Aging Capriciously

As the slaughter of innocent Palestinian women and children continues by Netanyahu and his IDF forces, there are several constants on the part of the United States in terms of our reactions.  The First Constant is for Biden and Blinken to keep sending more ammunition and bombs to Israel even without authorization from the US Congress.

Antony Blinken tells Congress he made second emergency determination covering $147.5m sale for equipment —

“For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as Israel continues to prosecute its war against Hamas in Gaza under increasing international criticism.” — Associated Press, Fri 29 Dec 2023, Guardian

The Second Constant is for both Biden and Blinken to keep calling for Netanyahu to be more careful where he drops his bombs.  “US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who has repeatedly urged Israel to do more to protect Palestinian Citizens is expected in the region next week.” — Casa Grande Dispatch, January 2, 2024 

Bibi and Blinken will have a hug fest while Bibi tells Antony, “Yes Mr. Secretary, I will be more careful.  But don’t you realize that the plan is to get the Palestinians out of Gaza permanently either dead or alive?”

Surely Biden and Blinken are not stupid enough to think that the majority of Americans do not see through this hypocrisy.  A Secretary of State who is a war mongering hawk with little concern for diplomacy is bad enough, but the continuing effort to silence anyone on the left or right who opposes bombs to Israel with screams and accusations of Anti-Semitism is an egregious hypocrisy of everything that our First Amendment and America stands for.

Trying to think what I can do to help ameliorate some of the atrocities associated with this war, I decided that perhaps I could contribute some ideas that would help Bibi, Blinken and Biden with some more concrete means of PROTECTING innocent Palestinians.  I came up with the following list.  I will briefly explain each of my ideas.  If you have any contacts with the US State Department or President Biden, please feel free to share these ideas with them.

1. Drop leaflets showing where the bombs will fall

This would help innocent Palestinians to get out of the way before the SMART bombs hit.  Sadly, it would not work against many of the dumb bombs that America is sending over since these dumb bombs cannot read.

2. Schedule bombing runs on alternate sides of the street. One day for odd numbered streets and the next day for even numbered streets

In Minnesota and Wisconsin, we do the above for snow removal.  It helps residents with parking their cars and avoiding towing and snow fines.  You get to alternate which side of street you can park on so that the snowplows can do their job.  This idea would allow the IDF to destroy as many homes as possible while avoiding killing innocent women and children.

3. Schedule bombing runs on alternate days. On Monday, Wed and Friday, bomb North Gaza and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays bomb South Gaza

This is a variant of idea number 2.

4. Setup a phone ring and have Palestinians alert other Palestinians when bombs are expected to fall in the neighborhood

At my wife’s church in Wisconsin, they have a group of phone callers who in an emergency all call different members of her church.  This works very well for getting help to people that need it and for alerting all church members of any impending disasters.  I think a modified version of this phone network could work in Gaza if the IDF were willing to give just a little advance notice of their bombing schedule.

5. Drop shekels with the bombs so the Palestinians will have the funds to rebuild their homes.

This was suggested during the Vietnam war since many Americans with a monetary bent figured that it cost roughly one million dollars for every Viet Cong soldier that we killed.  I thought that if Israel dropped some shekels, stocks or bonds with their bombs, it would help the Palestinians rebuild Gaza or at least move to someplace else like Miami or Houston.

6. Try to only hit Schools, Mosques, Tunnels and Hospitals where bona-fide Hamas members are hiding out.

Much of the public outrage against the Gaza massacre has come about because of the pictures of dead children and babies in bombed out hospitals and elsewhere.  The IDF needs to get better Intel and only bomb places with bonified Hamas members. 

7. Play public service announcements letting non-Hamas Palestinians know that the bombs are not for them and that they should not take it personally.

Perhaps a good Madison Avenue marketing campaign could be developed to show the Palestinians that the IDF really is trying to protect them.  As with most such campaigns it would all be smoke and mirrors, but advertising is very effective and would dampen down some of the criticism.  Israel needs to do more to show that “They Really Care.”  That would make a good campaign slogan, “We Really Care.”

8. Play some mood music during bombing runs that will encourage Palestinians to relax more

I realize that this is not one of my best ideas but you know the old saying “Music sooths the savage beast.”  When I am worried and upset a bit of good music helps me to relax.  Perhaps some good music along with the bombing might help to address Palestinian anxiety and make them feel more cared about.

9. Create a Bill of Rights for Palestinians like we have in the USA

From everything I have read, most of the laws impacting Gaza are very similar to the Apartheid Laws that had been enacted by the White government in South Africa during the Apartheid regimes.  Maybe if Israel and Palestine could work out a Bill of Rights like in the US Constitution, the Palestinians would be able to live side by side with the Israelites and not allow groups like Hamas to engage in indiscriminate slaughter of innocent women and children in Israel

10.  Sign a petition to send to Antony Blinken and Joe Biden encouraging them to talk more frequently with Netanyahu about protecting the rights of Palestinian Citizens

I doubt this would work since both Blinken and Biden are really shills for billionaires in the US who realize that Israel is essential to US financial interests.  The Palestinian people are simply in the way.  Just like the Indigenous Native American people were in the way of US progress and “Manifest Destiny” so are the Palestinians in the way of a greater Israel.   No one bleeds for people in the way of “progress.”

So, there you have my ten ideas for helping Biden and Blinken find ways for Bibi to better protect the Palestinian people while he drops thousands of bombs on their homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.  If you have any ideas, please feel free to add them to my list before sending to the US President or State Department.