Palin in the "Holy Land"

This probably needs no comment but I cannot control myself because among her comments is the claim that "Israel apologizes too much." I am obviously missing something. Has Israel apologized for anything lately? Israel is actually trying to establish for itself conditions that will make apologies seem unnecessary because they will not be demanded. In this spirit, it is legalizing many undemocratic constraints on dissent by Israeli groups, spying on organizations abroad that are critical of its actions, especially with regards to the Palestinians, and generally trying to silence all voices of conscience. Why in the age of social networks and seeing them at work politically the Israeli fascist right wing believes it can silence its opposition just because it can pass some laws since it currently has a coalitionary majority in the Knesset is beyond me.

Union busting

From Woody Guthry's "Union Maid" (1940)

          Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
          I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union.
          Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
          I'm sticking to the union 'til the day I die.

Before supporting union busting measures, one ought to recall what it was like for working people without unions and imagine what it will be like once unions are busted.

And it is not only ordinary benefits that will be lost. In the current conditions union busting is anti-democratic.

Sliding fast toward fascism

The Knesset, the one chamber Israeli parliament, is set up to vote on a new law prohibiting Israeli citizens from initiating or supporting boycotts or disinvestments against Israel. An Israeli citizen or resident that violates the law will pay a fine of at least 30,000 NIS (today about $8,125) and others may be barred from entering Israel.

There is currently a growing "Boycott, Disinvestment, and Sanctions" (BDS) movement against Israel. Whether one is in support of its actions, just some of its actions, or opposes BDS due to some principle, or on strategic or tactical grounds, one must recognize that something different is at stake because an attempt to legalize punitive measures against BDS activists or backers is anti-democratic. It is also probably in violation of various international and regional laws that are based on treaties that Israel has signed. But, then, the two go together.

Democratization 06?

Tahrir Square, Cairo will never be the same, though in the past few days its function as the space of a democratic moment is being dismantled, it is being cleaned up, and the traffic flows through it again, suggesting a cautious "return" to or "reassertion" of the "normality" of the rather apolitical daily life of most people.

As an event, Tahrir Square 2011 is like Tiananmen Square 1989 since like it, not only is it a specially visible democratic moment (however one explains this visibility), it belongs with other co-inspiring democratic moments taking place during the same span of time (like the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the Tunisian protests in December 2010 and January 2011).

While some protesters have returned to the square, this democratic moment is pretty much over. One may speculate about its long term consequences or not, after all, the military now in control may or may not fulfill its promises and in the long term they need not fear a repeat of Tahrir Square 2011. Tahrir Sqaure 2011, like all true democratic moments, is rather singular.