Not Voting for Harris-Walz
Not
Voting for Harris-Walz in a Swing State
J&K
indicated to me that if I, a Privileged white man, lived in a Swing State such
as Pennsylvania, it would be WRONG to not vote for Harris-Walz. The rationale given was primarily that:
1.)
In
Swing States each individual vote for Harris-Walz could be the deciding vote
that could result in the Harris-Walz winning – the Presidency,
2.)
In
Swing States each individual choosing to not vote for Harris-Walz could be the
deciding “not” vote which will result in the election of Trump-Vance,
3.)
The
election of Trump-Vance will be disaster which will result in the possibilities
for a Ceasefire in Gaza being less likely, as well as multiple other causes
such as Racism, Reproductive Rights, and similar being with certainty to have
significantly worse results, and therefore:
4.)
Those
of us who can vote in Swing States who are knowledgeable, responsible and
caring seeking a just world should
a. vote for Harris-Walz,
b. recognize that if Harris-Walz win the
2024 election that, while they may be far from “good nominees”, that at
least if they are elected we can reasonably seek to change the policies,
such as seeking a Ceasefire in Gaza, and then subsequently seeking a Just Peace
Agreement in The Middle East, and that
c. I, as a Privileged white male, should
support the election of Harris-Walz even if it may be unimportant for me to
vote for them because I live in California, which is not a Swing State.
I
Respectfully Disagree!
I Disagree
both on:
1.)
Tactical
Grounds and on
2.)
Ethical
Grounds
In
Explaining my Disagreement I will primarily focus upon issues to a Ceasefire, Lebanon, Iran, Hezbollah,
Hamas, the Palestinian People and those who are Muslims.
In beginning
with the Tactical Grounds I will first note that:
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/gaza-ceasefire/ - dated: December 5, 2023 indicates
that “Over 70% of Democrats support a Ceasefire”,
https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/5/8/support-for-a-permanent-ceasefire-in-gaza-increases-across-party-lines -Seven in 10 likely voters — including majorities
of Democrats (83%), Independents (65%), and Republicans (56%) — support the
U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza.
This represents a 3-point increase in support for the U.S. calling for a
permanent ceasefire since Data for Progress last polled this question in February, and a 9-point increase in support
from November.
https://www.jpost.com/us-elections/article-800603
- (Jerusalem Post, May 9, 2024) - Most Democrats believe Israel is committing
genocide against Palestinians in Gaza - poll
With the
war in Gaza surpassing half a year and a ceasefire deal yet to be achieved, a
recent survey shows that Democratic voters strongly believe that Israel is
carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/04/most-black-americans-want-a-more-active-us-role-in-ending-the-war-in-gaza-and-protecting-palestinian-lives?lang=en (Note: April 25, 2024)
Summary
- A majority of Black Americans
(68 percent) would have liked to see the United States call for an
immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with a plurality (46 percent)
strongly supporting the idea.
- Three in five Black Americans
(59 percent) believed U.S. military aid to Israel should be conditioned to
ensure that Israel uses American weapons for legitimate self-defense and
in a way that is consistent with human rights standards.
- Importantly, a majority of Black
Americans (66 percent) reported that their feelings toward Biden had not
changed since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. However, those
under thirty years old and Black independents were more likely to report
feeling worse about Biden since October 7.
- While two in five (42 percent)
Black respondents reported not feeling connected to the plight of either
Israelis or Palestinians, the number of Black Americans reporting feeling
connected to Palestinians grew a great deal (45 percent, up from 32
percent in our October 2023 survey).
Most
Black Americans Believed the United States Should Call for a Permanent
Ceasefire in Gaza
As Black
faith and congressional leaders call for a ceasefire, there is also widespread
support for a ceasefire among the larger Black community, judging from our
polling. A majority (68 percent) of Black Americans in our survey favored a
U.S. call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza
The “Swing
States”: appear to be:
https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/swing-states/
State: Electoral Votes
Arizona - 11
Georgia – 16
Michigan –
15
Nevada – 6
North
Carolina – 16
Pennsylvania
– 16
Wisconsin –
10
Focusing
specifically upon Michigan:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xejx07exro
September
20, 2024
Michigan
Arab-Americans 'can't stomach' Harris stance on Gaza
… Soujoud
Hamade is a lawyer in the Detroit suburb and president of the Michigan Chapter
of the Arab American Bar Association.
She
canvassed for the Democratic Party in past elections, and feels her work helped
get President Biden elected in 2020. He won Michigan with a margin of just
2.78%.
This time
around, Ms Hamade is voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
She is
not alone. An August poll from the Council on American-Islamic Relations
indicates that in Michigan, 40% of Muslim voters back Stein, 18% preferred
Republican Donald Trump - and only 12% supported Harris - suggesting a
significant shift from past strong support for Democrats.
