War is War... Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - by a concerned human being

Israel, a nation full of history, culture and constant conflict. If you look at the map (below) You can see Israel marked in pink.

For years there have been great debate even severe conflict over Gaza and which nation it belongs to.

Ive noticed how the world responds to these attacks recently by Israel on Gaza. People are going crazy, but hello... this fight has been going on for more that a decade with casualties on both sides piled up by the hundreds. Some were some how there is a conspiracy brewing. How can you tell, you may ask me... well lets look at it. In 2000 attacks by Hamas (Hamas, a known terrorist organization founded by Islamic Palestine) on Israel in response to their occupying Gaza and West bank. Many were killed and Hundreds injured as well as hundreds of children suffering from PTSD as a result of the bombings ( "Sderot traumatic stress center sees steep rise in new patients". Ha'aretz. 21 May 2007.).

Now as a Christian, I may feel a certain allegiance to Israel, but war is war no matter which countries are involved... This makes me think of the movie 300, its sequel started of with a narrative by the Spartan Queen Gorgo starts by explaining war begins, like any other war, with a grievance. Now Like I said at the top of this post Israel has always been in conflict, but they managed to come to some sort of peace with the surrounding conflicting nations but not with Palestine, this conflict goes back to bible days. Both sides have been attacking bombing and being all sorts of nasty to each other over many many years. 

What annoys me most is this suddenly became so public... pictures of dead children, graphic bloody pictures that were heartbreaking have flooded every social networking site. One individual even stated that Israel should not exist... they all should be wiped out... that same individual stated that this isnt war... its murder! 

Hello people... war and murder, death, innocent people dying, they go hand in hand. I have never heard of a war were people havent been killed... have you? Has there ever been a peaceful war?

Its heart breaking when people who are innocent have to lose their lives both in Israel and in Palestine. But saying one nation should be eradicated, citizens and all... now that murderous talk...

Some Facts...

According to BBC News (Jan 2006) When the Islamic party Hamas won the January 2006 Palestinian legislative election, gaining a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, the conflict between Israel and Gaza intensified. Israel sealed its border with the Gaza Strip, largely preventing free flow of people and many imports and exports. Palestinians have been shooting Qassam rockets at Israeli settlements located near the Gaza borders, and have staged cross-border raids aimed at killing or capturing Israeli soldiers. In one such raid, on 25 June 2006, Palestinians captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, leading to massive retaliation by the Israeli army which included air strikes against Hamas targets.

So on the news there has been comments on how Israel controls Palestines movements... But from what the news and books published on said subject states that Israel prohibits movement passed their own borders. Which according to public opinion is so wrong... they should not do that... but hello many countries restrict free movements of people from neighboring countries into their own...

I took some time to read up on the developments and conflicts between Palestine-Israel, which is also known as the conflict between Gaza-Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict. 

Before i conclude... dear people... don't make this a religious war! It is so offensive to do so... 

- Humanity is Failing

South African Legislature

 

David Smith in Johannesburg,The Guardian,

Protests against the secrecy bill in Cape Town in November 2011, when the national assembly first approved it. The bill has been passed by 189 votes to 74, with one absention. Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Alert! Now that Parliament has passed the Secrecy Bill  and sent it to President Jacob Zuma for conversion, by sweet executive alchemy, into law, South Africa’s civil society is fighting back – the charge being led, appropriately, by the Right2Know campaign.

Protection of State Information Bill also known as the Secrecy bill, goes against freedom itself. It will have press, media and the citizens of this country, which is known for its all inclusive constitution, is now doing things differently. All that stands between freedom of speech and complete state secrecy is the signature of the president. 

What would the implementation of this bill mean?

“Despite substantial improvements to the secrecy bill, whistleblowers and journalists who expose corruption and other issues of public interest could still find themselves in prison,” said Cameron Jacobs, South Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The Constitutional Court should decide whether the current version undermines basic rights protected by the constitution.” - Human Rights Watch

Freedom of speech activists acknowledge that the bill has been greatly improved and amended during five years of fierce national debate. But they warn that it still contains ambiguities and harsh penalties that could have a "chilling effect" on those seeking to expose official corruption. They intend to challenge the legislation in the highest court in the land - The Guardian,

But i tell you the way things look, protestors are rallying, getting into battle formation and is ready to fight for what they believe in.

