Tag: Palestine

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A Pete Morton song for our times: Two Brothers

Pete Morton is absolutely one of my favorite folk singers of all time.  While I love his voice and his simple guitar playing, the real beauty of his music is in his message and the way he crafts the words and images.

He is English, lives in London, and performs mostly in England, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.  Occasionally, he will drift over to the States and play at The Focal Point here is St. Louis. If there were any sanity in the music business he would be better known that he is. Of course, folk music is a style that drifts in and out of popularity… but not with me.

Given that the situation in this world and this country seems to be degenerating more and more quickly,  I think what the world needs is Pete’s message in his song, Two Brothers, to be taken to heart.

Sometimes the greed, the lust for power, the lust for money, the absolute self-centeredness of so many folks, the need to impose your beliefs, your religion, your values on others, even against their will, just overwhelms me.  It is more than I can bear at times, and there really is no place to run. There is no alien inter-galactic ark coming to carry us safely to the proverbial mountain top.

Below is Pete Morton’s song Two Brothers. Enjoy, maybe even meditate on the message.

And so I wish it would go.

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Paradise Now | Revisited

I originally posted an article on Paradise Now, the 2005 Golden Globe Winner – Best Foreign Film, in 2009. With the conflict between the Israelis and Hamas, it might be time to revisit the movie. It allows you to consider the world from a point of view that is not often taken into account in the West, the Palestinian.

Disclaimer: One should not be necessary, tis not the world we live in, though.  I have written a few sharply clever – IMHO – satirical pieces that a small number of folks took way too seriously. This led to a  smattering of vile comments as they did not appreciate my finely honed sense of ironic humor. While I approve most comments, a few went across the line.

This article deals with a movie that tells the story of two  young men from the West Bank recruited to become suicide bombers.  I am in no way condoning terrorism or violence of any sort.  There is never a valid reason for it, although many groups and individuals will jump through intellectual hoops to do so.  The movie explores why someone would be so radicalized as to commit such an action.  It is something that we need  to think about, what pushes people  over this horrendous edge that they become terrorists.

I don’t quite remember why this Continue reading “Paradise Now | Revisited”

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Can We Talk About Israel? by Daniel Sokatch

Why I Read This Book

This book, Can We Talk About Israel?, is subtitled, A Guide for the Curious, Confused and Conflicted, which is a good summary of most folks position and feelings about Israel.  We received two copies of this book as part of the pre-tour preparation of our now cancelled two week visit to Israel with side trips to Jordan and Egypt. What is it they say?  Timing is everything.  Also as part of that preparation Señora and I watched two Wondrium courses that I can whole-heartedly recommend:

    • The World of Biblical Israel taught by a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Cynthia R. Chapman, Th.D. Using the Bible as a framework Chapman ties in historical and archeological records to support its narrative.  She also points out when they do not support the Biblical story.  She also ties together the varied religious influences, including non-Abrahamic religions, that influenced those who wrote the Bible. I learned a great deal about the Babylonian exile of the Jews, a subject of which I had only sketchy knowledge.
    • The Holy Land Revealed taught by Jodi Magness, Ph.D. Using mainly the Bible and the works of the Roman historian Josephus as source materials,  Magness explores various archeological sites around the Holy Land and their significance to the Biblical narrative.

Not a Book Review

This is not so much a review of this recently published book, but more of a recommendation of something to read if you are indeed curious, confused or conflicted about Israel. Sokatch has a very accessible Continue reading “Can We Talk About Israel? by Daniel Sokatch”

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