Ms Hamade
said the "traditionally" Democratic Arab-American voters in Michigan
“cannot stomach the thought of voting for someone who's directly contributing
to the death and destruction of our home country and of our relatives
overseas”.
Harris
welcoming the endorsement of former Republican Vice-President Dick Cheney was
particularly troubling for the Michigan lawyer.
She said
Cheney’s involvement in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 makes him an unwanted
bedfellow for her community.
“It's
baffling to me as an American, to now see the direction that the party is
going, it's disheartening," she said.
"These
aren't the values that we as Democrats stood for. We were not the party of
war."
Not getting to
the ethics issue yet, tactically, what states is Harris going to lose by
standing up to Biden, and saying “NO” – not – “Israel has 30 days to …” or “Israel must ….” – when none of these
threats have been enforced.
Michigan is
likely to go for Trump – as of now! It
isn’t that Trump will get a lot more votes because of this issue. It is that a lot of people in Michigan won’t
vote for Harris, that otherwise would.
Remaining on
tactical issues, if Harris breaks with Biden emphatically, how is she going to
lose face with the leadership of other countries in the World?
Very few
countries vote with the United States in the United Nations on relevant votes. The U.S. is the country which consistently
vetoes resolutions in the Security Council.
Tactically,
this is a clear way that Harris could separate herself from Donald Trump! He has emphatically denied Palestinian
rights. Harris could stand up for the
Palestinian People in a meaningful way, saying:
“No more …”.
She could
speak up talking about how the United States will (finally) go along with the
International Legal Decisions such as what was brought up by South Africa in
recent months.
Tactically
Harris could talk about how the military weapons provided to Israel which are
killing hundreds and thousands of Gazans and residents of Lebanon support the
stockholders of defense contractors and that most U.S. citizens are not
profiting by the profits of these Huge Corporations. She could give specific examples of how “the
little people” matter.
--
Ethical
issues also matter a lot!
Bombing
highrise apartment buildings in Beirut – to seek to kill an individual
Hezbollah member is comparable to shooting with an AK-47 in a crowded bar
seeking to kill an individual rapist.
Gaza
received 500 truckloads of food and other necessary supplies daily prior to
October 7th. Given the starvation
issues that exist, simple mathematics shows that when one subtracts shipments
and often stop them entirely over an entire year, that one needs to provide
well more than 500 truckloads immediately every day to prevent further deaths.
Bombing
hospitals is similarly problematic.
Where are
the Gazan People supposed to go?
The ethical
issues are ignored by the United States!
Gaza had a
little over 2 million people before the assault that began after October 7th
last year. The U.S. has close to 350
million people. Gaza has well over 150
times less people than the United States has.
Death totals
of 40,000 or a more likely 200,000 multiplied by 150 = 6,000,000 to 30 Million
People.
The
Holocaust involved the death of Six Million Jews!
1,354,664+ = total
U.S. combat and non-combat casualties form wars from 1775 – 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war
On
ethical grounds there are layers and layers of things that consume me related
to what has transpired. I could talk
for hours and hours about systemic inequality, racism, settler colonialism and
not even touch the depths of what assaults me hour-by-hour, and
day-by-day. (And – consider the
Palestinian man I just heard interviewed by Peter Beinart of Jewish Current and
City University of NYC – Journalism Department – who spoke of at last count
perhaps in April knowing of 35 of his relatives who had died, not wanting to
know more). Read of Dalia Mohisen - https://medium.com/@daliamohisenn –
22 years old. I’ve sent money for her
family to her four times – and just saw another posting after 8 days of know
word, knowing finally that she’s not been killed or incapacitated.
Tears –
thinking through my heart – as well as my head matters to me. You – the reader – can not honestly
say: “I didn’t know” this time! You can hear the propaganda denying
things. You can deny all you must do to
stay – on the sidelines or in opposition.
I’m 73
years old! I’ve lived through the assassinations
of: John and Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, 911 and much more!
October
7, 2023 – has turned my emotional world – totally upside down – dwarfing all my
prior life experiences of “major events”.
We – collectively – won’t be able to go back.
I
refuse – to minimize – the voices of Allies – of mine, chance acquaintances,
those I hear speak and many more! I
hear only a few BIPOC voices in Denial.
I hear a lot of white people in Denial!
I hear a lot of privileged white men – in denial.
I
recommend looking at a variety of things.
Examples of this are: Democracy Now, The Electronic Intifada, Jewish
Voice for Peace, Rashid Khalidi, Noura Erakat, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Peter Beinart,
Chris Hedges, Julian Assante, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Avi Shlaim, Joel
Beinin, neighbors-classmates-workmates who may be from the Middle East in their
pasts, Jonathan Kuttab, Christian Zionists, AIPAC, David Ben-Gurion, those at
your local Hillel, Hamas – with curiosity – with trepidation – with hope – with
anger and don’t minimize or silence your discomfort.
