StarrNarrative

  The Crisis of Democracy in the United States   By David Starr   The revolution that birthed the United States of America was a triumph over the feudal system and the aristocracy. (Although from a class perspective, the founders were kind of like aristocrats.) This caused a reemergence of democracy not seen in the Western world since the ancient Greek and Roman republics.    But the USA’s version was, and is, a bourgeois form of democracy. It could be said that it is a degree of democracy because it’s been overshadowed by the rule of capital. And democracy and capitalism are not compatible when it comes down to it. Democracy  and socialism are more compatible. After, Karl Marx once wrote that democracy is the road to socialism.   The USA’s State Department came out with a  document  entitled, “Human Rights and Democracy.” In the document, there is the promotion of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).   The document begins with the following statement:    “The protect

  Israeli Youth Resist Military Conscription into the Israeli Defense Forces   By David Starr   There has been an increase in the number of Israeli youth who are refusing to enlist in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). When an Israeli turns 18 years-old, it is obligatory to enlist, but there are exceptions to this military conscription. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, for example, can avoid service if they are fully committed to studying the Torah. One factor that is not an exception is refusing to enlist based on ideological reasons. And a growing number of youth have refused for precisely these reasons.   When Fred Hidvegi was 17, he had  already planned not to enlist  when he turned 18. And instead of going along with the obligation to serve he became a “refusenik.” At that time, Hidvegi knew he risked going to prison if he didn’t serve. That in turn made him anxious.   Hidvegi heard the consistent speeches about how important it is to serve, “a meaningful service for the country.” “I got a mes

  Pope Francis Speaks Out On Israeli Terrorism By David Starr   Hardline Israel supporters have been foaming at the mouth every time Israel is criticized. They never fail to whip out the ant-semitic card against those who “dare” to do so. The hardliners fully support Israel no matter what it does, including attempted genocide in Gaza. (Although they excuse Israel for “defending itself.”)   A  notable target  for hardliners is Pope Francis, who called out Israel for its military aggression in Gaza. Not that he was direct in the matter, but he made a strong implication that Israel is practicing terrorism.    Pope Francis spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog via telephone. Herzog repeated the excuse used by hardliners that it is all Hamas’s fault. While Hamas did perpetuate a violent act that could fall under the category of terrorism, hardliners like Herzog blatantly ignore the occupation and settlements as the root causes of a decades-old problem.    Francis responded, saying that

  The Israeli Gulag By David Starr   Much has been made in the Israeli and Western media about the brutality of Hamas, although there were Israeli hostages who were set free and said they were treated humanely as captives. But for those media outlets, Hamas is evil incarnate. Israel, meanwhile, is the “good guy.” It never has killed civilians, right? Much less imprison them. The lies and half-truths have been running rampant in those media outlets.   One of the “noble” goals of Israel is arresting and holding Palestinians, most times indefinitely without trial. The excuse for Israel is that all of those prisoners are terrorists. The reality is very different.  Secular Talk  had a  segment discussing  the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. It described Israel’s actions and showed that they have been, and are, reprehensible.   The Middle East Eye  had  descriptions  of the taking of Palestinians as prisoners. “Amani al-Sarahna, spokeswoman for the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club Association