Who Really Runs Your Country?

all is not lost

The Blackburn Report is chiefly news and opinion.

Mostly my opinion, but I utilize experts such as Professor Barry Rubin and others when I need someone more expert than I am on some subjects.

We are also a biographical, or should I say, autobiographical site.

I recount some of the rather fantastic events that I have been witness to or participated in.

We have a number of loyal visitors and we hope to have more in the future.

Our sister site is IsraelAmerica, a pro-Israeli Web site that attempts, among other things, to re-unite liberals with support for Israel, which is a natural affinity given Israel’s status as the only democracy in the middle-east.

The war on poor people is in full swing as corporations consolidate power and purchase more and more of the ostensible leadership of Prison America.

The U.S. has far more of their population caged in inhumane conditions than any other country, including Iran and China.

Most caged Americans are brutalized for victimless crimes.

Although the situation sometimes appears hopeless, in view of the massive military institutions which currently control the populace, chiefly the poor, in the U.S., people have always fought back against oppression and injustice, and sometimes they win.

The Blackburn report will only write what is true, we won’t slant our opinion to gain readers or curry favor with anyone.

This is not to the best way to gain readers, but is our interest in presenting the material we carry here.

Yesterday Paris Hilton was arrested and put in a cage for possession of  cocaine.

There is no doubt that cocaine is a dangerous drug, not as dangerous as alcohol, but it is a harmful substance.

Nonetheless, it is nobody’s business but Paris Hilton’s if she chooses to use whatever substance she chooses, as long as she doesn’t harm others.

Stay tuned, we fear things will get worse before they get better.

More children will live on the streets, more innocent people will be caged with murderers and rapist for non-violent and victimless crimes, and corporate leaders will continue to erode the few freedoms that are left to us.

As long as some of us fight back, and speak truth to power, all is not lost.

Shalom.

Michael Blackburn, Sr.

Super Beings and Caging Americans

An important  factor in the Drug War fiasco is the electorate.

According to a recent poll 50% of American's believe a superhuman being is going to come to earth, perform astounding miracles and bring the end of days.

I'd be willing to bet that most of them also believe people who use Marijuana are immoral.

These are the people that need to vote to legalize pot, and they are not even aware of reality.

They believe in a creature that no on even claims to have seen, because to look at him causes instant death.

The Extreme Muslims believe this creature wants followers to kill Jews, Infidels and Muslims who practice the wrong version of the religion.

The Christians have a long history of violence in the name of their deity.

A large portion of these two religions consists of ways of maltreating people who don't accept their beliefs about their G-d.

So good luck in getting them to see what to most intelligent people seems like common sense based on all the evidence.

More and more people are using pot because it is a safe alternative to Alcohol.

 Alcohol use, as we all know, can have immediate serious results.

A good argument can be made that in some ways Pot is helpful, it's mainly benign, and does have medical uses, as well.

 Our government is supposed to be protecting the rights of minorities, including the rights of the millions of people that choose Pot over Alcohol.

 We all probably remember that the issue that made our government special was that minorities have rights that need vigorous protection.

 The majority doesn't need protection.

In a recent vote in Alaska decriminalization was defeated by a margin of just a few points.

So now, in Alaska, you can go to work everyday, work hard and produce, whatever, Tech Projects or Law or autos or care for the sick.

You can pay your taxes faithfully. Love your wife and children with all your heart, try to emulate your idea of pure virtue in your relations with others, and still have your door smashed off of the hinges by weapon toting policemen who have the right, and from some quarters, encouragement to treat you roughly and throw you into a cage with rapists and murderers and other violent felons because you have Marijuana.

I am not a big “Founding Fathers” Holiness guy.

They were just people, they made mistakes, just like the people who wrote our Bible, our Tanakh, our Torah.

But Jefferson would be rolling over in his grave if he could see what is being done to people, and families, by our “Drug War”.

Michael Blackburn, Sr.

An Open Letter To Tommy Friedman

by Shmully Hecht

Dear Thomas,

In a recent New York Times column you suggested that those who would like to understand the Middle East conflict should watch a movie "Precious Life" about Israeli doctors and philanthropists who save the life of a young Palestinian
The same rank stench has been emitted for years from under the desks of writers such as yourself who have sold the world on the idea that there are two sides equally committed to peace.

While that film may indeed capture the reality that Israel can do no right for those who dream of its destruction I have a different suggestion to those who desire to better understand the problems that comprise this conflict; travel to the Middle East and talk to the people who live there.

I recently visited Israel and spoke to a Muslim Arab taxi cab driver who drove me across East Jerusalem while telling me that he would not live in the capitol of any other state in the region, not Cairo, not Beirut, not Amman. It is not something you will ever see explored in mainstream American papers, but according to him, the life of an independent minded Arab seeking comfort, freedom and self-sufficiency is vastly better in the Jewish homeland. Measuring by any standard, what the taxicab driver said is an accurate description of life for all Arabs in Israel.
Upon my return I found myself on a connecting flight next to a Christian American who had spent years in Saudi Arabia working for GE, designing healthcare software for Middle East hospitals . After describing the vast differences between Israel and its neighbors he reminded me that non Muslims are not even permitted to enter Islam’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. How odd that the same Saudis have offered a “Peace Initiative” to the People of Israel .

So Thomas, I agree that there does exist the foul and ancient stench in the air that you mention. Hyper scrutiny and de-legitimization of Israel have been the hallmark of Arab activism and now we find it in both mainstream press as well as Europe and America's leading universities, including Yale where I serve as the Rabbi of Eliezer; the Jewish Society on campus . How did this happen?
It happened because the same rank stench has been emitted for years from under the desks of writers such as yourself who have sold the world on the idea that there are two sides equally committed to peace. You and your like-minded friends said that if only Israel does the right thing in the form of giving up land or demolishing its security walls then the Arabs will establish a state of Palestine which also only wants what is best for their citizens and the region. The stench is the result of trying to perfume the murderous intent of the PLO, Fatah and Hamas, calling it 'resistance' and statesmanship. The stench is the smell of Yassir Arafat's rotten Nobel Peace Prize.
The fullest and foulest emission of this noxious stench was the Oslo fantasy which began to evaporate even before it took any real form. Even President Bill Clinton could not achieve it’s goals after days of pleading with Mr. Arafat.
You, and most writers on the subject who strive to apportion guilt and responsibility "fairly," sold the world on Oslo and on the withdrawal from Gaza, the first which will never happen, and the second which brought about the daily bombing of Israel with thousands of rockets fired at civilians. Your suggestion that if only Israel now further dismantled cities in the West bank there would be peace, confirm your delusion that there will be a shortage of Kassam rockets fired on Israel from Ramallah.
How odd that the same Europeans and members of the United Nations that urged Israel to withdraw from Gaza were the first to condemn Israel for finally defending their civilians in the Gaza War.
Tom, you return to form with your desire to be a "fair" judge, urging we acknowledge lopsided and twisted criticism of Israel mainly so that Israel will listen better, so that you can be an even better critic.
Now is not the time to criticize Israel or "colonial settlements" on Jewish land that Israel captured in defensive wars and over which Israel maintains legitimate sovereignty. It is time instead to finally clear the air. Thomas, please remove the source of the odor. It is under your desk.


Shmully Hecht is the Rabbinical advisor of Eliezer; the Jewish Society at Yale