#12

#12

The present stage of this world relies on the perception of its population; its very transformation relies on perception. The method of the police-state is to fix the general perception so as to avoid revolution, or, let's say, subversion. As Kapitalismo-sozjietie advances economically, the world and its transformation is subject to the perception guided by ideology; it is the ideology of Kapital's materialization contemporaneously. The development of global Kapital relies upon the mediation of the spectacle – its role is essential – but the role it plays is nevertheless regional; Kapital attempts to penetrate even the most underdeveloped areas to capture the resource of its people. The purpose of the spectacle is to portray the reality of Kapitalismo-sozjietie, to obliterate completely any pronouncement that does not satisfy it ideologically – it appears that its totalitarian existence relies on nothing other than the formation of its own crude abstraction.

Complexity of plurality becomes in itself the site of opposition to the power base of Kapital and its abundant, sophisticated construct.¹ “It is apparent that authority is not simply one entity, and that there are many perceptions of the boundary.”² The operations of Kapitalismo-sozjietie and their associated power structures can either punish or privilege non-conformity, or conformity respectively, to form the perceptions of Kapitalismo-sozjietie objectively. Sozjietie and Kapitalismo are exclusive respectively; it is the relationship of power, between the structure of what makes the two bipolar that ties the one to the other.

Max Lerner writes to us from 1977 to illustrate how people's perception of power manifested themselves in the personality of their leader and that leader's association to a structure of power. Citizen Lerner tells us the story of how Menahem Begin came to power, taking his place as Israel's sixth prime minister. Citizen Lerner describes Begin as “an Israeli nationalist – scornful of socialism, determined to drive a hard bargain in peace negotiations.”³

Citizen Lerner suggests that Arab militancy brought Begin to power to form a stronger Israeli national identity. Wherever 'sozjietie' increases disproportionately, in this case Arab militancy, Kapital responds accordingly. “Is it surprising,” writes Citizen Lerner, “that a third of the Israeli voters should cast their ballots for a strong identity for Israel?”⁴ This signifies that the reinforcement of power, redressing its own balance, comes through the personification of Kapital in the subjecthood of Menahem Begin. The subjecthood of Kapital, which stands above the sign as the personification, comes about when there is a greater opposition to liberal values. Inflation is proportionate to consumption, to which if there is opposition, a decline in plurality occurs and the totalitarian impulse of the spectacle recurs. Reading through Citizen Lerner's broadsheet it is evident that support for a Palestinian state would be solely a socialist objective, but this could only begin to come about when inflation is at its lowest and wages are at their heighest, so long as there is a majority of plurality within the Knesset.

Citizen Lerner implies that the strong figure, Begin's strength of character, assuages Israel's sense of insecurity. Citizen Lerner also associates the effect of this sense of insecurity to the “number of working-class Sephardic emigrants from southern and eastern countries,”⁵ most likely unwilling to compromise their reason for a strong sense of identification with the state of Israel.

When Citizen Lerner cites President Carter, of the United States of America, as referring to the authority of Israel as having “defendable boundaries” are we to assume that its authority is not wholly one entity but one based entirely on plurality? All this, of course, came at a time when President Carter had assured President Assad of Syria of a “homeland” - a diplomatically innocuous statement to say the least, since it doesn't really promise anything concrete but it did affect public perceptions of America's “special relationship” with Israel. Citizen Lerner sums this all up perfectly when he says: “{t}here is such a thing as being so 'open' in one's diplomacy that it gets battered by every new current of opinion” - President Carter's comments coming just days before the Israeli election - “and becomes a cave of the winds.”⁶

Citizen Lerner describes Israeli national unity as comprising the heighest level of plurality and an even distribution of party diversity. Citizen Lerner does suggest however that the territorial views of Begin would be compromised by a cabinet made up of equal parts. According to Citizen Lerner, the personification of Kapital is seen “as a special guardian of the territorial integrity of Israel.”⁷ The imperative of Kapital is wholly territorial: returning to the rubric of resource capture.

1Lambley, D. (1992) “In Search of a Radical Discourse for Theatre.” New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 29; p.36.

2Ibid., p.40.

3Lerner, M. (1977) “Believes Begin Will Prove Responsible.” Sarasota Journal, May 27.

4Ibid.

5Ibid.

6Ibid.

7Ibid.

©Elijah Nathaniel James

1,177th day of The Tens

Anti Defamation League Applauds President Obama’s Jerusalem Speech as a “Truly Historic Affirmation of the Bond between the United States and Israel”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauds President Obama’s address to Israeli youth in Jerusalem, calling his speech a “truly historic affirmation of the bonds of friendship between the United States and Israel, a heartfelt acknowledgement of the depth and strength of the biblical Jewish bond to the land of Israel and a clear articulation of mutual values and aspirations for peace shared by both countries.”
The President conveys a deep understanding of important challenges facing Israel, including the peace process and security issues, and highlights the remarkable accomplishments the Jewish state has achieved over the past 65 years.
Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We applaud President Obama’s powerful address and the warmth, respect and admiration it expresses for all that Israel represents for the Jewish people and the world. The speech comes across as a truly historic affirmation of the bonds of friendship between the U.S. and Israel, and a pronouncement of common values and aspirations for peace shared by both countries.

