” reports on the Israeli/Palestinian and the Israel/Iranian events, one could conceivably come away with the mindset that Israel is a tiny country that just wants to survive and is a “good and forthright ally of America”. In reality, this is nothing like the truth. Consider the past few wars Israel has engaged in. Israel operates on a "bait the enemy until bitten" technique and then, when the "enemy" is driven to retaliate, Israel presents itself as victimized and is merely protecting itself from the big, bad aggressor of America's “good friend and ally, Israel”.

If any North Americans wished to understand what motivated a nation to attack another nation, two things would usually come to the forefront. The first would be what is the history behind the conflict? The second would more than likely be what kind of government do the countries in conflict have? In North America, this is a very important consideration. Most of us want to support a democratically elected government that treats its people with dignity and respect. We tend to frown on nations that are dictatorships that mistreat their people.

Heavens above but was that not a great part of the rallying cry against Saddam Hussein, the heretofore neglected frenzy over the rights of oppressed Iraqi women and the horrors perpetrated upon his people and most notably the Kurdish population? The history of the conflict is usually very important to us. A nation that prefers force over negotiation, a nation that has been belligerent towards other nations is not usually favored by Americans.

In the case of the recent "war" with the Palestinians, one is led to believe the war was the result of rockets sent into Israel, and the past 60+ years of Palestinian maltreatment, starvation, blockade, etc, have been completely ignored by the complacent Western media. To understand such things, a sense of HISTORY must be understood or one operates on an empty tank and the stories fed to be complete fabrications or at the least, extremely misleading.

Of course, the government of America has almost always misrepresented the facts in order to sway its citizens into choosing to support a nation or a cause that the government feels is in its best interests. The creation of Pearl Harbor and 911 (termed "the new Pearl Harbor" in PNAC) as stimuli to move the American people to accept unpopular wars. More often than not, powerful people have exerted pressure on the government to support one side or another in order to make a profit. Do the Carlyle or Halliburton sound familiar? Or any of the large munitions manufacturers? Remember, they own most of the television stations in North America. Just see whose stock soared once war is declared and the answers are right there in black and white for all to see.

In this day of instant information, some citizens actually believe that they have unfettered access to impartial, real-time information. Considering the ownership of all media by very few power mongers, and the companies who stand to profit from war, this is, of course, pure fiction. Especially in Canada and the United States, the “media” is generally incapable of reporting truthfully in matters that don’t generally follow the official government policy.

A good case in point is the build-up to the war in Iraq. It was nearly impossible to find any information that wasn’t government-generated, and the information that was based on independent sources was usually ignored. This same scenario is alive and well when the “media” reports on Israel. Actually, since Israeli Zionists own far more than the lion's share of the media, it becomes even more difficult because Israel firmly believes in control of the media ~ as can be attested to by any journalist or media person during that last Holocaust on Gaza.

First of all, the government of Israel has become a bellicose, right-wing dominated organization that denies its Arab citizens the right to make policy or carry leadership positions. According to Stephen Lendman (Fascist Rule in Israel-ICH 20 Feb2009): “Under the law for Arabs and Jews, no candidate may challenge Israel's fundamental Jewish character or demand equal rights, privileges, and justice. The essential Zionist identity is inviolable. The law works only for Jews. Israeli Arabs have no rights. They're denied equal treatment and justice, even those elected to public office. Israel calls this democracy. South Africa called it apartheid. Nazi Germany called it fascism”. For example, during the election just held, no Arab representatives were allowed to even run for office.

These laws of inequity, based heavily on the Talmud, have led to the problems facing Palestinians in the West Bank attacked from all sides by aggressive and bellicose settlers who kill, burn, shoot and steal with seeming impunity. The unarmed Palestinian farmer will find his crops stolen, his children harassed, his home and orchards burned out, with no recourse to justice simply because he is not Jewish. So he, who has lived on and stewarded the land held by his family for many many generations, has not the rights of a citizen whilst someone who had a Jewish grandmother and moved to Hebron from Russia a few months ago is granted full rights as a Jew.