Who
does CNN and MSNBC Interview? Why do
they minimize and often not even listen to dissenters – like Rashid Khalidi. He grew up with a majority of his friends being
Jewish. He has Jewish students, colleagues
and much more. His English has no accent
– because he was born here!
We need to
really listen to those – who oppose us!!
--
Yes, I am
scared of Donald Trump being elected President! Definitely!
I am also
scared of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as our future leaders.
As vice
president, Harris has been a key figure in an administration that has provided
Israel with unprecedented support. In recent weeks alone, the U.S. has deployed
four aircraft carriers to the region, along with the USS Georgia, a
nuclear-powered submarine, and 12 Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jets—the
most advanced aircraft of their kind. This formidable display of military might
is a clear message to Iran and its proxies, particularly Hezbollah: Do not dare
attack Israel. (August 19, 2024)
https://theweek.com/politics/kamala-harris-israel-gaza-policy
Kamala
Harris is walking a delicate line as she campaigns for the presidency: She is
committed to Israel's right to defend itself after last year's Oct. 7 attack by
Hamas — but also wants Israel to curb the violence it has inflicted on Gaza's
civilians in the year since.
"Let
me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself,"
she said in an October speech, according to NPR. But, she added, the "scale of
suffering" in Gaza is "heartbreaking." Along with President Joe
Biden, Harris has pushed for Israel to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas that
brings the remaining hostages home. But she has also been more vocal than Biden about the challenges and
devastation Gazans have faced. The fighting must end, she said, so Palestinians
can obtain "dignity, security, freedom and self determination."
The United
States wields INCREDIBLE power related to Israel and the Genocide! When potentially losing Michigan – and
thereby the 2024 Election- still “necessitates” – equivocating and trying to
play a “middle ground” – which doesn’t in reality exists, I fail to see how –
we – are going to be able to change policy after the election???
I do not see
Kamala Harris’s – “humanity” – in her silence – and tacit support of Joe
Biden. Trump is “honest” about his
love of the destruction of the Palestinian People. Harris – says that she cares. I don’t see her caring! Perhaps – she “can’t” care- because she
can’t and won’t change the – desire for Empire – that persists in the United
States.
We remain
stuck in the myth that we are “Exceptional”!
How are we Exceptional? How have
we treated Native People? How have we
treated Black People?
--
How do we
treat Black People today? Why should I
believe that “U.S. Warns Israel It may restrict Military Aid if Gaza situation
doesn’t improve” – MSNBC 12:32 pm E Time – 10/16/24 – means anything
substantive? How many Gazan people will
starve – in the meantime????
NO MORE GENOCIDE
NOW! The harm will persist from what’s
already been done.
When will
the reparations – begin being paid?
When will
Kamala Harris apologize?
I CAN NOT
BELIEVE – THAT – IF KAMALA HARRIS – WINS THE ELECTION – THAT SHE WILL WORK –
SERIOUSLY WORK – TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE!!!!
A Ceasefire
is One – Small Step! It will take much,
much more!
You who read
this – may “get it”! Donald Trump won’t
get it – agreed!
What is
going on – requires – multiple truths – be spoken and heard!!!!!
1. Trump being elected will be a disaster,
2. A Disaster – of Genocide – has already
– consumed the Palestinian People – in Gaza, The West Bank, “Israel” and
throughout the rest of the world!
3. I do not disagree with you – J and K –
supporting Kamala Harris!!!
4. I ask that you respect – me – and my
perspective which says: “NEVER AGAIN
– STARTS TODAY – AND STARTED OCTOBER 7, 2023, AND STARTED IN 1947-8, AND
STARTED IN 1917 – AND STARTED BEFORE THEN.”
In saying what I say,
I don’t claim to “know the truth”! I do
however honestly say that while I am the grand-nephew of Israel’s first Nobel Laureate
– SY Agnon and the great-grandson of George Marx (who I was named after) – who owned
a bank and was a wealthy man in Germany – his ownership – was from 1895-1912, my
–
EMOTIONAL ANCESTRY IS
WITH –
H A J O M E Y E R
In last interview,
Auschwitz survivor urged Palestinians “not to give up their fight”
Adri Nieuwhof Activism and
BDS Beat 25 August 2014
Hajo Meyer at his home
in Heiloo, Netherlands on 29 July 2014.
Adri Nieuwhof
I mourn the loss of
Hajo Meyer, a friend who fearlessly raised his voice to combat Zionism and to
express his support for the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom and
equality. Hajo passed away in his sleep on 23 August, just days after his ninetieth
birthday.