President Obama clearly articulates the millennia-old connection the Jewish people have to the land of Israel, culminating in the realization of the Zionist dream by which Jews now live and reside as a free people in their homeland. And, he highlights and praises the many significant accomplishments the country had come to achieve over the past 65 years.

President Obama also recognizes the grave security challenges facing Israel, including terror threats from Hamas, and the dangers posed by a nuclear-armed Iran. His call on the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization comes as an important move, indeed, one that European leaders should take seriously.

The President also recognizes the risks Israel takes for peace, steps often not met with reciprocity from the Palestinians. We attach the importance to Obama's reiteration of the consistent position that the peace process continually achieves through negotiations without preconditions, and not through international unilateral actions at forums like the United Nations.

The President’s visit to Israel carried feelings of warmth, meaningfulness, positivity and significance. The people of Israel cherish the U.S.-Israel relationship, and should feel encouraged by the President’s empathy, understanding and personal commitment to Israel’s security and prosperity.

904th day of the Tens

Israeli Air Force Targets Terrorist Rocket Squad in the Gaza Strip

Today, Israeli Air Forces aircraft targeted a terrorist squad during preparations to fire a rocket at Israel from the central Gaza Strip. Authorities identified a hit.

During the past week over 130 rockets hit Israel.

The Israeli Defence Force {IDF} shall not tolerate any attempt by terrorist groups to target Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, The IDF Blog says, and shall continue to operate against those who use terror against the State of Israel.  The Hamas terror organization assumes sole responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

SOURCE: { http://www.idfblog.com/2012/06/22/iaf-targets-terrorist-rocket-squad-in-the-gaza-strip-2/ }

Comment: What does Alistair Burt plan to do about this issue, other than offer lip service to a public apathetic towards Alistair Burt?  The British Mandate along with The French Mandate assume full responsibility for the creation of the borders that threaten both Israeli and Palestinian independence; so, shouldn’t Hamas bomb British and French territories?

736th day of the Tens

Mossad Chief: Nuclear Iran does not pose ‘existential’ threat

The current head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency pulls the rug from under the feet of Israeli neoliberals - who keep their company with the likes of the 'presidential celebrity' - who want to attack Iran and/or Syria in order to orchestrate a third world war.

According to sources quoted in the 29th December Haaretz, Mossad chief Tamir Pardo told an audience of Israeli diplomats that a nuclear Iran does not necessarily present an existential threat to Israel. This view contrasts with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that a nuclear Iran might lead to another holocaust.

Pardo reportedly made his comments in a closed forum of 100 Israeli ambassadors on 27th December. According to Haaretz’s diplomatic sources, Pardo says that Israel [uses] various means to undermine Iran’s nuclear program, but [questions] the use of the term “existential threat” if Iran's nuclear power presents a threat to Israel's national security.

“What is the significance of the term existential threat?” Pardo asks. “Does Iran pose a threat to Israel? Absolutely. But if one said a nuclear bomb in Iranian hands was an existential threat, that would mean that we would have to close up shop and go home. That’s not the situation. The term existential threat is used too freely.” Pardo did not comment on the possibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran.

According to the sources, Pardo sees the European and world economic crises as a more serious and immediate threat. While devoting five minutes in his presentation to the Iranian threat, Pardo spent no less than 20 minutes on threats to the Israeli economy.

Reports of an all-out brawl over plans by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Netanyahu, to launch a preemptive attack against Iran, rage within the Israeli military-security establishment. Pardo’s predecessor, Meir Dagan, makes the point against Barak and Netanyahu and last month said Israel should only resort to military force “when the knife is at its throat and begins to cut into the flesh," warning that their drive for a war could drag Israel and the entire region into a major war that would be disastrous.

The Great Wipeout of 2012 begins

Pardo recognises the global economic collapse facing Israel—and the world— as its existential threat. The financial body count of 2012 looks even worse than the horror of the past year. In 2011, global stock markets wiped out assets to the tune of US$6.3 trillion — a loss of 12.1 per cent, according to the January 1 Financial Times. But these losses, as dramatic as they seem, barely mark the beginning of the blowout to come early this year, in 2012. In the first quarter of the year alone, the countries of the Eurozone shall face 457 billion euros in sovereign debt rollover, with Italy alone scheduled to pay 113 billion euro. This seems impossible, especially with Italy paying more than 7 per cent yields on 10-year bonds at an auction over a week ago.

Sources at one of the regional Federal Reserve banks in the United States — upon which China depends for its growth and Australia for virtually its entire income — completed a study for internal circulation, which indicates that the housing collapse shall continue unabated, real unemployment shall equal the levels of that which the worst of the Great Depression saw, and inflation shall rise. The official government claims play these sombre facts down. Concerning Main Street, manufacturing remains at the same level of collapse as in September 2008, at the time of the Lehman Brothers blowout.

Sources:
[1]. Citizens Electoral Council of New Zealand {Wednesday, 4 January 2012, 11:40 am}::
[2]. Citizens Electoral Council of Australia {Media Release 3rd of January 2012}::

NB. Which Federal Reserve Bank in the US does Australia depend on for virtually its entire income?