Finding the REAL news in the West is not impossible.
It just takes a little more effort.

It IS out there for all Americans, both North and South of the 49th. The Real News Network (TRRN) is available on the internet for those that want their news in video format, and there are news sources like Information Clearinghouse and others that want the real truth. News today must be free of government subsidies or corporate control. The truth about Israel’s bellicose nature is quite evident from international news sources.

Other top quality sources of information include Global Research, Democracy Now!, which is also available on radio as well as on line. CounterPunch is to be highly recommended. It is always good to hear the news from all sides so for this, Al Jazeera is excellent. From this paper one is able to get a better knowledge of everything happening in the Middle East to the sub continent of India in much greater depth than in the Western media. The Electronic Intifada is another good source of Middle Eastern information.

We can’t as a nation use the bible as a source for the nature of Israel’s claims on foreign territory or use the holocaust as an excuse for Israel’s wholesale slaughter of Palestinians. Nor can we really accept the "acceptable" history of the past hundred years as being completely factual either. For the true history of what lies behind the Palestinian and Israeli situation, a site like Palestine Remembered is an excellent place to start. The best way to know you are hearing or reading the truth is to see illustrations and films. Everything is backed up by such.

The news allowed out has been very one sided and prone to pushing forth the "poor little Israel, surrounded by big mean Arab states" , but this does not carry a grain of truth any longer. The self-defense issue simply does not hold water after what the world has seen over the past few decades of Israeli aggression on its smaller weaker neighbours. Sadly, the Western press has been complicit in shielding many things from the public and toed the Zionist party line in what the people learned, or did not learn, about modern history.

An excellent recent example of this complicity between America and Israel is the attack on the SS Liberty by unmarked Israeli fighting planes. Far from being accidental, the truth is that on June 8, 1967, US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty was suddenly and brutally attacked on the high seas in international waters by the air and naval forces of Israel. The Israeli forces attacked with full knowledge that this was an American ship and lied about it. Survivors have been forbidden for 40 years to tell their story under oath to the American public. Forty years later, men began to speak of this event and the truth has been outed by both witnesses and military documentation. This attack was an Israeli black op to turn America's fury on Egypt. Fortunately it failed.

While Israel claims it doesn’t want Iran to build nuclear weapons, Israel has hundreds and, like America, refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Why should Israel threaten war on a nation that has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, when it finds itself a nuclear rogue state? Because after this last holocaust perpetrated on Gaza, that is increasingly how Israel is being viewed by many. For the answer to this question, studying the Project for the New American Century, a document created by a Washington right wing think tank might prove to be very enlightening. Understanding this document actually brings much into light, including the restrictions of information given to the people of the Western world.

The fact that Israel used white phosphorus and many other as yet undiagnosed chemicals against Palestinian non-combatants does not bode well for Israel’s future compliance with International Law. Until this time, whenever it comes to International Law, Israel has snubbed it consistently. The UN and the International community have reprimanded Israel, passed laws and sanctions to halt Israel's behaviours towards its neighbours but Israel has continued on, business as usual without regard, intent only on its own "success". This fact was quite apparent when the UN buildings were targeted in this last attack, as well as hospitals, schools and medical personnel. It was also apparent that the constant denials about using white phosphorus were proven to be just that, lies. The tales of the targeting of civilians cannot be denied as more and more images find their way to the Western media.

This kind of news is what should be on our “media”. If the citizens of the West had actually seen the burned and shattered bodies, the dead children, the horrors inflicted on these people, they would not have stood for it. White washing the news is dishonest as well as plain misleading. The above news links will always lead you to the truth of the matter. So, if you do not find truth in the mainstream media, be relieved you now have access to clear, decisive news reports that allow you, the thinking person, to draw your own conclusions.