Controversial cartoonist, Zapiro illustrates exactly what the Secrecy Bill would mean, taking into consideration all the recent controversial issues and speculation surrounding gov. activity:
Update 14 May 2013:

Fermi paradox: Theories to Humankinds exitence

io9: Weirdest Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

by George Dvorsky

3>The Simulation Hypothesis

We haven’t been visited by anyone because we’re living inside a computer simulation — and the simulation isn’t generating any extraterrestrial companions for us.

If true, this could imply one of three things. First, "I mean Gods" — running the simulation have rigged it such that we’re the only civilization in the entire Galaxy (or even the Universe). Or, there really isn’t a true universe out there, it just appears that way to us within our simulated bubble (It’s a ‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ type thing).

Another more bizarre possibility is that the simulation is being run by a posthuman civilization in search of an answer to the Fermi Paradox, or some other scientific question. Maybe, in an attempt to entertain various hypotheses (perhaps even preemptively in consideration of some proposed action), they’re running a billion different ancestor simulations to determine how many of them produce spacefaring civilizations, or even post-Singularity stage civilizations like themselves.

 

 

 

Fermi paradox: Theories to Humankinds exitence

io9: Weirdest Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

2> The Zoo Hypothesis: John Ball 1973

Though it sounds like something from a Twilight Zone episode, it’s quite possible that we’re stuck inside some kind of celestial cage. ETI’s may have stumbled upon our tiny blue marble a long time ago, but, for whatever reason, they’re observing us from afar. It might be that we’re entertainment for them (like watching monkeys in the zoo), or that they’re studying us for scientific purposes. Regardless, they’ve invoked a hand’s off policy and they’re leaving us alone.

This idea was first proposed by John Ball in 1973, who argued that extraterrestrial intelligent life may be almost ubiquitous, but that the “apparent failure of such life to interact with us may be understood in terms of the hypothesis that they have set us aside as part of a wilderness area or zoo.” We could be part of a vast nature preserve that has been set off limits, free to grow unperturbed by intelligent life. It’s an idea that somewhat related to Star Trek’s Prime Directive in which civilizations are left alone until they attain a certain technology capacity. It’s also an idea that UFOlogists are partial to — the suggestion that aliens are essentially here, but observing us from a distance. Image: ssi.org.

 

Fermi paradox: Theories to Humankinds exitence

io9: Weirdest Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

by George Dvorsky

 

1> From the Nebula Award-nominated short story, “They’re Made Out of Meat” 

by Terry Bisson:

"They're made out of meat."

"Meat?"

"Meat. They're made out of meat."

"Meat?"

"There's no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them all the way through. They're completely meat."

"That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?"

"They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don't come from them. The signals come from machines."

"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."

"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."

"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in that sector and they're made out of meat."

A little while later:

"They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?"

"Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat."

"I thought you just told me they used radio."

"They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat, it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat."

"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?"

"Officially or unofficially?"

"Both."

"Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe, without prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing."

"I was hoping you would say that."

"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?"

"I agree one hundred percent. What's there to say? 'Hello, meat. How's it going?'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comical Irony-Barney and Friends: Creators son tries to kill neighbour

Remember them?

Well the creator of the popular children's TV show Sheryl Leach has found herself in a bit of a jam when her son Patrick Leach was arrested for attempted murder when he shot his neighbor over a long going feud. Guess he didn't pick up any of the "love your neighbors  and "peace for all" values his mommy's show drilled into the kids of that time... ironic isn't it.

 Neetzan Zimmerman, Gawker.com- Investigators say Leach was involved in a dispute over a "trespassing issue" with his neighbor Eric Shanks, when the former reportedly shot the latter in the chest, causing a non-life-threatening injury.

Shanks subsequently called 911, and waited in front of his house for law enforcement to arrive. Leach, meanwhile, tried to make a getaway in his black SUV, but was tracked down and apprehended.

He was booked on a charge of attempted murder, but was able to bail out on a $1 million later that day.

Huffington Post- Sheryl Leach has worked on the "Barney" series since it first aired in the '90s. She is credited with having worked as a producer on the 2012 video, "Barney: Clean Up, Clean Up!," on IMDb.

