When Governments Fail to Act, the Situation only Worsens

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

“All governments are bad, some are worse than others.” I heard this when I was a young man. Over my nearly 78 years I have learned that it was and is completely true. The only thing I didn’t consider was that my government would become the most corrupt and incompetent of them all.

My interest in politics began in 1956, when I was 10 years old. I turned on our television when I arrived home from school, and on the TV was Dwight Eisenhower’s second convention. I was fascinated.

Now that I am an old man, I look back on the 13 presidents I have watched, listened to, and read about. Only one of the 13 was a great president; JFK: and three are on the list of the worst in history: Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and at the bottom, Donald Trump.

Of the nine remaining, three were admirable for their accomplishments; Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden; three were somewhat competent and had good intentions; Dwight Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The final three were incompetent: Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter.

INNACTION IS A MORTAL SIN IN POLITICS

For much of my life, I have questioned the failure of our government to take action on critical issues, issues which would have huge repercussions for the future of the world and our country.

There have never been serious and bipartisan agreements on immigration reform, gun violence, in the form of domestic terrorism, the protection of voting rights, racism in general, women’s rights, the rights of the LGBTQ community, or legitimate religious freedom in support of the First Amendment. Over the last few decades, a new problem has become of great importance: income inequality.

Ignored by the United States and many other nations has been the biggest problem in the Middle East: peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.

THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE SEEK EQUALITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

As leaders from all over the world have attempted to broker a peaceful agreement between the Israeli and Palestinian people for decades, there has been a single solution proposed which would end the animosity between the two people: a two-state solution.

However, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has consistently opposed the idea, refusing to surrender any land he took from the Palestinian people over the last 28 years.

THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE HAVE FOUGHT FOR EQUALITY OVER THE LAST 76 YEARS

The United Nations granted Statehood to Israel in 1948. Beginning in that same year, Palestinian leaders have asked for the same recognition. Although most nations agree with the idea, members of the Security Council have vetoed the proposal.

There are 15 members on the Council, five permanent, and 10 non-permanent.

The five permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Non-permanent members include nine nations in 2024: Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.

A single veto by a permanent member is sufficient to halt a proposal, although every other member may have supported the idea. In support of Israel, the United States has repeatedly vetoed the establishment of a Palestinian State.

HISTORY AND GENOCIDE IN 2024 CREATED PROTESTS ACROSS AMERICA

Some might think that the protests across America related to the murder of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children by the Israeli military are controversial, but fail to understand the level of hatred which has grown over the last 76 yeears.

The fact is that failure by the government of the United States to focus on a solution to the unrest in the Middle East is why students in our institutions of higher learning are demanding action today.

Peace is not possible if a single nation’s people are ignored. The situation is not a battle over religious fervor, it is a battle for land, for possessions.

ONE FINAL FACT

If you ignore extremists in the three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and the Religion of Islam, and read the Torah, the New Testament of the Bible, and the Quran, you will find that all three teach the same basic truths. Their followers are taught to live their lives in service to their God. This is accomplished through the practice of compassion, understanding, acceptance, and the search for the ultimate goal: spirituality. Not allowed are hatred, bigotry, and judgement.

If you claim to follow any of these faiths, and do not support their basic tenents, you are not a true believer, and possibly a hypocrite.

No true God is vengeful, or filled with hatred for those who do not worship Him or Her. God encourages free thought, but does not demand adoration or devotion which is not the result of free choice. This is basic theology.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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Source: https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/columbia-university-palestine-protests-04-26-24/index.html