Condi plays as the Middle East burns. Nice legs though!

Bush seems to be all happy about all of this. He sees it as an “opportunity.” Either he is on harder drugs than Rush Limbaugh, or this is what BushCo really wants: Murder and mayhem in the Middle East, hatred and vitriol at home. Maybe this is what they want; “they” being the neocons, theocons, weapons manufacturers and oil companies (profits are way up!). They love this “shit.” Most of the sensible pundits who write and talk about how badly BushCo has screwed up don’t seem to consider that these burning heaps of broken bodies and demolished infrastructure constitute *success* to these lunatic bastards. It is indeed an “opportunity” that plays right into the power dreams of the neocons, entertains the horrific Apocalyptic fantasies of the religious zealots, and makes Big Money Right Now for the weapons and oil industries. And then there are the politicians, our “representatives.” Whom do they represent? Why, the people who pay them, of course; back to oil and weapons companies. Then there’s the media; they adore the Ratings of War, so bring ‘em on! Of course, the “terrorists” love when America and Israel behave like bullies; it’s great for their membership drives. Who doesn’t love this mess except ethical hedonist saps like me, and the people who are getting themselves and their loved ones killed?

The *leadership* that is perpetrating these crimes doesn’t appear chastened in the least. There’s Bush talking “shit” to a roll. There’s Condi in her blood red dress playing a Brahms Death Sonata, to reflect her “serious” mood and lethal mission. There’s Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressing “deep sorrow” over the horrible civilian deaths in Qana, but hey, he still needs a couple more weeks to kill Lebanese people.

And I feel for Israel. Seriously. Some of my very best, oldest friends are Israeli or very close to Israel. My show is a big hit in Israel. I’ve never been a Zionist (like I said, I’m an ethical hedonist), but I loved Israel when I went there as a teenager, and I would love to visit again. My feelings about Israel are the feelings of a sister who sees her beloved brother destroying himself and everyone around him, getting into barroom brawls. Of course, I understand why he brawls; he’s surrounded by enemies in a very rough neighborhood. But that’s no excuse for bad behavior.

This war is terrible for Israel. Just as Bush’s Rape of Iraq completely negated the international good will extended to America in the wake of 9/11, so Israel is spending the guilty sympathy the world gave Jews over the Nazi Holocaust in this horrid Lebanese Adventure, ontop of the horrid Palestinian tragedy. This is not to excuse Palestinian suicide bombers or Hezbollah firing katyushas at Haifa; it’s all wrong. But Israel has got to stop killing kids. Even though the Bible is filled with “righteous” murder and battle scenes of Israelites slaughtering Philistine men, women and children with “God” on their “side” (one reason why fundamentalists think these bloody wars are all hunky-dory), this is not a righteous thing for Israel to be doing now to say the least.

Actually, I don’t believe most Israelis really want to do this now. They don’t want to kill children. Who does? But they feel stuck. Since America is their über-patron, they are stuck. If Tony Blair is Bush’s Poodle, then Israel is his Pit Bull. Now it’s in a Dog Fight with another Pit Bull, and Master George won’t let Israel out of the pit. All Condi has to do is say “Ceasefire Now!” but she just keeps playing her Blood Red Sonata. Meanwhile, Israel is wreaking havoc, losing soldiers, killing children, enhancing Hezbollah’s credibility, and getting dreadful international reviews, making the world even safer for rabid anti-Semites like Mel and the guy who shot up the Jewish center in Seattle.

Does BushCo care? If not about the pulverized bodies of innocent people, at least about the horrendous PR? One can only hope. There is no good way out of Lebanon for Israel, just as there is no good way out of Iraq for America. There is only the least horrible way: Cut our losses and get out. Stop the killing now.

Then let’s all have sex.

Seriously. We need to integrate. Negotiate. Communicate. We need to stop spending so much energy killing each other, and start loving each other, or at least talking to each other. We have to follow the Bonobo Way and quit acting like deranged baboons, so we can work together to save our Mother the Earth.