Hajo was born in 1924
and had to flee alone from Nazi Germany at the age of 14 because the Nazis
would not allow him to attend school anymore. His parents sent him to the
Netherlands in January 1939.
A year later, the
Netherlands was occupied by Germany. In 1943, Hajo went into hiding but was
captured by the Gestapo in March 1944 and deported to the Auschwitz death camp
where the Nazis tattooed number “179679” on his arm.
After the war, Meyer
returned to the Netherlands where he had a long career as a physicist. He also
took up making violins in his retirement.
In a previous interview with
The Electronic Intifada, Hajo said: “For as long as I can, I will continue to
utter my criticism of inhuman Zionist behavior.”
On 29 July, I traveled
to Meyer’s home in Heiloo in the Netherlands, to discuss the Israeli onslaught
on Gaza, where the tired Hajo gave The Electronic Intifada his last interview.
I asked Hajo how he
felt. “I can’t answer you positively, due to old age which prevents me from any
activity in supporting the Palestinians,” he replied. “To be that old comes
with such great loss of capacities, it is quite a task,” he said.
He reflected on how
lucky he was to survive Auschwitz with some comrades.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajo_Meyer
Hajo Meyer (born Hans-Joachim
Gustav Meyer; 12 August 1924 – 23 August 2014) …
In his later years
Meyer became politically active, including as director of A Different Jewish Voice. He was a member of
the International Jewish
Anti-Zionist Network,[11] founded
in 2008 and the Dutch political party GroenLinks.[12]
(NOTE: his activism began –
related to what transpired in Lebanon in the 1970’s and particularly the early
1980’s) …
Meyer wrote a book
titled Het einde van het Jodendom (The End of Judaism) in 2003,[a]. In
2007 an English language edition of the book was published.[13]
In his book Meyer
draws a comparison between the way Jews were treated in the nineteen thirties
by the Germans in Germany and later in The Netherlands and what Israel is doing
to the Palestinians, in Israel itself as well as in the occupied territories. All
with the objective of making them leave the country. It was not until this
strategy turned out not to work that Hitler began to consider other solutions.[14] Elements
of this treatment were:
·
Dehumanizing Jews by referring to them as animals, parasites or a plague.
The then Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe
Ya'alon is quoted as speaking of the Palestinians as
"cancer".[15] Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon later corroborated this statement as
"true and correct".[16] Former
Minister of Education, Shulamit
Aloni, confirmed the demonization of the Arabs in Israeli schoolbooks.[17]
·
Exaggerating the threat. Hitler was obsessed by the notion that Jews were
planning to sweep Germany from the map.[18] Likewise
Israelis insist that the Palestinians not only want to drive Israel into the
sea, but actually have the capability to do so.[19]
·
Intimidation and harassment by the armed forces. Meyer finds it
particularly painful that his "own people" are now involved in
similar behaviour towards the Palestinians.[20]
·
Inflicting economic hardship by banning Jews from certain professions and
boycotting Jewish stores. Analogous economic pressure has been put on
Palestinians.[20]
·
Not intervening and looking the other way when they were being harassed
by non-jewish citizens. Meyer recalls a Purim celebration
for children that was broken up by the SA.
Complaints to the police had no effect. Israelis have been reported as
attacking Palestinian farmers during their harvesting and targeting Palestinian
schools with impunity.[20]
·
Applying collective punishment. For instance: If a Jew
did something that displeased the regime, his or her relatives could be
punished for it. Likewise if a member of Hamas blows
himself up, his family home may be destroyed.[21]
The book accuses the
successive governments of Israel of using the Holocaust to
downplay the suffering and injustices they inflict on the Palestinians.[22]
Contrary to what
Israel's government would have everyone believe, criticism of Israel is not the
same as anti-Semitism, Meyer writes.[23] In
fact: "...at present the only reason to expect a revival of dangerous
anti-Semitism is Israel's increasingly reprehensible policies".[23] Meyer
encourages non-Jews to shed their guilt about the Holocaust and feel free to
criticize Jews who are clearly committing crimes.[23] Jewish
people and organizations must openly distance themselves from the current
Israeli policies.[23]
Among other things,
Meyer concludes that the State of Israel and Zionism have failed because they
have not lived up to the promise of a safe haven for the persecuted Jews of the
world.[24]
Meyer spoke of surviving
Auschwitz through luck and through his close emotional connection to a fellow
young man there – they supported each other.
I first heard of Hajo
Meyer – in our JVP-Bay Area Anti-Zionist Ancestor’s Cohort – where I researched
him to present within The Cohort! Read
his words above, please!
Hajo Meyer died in 2014 –
at the age of 90! Why are so many of
his words – of over 10 years ago – remain vividly true today?
I connected also in my
research with his niece – who is an American who is close to my age.
I conclude this writing
crying – crying – crying!
Thanks!
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