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Thursday, October 23, 2008

SCHADENFREUDE, 600 BALLOONS, 3000 PROTESTERS, 853 DAYS OF CAPTIVITY

In the USA the media has all but murdered John McCain, a true American hero, exercising it's power of "mass hysterical schadenfreude" (by definition, "shadenfreude" is the human capacity to enjoy the suffering of others). Like a drunken, frenzied, quasi-religious mantra, the name of Barak Hussein Obama has been repeated so many times and so favorably that the Muslim nature of the name -- be he Muslim or not (and "not that there's anything wrong with that..." as Seinfeld would say) - either does not register or is obliterated as meaningless sound from over repetition. Meanwhile, while the Democratic "Messiah" enjoys the love of the media and the Republican's John McCain and Sarah Palin are vilified in the media daily with a zest competitive to the feeding frenzy of sharks, a reality check is long overdue and, one hopes, not too late. One would think from the media schadenfreude that George Bush and John McCain had personally flown the two gasoline laden passenger jets into the World Trade Center on that fateful day of Nine-Eleven in 2001, and that, devils that these Republicans must be, emerged to wage war on innocent, defenseless Holy Muslims not even here that just want to be left alone with their camels in their tents in the desert! And just imagine! How un-Ladylike! How backwoodsy! How unsophisticated! How now young Sarah Palin might be ready to go right over there herself and field dress some Iraquis with her Moose Gun!

Will America get it's mind back before election day just two weeks away in November?

When I think of John McCain, I think of an American Hero, who spent six years in the "Hanoi Hilton" (ergo, as a prisoner in that infamous Hanoi prison) during the Viet Nam War. I can't think of anyone greater than John McCain, whose influence as President of the USA would result in the freeing of Gilad Shalit from his hellish imprisonment (is he even yet truly alive?).

This week in Israel schoolchildren in one town took the day to release 600 helium balloons into the air with messages for Gilad Shalit. If Gilad Shalit is lucky to still be alive, his "Sukka" this past week was his dark prison cell, cut off from the world, not even granted a visit by the Red Cross. Pardon me, if I feel no sympathy for the Hamas prisoners in Israel, who enjoy open air, are surrounded by their brothers, who enjoy three square meals every day and a decent bed to sleep on, who enjoy conjugal visits with their wives and girlfriends, and of course the Red Cross (perhaps even the Red Crescent?). Pardon me, if I don't understand why Israel doesn't just drop these terrorists from helicopters poised hundreds of feet in the air and splatter the terrorists all over Gaza until they return Gilad Shalit, alive and in one piece, uncompromised, unsullied, healthy and whole. Then again, even I recoil at the direction of thought that hurt and anger lead me to. In the moment it is easy to forget the more rational ways to go about things, whether or not military action is included. It is a huge puzzle that Israel has not put across a U.N. Resolution calling for the sanctioning of Hamas for failing to allow the Red Cross to look after the well-being of Gilad Shalit. It is a puzzle that the world at large finds no outrage in this torture and isolation of Gilad Shalit. It is a puzzle that Israel does not take a kilometre daily of Gaza territory to punish Hamas for it's failure to return Gilad Shalit to Israel. And of course all of this begs the underlying question, "Is Gilad Shalit alive or dead or as good as dead?" The 600 balloon event took place a day or two after three thousand Israelis protested for Gilad Shalit's release near the site of his kidnapping.

Meanwhile it is 853 days since Gilad Shalit has not known daylight nor the taste of freedom.

A barely noticed article in the Jerusalem Post announced that Hamas might suspend all talks of freeing Gilad Shalit unless Egypt releases recently captured Hamas terrorist Ayman Nofal. HELLO !! HELLO !! Is anybody out there? Are you listening? Is there any reason Israel cannot arrange with Egypt for the one-to-one release of Gilad Shalit for Ayman Nofal ????

And so it goes on 23 TISHREI 5769. The Arabs continue to thrive on the enjoyment of the pain of others, as does the Israeli Government, the Media, Europe, the U.N. ....

A GUTEN SCHADENFREUDE TO ALL ....

(And may we all come to our senses and be inscribed in His Book for Life, Health, and Happiness in this New Year 5769, may it be the year of the release of Gilad Shalit from his tortured imprisonment at the hands of terrorist animals.)