This is the second incident to rock the world of PBS in recent weeks.

Former "Sesame Street" puppeteer Kevin Clash, the man behind the beloved character Elmo, resigned in November amid sex abuse allegations claiming he had engaged in sexual relations with underage males. He has since been sued by four individuals.

Makes you doubt everything your childhood had to offer doesn't it....

Follow up: Justice: What happened to being JUST?

So i had to post a follow up about this case, coincidentally charges were dropped and the exact thing Swartz fought for, free access to academic journal on JSTOR, has now been accomplished "in a sad irony, just this week JSTOR announced that millions of articles will now be free to individuals".

Gawker published an article with evidence that Aaron Swartz was innocent.

Aaron Swartz Died Innocent — Here Is the Evidence

Alex Stamos -- Artemis Internet (Gawker)

I was the expert witness on Aaron's side of US vs Swartz, engaged by his attorneys last year to help prepare a defense for his April trial... 

I know a criminal hack when I see it, and Aaron's downloading of journal articles from an unlocked closet is not an offense worth 35 years in jail.

The government's allegations are laid out in detail in the indictment (included in full at the bottom of this post), and contemporaneous news accounts provide a good summary of the prosecutor's view of events.

Aaron was accused of downloading millions of documents from JSTOR, a non-profit web portal used by university researchers to access the archives of thousands of academic journals. At the time of Aaron's actions, JSTOR access was not free to individuals, and the locking away of this huge store of academic research was extremely controversial and a topic of personal interest to Aaron. In a sad irony, just this week JSTOR announced that millions of articles will now be free to individuals. (click here to read more)

Justice: What happened to being JUST?

Came across an article today about Aaron Swartz a 26 year old American computer programmer, writer, archivist, political organizer, and Internet activist.

This guy for as young as he is accomplished alot:

Swartz was a member of the RSS-DEV Working Group that co-authored the "RSS 1.0" specification of RSS,^[2] and built the website framework web.py and the architecture for the Open Library. He also built Infogami, a company that merged with Reddit in its early days, through which he became an equal owner of the merged company. Swartz also focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism. In 2010 he was a member of the Harvard University Center for Ethics. He cofounded the online group Demand Progress (known for its campaign against the Stop Online Piracy Act) and later worked with U.S. and international activist groups Rootstrikers and Avaaz.

On January 6, 2011, as a result of a federal investigation, Swartz was arrested in connection with systematic downloading of academic journalarticles from JSTOR.^[3][4] Swartz opposed JSTOR's practice of compensating publishers, rather than authors, out of the fees it charges for access to articles. Swartz contended that JSTOR's fees limited access to academic work produced at American colleges and universities - Wikipedia 

On January 11, 2013, Swartz was found hanged in his, Brooklyn apartment. Following his death, federal prosecutors in Boston dismissed the charges against him. 

Personally I think alot of important people felt threatened because of his involvement in a campaign to prevent the passing of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill that sought to monitor the Internet for copyright violations and would have made it easier for the U.S. government to shut down websites accused of violating copyright. I think he believed in the freedom that is the internet, its an entity that cant be confined. According to Wikipedia, Following the defeat of the bill, Swartz was the keynote speaker at the F2C:Freedom to Connect 2012 event in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2012. His speech was titled "How we stopped SOPA"^[29] and he informed the audience:

"There's a battle going on right now, a battle to define everything that happens on the internet in terms of traditional things that the law understands... [Under SOPA], new technology, instead of bringing us greater freedom, would have snuffed out fundamental rights we'd always taken for granted".

Conspiracy... okay he was caught downloading logging into JSTOR, a database of scholarly articles, and rapidly downloading those articles with the intent to make them public, which is piracy, and is illegal. but he did it under principle. whats the use of a copyright when authors werent getting commission for their hard work but the publishers were... 

An article in Care2 "Aaron Swartz Faced a More Severe Prison Term Than Killers, Slave Dealers and Bank Robbers" by  ThinkProgress, explains how Swartz would have faced 50 years in prison. Not even some federal crimes including, manslaughter, Selling Child Pornography, Helping al-Qaeda Develop A Nuclear Weapon etc., is punished so severely.

Read more from Care2

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Read more: aaron swartz, jail, jstor, justice system, pirating, prison