>Propaganda and Propagandhi

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When Israel finally allowed journalists to enter Gaza this is what they found. This is what Israel did. And the world’s leaders – the ones who had the power to intervene – did what? They supported the destruction and the killing.
When will we see the people in power punished for their crimes against humanity? When will Israel be forced to its knees?
One thing is clear: The hate among Muslim extremists is now stronger than ever.
Thanks to Jacques de Beaufort for the link.

Links of interest:
So far, Obama missed the point on Gaza… (Robert Fisk, The Independent)
How to Inflame the Entire Muslim World (Gabriel Kolko, Antiwar.com)
In America, Speaking the Truth is a Career-Ending Event (Paul Craig Roberts, Counterpunch.org)
Gaza: latest battle ground of the neo-conservatives for a “New Middle East” (Munir Chalabi, ZMag.org)
Israel’s lies (Henry Siegman, London Book of Reviews)

Propaganda is everywhere, on every side. Therefore it’s of great importance to know who these people are writing these columns. Therefore:
Read more about Robert Fisk here.
Read more about Gabriel Kolko here.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. Read more here.
Munir Chalabi is an Iraqi political and oil analyst living in the UK.
Henry Siegman, director of the US Middle East Project in New York, is a visiting research professor at SOAS, University of London. He is a former national director of the American Jewish Congress and of the Synagogue Council of America.

Speaking of propaganda, I come to think of Canadian punk rock band Propagandhi. But let me make this perfectly clear: I detest all forms of skate punk, ska punk and any of that melodic happy shit from the bottom of my heart. However, Propagandhi, along with Bad Religion, sure had (have?) some great lyrical content. Listen to Haile Selassie Up Your Ass from 1993 and submit to a truth that I support 100%.
(I’m a huge fan of reggae, though. It’s the religious/political message I adress here…)

You speak of Rastafari
but how can you justify
belief in a god that’s left you behind?
You’ve simply filled the gap
between the upper and lower class
and your faith merely keeps you in line
in line, yeah

An amalgamation of Jewish scripture
and Christian thought
What will that get you?
Not a fuck of a lot
Take a look at your promised land
Your deed is that gun in your hand
Mount Zion’s a minefield
The West Bank
The Gaza Strip
soon to be parking lots
for American tourists
and fascist cops, yeah

Fuck Zionism
Fuck militarism
Fuck Americanism
Fuck nationalism
Fuck religion

4 thoughts on “>Propaganda and Propagandhi”

  1. >I stumbled on your blog, nice goin on quoting propagandhi, but their newest album has a song called Fixed Frequencies which has a much more matured stance on the middle east. lyrics for your pleasure:

    Here in the land that Abraham was promised to receive we listen to you catechize from your pulpit overseas. You mourn the proofs of our barbarity. Dry your eyes, oh Pharisee. We both speak a settler’s cant. We both read from the same old played out scripts and hum familiar tunes, broadcast on fixed frequencies, stuck in locking grooves. We both profess noble intent as we civilize human impediments. So if your hands are clean then noblesse oblige that you wipe that “who me?” look off your face and concede our designs separated by nothing more than place and time. Different scenes, same crimes. Pray, let him who’s without sin cast the first statues of the former rogues turned folk heroes that your forefathers hung. Don’t lecture me about plundered soil while you loaf upon your father’s spoils. We want nothing more than what you already have: a comforting set of exculpatory “facts” like, say, the myth of an empty land and a conquest so complete we can pull these tanks from our streets and hand the loose ends over to bureaucrats and become just like you – lounging carefree in your cafes, absolved from sin and human grenades. Entre nous, how did your desert bloom?

    ###

  2. >Thanks, Jeff!
    Amazing lyrics, indeed. Probably the most intelligent lyrics from a punk band that I’ve read in a long long time.
    Even though I’m no fan of the music, I’ll make sure to read the lyrics in full. I might even check out their latest albums and listen to them behind closed doors… ;)

  3. >Kom ner från dina höga hästar nu och tanka hem lite skate punk – du måste våga bredda din musiksmak – se utanför dina smala ramar.. /norse

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